<aside> ⚠️ We recommend trying these solutions if you have issues with the Cinema 4D License Manager in After Effects 2020 (17.0.6 or below), the version where it was first introduced. You can also just Update Cinema 4D Lite.

</aside>

As of After Effects 2020 (17.x), opening Cinema 4D Lite will first open a License Manager dialog.

If you see a "No available license found - please activate or acquire a license..." **error, you may need to open Cinema 4D Lite another way.

<aside> 💡 If this is your first time trying to open Cinema 4D Lite from After Effects 2020, follow the instructions here: Open Cinema 4D Lite with After Effects CC (After Effects 2020).

</aside>

Open Cinema 4D Lite directly from the file browser

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/2e74beff-eec4-4129-ada9-65489df92071/License_Manager_Issue_1.mp4

If you're stuck on this dialog, or if you accidentally started a Cinema 4D trial and can't move forward to Cinema 4D Lite, try this first:

  1. Open the Maxon Cinema 4D R21 file folder.

  2. Open Cinema 4D Lite directly from the file browser.

    <aside> ⚠️ Open Cinema 4D Lite, not Cinema 4D.

    </aside>

Change the default app for .c4d files

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/21b80c81-c99b-4bbc-b2a6-5bfa3c2483b0/license-fix-2.mp4

If you're seeing the License Manager dialog after trying to open a .c4d file, you may need to change the defaullt application for .c4d files.

Mac:

  1. In Finder, right-click a .c4d file.
  2. Go to Open with → Other...
  3. Go to the MAXON folder and at the bottom of the Finder window go to Enable → All Applications