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Known Issues and Solutions

Gaea fails to start. [Missing Runtime]: You may be missing the Microsoft .NET Runtime. Install it from this link, then try again. This may be particularly possible with Portable installations.
Gaea fails or freezes on starting up. [NVIDIA GPU / Nahimic]: NVIDIA Drivers

Some users have reported issues with recent NVIDIA GPU drivers. We recommend trying an older driver such as 566.

Nahimic / SteelSeries Conflict

The "Nahimic" audio utility is installed with software bundles from manufacturers such as ASUS, MSI, etc. This audio tweaking application can aggressively interfere with non-game applications.

With Gaea, it can prevent the 3D viewport from launching successfully and force Gaea into a 2D-only view.

We highly recommend either excluding Gaea from this and other utilities that may inject code or interject themselves into Gaea's functionality, or disabling or uninstalling it completely.

Please look at the following resources for further information and details on uninstalling.

Uninstalling Nahimic

Microsoft Community

Google
Erosion does not work or the viewport does not render properly, but the rest of the application works.: You may be missing a necessary C++ runtime. This may be particularly possible with Portable installations.

Try installing the latest Visual C++ runtime.
I get a gRPC or other error when trying to activate my license.: Make sure your firewall is configured to allow TCP access to https://*.quadspinner.com using ports 80 / HTTP and 443 / HTTPS.
Other issues with activation.: Sometimes this may happen if you have excessive activations.

Log into your User Account and check for older or obsolete activations for your license. Removing them and then reloading your license key in Gaea should fix the issue.

Licensing

Is Gaea subscription-based?: No. Gaea licenses are perpetual. There are no subscriptions or hidden fees. Support, maintenance, and minor updates are free. Major version upgrades, such as Gaea 2.x to 3.x, require a paid upgrade.
Do I need to pay a maintenance fee?: No. Maintenance, support, and minor updates are included at no additional cost.
Why don't you use a subscription model like other software?: We believe you should own your tools, not rent them. Subscriptions require you to keep paying to access your own work.

Gaea's model is simple:
Let's say you purchase the latest version of Gaea Professional ($199) every 2 years. That works out to about $8 per month. And you keep it forever. No hidden renewals or lock-ins. The software keeps working even if you take a break.
Can I use Gaea for free?: Yes. The Community Edition is free for non-commercial use.
Can I still purchase Gaea 1?: No. Gaea 1 is no longer sold. Existing Gaea 1 customers can contact Support for legacy version information.
Is there any warranty for Gaea?: No. The software is provided "as is" without warranties. QuadSpinner is not liable for any damages or losses. See the End-User License Agreement for details.

Editions and Upgrades

What is the revenue limit for the Indie Edition?: The Indie Edition is for individuals or businesses with annual gross revenue or capital under US $100,000.
Can I use the Professional Edition for my business?: Yes, if your annual gross revenue or capital does not exceed US $1,000,000. Businesses exceeding this cap must use the Enterprise Edition.
Can I upgrade my license to a higher edition?: Yes. You can upgrade your Gaea 2 license by paying the price difference. There are no penalties. Log in to your User Account to upgrade.
Is there a loyalty discount for upgrading from Gaea 1 to Gaea 2, or from Gaea 2 to Gaea 3?: Yes. Gaea 1 users get a 30% loyalty discount when upgrading to the next major version. Log in to your User Account to upgrade.
Why do you charge for upgrades every 2 or so years?: These cycles represent new technology. Each generation, Gaea 2, Gaea 3, etc., is the result of 2 years of work, research, and innovation. Our cadence gives you a stable year of improvements and refinement, followed by a new version that redefines the toolset.

These upgrades, which are optional and perpetual, are cheaper and fairer than any subscription model.

Payments

What payment methods are supported?: We accept major credit cards and offer payment installments via Klarna. PayPal is no longer supported.

Depending on your region, the following payment methods may be available:
Can I purchase Gaea in installments?: Yes. Choose Affirm, Afterpay / Clearpay, or Klarna at checkout to pay in installments.

Availability varies by region and eligibility is determined by the provider.

Refunds and Returns

NOTE: Use the free Community Edition to evaluate the software before buying, or contact us for specific details.

What is your refund policy?: All digital goods are sold "as-is" and are strictly non-refundable, even if they do not meet personal expectations. Free versions are available for evaluation before purchase. It is the buyer's responsibility to confirm the product meets their needs in advance.

Use the free Community Edition to evaluate the software before buying, or contact us for specific details.

Please see the Terms of Service for exact details.
Do you honor the EU "cooling off" period for refunds?: No. By purchasing, you agree to waive your right to refunds under the EU "cooling off" period (Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16(m)), which exempts digital goods from refund once the download has begun.
What happens if there are payment processing or delivery issues?: Payment issues or delays may affect product delivery. We reserve up to 72 hours to resolve such issues before further action is taken.

In the rare case that the issue is taking longer to resolve, please contact us before opening a dispute.
Can I get a refund if Gaea is incompatible with my system or third-party tools?: No. We do not guarantee compatibility with your specific setup or third-party tools. Refunds are not provided for compatibility-related problems.

This also applies to Gaea Plugins such as Gaea2Unreal and Gaea2Houdini, which are provided as free, open-source add-ons and not as part of the Gaea product.

Volume Licenses

Do you offer volume discounts?: Yes. Volume discounts are available for the Enterprise Edition. Discounts are applied during purchase on our store.
What are your volume discounts?: You will receive a 10% discount for 3-5 units, 15% on 6-9 units, or 20% on 10 or more units.

Resellers

Do you work with resellers?: Yes. We partner with resellers worldwide. Resellers can buy directly on our store with volume discounts. Contact us for details.

Floating Licenses

Are floating licenses available?: Yes. Learn more about Floating Licenses.
Is the Enterprise edition a floating license?: No. Gaea Enterprise is node-locked.
Can I upgrade my Enterprise license to Floating?: No. Obtaining a Floating license is a new purchase. You can buy an online Floating license on our store.

Educational

Do you provide educational discounts?: Yes. We offer free individual educational licenses to eligible students and teachers. Learn more here.
What educational licenses are available for institutions?: Academic institutions and private academies can purchase an annual Classroom License. Learn more here.

License Retrieval and Activation

Where can I find my license?: Your license is automatically sent via email once payment is processed.

You can also retrieve it by logging into your User Account.
How do I activate my license?: When launching Gaea 2 for the first time, enter your User Key. Command-line activation is available for mass deployments. See the documentation for more details.
I want to activate my license on another computer.: Load your User Key into Gaea on the new computer.

If you see a "Maximum Activations" error, you may have used all activations. Deactivate older activations using the About dialog in Gaea or manage them in your User Account. This is useful if you no longer have access to older machines.
What happens if I lose my license key?: Retrieve your license by logging into your User Account. For further help, contact Support.

License Usage and Limits

Can I install Gaea on multiple computers?: Indie and Professional licenses may be installed on two devices for personal use by the same user. Enterprise licenses are limited to one machine per license.
Are Gaea licenses transferable?: No. Licenses are non-transferable. Renting, leasing, or selling is not allowed. Exceptions may be considered case-by-case. Contact Support for details.
Can I use Gaea for government or military purposes?: Government agencies, military branches, and subcontractors must use the Enterprise Edition. Military use requires a specific military license. Contact Support for details.

Internet Connectivity Requirements

How often must Gaea connect to the internet?: Gaea must connect at least once every 28 days to refresh the license. Offline licenses are available for the Enterprise Edition at additional cost. Contact Support for more information.
What happens if I fail to connect Gaea to the internet every 28 days?: The software may stop functioning unless you have an offline license, which can be purchased from QuadSpinner at our discretion.

Ownership and Terms

Will my license change if the EULA updates?: No. You can continue using the software under the terms of the EULA you accepted at purchase. If you update to a newer version covered by updated terms, you will be bound by those terms.
Do I own the Assets I create with Gaea?: Yes. Any content you create (Assets) is solely your property and may be used or distributed freely, subject to the licensing terms in our EULA.
Can I use Gaea for AI training?: See the Content Usage tab.

What are the system requirements for Gaea?

Minimum

Windows 10 (April 2018 - Build 1803)
Intel Core i5-4200H / AMD FX-8370
16GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10GB HDD space

Recommended

Windows 11 - 23H2
Intel Core i7-4770K / AMD Ryzen-5 1500X
32GB RAM (64-128GB for complex, high-res projects)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or higher
50GB HDD space

Important Requirements

CPU must support the AVX2 instruction set
GPU Compute: CUDA 12.5 or higher; HIP 6.0 or higher.
NOTE: Gaea can be used without GPU compute with CPU only

Does Gaea require an internet connection?

Yes, for activation and periodic license refresh every 28 days.

Can Gaea run on Mac or Linux?

Currently, Gaea is Windows-only. Linux support is being considered, but no timeline is available.

Is Gaea CPU or GPU-powered?

Gaea leverages both CPU and GPU for performance optimization, with cutting-edge CPU acceleration for users without high-end GPUs. However, Gaea can perform very efficiently on just CPU as well.

Why does Gaea 2 require a native Windows installation to operate?

Gaea 2 requires the AVX2 instruction set, which does not exist in the macOS Parallels environment. Users must utilize Windows natively in order to use Gaea 2.

Can I use Gaea's output with AI?: No. Using Gaea or its Assets to train AI systems, including machine learning models or LLMs, is prohibited without prior written consent from QuadSpinner. This includes scraping, mining, or analysis for AI development. Normal use for rendering or pipeline automation is allowed within boundaries established by the license agreement.

For further clarification, see the End-User License Agreement or contact us.
Do I own the content I create in Gaea?: Yes, you own all content (Assets) you create with Gaea.
However:
Commercial use is not allowed with educational licenses or the Community Edition.
Assets used for interactive terrain generation or modification cannot be sold for retail purposes without a custom license.
Can I use Gaea for military purposes?: Military use is restricted. Government agencies, military branches, and their subcontractors must acquire a specific Government and Military license, which may include additional terms and surcharges. Contact Support for details.
Are there restrictions on interactive end-products?: Yes. You cannot use Gaea or its Assets in any interactive end-product whose primary or prominent purpose is terrain generation or modification without a custom license. This restriction does not apply to video games or visualizations where terrain generation is incidental or not a main user-accessible feature.
Can I sell content created with Gaea?: Yes, with conditions. Your gross retail revenue from selling such Assets must not exceed USD $50,000 per year. Additionally, your public product description must include the text "Assets created with QuadSpinner Gaea." If you exceed this revenue limit, please contact us to discuss a custom license agreement.

Can I use my license at school?: If you are a fully publicly-funded school or institution, or you are a student or teacher using Gaea individually for learning purposes, you are welcome to use the license at school.

If Gaea is part of the curriculum, while you may use the license for your own personal use, the institution must purchase a Classroom License.
Can I use the license commercially?: The purpose of these educational licenses is learning and teaching. If you are using Gaea for commercial purposes, you must purchase a commercial license.

However, prizes, including cash prizes, or other forms of compensation for educational contests, competitions, or similar events are allowed.
What is the difference between the Student + Teacher License and the Classroom License?: The Student + Teacher License is for individual learning. It is available to students and teachers for personal use.

The Classroom License is for institutions. It allows the institution to deploy Gaea across its labs and classrooms, and to issue licenses to students and teachers.
How long can I use this license?: Student + Teacher Licenses are given for 1 year and can be renewed for free at the end of the term if you qualify.

Classroom Licenses are provided in an annual subscription format.
Do educational licenses include a free upgrade to the next major version?: Yes. If the next major version comes out during the term of your license, you will receive a free upgrade. You are also welcome to keep using the existing version.
Why did my student license request get rejected?: Please see the email you received for the precise reason.

Most commonly, if your student ID is unreadable, your form is incomplete or in a non-English language, or if you are not enrolled in an accredited institution, your request may be rejected.

Tip: For faster support, include your Watson Diagnostics Log and detailed steps to reproduce the issue. The more thorough your description, the sooner we can investigate and resolve your problem.

Response Times and Expectations

How long will it take to fix my problem?: Support response and fix times vary. We're a small team without a guaranteed SLA. Some issues are simple; others require deeper changes or long-term improvements. We aim to help as quickly as possible, but fixes may take time.
It has been 24 hours and I haven't heard back from Tech Support. What should I do?: We appreciate your patience. We review all requests and try to reply as soon as possible. Replies can sometimes be delayed when we're handling multiple issues at once.
Why can't you give me an exact timeline?: Every issue is different. We investigate, prioritize, and resolve based on complexity and impact. Giving a firm date before we're sure would risk misleading you.
Can I get priority support?: We don't offer formal priority tiers. We treat all reports seriously and handle them as quickly as we can, given our size and resources.

Reporting and Communication

I submitted a ticket. Now what?: To ensure timely support, include your Watson Diagnostic Log code, any terrain files needed for investigation, and any screenshots or videos showing the issue. This helps us reproduce, isolate, and fix it in future builds.
Why do you ask for more information instead of just fixing it?: We need details we can't guess. Logs, steps, and system info help us reproduce and understand the problem properly, saving time overall.
How can I help you fix my problem faster?: Be clear and detailed in your report. Include your Watson Diagnostics Log, steps to reproduce, error messages, logs, and details about your environment. Better info speeds up our response.
You said you're looking into it. What does that mean?: It means we've seen your report and are evaluating it. This includes reproducing the problem, checking code, planning changes, or adding it to our development queue.
What is your policy on abusive or rude behavior toward Support?: We expect all communication with Support to remain professional and respectful. Abusive, rude, or repeated aggressive messages may result in slower responses or losing access to Support entirely. We reserve the right to provide or withhold Support at our discretion.

Bugfix Process

There have been one or more updates since I reported my issue. Why is it not fixed yet?: Not every update will address all reported issues immediately. Some problems are complex or tied to larger changes that take longer to implement. Even while other fixes ship, we may still be working on yours.
Why do you release new features when bugs remain?: We balance maintenance and new development. Fixing all bugs first isn't realistic, so we work continuously on both. Some fixes require deeper changes that take longer.
Why do you need time to test a fix? Can't you just ship it?: Quick, untested fixes can break other things. We test changes carefully to avoid creating new problems while solving the current one.