Autodesk Flex: How does it work?

Preface

Autodesk introduced the Token Flex licensing model a few years ago to provide occasional users with a cost-effective way to use certain Autodesk products and services. The first iteration of this model was called Tokenflex and was based on the FLEXlm license management operation. The disposable tokens were provided to occasional users for a period of 24 hours and managed internally through license managers. A connection with the company’s network was needed to activate and use these tokens.

The new and last iteration of this licensing model is called Autodesk Flex and differs from the previous TokenFlex model in the way the tokens are assigned and managed. Autodesk Flex is now only available through Autodesk Cloud. Therefore an internet connection is mandatory to activate these disposable tokens. After that, you can go offline for up to 24 hours. As you approach the 24-hour mark, an in-product message notifies you that online sign-in is again required. The duration of these tokens is still the same. After 24 hours the tokens expire and new tokens are needed to complete the ongoing workload.

How Flex works

The Autodesk Flex subscriptions are positioned toward large customers with the need to provide occasional users with the ability to use Autodesk solutions without assigning yearly or multi-year Cloud subscriptions. This way, the users can activate a token and complete any task within 24 hours, or activate additional tokens if they need more time.

Autodesk Flex tokens expire after 12 months from the date of purchase. This means that any tokens left after the 12-month period will be unusable (use it or lose it). It is possible to apply for multi-year tokens but this comes at a premium.

Customers are obliged to schedule the correct amount of tokens they need in a certain year so that they don’t go overboard and have to purchase additional expensive tokens or lose unused tokens. Purchasing additional tokens comes at a premium because of the lost volume discount. The larger the batch you purchase, the lower the price.

Is Flex right for you?

The following comparison could be of help to determine which license model fits your organizational needs:

Autodesk Flex

• Best for occasional users.
• Buy tokens to access a wide range of Autodesk products.
• Use tokens to access any product available with Flex for 24 hours at a time.
• Assign as many users as you want to Flex and manage which products they can access.

Named User Subscription

• Best for frequent users.
• Buy subscriptions to specific Autodesk products.
• Use the product as often as you want during the subscription term.
• Assign each subscription to a specific user; reassign the subscription as often as you need.

Products available with Flex

The following products are available through Autodesk Flex:

• Architecture, Engineering & Construction:
  • AutoCAD
  • Revit
  • Navisworks
  • 3ds Max
  • ReCap Pro
  • Advance Steel
  • Structural Bridge Design
  • Fabrication products
  • Civil 3D
  • InfraWorks
• Product Design & Manufacturing:
  • Fusion 360
  • Vault
  • Inventor
  • Alias Concept
  • Inventor Nastran
  • Robot Structural Analysis Professional
  • HSMWorks
  • PowerMill
  • PowerShape
  • Netfabb
• Media & Entertainment:
  • Maya
  • MotionBuilder
  • Flame
  • Mudbox
  • Maya Creative

How to buy the tokens (buy more save more)

A minimum of 100 tokens is needed to apply for Autodesk Flex. Each Autodesk product has a daily (24 hours) token value. By multiplying the token value of a product by the price per token you get the price for the daily workload. Tokens expire 1 year from the date of purchase. Not all products and features are available with Flex.

Flex Rate Sheet

The below tables show the available products in Autodesk Flex and their respective daily token value:

Products and services charged per day

Products and services charged per result

Tokens are charged for these products or services that design, render, simulate, or provide other results.

Autodesk Flex Estimator/Calculator

Autodesk provides its customers with an estimator to help with calculating the number of tokens they need for specific workloads and the prices they have to pay. It is important to fill in the number of users who will access the selected products, and the average number of days a month each user will use the tokens.

The estimator can be found by clicking on this link. 

To calculate your Autodesk Flex Return On Investment (ROI) we have added the below table as an example to help you understand the break-even between Autodesk Flex and Named User Subscriptions.

The break-even point for AutoCAD is 85 days. If you have users that use AutoCAD less than 85 days per year, the Autodesk Flex model is more cost-effective. Please make sure you use any usage data you have to optimize your ROI.

The advantages of the Flex tokens

Autodesk Flex provides customers the ability to license occasional users with tokens and therefore save money on expensive named user subscriptions. The assignment of the tokens is managed centrally through the Autodesk portal. This provides easy deployment of the Autodesk solutions to the users that need them. Every token has an expiration of 24 hours and should be enough for occasional users to complete their workloads. Additional tokens can be activated if the workloads are longer than 24 hours.

Pricing is easy to understand and by using the estimator, customers are able to calculate the number of tokens needed. By calculating the ROI, customers are able to make a better choice between Autodesk Flex and Named User Subscriptions.

Volume purchases provide discounts as shown in the table below:

The disadvantages of Flex tokens

The disadvantages of the Autodesk Flex model are:

• Tokens have a maximum duration of 24 hours. After 24 hours new tokens have to be activated to complete ongoing workloads. This creates additional administration workloads.
• Tokens have an expiration of 12 months starting from the purchasing date. Tokens that are not used within the 12-month timeframe are lost. Buying additional tokens within the 12-month timeframe comes at a premium.
• It could be difficult to schedule the correct amount of tokens needed within a 12-month period. Especially in a decentralized and complex environment.
• Not all Autodesk products and services are available in the Autodesk Flex model.
• Pricing is higher compared to other Autodesk licensing models.

The break-even point for AutoCAD is 85 days. If you have users that use AutoCAD less than 85 days per year, the Autodesk Flex model is more cost-effective. Please make sure you use any usage data you have to optimize your ROI.The break-even point for AutoCAD is 85 days. If you have users that use AutoCAD less than 85 days per year, the Autodesk Flex model is more cost-effective. Please make sure you use any usage data you have to optimize your ROI.