Logging In

Once Carbon for Unreal is installed, the Carbon Menu button will be visible in the main toolbar of the Unreal Engine 5 editor interface, located at the top left of the editor window. If you do not see the Carbon Icon, then the plugin is not properly installed or loaded. Please review the Carbon installation guide here.

The first time Carbon is used on a machine, users will first need to access the Carbon Welcome Panel which will allow you to activate your previously purchased licenses. The Welcome Panel is accessed by clicking the Account option in the Carbon Menu.

After opening the Account panel, a sign-in window will appear with options to activate a Carbon Cloud License or create a new account.

The Carbon Account Panel can be reopened via the Carbon Menu and can be used to manage cloud licenses after the plugin has been loaded the first time.

“Cloud License” allows users to login with their Imaginary Labs account and select their licenses directly inside the Unreal editor. This is the most convenient option and will keep your license active in the project as long as the license is valid. An active internet connection is required to use this method.

Users without an Imaginary Labs account can make one as a part of their checkout process when purchasing license subscriptions from carbonforunreal.com. An Imaginary Labs account is required to purchase, manage, and use licenses for Carbon for Unreal.

Cloud License Login

(Logging in with the “Cloud License” requires an active internet connection)

1. To log in using the “Cloud License” method click “Cloud License” in the Carbon Account Panel.
2. Log in with an Imaginary Labs account when prompted.
3. After a successful login Carbon will list the available licenses, with their IDs and license type.
4. Select the desired license for use on this machine by clicking it, then click “Apply” near the bottom of the panel to confirm it will be associated with the current machine.
5. If the license is successfully retrieved and applied, Carbon for Unreal will activate.
   
6. Active license status can be verified by looking at the colored indicator on the Carbon Status Bar on the bottom right of the editor. (Red: No valid license, Cyan: Active license is valid)

Offline License Login

(Offline Licensing is only available for "Design" tier licenses and above)

1. Open a Carbon project on an internet-connected machine
2. In the Account Panel, click “Offline License.”
3. The Account Panel will display information related to your current machine. Make note of both the Hardware ID and verification codes listed; you’ll need them later. 
   

   Note: An Offline License can only be activated on one machine per checkout period.

   
4. Visit imaginary.software and log in with your Imaginary Labs account.
5. Once successfully signed in, go to the “My Licenses” page in the License Manager.
6. Find the license which you would like to access in an offline state and click "Generate Offline License" 
   

   WARNING: Once an Offline License is generated, it cannot be used as a Cloud License until the checkout period is over.

7. Fill in the Hardware ID (which you previously noted down) and select the desired timeframe for the offline checkout period.
   

   Note: The maximum timeframe for an offline license is 15 days.

   
8. Confirm that the verification code matches the one you previously noted down. Then, click “Download Offline License.”
9. Once you’ve ensured that all the information in the popup is correct, click “Confirm and Download.”
   
10. Store the license file in a safe and secure location.
11. Return to Carbon’s Account panel and import the Offline License file.
12. Your license should now be activated, allowing you to continue using Carbon offline!