The subscription service includes render node features but does not include Chaos Anima Render Node licenses because these use a perpetual type of licenses that are incompatible with subscriptions.
Instead, with Chaos Anima we are using an alternative solution which is that any of the devices listed in a subscription account (4 per seat) can render scenes without limitations as long as they are used to render without any User Interface. This is the standard render mode that most 3D apps use (no UI) when they are started by a render manager (like Backburner, Deadline, Pulze, Team Render, etc.).
When the anima plugin detects that no interface is used, it will check if the device has been pre-authorized in your subscription account and the license will get activated as a "node mode" (no subscription seat will be used). When the plugin runs in "node mode" it won't use any subscription seat ty and it will appear in your subscription devices list with a different icon (a server rack instead of a monitor), as you can see in the image below:
The upper icon is a Monitor, which represents a device using a subscription seat, and the icon below is a Server Rack representing a device running in "node mode". You can check if the "node mode" is used by taking a look at the devices panel.
Notice that you will only see the "node mode" while the device is rendering. As soon as it stops rendering it will change again to "unplugged" (the monitor turned off).
You can read more details about how it works in the article Render in all devices.
Mixed-use scenario
As it is not possible to install the anima in Workstation mode and in Render Node mode at the same time in the same machine, this "node mode" state of the devices becomes especially useful in situations where the devices are used alternatively for both the creation and edition of anima content and also for rendering as nodes in conjunction with a bigger render node pool.
Important update:
As of August 1, 2024, with the release of anima 5.6.0, anima Render Node installations no longer require a license and are free for everyone to use.
However, the older versions of anima (5.5.0 and older) still require the use of a Render Node license. More information about the legacy Render Node licensing process can be found in the following documentation: Licensing Render Nodes.