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Running Flair Offline (No Robot) for Previz, Move Review, and FBX Export

Summary

Flair can run on a standard laptop or desktop PC without any robot hardware connected — useful for previz, reviewing and exporting job files, or FBX export at a VFX facility. The key requirement is modifying flair.ini to comment out the line that tells Flair to connect to the robot controller. Without this change, Flair stalls waiting for the hardware connection and will not fully boot. For Milo rigs, Flair offers a "run without hardware" dialog automatically. For Bolt-type robots, you must comment out the *RemoteRobot line in flair.ini by adding a # at the start. A valid Flair license is still required on the PC — MRMC can issue an offline license upon request. Some operators take the actual Flair folder from their rig's PC to their laptop, which works if the laptop is licensed for that version.

Symptoms

  • Flair stalls at startup looking for robot connection and eventually crashes or shows a connection error.
  • Cannot review or export moves from the office or hotel without the robot present.
  • No "run without hardware" dialog appears (happens with Milo but not Bolt).
  • Flair starts but no job files can be opened — timeout waiting for hardware.
  • Need to export FBX at a VFX facility without the robot present.

Community Guidance

[RESOLVED] Comment Out *RemoteRobot Line in flair.ini

2021-12-18 — Dig / Peter Constan-Tatos / Marcin Biegunajtys

For Bolt-type robots, add a # character at the start of the line that reads *RemoteRobot (or similar — the exact wording may vary) in flair.ini. This prevents Flair from attempting to connect to the robot's hardware controller on startup.

Steps: 1. Open the Flair installation folder. 2. Open flair.ini (or flair7.ini) in Notepad. 3. Find the line that begins with *RemoteRobot (it may read *RemoteRobot: True or similar). 4. Add a # at the very start of that line: #*RemoteRobot: True 5. Save the file and restart Flair. 6. Flair should now boot without attempting a hardware connection.

Dig: "Put a # in front of the line that says 'remote robot..' In the ini file. That will stop it looking for the robot but still allow the programme to boot." Peter Constan-Tatos: "Yes, there's a line in the flair.ini file that you need to change the robot to false."

confidence_score: 0.93

[RESOLVED] Additional ini Lines to Comment Out for Full Offline Use

2022-03-09 — Jeremy Andrews

For a fully offline installation (no InTime card, no network hardware), additional lines can be commented out:

#*RIC
#*LinkProgram
#*LinkBoards
#*LoadLinkBoards

Hashing these lines allows Flair to behave as though hardware is connected — moves can be previewed in the 3D rig view, curves can be edited, and FBX export is available — without any hardware.

Jeremy Andrews: "You can also hash out RIC, LinkProgram, LinkBoards and LoadLinkBoards and Flair will still behave as though the hardware is connected."

confidence_score: 0.88

[RESOLVED] Milo / Older Robots — "Run Without Hardware" Dialog Appears Automatically

2022-03-09 — Dig

For Milo rigs and some older robot systems, Flair automatically shows a "run without hardware" dialog during boot if it cannot find the hardware. Click Yes to proceed in offline mode. No ini file change is needed.

For Bolt-type robots, this dialog does not appear — the flair.ini edit is required.

Dig: "For a Milo you should just be able to load Flair and it will ask you to run 'without hardware' during the boot up process… click on yes. You only need to # out the remote robot line in the ini file when there is not a bolt type robot attached."

confidence_score: 0.90

[RESOLVED] Offline License Available From MRMC on Request

2022-11-29 — Heiko Matting / Gordon Eschke

MRMC can issue an offline (non-hardware) license for operators who need to run Flair on a laptop for previz or move review. This is handled on a trust basis — the operator requests it explicitly, explaining the project and use case. MRMC issues the license as a courtesy to endorsed operators.

Heiko Matting: "Quick tip: take an actual Flair version of the machines you're using with you on your laptop, you'll kindly get an offline license from MrMoco if you're asking explicitly for that. (This is a matter of trust between MrMoco and their endorsers.)"

confidence_score: 0.90

[INFORMATIONAL] Valid License Still Required on Offline PC

2022-03-09 — Jeremy Andrews

Running Flair without hardware still requires a valid Flair license on that PC. Without a license, saving files is not possible even in offline/previz mode.

Jeremy Andrews: "Of course you can't save any files on any PC running Flair unless you pay to licence it with MRMC. But if you have a licence you can run that version of Flair with any hardware model you like."

confidence_score: 0.95

WhatsApp Excerpts

[18/12/2021] ~ Marcin Biegunajtys: Quick question: I'm trying to open flair 7 to test my moves from a shoot as well as export them out, and don't need the robot on. For some reason I can't open any files this way.
[18/12/2021] ~ Marcin Biegunajtys: It looks for my robot connections and then times out.
[18/12/2021] ~ Peter Constan-Tatos: Yes, there's a line in the flair.ini file that's you need to change the robot to false. Can't recall the exact wording but true should change to false.
[18/12/2021] ~ Dig: Put a # in front of the line that says 'remote robot..' In the ini file. That will stop it looking for the robot but still allow the programme to boot.
[18/12/2021] ~ Peter Constan-Tatos: Dig to the rescue!!!
[18/12/2021] ~ Marcin Biegunajtys: You guys rule! Thank you

[9/3/2022] ~ Jeremy Andrews: Sometimes you need to boot Flair twice to get the 'run without hardware' option — the first time it will just fail to locate the hardware and report an error. Also, you can licence a standard PC (desktop or laptop) to run flair without no 'Intime' card or any network hub, and I think you just need to hash out (#) any references in the .ini file to Intime or network direct. You can also hash out *RIC, *LinkProgram, *LinkBoards and *LoadLinkBoards and Flair will still behave as though the hardware is connected.
[9/3/2022] ~ Jeremy Andrews: Of course you can't save any files on any PC running Flair unless you pay to licence it with MRMC. But if you have a licence you can run that version of Flair with any hardware model you like.
[9/3/2022] ~ Dig: For a milo you should just be able to load Flair and it will ask you to run 'without hardware' during the boot up process… click on yes. You only need to # out the remote robot line in the ini file when there is not a bolt type robot attached as the Flair system will want to communicate with the robots own "brain" controller, and if this isn't attached, it will stall and not load.
[29/11/2022] ~ Heiko Matting: Quick tip: take an actual Flair version of the machines you're using with you on your laptop, you'll kindly get an offline license from Mrmoco if you're asking explicitly for that. (This is a matter of trust between Mrmoco and their endorsers, who we are in a way and you have to take care to protect that.)

Official Documentation

MRMC Contact / Support