This page explains what your computer needs to run R.EARTH.
There are two levels:
Minimum
The app will run, but it may not always feel smooth, and very large or demanding work (big elevation maps, large pipe networks, heavy drawing) may slow down.
Recommended
The app runs quickly and stays smooth even under heavy load.
If your computer sits between the two, the app will still work well for everyday use; you will only notice the difference on the most demanding tasks.
01
Minimum requirements
Operating system
Windows 10, 64-bit, version 2004 (May 2020) or newer, or any version of Windows 11. 32-bit Windows is not supported.
Processor (CPU)
A modern 64-bit processor with 4 cores.
Graphics
Any DirectX 11-capable graphics, including the graphics built into most laptops and desktops. If your graphics can't help, the app automatically uses the processor instead — it still works, just slower on heavy tasks.
Storage
About 2 GB of free space for the app itself, plus room for your own projects. Elevation maps in particular can be large. A solid-state drive (SSD) is strongly preferred; a traditional hard drive will feel noticeably slower.
Display
1920 × 1080 resolution.
Internet
An internet connection is needed to load the online background maps (such as satellite and street maps), to sign in and activate your licence, and for the app to check in from time to time. Without it, the background maps will not appear.
02
Recommended requirements
Operating system
Windows 11, 64-bit (or Windows 10 version 22H2).
Processor (CPU)
A recent 64-bit processor with 8 or more cores.
Memory (RAM)
16 GB (32 GB if you work with very large elevation maps or datasets).
Graphics
A dedicated graphics card with 4 GB or more of its own memory. This is what keeps the map and heavy calculations smooth under load.
Storage
A fast NVMe solid-state drive with 10 GB or more of free space.
Display
1920 × 1080 or higher. High-resolution (high-DPI) screens are fully supported.
Internet
A stable broadband connection, so the online background maps load quickly and smoothly as you pan and zoom.
03
Working away from the internet
You do not need to be online all the time. Once you have signed in, R.EARTH keeps working offline:
Subscription licence
7days offline
Before you need to connect again and sign in.
Perpetual licence
60days offline
Before you need to connect again.
Reconnecting resets the clock, so simply opening the app while online from time to time is enough. Everything you have drawn and imported stays fully available offline. Background satellite and street maps need a connection to stream, unless you have cached tiles for the area beforehand — see Base Maps for saving tiles for offline use.
04
Using R.EARTH on more than one computer
Your licence works on one computer at a time. You can move between machines — signing in on a new computer simply signs the previous one out. You do not need to buy anything extra to change computers, but two machines cannot run on the same licence at the same time.
05
Notes
Nothing extra to install.
R.EARTH includes everything it needs to run; you do not have to install any separate framework or runtime.
Windows only, for now.
R.EARTH currently runs on 64-bit Windows only.
Graphics are helpful, not required.
A capable graphics card makes the map and the heavy elevation and network calculations much faster, but the app is built to fall back to your processor if needed, so it still runs on machines without a strong graphics card.
Background maps need the internet.
The satellite and street maps that sit behind your work are streamed from the internet as you pan and zoom. Without a connection those background maps will not load, and a slow connection makes them appear more slowly.
More memory helps most with big data.
If you mainly notice slowdowns when opening large elevation maps or complex projects, adding memory (RAM) usually makes the biggest difference.
Anti-virus software.
R.EARTH checks its own files at start-up to make sure nothing has been damaged or altered. Occasionally an anti-virus program will quarantine one of those files, and the app will then tell you its files were modified and offer to repair itself. If this keeps happening, add R.EARTH to your anti-virus program's list of allowed applications.
