[Closed] Free But Encrypted

The first one, that’s something I can agree with, when we talk about commercial stuff, but my problem is that when people complain about script that is free but encrypted.

You shouldn’t be expected to show all your 1000s line code, just because you asked for help on how to calculate the volume of a box. That’s what I feel some here is expecting.

I remember some interesting story. One guy asked on this forum how to add custom attribute. He got an answer. After that he asked how to add custom attribute to rootnode. It was answered as well. After that I so his script encrypted on ScriptSpot. That’s OK. The problem is:
If you XREF scene with older version of CA on rootnode to scene with new version and save this file, next time you might not be able to open the file.
That’s the sample how one simple tool can corrupt all company files.

McGreed,
I saw your ArrayModifier tool. I played with it. I don’t want to see your code. Just because there is no any reason for me. You want to help other people. It’s good. But I also want to help other people like you. The tool as you made IS NOT MODIFIER AT ALL. A modifier has to modify an object, not create a new one. Is a rule. Any max developer has to know about it and follow it.

honestly, I crashed you modifier by first touch. I knew the operation that has to crash the modifier for sure. I knew it before running the tool.

when you update to new 3ds max everything might happen.

i agree with denisT,

Some times we give the source code,for example the iRay Manager, and it helps the mental ray Users to render, and some Beginner-Scripter: how learn programming. I have on CGTalk so much learn, that help me to wrote my tools. At last: if a tool for free, is not the source code for free. I think the most people need a short GUI with fast Options and not the source code.

mfg
hot chip

Yes, but it’s clear that there is no way to script a modifier like that. So it shouldn’t trick anyone who knows that, and the others won’t care.
But I agree, it shouldn’t be called modifier.
Keep in mind that most people posting scripts at scriptspot (me included) are not programmers, but hacks.
We are 3ds max users who discovered that it’s easy and fun to create scripts with real dialogs, shiny buttons etc.
I’d even go as far as saying that it’s the real programmers like you (probably 5 or something) people here, who feel a bit out of place in this forum, with all those weird but wonderful c# strings, coding ethics, and that stuff.
Maybe you’re expecting to much from the maxscript community in this regard.
(Yes, your mini challenges are hard too, but very interesting to watch of course. I wish I had the skills to participate in a meaningful way.)

I like the idea of putting functions into a .mse that can be included freely. But I’m not sure if there would be a benefit to the author of the function?
Another way would be to include functions taken from a forum or helpfile as a seperate unencrypted script, keeping it open source. But then again, it wouldn’t help anyone because those functions are on the web anyway.

I think the responsibility lies with the poster sharing the code. If you don’t want people to use your code than don’t share it. If you don’t want people to release the code in their encrypted scripts then declare it as GPL, or something.

Personally, when getting help with scripting, I always try to post a fully working example of the result. I wouldn’t mind anyone to use that, encrypted or not.

Interesting discussion.
It made me think about encrypted scripts.

I never thought about it but I never use anybody elses encrypted scripts.
I hate it when they are encrypted.
Dare I say I find it kind of…lame?

But to come clean, my first large tool (Puppetshop) had some encrypted scripts in it.
I’ve since removed all encryption (in 2012 build) because of the fact I don’t like anybody else encrypting their scripts.

It does make it less ‘secure’. It gives me less ability to enforce licensing.
But the fun and honest people will continue to pay and the others will continue to use cracks, regardless of encryption or not.

After Puppetshop I never used encryption again (ShaderFX, SkinFX, non-public tools etc) all the parts that are in script are not encrypted. I never really thought about it much, but I think its a process you go through. When you first script something cool, you want to protect your effort. You don’t want anybody to ‘steal’ it. Maybe you even think you or your solution are special

But after a while, that becomes less important. You realize that its more fun to interact with like-minded people and exchange ideas then it is to take your solution to your grave with you.

Ok…maybe that is a little bit too deep. :shrug:

It’s occurred to me that several of those most vocal against encrypting have used it or are currently using it, while several of those supporting encryption have released a large number of scripts freely without ever encrypting anything at all.

This thread has a tint of absurdity to it

I can see the worry of wanting to protect your tools, but not in a forum where it’s highly likely that you have got to the point of releasing something as a result of help from that community. That’s not to say that if you never ask for help you can encrypt because it’s ‘all yours’ because it’s not like its top secret anyway, all the answers are in the help!

In the early days, when there was only VR Republic Boboland which had any form of real-world MXS help, it would have been much harder to learn if these scripts were not accessible. Indeed, as I have never considered myself a particularly good programmer I doubt I would have felt the inspiration to write otherwise.

I don’t encrypt anything I release on Scriptspot, and I would always release a script with a full tutorial discussing the concepts involved. (that’s probably down to the fact I’m a bad commenter of scripts) I think it’s important to grasp the fundamentals of what you are doing so I try to explain this.

At the end of the day, if someone is going to copy and paste your code and pass it off as their own, it doesn’t bother me. it’s not going to see me out of a job as the people who employ me are doing so for my experience and hopefully my approach, not my library of code.

I will shortly be releasing some of my production tools to coincide with my talk at EUE this year. there wouldn’t be any point to talking if someone couldn’t go away and dissect and write their own.

p.s. Kees, I’ll be first up with my chequebook when you release PS2012! let me know when it goes live!