Just browsing some items at Cornucopia and I noticed some items are "locked to license" but for a few more dollars you can purchase the item unlocked...

Not sure what "locked to license" means...

Can someone kinldy enlighten me... LOL...

Cheers

Ken

Means the object will only work on any Vue software you have registered at e-on or Cornucopia. If you want to share your scene, and render it on someone else's machine, the object will be replaced by a dummy object, unless the person also purchased the object. Also, sometimes, the non locked object comes in other 3D formats, so you can use it in other programs.

Buy now the locked Version later you can update to unlocked version. You can export that version in any other 3D program you use. You must only pay the difference between Standard and Locked version.

Mazak

Mazak, not entirely true, you can export the object only if the object isn't locked from export, which should be stated in object description. Locekde to licences and locked from export are 2 different things. An object not locked to a Vue licence may be locked from export.

It's actually useless to buy non locked to a licence objects, unless you want to use the object in another app, when a generic 3D file format is provided, or if the scene is to be shared with users that didn't buy the object.

Don't take for granted the non locked to a licence object is exportable.

(I know because I sell at C3D)

Thank you Bruno for that clarification, I always thought the locked version is locked for export too. The locked objects I have I cant export! In future I will have a closer look at the product description.

Mazak

Locked to licence is locked from export, it's just that objects non locked to licences can be locked from export. A bit confusing, innit?

Mazak

Hmmm....Will have to talk to store admins, then. So, maybe I'm wrong.

No, you are not wrong, Bruno.

When I make models for sale at Cornucopia, I often click on the "Forbid Export" setting in the "Edit Object" window, ... if I do not want the purchaser to use the model in a program other than Vue.

In my case, I do this because I always sell models placed at Cornucopia at a deep discount. That is, all models that I sell at Cornucopia, I price for much, much less than the cost to me of textures, my time and my software-hardware costs. I then may make other copies of the model in *.obj file format, and sell them at places like The3DStudio or Turbosquid for a "normal" price.

My reasoning is that if a customer wants to use the model in any and all applications that can import an *.obj model, such as what happens when a model is sold on sites other than Cornucopia, they certainly should be allowed to, but then they should pay a normal (market) price for the model.

When we model builders sell a model in the normal market place, we do have to take into account our software, hardware, research and texture purchase costs. Our models have to be priced in such a way that we can cover these costs, or we cannot afford to make models. Most freelance model-builders that I am aware of are either working at cost, or are making perhaps a 5-percent to 10-percent profit - just so that you know. In my case, I usually am taking a 35-percent or greater loss in models that I place at Cornucopia. I usually take a 25-percent loss in models I place here at Renderosity. In both cases (Rendo and C3D), I do this because I feel that I am part of the fellowship of Vue users.

(All this information is just so that you know how some of us model-builders reason through our use of "Locked To License" and "Forbid Export" settings.)

And, as you said, vendors at Cornucopia should write in the product description that a model cannot be exported, if they have assigned the "Forbid Export" setting to the model. But some vendors may forget or be so lazy that they do not provide this information.

The "Forbid Export" setting has no association with the "Locked To License" setting that we vendors choose to place on our models sold at Cornucopia.

There are two advantages of the "Locked To License" setting for the customer. One - such models can be purchased with a Cornucopia Voucher, and two - such models are priced more cheaply than any models that are not "Locked To License."

Even though a model may be "Locked To License", and be cheaper for the customer, the maker of the model receives the same amount of revenue for the model, whether it is "Locked To License" or not.  The vendor takes the loss in the price of "Locked To License" models.  An Unlocked model is priced higher, and this is the price the Store and the Vendor split. A Locked model is priced less - the Store takes the same amount as if the model were "Locked" and maker of the model receives a little less than if he or she had caused the model to be "Locked To License."

The original purpose of the "Locked To License" mode was to provide a good and very secure method of copyright protection for the model-builder. If a model is locked to your Vue license on your machine, you cannot transfer it around freely to other Vue users, and thus, it cannot fall into bad hands and be pirated easily.

Vendors like me who use the "Locked To License" setting often do not provide the same model in a "Standard" mode. So, like Bruno, I am confused as to what is meant by the screenshot provided by Mazak. When I place a model into Cornucopia in "Locked To License" mode, I mean for it to be that way.  Like Bruno, I'd like to check on this too, but I believe that Cornucopia cannot convert a model from "Locked To License" to "Standard" mode without the consent of the original model maker. So, I suspect that not every model can be converted to "Standard" mode as the screenshot suggests.

My models are also locked from export for the same reasons, Pam, the time and software costs are higher than their price tag.

LOL - good minds reason in similiar ways!

I never bought a locked model; either I got the unlocked one or, for locked-only models, simply looked somewhere else (not TurboSquid or similar places, prices in those places suggest the assumption unhealthy amouts of meth).

The locked-content was also a potent stimulus for me to learn modeling and become indipendent of such chains and now I can gladly report that:
1 - I don't remember the last time I bought models for Vue and...
2 - that I am a happy (and free from chains) Blender (2.57 is coming out in these hours!), Wings3D and SketchUp user.

People in this thread enthusiast for locked-content should ask themselves how many sales they have lost because of those chains, and, in cases like me, how many people have motivated to become self reliant (losing us as customers FOREVER). Maybe some more illegal copies would have been a smaller damage, who knows?

Bye.

Locked content is cheapeer, and you can use it on all your registered Vue versions, so there is no real gain in getting the non locked version, since it may not be exportable anyway. It's only useful when other 3D formats are provided.

And it seems to be OK for 99.99% of the Cornucopia members, so I'll shed a tear at losing you as a customer and will forget about it as soon as the meth kicks in :-)

Glad to hear that you have become a model-builder, Alexcoppo! We all started out as you have. The more good builders of models, the better!

Quote - And it seems to be OK for 99.99% of the Cornucopia members, so I'll shed a tear at losing you as a customer and will forget about it as soon as the meth kicks in :-)

Just 99.99%? I would have said 100% as all those who don't like it simply walk away (even bigger smile).

Alexcoppo, can you display some of your models for us?  Are you giving them away for free?

Both bruno and I try to regularly post good quality models for free at Cornucopia. Can we see yours? Will you consider giving them away for free to the community?

It doesn't bother me to buy either version.. sometimes, if I see the need for the object in another format, I will buy the more expensive version.  But other times, will just buy the locked, as I haven't intention of using it outside Vue, as Vue is my main renderer.   Vue, in my opinion, renders things so much better than any of my other tools.  It is nice to have a choice, however.

So locked is good for the Vue user and non-locked maybe overkill, epecially if you do not use any other rendering app?

Thanks kindly....

Locked is good if you don't intend to share a scene with someone who wouldn't have bought the object. If you work with someone else on a scene, and that person doesn't have the object, he will only see a grey dummy box instead of the object.

Non locked doesn't mean there is another 3d file format on offer, it just means the object will be seen by someone you send your scene to. And sometimes, but not always, non locked offers other 3d file formats, readable by other apps.

If you intend to use the object only for yourself, on your own Vue licences, just buy locked content. It's cheaper, and it suits your needs.

Yeah, but when Vue updates and then cornucopia updates its products, the 3d content from cornucopia does not work in older versions of vue.  It is a big PITA sorting out what will and won't work or what updated tree is causing the vue crash!  I'd rather buy poser content any day then buy from eon cornucopia with their lame licensing and over priced incremental updates.  I have bought trees that crash vue now because I updated the trees and not vue and the trees don't even look good and have texture bugs. 

I only browse cornucopia when there is something particular I want.  I find the locked things confusing and annoying too.

The money in the cornucopia account is just silly too.  Half the time the money doesn't apply to some things perhaps because I am in their special club and some stuff is already discounted, but I just don't find their whole systems simple.  I have X amount in my account, I put X in my cart, and then it tells me there isn't enough real money in my account.

So I will leave that money in the account forever. I can't top it up to use it to buy a particular item and get rid of that account, as the last time I tried it only did 10 dollars at a time and not odd amounts.

Also I bought a snow scene (I think it was called cold road) and some of the stuff just doesn't work, and when I wrote on the forum and got a reply I couldn't really understand the instructions to make things work properly.  I think it was to do with their copy protection though.

Love esther

Sorry you find "locked to license" objects confusing and annoying.

So far as I know, Vue "scenes" (such as Cold Road) are never "locked to license," nor are atmospheres, Vue Solid Growth plants or Vue materials. I believe it is only "objects" - specific models we free-lance vendors make that can be locked to license.

In particular, I'm very sorry that you find this annoying, but as Bruno and I stated, we are making and putting our models on C3D at prices below our cost to make them. In order to continue to be able to make models, we would like to preserve our ability to make just that small amount of money from our sales to be able to cover most of our annual software and hardware expenses.

Just so that everyone knows, last year, I placed one single "unlocked" set of water models on C3D, as an experiment. This model set now is published on at least three pirate/download sites. I've counted about 1,2400 downloads of that model set. Who knew so many people would want it!

Some fellow calling himself Ir0nBoy seems quite happy to steal as much of our work as he can, and publish it (proudly) on as many file servers as possible. It appears that the more Vue stuff he publishes for others to download for free, the more the pirate file server sites give him free file space and allow him access to other expensive software products at no charge. So, basically, he steals our stuff in order to get free pirate stuff for himself. Very nice!

So, esther, while I really am very troubled by your annoyance at copy protected objects and I regret that, ... I hope you understand that I'm not wanting to help Ir0nboy and the others continue to steal my stuff. Basically, without the copy protection that C3D offers, I would have to quit model-building in favor of a job at Best Buy or Safeway or Walmart or something. And this also would mean that I could not continue to make and post free 3d models for the Vue community, as well. Probably no great loss, right?

Hi, I too have noticed all the stuff from daz and here and everywhere that has been illegally posted on many other warez sites.  But people from daz and renderosity don't lock their stuff.  I find the renderosity and daz sites non-confusing and easy to browse and get content.

Renderosity is the first website I check every day, and then daz and I have spent many hundreds of dollars on content here.

These are my two most favourite websites. 

I look at cornucopia mostly only when I really need something ie I don't routinely browse.

I am sure there will be metadata one day or some other way of branding stuff to make it harder for pirates.

I think it's probably counterproductive for vendors to make things difficult for the honest customers who do pay for the stuff they use and who have a lot of tools in their 3D arsenal.  (probably most of us use more than one 3D tool to get the job done).  I have vue Xstream, C4D, poser, photoshop, carrara, and DS.  I like to transfer my scenes between these but I have a feeling maybe locked items might not work for this.  (not sure but I strongly suspect it).

The people who download stuff illegally probably wouldn't buy the items even if that was the only way they could get them.  they would probably pirate it or do without it.

Cold road has some objects in it that don't show up when I render I seem to recall.

Love esther

Thanks for the reply, esther.

Just so that you know, "locked to license" has little(or nothing)  to do with your ability to transfer objects between applications. To transfer a Vue object to another application, you would have to "export" the object from Vue into an intermediate file format, such as *.obj or *.3ds, ... and then import that file into your other application (such as C4D or Poser).

The vendor may have created an object that he or she then applied the "Forbid Export" setting to, in the "Edit Objects" menu. If this setting is applied, then you will not be able to make the export of that purchased or traded object. But, this setting is completely separate from the Locked To License setting - has nothing to do with it.

In my personal opinion (as a model--builder), the Vue exporter is not great. It does the job probably as well as can be done, but the result never is as good as the real thing. If you do want to be able to use Vue objects at C3D in other applications, you can just write a quick note to the vendor and ask for that object in an *.obj format (for example). I get many such requests, and honor them quickly - I suspect other vendors do the same. I either charge the person making the request the same price as the model available on C3D, or if the person has already purchased the model, I provide it at no charge.

You have mad me curious about Cold Road, so I'm going to purchase it myself, and see if I can figure out what is going on with that scene.

Hi there,

aha - that explains some things but I use vue xstream with C4D at times. I haven't tried a locked to liscence item to see if it renders in C4D because I don't own many.  The things that worry me as a customer would also be, which things would work in my new version of vue when the next one comes out and which wouldn't because I have so much content and I don't have a separate folder for locked to liscence, I have folders based on type of content eg architecture.

So anyway I think you get the idea that this locked word is a bit of a putoff to customers so some will buy the more expensive one thinking it will work better, and some will buy the cheap and some will just not buy it all who might otherwise have bought it.  It's certainly not a simple system like here at rendero.  Well maybe simple to you because you really understand it well.

Love esther

PS I could show you a screen cap of the cold road problem.  but it is quite a good scene so if you need a snowy road with a night and day version then maybe get it.

Thanks, esther!

the materials can't be changed for any of the locked things either.

And no trees rendered in my scene even after populating the ecosystem.