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DAZ Productions, Inc.
224 S 200 W, Suite #250
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© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.Daz 3D is part of
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
224 S 200 W, Suite #250
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
That's right, I meant to write 4.9 (though it's how the system works so should be true through future versions for the foreseeable future, as far as I understand it).
Alright. Well maybe ill try 4.9 release if Connect requires manual input to function.
I have it set on this comp which I'm testing it on to ask me every time if I want to connect; I click no. The DRM functionality appears to have no affect on using it with the traditional method - and I now don't use the connect features; the increased in render performance is definitely welcome. Latest release I have (version 4.9.0.29) might be quicker than the previous beta release. Not tested enough to be sure.
Even if you tell it to remember your account it will still ask you every time. If you tell the startup box to remember you and go away, it will still ask you when you try to click a connect download or the shop. There is absolutely no added mysterious connecting to the internet without asking you each and every time (except of course within one session after you've okayed it.)
Sorry if I missed this being covered, but if all of this is being done to stop piracy, wouldn't having an offline mode defeat the purpose? I also thought that I read somewhere that you won't have to use Daz Connect. I know it's to give people options, but won't pirates just choose to use the non-encrypted stuff?
Will the changes affect any of the non-Daz content? Will I need to bring my content from Renderosity in differently?
No, you will be able to use it just like you are now.
The primary method we are using with Daz Connect to stop piracy is to make it easier to use and update legally purchased content from our store. The encryption that could be used on future products (which, as I have stated before, is the same encryption used by Daz Connect in the current beta on all Daz Connect downloaded products) is there to serve as a "speedbump" to slow down potential illegal distribution.
Custom created and third-party content looks the same to Daz Studio so we will always support loading content not purchased from our store. Loading in content that is not from our store is functionally the same in 4.9 as it was in 4.8.
Excellent! Cause when the encryption comes on-line, I'll be buying a lot more stuff from the other stores!
Also, two important things to note that you may have missed in the latest beta:
Deleted
This is very, very good news. Now, as long as Connect-only content is clearly marked as such in the store, preferably in a way that lets us filter it out completely, I don't think I've got any problem with it.
If DS 4.9 is the future like Tracking, Cloud, DRM, Encryption, Proprietary systems etc., I will immediately stop to buy anything from this store, as I did in the past, when other stores and software companies changed unilateral the rules of the game to the disadvantage of the artists/users.
All this is just an endless money machine and at the end we will pay more and more for the same thing and lose more and more rights to do anything with the purchased bits and bytes.
What will be the next step? A subcription system like Adobe? Either it's my way or the highway!, but you will never ever get anything but dreams?
Content that can't be exported and imported as a whole and in a useful manner, is like to buy a car, but you are not allowed to drive the car outside the car dealers garage.
The excuse for the motivation to introduce a DRM system, because it might be the case that there is a potential risk for piracy, has no substance at all and the risk of piracy are disproportionate to the resultant problems, the lost of interchangable formats and incompatible systems. The real cause is to get control of every aspect and to make more and more money. The question is who is the real pirate?!
I can accept to pay for quality and additional value, but I will never ever invest my money to provide a system or 3D content in this case that is solely controlled by one company.
This is just my point of view. Thanks.
Many expressed similar views.
Of the list, only encryption is being added to DS.
It has been said that no subscription system is planned. it has also been explained why a subscription system would be grossly impractical.
Export and Import features are not affected, only native files supplied from the store for Connect-only products
The real reason for encryption is that there is massive, systematic piracy of Daz content - not just free-to-download but piracy charging for acess to content. This isn't a single flea, it's an infestation of liver flukes. People wanting to be paid for their work is not piracy (or greed, the other objection).
No-one likes encryption - it is a necessary evil, provoked by the real and active evil of the genuinely greedy pirates and the people who pay them for content (directly or via premium file-host subscriptions).
As long as import, export and scripting remain in Studio, the encryption system is easily circumventable so either import, export and scripting will be dropped in a future round of "deal alteration" or the whole system is set in place for reasons different from the purported anti-piracy.
In DS 4.9 up to build 36...
Today. Officially. Tomorrow, as Rossella O'Hara said, is another day.
Since when something being grossly impratical has prevented people from doing it? the subscription system is what Adobe is trying to inflict to Photoshop users (note: accent on trying. On CGForums, in response to the predicted price hike of the protection subscription rent there are cold, determined discussions among Photoshop users about to which application to migrate, Krita being the most recommended).
To be honest, I doubt that any DRM will stop piracy in the long run, as long as there are individuals and groups of people are willing to do this kind of illegal practice, but DRM has a big impact on loyal customers and their options to legal work with their paid content.
On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that the real CG artist and DAZ user in general will never buy or download anything from such piracy websites or stores and they are always willing to support content creators in any aspect.
People who like to buy or download from piracy sites will never be a DAZ customer and they don't care if people are paid for their work or not.
I don't want to start a discussion or argue why there is product piracy, primarily since English isn't my native language as everyone can see in this post. In this regard, it's easy to produce a misunderstanding and I'm pretty sure there are a lot of posts here regarding piracy and all was already discussed.
Anyway, it's a fact that a lot of companies tend to overstretch a successful business and the only goal is to make money and more money, regardless if a management decision will hurt loyal customers or people with low budgets.
But this kind of business is not always adviseable, especially if a business model dependent on thinking customers. I dare say probably a reason why there is piracy, although there are certainly other causes as well, injustice is often a kind of source for such behavior.
If piracy really has such a massive influence to the day-to-day business, DAZ3D wouldn't exspected to exist much longer, but the reverse is true.
There is one thing that helps against piracy, try to produce quality content to a affordable price and sell not only for privileged people, don't take customers for a fool and allow competitors, try to be better than your competitors of course and every content store should try to understand, that artists mostly have to buy a lot of content first only to be able to create a scene with more or less details, this costs a lot of money and therefore content have to be cheap or otherwise it wouldn't make sense to spend hundreds and thousands of dollars, only to be able to create a picture. There are billions and billions of pictures out there, it's a privilege to earn money with just pictures.
There is no reason for any DRM or any other crippled software and content in my view. I'm pretty sure, DAZ3D was a successfull story until DS 4.8 even without DRM and other pitfalls. Thanks.
The intent isn't to stop piracy - just to make it a bit harder. And the rest of the Connect system, aside from the encryption, is designed to make it easier to be honest.
The conern with Photoshop is that it is so dominant that Adobe can get away with forcing the subscription model (and so far the answer is that for the serious professional they can). So the concen with DAZ in that kind of scenario is that they may feel dominant enough to try it. And in a couple years, when many users have a bunch of encrypted content and Poser is no more.... Even if there are no plans now, why shouldn't we be concerned about the future? As you indicate, it's not like companies make the best decisions. And even if it is the best decision for them it doesn't mean it will be good for consumers (re: Photoshop).
People cry about Adobe going subscription all the time (and I thought it was dumb at the time) but the simple fact is I've never been even close to being able to own my own copy of Photoshop (or the suite, which I now have) until the subscription model came along. Photoshop went from something like $2000? in the old days to ~$100 a year at full price afaik. If you use it regularly that's a pretty reasonable cost for software if you ask me.
If you want to talk about Autodesk's prices... maybe their software (or the software they bought up) is much more affordable to general people now but those costs are out of my league (~50 a month for one? or multiple? apps, I believe?)
Regardless, there are many eye-bleedingly obvious reasons why subscription would be a bad thing for Daz to ever add. I don't like encryption either, but there is a difference between encrypting your own file type and "they're adding DRM and thinking about subscriptions and they kicked my dog."
(Also, technically I'd say Krita is more of a Manga Studio replacement, and GIMP a true photoshop replacement.)
I can see where subscription can work, and be a good idea; but all the subscription services I know of are about software; subscription here would be about content. But as it isn't currently an issue it is off topic. Yes I am concerned, it may become part of Daz, but there is nothing to indicate such an option yet - no matter how suspiciously one views what Daz is doing, and I am suspicious.
Make it a bit harder?
It seems like an awful lot of trouble to make it a bit harder. Certainly out of proportion to cost of implementation v likely impact.
Take someone like me; I spent quite a bit; I knew I was buying far more than I was using effectively. Yet it was fun.
It made me stop (actually it's taken away some of the fun). Now instead of the hundreds, I've spent less than a hundred in the same time frame. I'm surely not the only one. Although I certainly have no proof, and it can be only conjecture on my part.
I've even returned most G3 male stuff I bought; basically as I don't use as much, and still have G2 female, male and G3 female to use and work into the scenarios, it was crazy to buy more. I stripped out my wish list, and have added a few items I'm more likely to buy eventually. Instead of buying new G3 females as they appeared, some (only some) I wish-listed.
The only purchase I am currently considering is a G2 item just released.
... So like I said, it really does seem to be a lot of effort (and expense, let's not forget that) for something that won't work; I read that from your post which states 'a bit harder'.
This is my line of thinking:
- Daz made Studio Pro into a free product, and enjoyed a massive boost in content sales as a result and were very happy with it (there are newspaper articles.)
- Anyone who regularly buys Daz Original content already pays a subscription by being a PC+ member (because it makes no sense not to be one from the sheer savings on Daz Original content even before all of the other savings.) Anyone already not buying that content clearly isn't going to be interested in paying a subscription anyway.
- Daz already gives everyone Genesis, Genesis 2 F/M, and Genesis 3 F/M, (arguably?) the most advanced figures in this hobby, for free, along with a load of extra content to support them, and some full environments (the tutorial ones which are all free in the shop.)
- Daz shop content largely relies on vendor content to help draw people. Vendors have the option of going to other websites if they don't like the one they're on, and appear to chop and change or even release on multiple sites in some cases. No idea of the contracts involved, but the option is clearly there.
In order to integrate some sort of subscription service for content, Daz would have to work out all the licencing issues that I'm sure would exist with so many contractors, and with so much content already for sale as well as multiple sites offering compatible content for their figures already out for free, just what exactly would they have to offer as a subscription deal to make anyone sign up to rent the new content? Many users constantly state that they haven't even moved up to Genesis 1-2-3 yet. If Genesis 4 came out in rental only mode, how insanely improved would it have to be for anyone to leap aboard, assuming they hadn't already abandoned Daz when the new rental model was announced?
Can someone really look at all those points and say that it would be a great scheme for Daz to make more money by bringing in a subscription system?
Does it makes sense? no. Does it have justifications? no. Does it mesmerize managers and bean counters? YES, it does and therefore, since those are the people that decide, it is nowadays trend.
I loved the tone of the most recent thread on CGForums about Adobe raising (as everybody but Adobe fanboys had predicted) PS protection rent money. Instead of the hysterical reactions exhibited at the time of the first announcement (something that Adobe PHBs/marketdroids/bean counters certainly dismissed with evil smiles) it was a calm mixture of some sarcasm and operative discussions on PS replacements. From what I saw, Krita was the most voted for alternative. Now there is only a final step for the pissed PS (almost rhymes
) users to do: realize that if they all contribute with the equivalent of a single trip to a fast food once per year, Krita team will have enough money to speed up development so much that Krita will zip by PS like Roadrunner does with Wile E. Coyote and leave PS behind, consigned to the dustbin of software history.
Bear in mind that not only is DS different and a subscription model for content not practical, as has been pointed out, but Daz representatives have said that they are not planning to move to a subscription model - which is as strongly as it can be phrased, who knows how future radical change in attiudes, new micropayments systems, and greatly enhanced bandwidth might affect things? Speculating on subscription models is beside the point and merely serves as a distraction from the system we are getting.
For the last several years, I've been spending something like $400 a month at DAZ, and I'm prepared to never buy another thing from them ever again over this. I've never used DIM and I never will, nor will I ever use DAZ Connect. The in-app ads and store purchases have absolutely nothing to do with rendering and everything to do with pushing the store in the user's face. There were a lot of things DAZ could have done to improve the software, and these were way way WAY down the list (if they were even on the list at all). DAZ calls it "convenience" -- I call it annoying and predatory as hell.
DAZ's assurances about a DRM poison pill in case of their catastrophic demise don't mean squat to me. I'm not going to spend the kind of money I've been spending to buy encrypted content only to discover one day that -- even assuming total honesty and the best of intentions on DAZ's part -- their promises won't be fulfilled, for whatever reason(s) (financial, technical, legal, etc.). It's way too costly a gamble to take based only on DAZ's word, and so I will NEVER buy encrypted content, regardless of who makes it, how cool it may be or how useful it is, or how attractively it's priced. If it's encrypted, then I'm not buying it -- it's just that simple. (And if DAZ wants to salvage my opinion of them, then they need to clearly mark their encrypted content as such PRIOR to purchase, if only so I and others who think as I do know what to avoid: I'm not in the mood to play Russian Roulette with each purchase and to be constantly submitting returns for content I discover that I can't use only after purchasing it.)
It's very simple: if DAZ wants to keep me as a customer, then I need to be able to purchase and download content just as I do now -- just plain ol' ZIPs downloaded through my browser outside of DAZ Connect, and installed by me however I may want -- and I need content that isn't encrypted. (I'm not doing anything illegal with it and I'm not violating the EULA, so the "why" of it is really no one's business but mine.) DAZ's "assurances" to the contrary, a lot of us think they're building a closed ecosystem (or "walled garden") where this will eventually not be possible, because the older non-DRM'd content will be gradually retired until only DAZ Connect-compatible (i.e., DRM) products are available -- it's really only a matter of how quickly that happens. (And on this point, the DAZ moderators favorite phrases like "currently no plans" and "for the forseeable future" have a little too much wiggle room and plausible deniability built into them for my comfort). If DAZ can't or won't give me the kind of assurance that my financial investment demands, that's fine: I've already bought and downloaded Poser Pro 11, and there's a lot of other stores to buy content through who don't use encryption -- and a lot of other vendors who don't support DAZ and their encryption scheme by doing business through them -- who will be more than happy to take my money and my recommendations to other potential customers.
Think about it.
Wellllll - if you bought PoserPro 11 - you are in the same boat as with encrypted DRM content. Which is why I don't buy it ... even when I do like DazStudio AND Poser ...
SmithMicro assured a poison pill against the "internet connection of the computer your Poser is installed on or deactivation of software" in case they are going down the drain too. Same scenario as yours.
I don't buy either - neither DRM content nor Poser.
You can get a traditional activate-once-for-all-never-online key for Poser. For more info, ask on RDNA.
Apropos the poison pill: to me it looked like a veiled hope-that-SMSI-doesnt-down-otherwise-we-will-hit-from-the-grave kind of "message" sent to "somebody" out there...
P.S.: yesterday I tried again Krita and now it works on my computer. Absolutely fantastic; just the tiled painting feature (that PS lacks
) is worth the "price" <MUHAHAHA>.
Yes, they say - but the internet page where you can get this activate-once-for-all-never-online key is not up yet. And it is tied to your hardware, as far as I read at RDNA ...
When I bought a new computer, it was easy to install my old Poser versions, no problem - now it would be a problem.
Sorry - back to the topic of encyption
Connect is also activate once never online again content. I agree with the people that are against encryption, but only if they actually understand what is happening, rather than making random complaints and accusations.
To me, the Poser EULA says you are paying for a limited licence fee to be used subject to their terms. It's almost nonexistent that you actually own any software you buy these days. If it costs money, it comes with terms.
I really don't understand what people see in Poser - especially paying for Pro. What does it offer for hundreds of dollars more than the "price" of software that you can get for free?
Krita looks very nice and I love the texture wrap tool, but it isn't even close to being a complete Photoshop replacement (GIMP almost is, but GIMPs controls are really unnatural to me and everything takes me 5 times as many steps compared to Photoshop.)
Also, where are these Adobe price raises? I've been looking around for them and can't find anything.
While I think there is absolutely no substance or point in arguing how afraid you are that Daz marketing demons are all lying and are secretly plotting to implement a subscription system that makes no sense to them or their customers unless they actually announce it, I will say this. Encryption-only Connect content is going to have to be utterly amazing for me to want to buy into it. It's going to have to offer me things that no other content creator can even come close to. And I don't think that Daz can offer that sort of improvement over their already available products.
Here's another reason I am avoiding anything to do with "cloud" services like Adobe's -- this morning I got a totally out-of-the-blue message from my cable company telling me they were discontinuing their personal cloud storage and backup service and I have 90 days (actually less, since the notice was sent out 4 days after the date given) to download all of my files before they close and wipe all accounts. Mind you, this isn't a free storage service they're talking about, that I could understand. And no explanation given either, just some "As the industry continues to evolve, so too does our product line up" BS. So from now on if I can't have my stuff installed and backed up exactly where I want, to use in whatever manner I please that's within the law, then this little fishie ain't gonna bite, no matter how tempting the bait. Clouds, subscription services and DRM of any kind for any reason are things not to be trusted any farther than you can throw 'em. Which obviously you can't.