DAZ Content and DRM
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Yes, but what about 4.9.next update or 5.0?
What then?
When will it be required?
It is right in the FAQ that at some point it WILL be required (or at least was...now I can't find it to quote it...).
I want a simple YES or NO answer to these questions.
Can I download new 4.9 or greater content via the manual method of downloading a .zip from DAZ3D.com?
Can I continue to manually organize my files and folders as I see fit?
If DAZ connect is never used, does this authorization process happen?
There was discussion about automatically creating those links from the visible part of the filesystem into the per product directories in the cloud directory but we decided against it because it had too high of a risk of messing up content that was already installed. We also wanted to encourage users to use smart content to organize their products because it allows for better organization than just moving things around on a filesystem.
If you really want to shuffle files around on a filesystem you could generate your own links to the contents from whatever directory you wanted. With two file browser windows open, it shouldn't take any more time than moving the actual files from place to place.
Whether or not a particular product is delivered only through DAZ Connect is a policy descion not a technical limitation of DAZ Studio 4.9. My comment just sought to clarify this distinction.
This is a bad idea on many levels. I never even bothered to learn to use Poser before becaus of its limitations but now I am. The first thing I did after reading the entries in this topic was to check the cost of Poser Pro and research how to create my own poser companion files. If I drop using Daz for Poser now I will really only have lost the investment I have made in V7 and Iray shaders. The rest of my content will work for the most part. Also there is the fact that DAZ connect will not work with Carrara which is a product that I am enjoying learning how to use and which is ONE OF YOUR OWN PRDUCTS!!!! The Carrara users in this community have been concerned for a long time that DAZ3D was abandoning them. This has now just been pretty much confirmed. Also, I currently have my own organization scheme for content due to having purchased content from other providers as well as more than a few freebies . Am I going to have to maintain 2 separate content libraries ? One for DAZ products and another one for items from other providers? That is an unacceptable level of inconvenience for me.
Furthermore, making all new releases only available through this new method is unacceptable because it amounts to DAZ3D dictating how I am going to use / store / control content that I have purchased the rights to use.
I fully appreciate the need to get a handle on the piracy issue but alienating a loyal and longstanding customer base is not the way to do it. All that will happen is that customers migrate to other software solutions and other content providers.
No. Just no.
As a Carrara user, this new beta is completely unacceptable.
4.9 can and will continue to be able to used products installed through DIM / Product Library, so any content you want to use for Carrara should be installed via that method and it will work with the same copy in both programs. If Carrara is upgraded to utilize Daz Connect then you would also have that option for Carrara content.
And if I want to use future DAZ content in Blender? Or Poser? How will I be able to do that?
Basically, the policy of content usage is suddenly narrowing me down to use my content in DS, and "all that has a bridge". Perhaps, a Carrara version will be released, perhaps not.
Don't get me wrong... I do see the advantages for the user in what you are doing, but I also see the disadvantages that I as a user have from this change. DAZ policy of how content will be usable will be changed drastically, not by words, but by deeds.
I will install the 4.9 Beta on my laptop, and see what this will do. But I have real stomache ache. This feels so much like Windows 10 all over, and even if you have the best intentions, it's not making me happy, to the point that I seriously consider "abandon shop".
Im very anxious to hear your impressions.
Please let me know what you think of it. I understand your concern about locking out other software but the only files we do encrypt are Daz specific files, textures, obj's and the like are untouched. We also have left in the export options so you can get your content out of Daz Studio and in to other software.
Remember to double-check your mapped directories in the settings, if they are correct then you should be able to use 4.9 with all of your DIM/manually installed content there without having to hop online. Then, after you are comfortable with the offline experience try connecting and downloading a product from within Studio and see how it feels.
I've asked for a refund on a giftcard; and I'm glad I missed the renewel on the membership.
Don't like where this is going. I guess I'll be checking out renderosity more than I used to.
What Daz specific files are these?
As a point of reference, there is never really a need to encrypt actual files. You can do much the same with tokens that protect the program's access to a folder of files. The token must be present or else D|S 4.9 or later won't fetch the data. This assumes a cooperating application that respects tokenization, but since you're already leaving textures, exported OBJs, and other files unprotected, there's little difference in the end.
As for using Smart Content, it may be "machine smart" but it's not "me smart." It's not how I think or work. The worst thing in the world is art production software that is counter-productive. The fact that D|S has historically allowed arbitrary organization has been an important feature. Daz seems all too willing to throw this away. Whatever anti-piracy steps you must take, do so. But these steps need to be completely transparent, and not alter how users have adapted the software to their needs.
"Smart Content" is being used as a shorthand for all of the CMS modes - it also covers "Categories" and "Products" in the Content Library pane.
If there is no longer a way to download the zip, fix all the stupid vanity folders, delete all the SPAM links, and make sure everything is in a logical directory before installing, you will lose all of our business. If we have to connect the workhorse machines to the internet even once to use products, you will lose all our business.
I spend a lot of my time fixing illogical folder structures, and making icons and tooltip icons that actually show the product we purchase. Some vendors making texture addons think it's a great idea to lump their texture sets under a folder of their name, instead of in the materials folder in the item they textured. Why? I don't know. Our work machines never touch an internet connection after OS install and updates, and they never will.
Read Daz_Rawb's Post near the bottom http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/64736/daz-studio-pro-beta-version-4-9-0-21/p6 and you will get some good news in regards to obtaining an offline install method..
Yes, but he also said it would be encrypted, which means no more reorganizing and correcting crappy icons. Content is no good to us if we can't find it, or don't know what it is without wasting time to load it up. When I do use premade stuff, I do it to save time. Most of the time I export it out to another 3D app to modify heavily and I never use studio for rendering either, so also need total access to the geometry and texture files at will. Our runtime/library at the moment sits at 145 gigs now, and we stopped bothering to buy most premade clothes ages ago. They are 99/100 times not built even close to being simulatable, so we build our own, save for some tight fitting stuff that doesn't look dumb with shrinkwrapped effect lol.
Bahahaha you are insane daz3d. So you think me and my wife are gonna pay for the same thing twice?
This alltogether seems like a bad, bad move. I HATE the cloud thing, just like windows10, won't buy windows10 as long as even remotely possible, I misstrust everybody who tells me that my data should be stored at a place I can't control. I wish my files to stay on my computer. I wish my computer to work it't programs without needing connection to the internet. I wish my programs to work without terrorizing me with advertising whatever I don't need or want.
If Daz4.9 works like they tell me here, I'll move 4.8 with all my content to a computer which is physically unable to get internet access, just to be sure nobody get's the idea to mess with my files.
How will I buy content then? Luky me- can't buy anymore, will save lot of money. At least here. Maybe there will be places without this cloud nonsense where I can contunue to buy.
I would encourage you to read through all of the threads and see what the facts are about the new encryption system.
The one that should interest you the most is the fact that after you have done a one-time login on a system you can run and install new content offline for the rest of your days. No expiration, no re-authentication, just you and your content.
And on that note this thread is being locked in favour of the Official one
Since the initial questions has been answered we are locking this thread. Please direct your questions to the main thread.