In article <elgnme$uu5$1@chho.imagico.de>, chr### [at] gmxde says...
> JohnnyL wrote:
> > Can a programmer distribute this product (povray)
> > with a seperate project that explains it uses povray to generate pictur
es
> > (like logo) and not make money off it?
> > Is it legal?
> 
> Unless POV-Ray is just an optional inclosure to your product (see 
> distribution license 4.1.d.i-ii) you need to obtain a written permission
 
> by the POV-Team.  You can use the email address given in the license 
> text to make such an inquiry.
> 
> The purpose of these regulation is to ensure the users of such a product
 
> are prominently made aware that POV-Ray is included with the product, 
> provides parts of its functionality and is available for free.
> 
> Christoph
> 
This one does bug me a tad. If you completely redid POV-Ray to make it 
an includable library, which had its "own" render window that "must" be 
used as the installed component, "can't" be hidden by the developer and 
which, as part of its initialization, automatically displayed a test 
render and a scrollable disclaimer, including a statement that this is 
not an original, etc., etc., would that "cover" the requirement?

The limitations of the current implementation make integration iffy, use 
frustrating and the results less than exciting. Its probably actually 
easier, if you know the math, to code a look alike product, than use 
POV-Ray as part of any sort of package, optional or not. And its 
certainly not too helpful in cases where removing it "would" break the 
product. Then again, trying to use Moray with "anything" other than POV-
Ray would break that too. Its only "how" they integrate that is the 
issue and how easily some change in the interface that "does" exist can 
break it that effects the rules. And, given how easy it was to break 
compatibility between Moray and the latest POV-Ray version, this is 
hardly a crowning achievement of POV-Ray development. lol

I mean, why "can't" you adjust the design for a specific task, making 
clear that this is "not" the original, as long as it still does what is 
needed to comply with all the notices. Is it only the presumption that 
any closer integration *can't* comply? All that's needed is something in 
the dialog function that makes it "ignore" or "reset" any attempt to 
change its "visible" property, until "after" a certain amount of time 
has passed or someone has scrolled through the disclaimers and clicked 
"OK". Same result as having it 100% external and throwing yet another 
application window over the top of everything when it starts. And again, 
if the point is to prevent people making POV-Ray a "dependent" part of 
their own application that is manditory, Moray is already basically 
breaking that rule as would any GUI modeler that only exports to and 
uses POV-Ray as its target renderer.

Point is, does the anti-library issue make sense, if sufficient 
requirements exist, to make sure that the "rest" is adhered to? Last 
time I sort of asked this the answer was an unsatisfactory, "No you 
can't do that because it 'would' somehow break the disclaimer 
requirements..." I don't get why that "must" be true at all. Non-
conformity is non-conformity, regardless of if some clown creates a 
library version then doesn't show any of that or they code some hacks 
into their own application like to do it:

run "povray"
a= findwindow "povray"
setwindowposition "a",nonvisible & minimized

They are still breaking the rules, no matter "how" they hide it. Why is 
hiding the whole thing with a hack "less" egregious than making it more 
integratable and failing to include a way to show the needed information 
in their own application? The argument against library design is just 
one of, "Its easier for someone to cheat.", not one of, "This way people 
can't cheat.", so I just don't get why its more of a problem. Hell, if 
anything, I could create the above hack in five minutes and have it 
working, compared to the days it would take to do what a lot of people 
would like to be able to.

Anyway. Hope you really think about what I am saying here and don't just 
come back with the usual, "You just can't do it 'period'.", argument. :p

-- 
void main () {

    call functional_code()
  else
    call crash_windows();
}

<A HREF='http://www.daz3d.com/index.php?refid=16130551'>Get 3D Models,
 
3D Content, and 3D Software at DAZ3D!</A>

Post a reply to this message