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As anyone who reads CGRR knows, I was waiting for the POV3.1 source so
I could work on implementing a plugin architecture to allow easier
creation of new object and texture types. I had even started working
on it with the 3.02 source code. Well, it looks like it won't happen
unless the POV-Team wants it to, due to this new paragraph in
POVLEGAL:
>To allow POV-Ray to interface with outside programs, the official
>versions of POV-Ray include several "hooks" for it to call other
>tasks. For example: the generic part of POV-Ray provides operating
>system shell-out commands. The Windows version has GUI-extension
>hooks and the ability to replace the text editor. Modification to
>these hooks or other officially supported interface mechanisms to
>increase functionality beyond that of the official version IS
>EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED.
I know why that paragraph was added, and I don't even have a problem
with that reasoning. But it's a little broad, in that it restricts
things like my plugin hooks that serve only to make POV better and
don't make it easier to subvert. Since my efforts to contact the POV
team on past occasions have never been fruitful, I'm not gonna bother
trying to get a ruling on my proposed additions.
I guess it's time to start working on that raytracer of my own. It's
been nice working with all you POV guys, but working under the
ever-tightening constraints of povlegal is getting to be too much of a
pain in the ass.
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On Mon, 06 Jul 1998 04:06:47 GMT, new### [at] DESPAMpovray org
(povray.org admin team) wrote:
>>I guess it's time to start working on that raytracer of my own. It's
>>been nice working with all you POV guys, but working under the
>>ever-tightening constraints of povlegal is getting to be too much of a
>>pain in the ass.
>
>We don't tighten POVLEGAL for fun. Every time we (reluctantly) add something
>like this to POVLEGAL it's as a result of someone doing something. I guess you
>could say that it's a classic example of the irresposible few ruining it for
>the rest.
>
>As POV gets more and more popular we will come across more and more instances
>of people trying to leverage it for their own personal financial gain. POVLEGAL
>is a response to that.
I understand that, and I can even sympathize, having been on your side
of it. I think I've worked out my problem anyway, while finding a
hole in POVLEGAL that y'all might want to patch: it forbids changes to
the existing interfaces, but doesn't say anything about adding new
interfaces, except for the other paragraphs that specifically mention
dynamic-linking interfaces like DLL and OLE.
Just in case it wasn't obvious in my previous diatribe, I'd like to
write a plugin system for POV to help keep the number of autonomous
patches lower, and to make custom objects and textures more portable
between versions of POV, but it's not obvious that I can anymore. For
more details on what I'm talking about, see the recent conversation in
CGRR.
If this is within the spirit, if not exactly the letter, of POVLEGAL,
can I get a clarification by email from the POV-Team that it's
allowed? I'd be happy to put any licensing provisions on the plugin
SDK that the Team feels are reasonable, including a prohibition on
commercial plugins, if they feel that's appropriate.
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par### [at] mailfwicom (Ronald L. Parker) wrote:
>can I get a clarification by email from the POV-Team that it's
>allowed? I'd be happy to put any licensing provisions on the plugin
>SDK that the Team feels are reasonable, including a prohibition on
>commercial plugins, if they feel that's appropriate.
Put together a proposal and email it to me. I'll put it to the team.
I can't promise anything more than that though.
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