I haven''t worked with newer versions of 3dMax, but I assume it still has some kind of hardware dongle to prevent you from using it on multiple machines. So I''m assuming that you are only to use it on one machine per copy per person. Naturally, this could have changed in the past... 5? years. Boy, its been a long time.
And to chime in with everyone else: do not use illegal software, it''ll only hurt you in the end.
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quote: Original post by Kwizatz
I think for 3D Studio Max you have to pay a licence per seat, dont really know so don''t quote me, it has some server-client functionality, but I am not sure if thats to allow client workstations to run the program from the server or just to use the server as a the rendering machine, so you can work while other machine renders your movie.
Max 4 uses software licensing. The dongles are gone. With the software license, you can transfer a license from machine to machine, but only one machine can be active at a time. So, you only have to purchase one copy for all your employees, but only one employee at a time will be able to use the software.
Author
This forum has been extremely helpful. Thank you all 
I just had one last question.
Lets assume that the employees are not on the company staff and the work is done with a contract. The company makes a contract with the artist, asks for a certain design, pays the artist and receives the rights to the design. The company does not hold anyone on staff and the artist works in his own home. In effect, it is done similar to a web-design contract. In this case, who is responsibile if the artist did not have the legal software? The company has one legal license, which is used to check all designs given by the artists and therefore, there is no need for multiple licenses. The artist can do the work however he/she wants and the company is simply purchasing the models/pictures/textures/etc. from him. If the artist does not have a legal license, who is responsible? The artist? The company? or both?
I am only curious about the way software licensing works.
Thanks again.
I just had one last question.
Lets assume that the employees are not on the company staff and the work is done with a contract. The company makes a contract with the artist, asks for a certain design, pays the artist and receives the rights to the design. The company does not hold anyone on staff and the artist works in his own home. In effect, it is done similar to a web-design contract. In this case, who is responsibile if the artist did not have the legal software? The company has one legal license, which is used to check all designs given by the artists and therefore, there is no need for multiple licenses. The artist can do the work however he/she wants and the company is simply purchasing the models/pictures/textures/etc. from him. If the artist does not have a legal license, who is responsible? The artist? The company? or both?
I am only curious about the way software licensing works.
Thanks again.
The ownership of the intellectual property created by using the product is not affected. That would be like claiming ownership of a book just because the writer stole his pen from you to write it with. Licensing is nothing to do with the end product, it''s to do with having the right to copy and use the software in the first place. If the artist uses software that they are not legally entitled to own, then it is they who have broken the law and they who are subject to further ''proceedings''.
[ MSVC Fixes | STL | SDL | Game AI | Sockets | C++ Faq Lite | Boost ]
[ MSVC Fixes | STL | SDL | Game AI | Sockets | C++ Faq Lite | Boost ]
If the artists is freelance (not on staff) then they are responsible for ensuring that they work within the law and have the necessary licenses for their tools.
Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
Dan Marchant
Obscure Productions
quote: Original post by Kylotan
The ownership of the intellectual property created by using the product is not affected. That would be like claiming ownership of a book just because the writer stole his pen from you to write it with. Licensing is nothing to do with the end product, it''s to do with having the right to copy and use the software in the first place. If the artist uses software that they are not legally entitled to own, then it is they who have broken the law and they who are subject to further ''proceedings''.
Further criminal proceedings, so the contracting company wouldn''t have to worry about criminal fines or other penalties.
They would have to worry about civil actions being used against them over the IP, though. You''d need to consult a lawyer to know what kinds of threats you could encounter there, but it would definately be a drain on profits. Remember, we''re talking about works for pay here, not licensed artwork or publishing deals. The company would definately be at least partially accountable.
in some cases you can buy a student edition of VC++, and when you''re ready to release buy the pro/enterprise ed.
quote: Original post by CheeseGrater
Max 4 uses software licensing. The dongles are gone. With the software license, you can transfer a license from machine to machine, but only one machine can be active at a time.
I''ll take this into the gen. programming forum for further detailed questions I have about software licensing, but since you know the specifics of Max 4''s software licensing: is the license tied to one machine by some kind of hardware signature? I mean, do you have to contact the company to transfer the license to another machine and maybe somehow destroy the old license?
quote: Original post by Diragor
I''ll take this into the gen. programming forum for further detailed questions I have about software licensing, but since you know the specifics of Max 4''s software licensing: is the license tied to one machine by some kind of hardware signature? I mean, do you have to contact the company to transfer the license to another machine and maybe somehow destroy the old license?
Here''s what happens. You export your license onto a floppy disk. This causes 3DS Max to stop working on the machine you have exported from. You carry the floppy over to another machine, and import it there. This enables Max on the machine you import to, but deactivates the floppy.
You don''t need to contact the company to do anything odd with encryption keys or passkeys over the phone with them. You get all the same functionality as a hardware dongle, but you do it with floppy disks and not the expensive dongles. Same system as before, but cheaper for discreet to produce units.
I''ve thought of doing it that way but how do you (they) handle the case where a customer claims that the original computer has crashed and is unrecoverable (massive hard drive failure or something)?
Also the floppy-license thing is not quite as convenient as, say, the USB plugs like Aladdin produces (ealaddin.com). In that case you could actually have the software installed on many different machines and quickly move the plug from one machine to another as needed. The floppy license-moving scheme sounds slightly more time-consuming. Of course, moving a USB plug is not very convenient if the back of your machine isn''t easily accessable, unless you have ports in front, an extension cable or a hub.
Also the floppy-license thing is not quite as convenient as, say, the USB plugs like Aladdin produces (ealaddin.com). In that case you could actually have the software installed on many different machines and quickly move the plug from one machine to another as needed. The floppy license-moving scheme sounds slightly more time-consuming. Of course, moving a USB plug is not very convenient if the back of your machine isn''t easily accessable, unless you have ports in front, an extension cable or a hub.
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