How to protect my model?

laucity0513

Hi,

I would like to ask is there any way I can share my model without giving it away all. I know I can upload my model to Warehouse and embed it onto a website. What I want is allow people to view and navigate my model like what can be done using SU BUT I don't want them to edit and claim as their own.

What am I suppose to do? Is there a way like adding "watermark" to my model? Or export to other format?

Thanks!

d12dozr

How about using a 3D PDF?

laucity0513

hi d12dozr, can you tell me more about 3D PDF? Thanks!

hi honoluludesktop, I understand what you meant. My case is I have created a model for my school project - I want more people to benefit from my model because it features real information from experimental data but at the same time, there is no advantage for them to actually edit it. The main purpose is to use my model as a visualisation tool for science learning. The reason why we used SU is it allows the students to view the 3D model from various perspective, to zoom in and out etc.

My idea is the students can view and navigate the model on the website or in any 3D format but they can't change the model. You know, the model now is serves as a teaching aid. I hope you get what I meant. Thanks.

honoluludesktop

Hi laucity0513, I know how you feel, but please consider that without sharing, SketchUp users wouldn't have moved forward as much as they have. When I first began to code plugins, my ego considered protecting my work. It didn't take me long to realize that I would never have learned much on my own, and there were so many better programmers around, few of whom protect their work. So unless open access to your model will prevent you from earning huge money, I encourage you not to worry about it. Sorry if I am sticking my two-bits where it doesn't belong.

Aloha, hdt

watkins

What is needed is a method to lock/unlock geometry using a user defined password. Is this something the ruby gurus could implement?

Regards,
Bob

thomthom

@watkins said:

What is needed is a method to lock/unlock geometry using a user defined password. Is this something the ruby gurus could implement?

Regards,
Bob

No. There have been some threads about this before. Some came up with a plugin that would jitter the vertices ever so little so that it'd be impossible to push-pull and everything would be slightly off axis. But it's a totally destructive thing to do to a model.

In essence: you cannot lock down a SketchUp file from modification. There is no mechanism to do so. So if you want/need to share the .skp then the model will be editable.

You do have presentation formats, such as 3D PDF as mentioned. And you have solutions such as the LightUp viewer. It can also export into a standalone .exe file which includes the model and a viewer. LightUp also allows you to export to a format that can be embedded into a webpage.

Gaieus

3D PDF solutions ($):
SimLab (now with a special offer): http://www.simlab-soft.com/3d-plugins/3D-PDF-from-sketchup-main.aspx
RPS 3D PDF: http://www.renderplus.com/pdf/pdf_product.htm

Online 3D view and walkthrough (this is interesting and free but you eed internet access):
http://www.3dvia.com/

Hypercosm teleporter (both free and pay) and player - mainly for "product view" from outside:
http://www.hypercosm.com/downloads.html

LightUp and its player (mainly for walkthrough but also included a renderer):
http://www.light-up.co.uk/index.php?c=EUR
http://www.light-up.co.uk/index.php?t=player&c=EUR

laucity0513

Thanks guys!!
I checked the 3D PDF, I think this should be something that I am looking for.

Thanks!

mac1

@laucity0513 said:

Thanks guys!!
I checked the 3D PDF, I think this should be something that I am looking for.

Thanks!

A thought but have not tried:
Have you looked at creating a Google Group for your students which then limits who can view;
And then using the model posted via Google docs( you as owner) to control who can edit. I know some docs you can control edit but SU??

Gaieus

You can also do special sharing in the 3D Warehouse but what I "smell" here is that Laucity doesn't want the studentsto play around with editing the stuff.

mac1

@gaieus said:

You can also do special sharing in the 3D Warehouse but what I "smell" here is that Laucity doesn't want the studentsto play around with editing the stuff.

I thought the same,so tried one of my docs by changing to public, no edit and then used link and signed in as non owner. I had the option to download which it did as a .htm file and by changing the extension to skip I could open and edit
So much for hair brain ideas
May thinking is Google Docs protection may depend on what file system is used. If NTFS is used maybe?? I can also download one of Cat's posting as a "regular" user ( no edit) , save, and then edit.