How to release a plugin

artmusicstudio · 22 Sept 2017, 11:16

hello developers,
i have written a collection of tools (investing a lot of time in it) and would like to distribute it in a scrambled form. maybe someone has experience or informations to following basic questions:

would you recommend using the 'old' rbs scramble tool? or is it not safe? the advantage is, that sketchup 15 users can also use the plugin.
is it better to go thru trimble's development system and let ot scramble there (then only for skp 16+.)?
if so, is it safe to send unscrambled ruby code to trimble thru internet? i reaaly invested lot of time and would like to keep control ......

-is there any way to get in contact with trimble? i tried to apply as developer. for me it is not clear, if i have to send the code first or not and would like to talk to them about different questions (safety, my own locense system etc.)

thanx for helping!

stan

juju · 22 Sept 2017, 12:02

As far as I know, the old RBS scrambler has been compromised.

Rich O Brien · 22 Sept 2017, 12:18

SketchUps RBE encryption is the safest solution. You lose backwards compatibility but that a small price to pay.

The encryption is automated so any author can pass the code through the pipe and get it encrypted and certified. If it meets the criteria.

Nothing is 100% safe but Sketchup's RBE so far is very robust.

artmusicstudio · 22 Sept 2017, 12:27

Thanx so far for the informations.

so you have to send your unscrambled code thru internet to trimble and get it back scrambled !
so i can distribute it from my site (not necesserilly thru warehouse? )
i am just a bit afraid to send the code unscrabled via mail or upload.
or is the upload save enough? i am no expert for internet transfers.

regards stan

Garry K · 22 Sept 2017, 14:32

Stan - I have sent you a PM

TIG · 22 Sept 2017, 14:43

An RBZ file is just a ZIP file with a changed file-type suffix.

SketchUp Extension Warehouse

Your library of custom third-party extensions created to optimize your SketchUp workflow.

(extensions.sketchup.com)

Is the secure portal used to get your extension RBZ signed and encrypted if desired.
You need to register as a developer on that site before you can upload/process/download your RBZs.
Nothing you upload is kept by the site.
Your downloaded RBZ will then have two new files added into its subfolder for Loading Policy compatibility.

The *uploaded RBZ [*simple drag-and-drop] needs to contain a RB file which sets up your extension, and a subfolder with the same name as the RB file.
That subfolder will contain other RB files doing the main processing, images, and other related files and data etc, it can also contain its own subfolders.
If you choose to encrypt the RBZ, then all RB files within the subfolder in the downloaded RBZ will be replaced with RBE files [this is the most secure option, but they are only usable in newer versions of SketchUp] or RBS files [this older format is known to be hackable, but of course it does obfuscate the code, and it can be used in all versions of SketchUp since v8M2].
The 'loader' RB is never affected by any encryption.

Once the RBZ has been signed you cannot change any of the RBZ's signed files without breaking the Extension, at least in the more restricted Loading Policies.
Currently the following file-types are signed: RB, RBS, RBE, HTM, HTML, JS, and CSS.

Once you have some RBZs you could start a conversation with Rich O'Brien about registering as an author with the SketchUcation PluginStore.
You can then distribute through there.
The SCF Shop can also 'sell' your creations.
Fredo has developed an SCF licensing system which has just been released.
You could use that to offer free-trial or licensing variants...
But let's worry about these finer details once you have RBZ creations under control.

artmusicstudio · 22 Sept 2017, 16:24

hi tig & others,
thanx for all the information,
it's helping a lot, i will go thru the process step by step,
and if my code hopefully passes the test, next steps follow......

thanx a lot! i must confess, that i cannot wait, if somedy finds the ideas i had , useful for the workflow ( in my projects the ruby is a real timesaver, but thats my personal workflow, of course...)

regards
stan

artmusicstudio · 18 Oct 2017, 10:46

hello,
just to hear about your experience:
is it normal, when it takes more than 4 weeks to get aproved by trimble to become a developer?
thanx
stan

slbaumgartner · 20 Oct 2017, 13:21

Stan, several other people have also reported long delays in getting developer approval. It seems this is something Trimble doesn't have anyone watching very closely. If you contact them directly you might be able to get someone to facilitate your approval.

artmusicstudio · 20 Oct 2017, 14:19

hello slbaumgartner,
thanx for this info,
it is ok, if this is normal, i am just cleaning a lot in the code, so a small delay is ok.
besides that, the email-adress i got the "under review"-info cannot be used for an answer ( i tried already), so i think, waiting is the choice of the day at the moment.....
but if somebody has a direct contact email to trimble, i would be greatful for a post

stan

artmusicstudio · 17 Nov 2017, 08:48

UPDATE;:
i got my ok from trimble yesterday, so now i hacve 1 first question:

is it possible to let the system scramble my programm only for me for testing, first?
thanx
stan

Dan Rathbun · 2 Dec 2017, 04:17

@artmusicstudio said:

UPDATE;:
is it possible to let the system scramble my programm only for me for testing, first?

YES. Go to the EW signing portal, and you will find detailed instructions:
https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/developer_center/extension_signature

artmusicstudio · 6 Dec 2017, 17:28

hi dan,
thank you very much,
i was already there, but missed somehow to press the button once more after uploading, was too tired probably
it works now perfectly (and there were no problem with the code, so things develope well...)
stan