'Unlocking' scripts in an object.

[Anonymous]

I have a particular object that I like to use that was developed by an employee at a company (for which the object was designed). All of the scripts are greyed out not allowing me to see them and adjust them.

I contacted the author of the object and since he built the object for and at work, company policy does not allow him to 'unlock' the code or give it to me. However, he said that "some of the guys on Archi-Talk could probably tell me how to unlock the scripts."

Who might that be? He never said I COULDN'T see the code, he just said that he is not allowed to give / show it to me. Who here can tell me how to unlock the scripts on this object so that I can make some minor adjustments (improvements) and make my life a lot easier?

There has to be someone! Please help me because making these small adjustments will save me hours of work through EACH project. Thanks.

[James Murray]

This is the IMHO definitive thread on this issue.

[Anonymous]

I don't know hoe that thread never came up in my searches. wrong words I guess?

Thank you for the link. Insightful reading, but not helpful to me. I can understand the pros and cons, but if I 'permission' then how do I access the code?

[James Murray]

OK, search Scripts AND hidden AND code AND prevent

[Anonymous]

James

Scripts AND hidden AND code AND prevent

that search didn't enligthen me!

[Ignacio Azpiazu]

I don't know if there is a way of 'unlocking', but what I once did was open the object file in a text editor, copy-paste the scripts into a new object, and edit them there.

[You have to create the parameters and manually copy them from the original, which is a hassle. And that part did not have hidden parameters such as you would have in an object with editable hotspots, which might complicate things a bit.]

[Laszlo Nagy]

I think it is not possible to unlock hidden GDL Scripts because that's the whole idea: not making it possible for others to use the code (to prevent intellectual property).
That you can still see the code is lucky for you, not so lucky for the developer.

[Anonymous]

Well I opened the code in a text editor, copied all of the scripts into a new object and re-created all of the parameters.

It worked. Its a shame that I had to spend an hour to do that to make a very small change to the thing. In essance then, the locking of the object really only stopped me until I decided to take the time to do it. Is the locking really worth the extra hour of 'hidden' stuff? I doubt it.

Besides - I'm not out to 'steal' the code, I just want to make a very small change and try to make the object even better.

[TomWaltz]

Try that argument with Microsoft.... they probably have lawyers cruising the roads waiting for calls like that....

If a company pays an employee to develop something, it's up to the company whether they want to allow use of that something by someone else. If they do not, then any choice by someone else to pirate that something also carries the work required to do so.

Why should another company (possibly a competitor) provide you with useful objects without renumeration?

I've posted a few objects for open use here, usually pretty simple ones, both to encourage discussion and to help out other users, but the really high-end stuff our company does is never posted for open use. By releasing those objects, they are open for anyone to use and experiment with. If I were to release anything that was locked to protect my company's investments, and found out people were trying to hack it, that would be the last object I ever posted.

You are saying that you want to make something better for your own use, but it sounds as though you had no right to have it in the first place.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:

I've posted a few objects for open use here, usually pretty simple ones, both to encourage discussion and to help out other users, but the really high-end stuff our company does is never posted for open use. By releasing those objects, they are open for anyone to use and experiment with. If I were to release anything that was locked to protect my company's investments, and found out people were trying to hack it, that would be the last object I ever posted.

You are saying that you want to make something better for your own use, but it sounds as though you had no right to have it in the first place.

Tom,
It sounds like you probably shouldn't post any of your company's "locked" objects anyway. If someone sees a good GDL technique they're likely to try and explore it...its just human nature.

I think Sirduncan makes a good point but I can understand the argument from opposite points of view as well. I can think of numerous times through the years when I've needed to tweak an object but couldn't because it was locked.

Okay, so maybe Sirduncan didn't purchase the object but if he did a similar argument always comes up about locked scripts

Bottonline, If you purchase an object or suite of objects for your use but can't tweak it to meet your internal standards because it is locked...well, you're just kinda' screwed. Objects tend to be designed to meet very generic standards so they apply to the broadest of customer base.

GDL developers can't design their scripts to adequately respond to everyones "specific" needs. For the most part Objects for sale should always be open for the customer's unique tweaking needs. I don't personally purchase many objects...I tend to script all my own...If I did purchase any , however, I would always think twice before spending money on objects with locked scripts.