Template (tpl) file locking/security

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to lock a template file so it can not be used outside of an office? Maybe link it to the dongles/ArchiCAD license in someway? I am the sole owner and runner of Archicademy, based in Perth WA. Many of my clients are worried about employees taking their valued templates out of the office and passing it onto friends etc. Any ideas? This is my first post and look forward to my first reply.

Brett
Archicademy
http://www.archicademy.com.au
http://twitter.com/Archicademy

[Anonymous]

EDIT: On further reflection I realize that I should have said that I don't recommend security measures such I have as described below. I think they are more trouble than they are worth and risk creating problems unnecessarily. Stolen template files are worth far less outside the office for which they have been customized. In fact probably far less than good standard templates which are available for short money.

You could write a master GDL that enters an endless loop unless it finds an authorized key code. Something like this:

keycode = REQ("serial_number")
IF keycode = 1234567 THEN GOTO 1000
IF keycode = 7654321 THEN GOTO 1000
! ...and so on for all your license keys.

REPEAT
    PRINT("Serial number not found. You must insert approved license key or force quit.")
UNTIL pigs = "fly"    ! you may need to initialize pigs as a string variable :-)

1000: END

It's been a while since I used a master script so I'm not sure of the best means to insert/enable this function. I would also recommend keeping unlocked copies of the templates in a secure place just in case.

In AC12 this security can be circumvented by removing the master GDL form the library so it would need to be kept quiet to remain secure. In AC13 you can embed the part. In either case only the BIM manager needs to know it's there. It can be totally transparent to the user.

EDIT: Karl now has me questioning this advice. In any case it should be used with caution since the locking part would be embedded in every project file. It occurs to me that if one were to do this it would be best to read the key numbers from an external text file. This would give the BIM manager global control in case keys are lost or replaced.

In any case all security measures should be implemented very carefully. There is always the risk of locking yourself out of your own vehicle.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Brett wrote:
Is it possible to lock a template file so it can not be used outside of an office?

No. This is one of the dilemmas with templates. A well-done template contains a huge amount of intellectual capital for a firm. Even if the tpl file itself could be locked, as soon as a project is begun based on the template, that pln file contains all of that same information ... and would be unlocked (unless it was on a BIM Server). If you share your project with collaborating firm, they then have access to your content (including any library parts custom-designed by or for your company). If you have to submit a project to an authority, if they want a pln, then they have the template - and potential freedom-of-information access (if it is a government authority) could make the content available to anyone. In a discussion related to this in the last year or two, it was suggested in that case to submit an IFC model so that at least the Archicad template was protected...

Trust is the key.

[Anonymous]

Brett

Mate it really doesn't matter how hard you try to protect it, there is always a way around it!!!
I've seen 2 different versions of my template round the traps recently!!
Makes me laugh but it is painful to know how much work you put into it, just to see someone else reaping the rewards!!
The only slight reward is knowing that you're helping someone do things better even if you don't get the credit.

[gpowless]

While I appreciate the time and effort that goes into customizing templates, none of it would be necessary if we subscribed and adhered to international standards.

While total BIM standards are just emerging, it would make sense to get on the bandwagon early, so that when we communicate we don't need to decipher someone's quirky layer and view schemes. Rather, developing and complying with international standards removes competition on a technical basis and returns competition back to architectural creativity and skill, where in my opinion it belongs.

[Anonymous]

gpowless wrote:
While I appreciate the time and effort that goes into customizing templates, none of it would be necessary if we subscribed and adhered to international standards.

Sorry, but this is nonsense. I have set up templates, libraries, etc. for many firms, all according to the US National CAD Standards and every one of them is different to some degree.

For one thing no one needs the entire comprehensive set of standards, but rather needs to select the subset that will make their practice most efficient. For another, the type of practice will dictate different approches to and organization of the templates. Designing single residences is very different from building hospitals.

The standards do make a great basis to start from, but my clients and I have found that it is in the customization and tuning of the templates, libraries, standards and practices that the greatest efficiencies are achieved.

Of course the upshot of all this is that the whole security issue is easily overrated. Templates that are customized for one practice will likely not be so efficient for another. Also most of the value of the templates resides in how well they are implemented and managed within the firm and this is not embodied in some files that may be misappropriated.

Though I offered a possible solution for putting security into the templates (and by extension all the project files derived from them) I failed to say that I don't recommend the practice. The value of the template drops dramatically once it is removed from the environment for which it is designed. There is far more value in the head of the BIM manager than there is in the template file once removed from the office. In fact one of the main values of the templates is to capture as much of the BIM manager's expertise within the firm before she leaves for bigger and better things.