what if client want whole scene with lighting settings

[Franx]

Hey, I just bought Vray. Can I have the source code also...

[glorybound]

Hey, I just bought Vray. Can I have the source code also...

where's the like button?

[rmejia]

I'd say the materials and models are all purchased items which cannot be shared due to the terms of use, no copying or redistribution.

[YoyoBoy]

This can get complicated though because there are a lot of companies now where everyone working on the project is a telecommuting contractor, passing scenes around, contributing different bits.

[JohnVK]

It can indeed get very complicated. Plus the "can't sell you the models / textures because they are purchased and licensed items" doesn't fly when it's all custom modeled & textured items tailored to the customers wishes

Also, when you tell your client pretty much everything was bought they might argue that you didn't really do much modeling yourself and the price they paid might seem unfair to them (even if it really isn't). That would put you in another akward position where you'd have some explaining to do. Not sure that's a smart position to maneuver yourself into when you're dealing with a client already looking to (partly) replace you and which I assume you want to keep doing work for?

I'd put a big pricetag on it and sell it. I mean, why not? It's like selling your models on TurboSquid, except to your customer. Besides, even though they get that one scene from you, chances are they will not be able to reproduce the same final results on a new and entirely different scene, i.e., a new project. We all know it doesn't work that way. So they'll most likely be back for more anyway. The only thing you would lose is the income from modifications on that particular scene but that would be covered by the income from selling the scene.

One thing I would most certainly do is put the render / quality settings in a "test render" state before sending it off. So basically they receive the entire scene set up as rendered minus your techniques. That way they wouldn't be able to get the same final results with this specific scene. After all, they are buying the models & scene setup, not your techniques! Those are simply not for sale, only for indirect hire. But I understand it is sometimes hard to cover your tracks in terms of hiding / deleting your techniques. In the end it is your call whether to sell or not...

Be fair and firm. "No" is an answer too.

Also, when you do decide to sell the scene think really really really hard about how you are going to handle that deal. Do you make them pay in advance or half now / half after the fact, everything after they received the scene? Now THAT is a tricky situation! What if you do half now / half after and they decide to tell you it isn't what they'd hoped for, "return" the scene to you (LOL yeah right!) and demand their money back?

Put EVERYTHING in a contract which they sign before selling anything! And have it include at the very least a section in which they waive their right to reclaim the money once the scene contents have been sent. Make sure they can't claim they've never received the scene in the first place! Use some form of download service where downloads are logged with IP addresses. And... get yourself a lawyer to check if the contents of your contract are actually legal!

And finally.. if the only reason they want to buy the scene is to basically replace you then I'd say sell it and see what happens next... in such cases the chances you will be able to keep the client are pretty slim anyway since they are already looking to replace you in the first place. But don't immediately break contact. Handle it like a pro. They might still need you in the end after all


p.s. Franx: I was literally laughing out loud when I read your post

[digitalx3d]

Keep the contract short and to the point. One of the main purposes of the contract is to let the client know what they're going to get and what they are not going to get. Try to bullet point this so there's almost no way your client can ignore it or misunderstand it. Eliminate unwanted surprises. It's a bit late for you now as the job is already done. I don't know what your original agreement stated, but it seems like the whole "distributing the model" part was omitted. I've been dealing with this with one of my clients too. It's amazing what gray areas can come up in this situation. Bottom line is you own the rights to the 3d model. It contains intellectual property (proprietary info). You have every right to refuse. If this is a client you really care about, you may want to do something like "ok, I generally don't distribute files, but I failed to notify you of this beforehand. So, I will do it this time, but in the future they can be purchased for $XXX. And understand that they are provided as is and may not be compatible with your software or the software of anyone you hire and distribute the files to." Suck up the loss and remember to make this known beforehand from now on. If you don't care about your client, stick it to them!

[werticus]

say sorry we use proprietary in house software, which costs half a million dollars