V-Ray 1.46.04 available

[Trapezium]

I've always had less problems with a hardware dongle than with any software dongles. The only thing I don't understand is why both. Why not choose one or the other? Is this just to help get 1.5 out the door faster?

--Jon

[Dynedain]

Upgrading?? I still don't have what I originaly paid you guy's for!! What am I going to be upgrading from? And doesn't upgrading usualy mean 'Give us more moolah'? Yeah! Right!! Or should you be saying Updating! I think this needs to be clarified!

You paid for 1.09...that is what you got, that is what you have.

[yog]

I've never had a problem with hardware dongles, and at home and work I have about six apps dongled (not including the apps that have switched to software locks). The oldest is about 12 years old and is used every day without a hiccup, the next oldest is about eight years old and has travelled between work and home hundreds of times, bouncing along in my work bag.

I sometimes wonder how much is "I heard of a guy once, somewhere (can't remember exactly) that fried his dongle and it took xxxx weeks to replace".
Compared to the six hardware locks I have, I also have two software licence locked, and I personally have had to reapply for new authorisation codes many more times than I've heard of anyone frying a dongle.

[Marzz]

Upgrading?? I still don't have what I originaly paid you guy's for!! What am I going to be upgrading from? And doesn't upgrading usualy mean 'Give us more moolah'? Yeah! Right!! Or should you be saying Updating! I think this needs to be clarified!

You paid for 1.09...that is what you got, that is what you have.

Pardon Me! but I paid for 1.1!! And I definatly Ain't got it!!

[Dynedain]

No, you paid for 1.09. They told you that you'd get a free upgrade to 1.1 (now 1.5) but what you paid for is 1.5

They never pre-sold you the next product. You purchased the existing one and they were gracious enough to offer free upgrades whenever the new one comes out.

[cocolas]

I sometimes wonder how much is "I heard of a guy once, somewhere (can't remember exactly) that fried his dongle and it took xxxx weeks to replace".

I'm talking from personal experience

and yes....dongles are a step backwards IMO....


paul.

[travistlo]

I dont agree with the hardware being used either, but If there are two ways, then it will satisfy everyone. I personly think it should be like Viz. You export the lic. file, and you can email to your home computer. You dont have to use any vpn for lic. server, and you dont have to ever worry about hardware problems.

Travis

[Trapezium]

Sorry about your problems Paul but

Working with a team of around 30 artists all with a license of Max and upgrades from version 1 through 3 I've only seen one or two dongles go bad and Kinetix attributed it to manufacturing error. I've had three for various pieces of software at home and none have been bad. Also, this was in Orlando, FL (lightning capital of the world, IMO)

Currently, I have all old versions of Max on my work system and so have a chain of 3 dongles along with software lock for Max6. They've worked fine on this same machine for over 3 years.

Dongles can go bad like any other piece of electronic equipment but I don't think it's anything to worry too much about.

--Jon

[peter]

Let me explain, as I was not very clear in my pervious post.

The whole V-Ray authorization will work as it is now. With a software protection and a license server. No hardware dongles needed for the normal workflow. Which means - after purchase approval - we can immediately issue a license for the normal operation.

In order to be able to move the license from one place to another - where the two places have no network connection - the user will require a hardware dongle.

We've been considering using the WIBU hardware dongles protection scheme. Some of our partners have been using the WIBU dongles and seem to be very satisfied. They have sold over 2000 licenses and at this point have around 5 or 6 failures. The HW dongles are USB-based and very easy to use, without causing problems to the rest of the hardware. So they are pretty unlike the old printer-port dongles, that had problems with printers etc.

In the scheme we are planning to use - I would not agree that this is a step backward. The software protection approach is easy to use, but nevertheless, it does fail. Take for example the MAXs C-Dilla - I personally experienced 2 major failures without even changing anything on our computers. And I am sure some of you have experienced the same problem.

5 failures out of 2000 is pretty good, especially considering the fact that this will affect only the people who do not have a network connection to their license servers, but still want to move their license around.

[Mirko]

Yes, that sound pretty good!!!

Some month ago I had to request a new authorisation code for max at least 3 times a week!!! because of software errors!!! I realy wish autodesk/discreet would also switch to hardware dongles again.
But not those old big plugs, but a little, stylish USB dongle (maybe with integrated 128 MB Memory so that the user can transport some *.max files).

At home I work with the audio software "Logic" (from emagic). The software uses a USB-dongle and I have never had any problems!

@peter: any idea how much such a dongle might cost for us?


Mirko

[trick]

I may get shot for this, but I'm really happy with the introduction of a dongle system.

ATM I'm using Lightwave and FormZ with dongles and these are the only pieces of software I have had no problems with. All the many many plugins I have with LW are tied to the dongle. I wish Discreet still provided dongles so 3rd party developers could tie their plugins to it. Actually I'm not buying Adobe software anymore until they get sane and drop their activation scheme: read the forums about activation troubles when introducing new hardware in your system !!!

Good move, but it would be better for Discreet to do this: I would gladly pay about $45 for a Wibu dongle; that's what a FormZ one costs

[trick]

Maybe to ease the pain for paying an extra fee for a dongle, you can provide a printed manual with it

[Marzz]

No, you paid for 1.09. They told you that you'd get a free upgrade to 1.1 (now 1.5) but what you paid for is 1.5

They never pre-sold you the next product. You purchased the existing one and they were gracious enough to offer free upgrades whenever the new one comes out.

Correct!! I'm still waiting for it!! So I repeat what I said.
I STILL HAVENT GOT WHAT I PAID THEM FOR!! I'm not talking about the next friggin product! I Want the product I paid for!

And Gracious enough to offer free updates my ass!
Where's the update? The 'Product' as it is, is in a worse state than it was then! So what's updated? I still don't have proper working DR. It's hit or miss whether it works or not!
Internal glass reflections are screwed. Everything is slower than before and just visit the bugs forum for a list of the other probs with it. Now it's promised to be fixed in yet another build. No doubt that will only be available to the internal fanboys. So it's wait another 2 months before I find out that something else is broken and the settings have changed so much (again) that anything I have in progress is going to need to be re-worked!
This is all total Crap. Only in this industry can a situation like this arise. You would soon have something to say if you parted with your cash for the latest Plasma tv only to be fobbed off with a 12" portable and a promise of your plasma screen asp, and nearly 2 years later it still hasn't been delivered.

Marzz

[peter]

Marzz:

And Gracious enough to offer free updates my ass!
Where's the update? The 'Product' as it is, is in a worse state than it was then! So what's updated? I still don't have proper working DR. It's hit or miss whether it works or not!
Internal glass reflections are screwed. Everything is slower than before and just visit the bugs forum for a list of the other probs with it. Now it's promised to be fixed in yet another build. No doubt that will only be available to the internal fanboys. So it's wait another 2 months before I find out that something else is broken and the settings have changed so much (again) that anything I have in progress is going to need to be re-worked!
This is all total Crap. Only in this industry can a situation like this arise. You would soon have something to say if you parted with your cash for the latest Plasma tv only to be fobbed off with a 12" portable and a promise of your plasma screen asp, and nearly 2 years later it still hasn't been delivered.

Marzz

Dear Sir,

if you are not happy - you are free to claim your money back.

But I will not allow this type of language here. Did I make myself clear?

[yog]

The whole V-Ray authorization will work as it is now. With a software protection and a license server. No hardware dongles needed for the normal workflow. Which means - after purchase approval - we can immediately issue a license for the normal operation.

In order to be able to move the license from one place to another - where the two places have no network connection - the user will require a hardware dongle. .

Great !!!
The best of both worlds.

Personally I wouldn't e-mail my software licence between work and home as suggested. Work's firewall and internal filtering system is so bad that mail with attachments regularly go missing
Also I always have a minor panic attack whenever a new HD re-format is due. When it comes to MAX I'm a firm believer if it's still working, don't f*** with it