Simple way to stop people selling your freeware

[PhilipsCDRW]

Just create a dummy gauge which pops up a bitmap when initialised, with the bitmap saying something like "This HS748 model and panel © Rick Piper and distributed as freeware from flightsim.com (etc), if you've paid money for this you're a right sucker, go ask for a refund". Clicking on the bitmap causes it to disappear. As a tamper-proof system the gauge which generates the bitmap should also generate a shared variable, which a portion of the other gauges are looking for in order to operate (like a gauge-based electrical system). If you're really feeling vindictive, the absence of the shared variable would cause a control lock or fuel cutoff to come into effect, to stop people simply removing it from the panel.cfg file.

I'm very new to C gauge programming so I'm not 100% certain this is pirateproof but I think it might be close to something useful! I don't know exactly how to make a gauge generate a bitmap which can't be shrunk down to zero size by changing the relevant line to "gauge00=HS7!copyright, 0,0,0" but I'm sure it can be done...

From the end-user's point of view, every time they load the aircraft, a message pops up in front of the panel reminding them that the aircraft's freeware made by <author>, and you just click on it to make it go away. I don't think that's intrusive...

edit: alternate idea: incorporate the 'welcome message' into a main flight instrument, and require the user to click on it to activate the rest of the panel, in order to prevent the 'pirate' from minimising that instrument and substituting another in its place!

[PhilipsCDRW]

I've just discovered an old (1999) tool which can extract and substitute .bmp images from .gau files. It doesn't always work but it could thwart this copy-protection idea, if the pirate can simply alter your copyright text image.

[DelP]

Hmmm..I don't think any troglodyte that sells freeware is likely to give a refund anyway...

Derek ;-)

[Ben Hartmann]

Say the model is a FS9 one..........could they not then import the panel into FS Panel Studio, and rewrite the entire panel with freeware gauges, using the replace gauge function?

I've done this before with some degree of success.

Rgds

Ben

[PhilipsCDRW]

Say the model is a FS9 one..........could they not then import the panel into FS Panel Studio, and rewrite the entire panel with freeware gauges, using the replace gauge function?

I've done this before with some degree of success.

Rgds

Ben

I don't know if that could work with complex aircraft like (for example) the HS748 - you'd probably end up with two windows: the main panel and the radio stack, and all the functionality of a default aircraft. The heart of the aircraft is in its .gau files! (But then I would say that, as gauge programming is my only FS development interest...)

[Ben Hartmann]

gauge programming is my only FS development interest...

Wanna help us with our Tornado?

And I'll send you a rather large cheque

Rgds

Ben

[PhilipsCDRW]

gauge programming is my only FS development interest...

Wanna help us with our Tornado?

And I'll send you a rather large cheque

Rgds

Ben

What, like this one?
http://www.mow.org.za/wpe31.jpg

:dance:

Sounds like fun, but I don't have FSX or any knowledge of XML - only a bit of C++! (And exams over the next three weeks, which I intend to attend while blind drunk purely for comedy value for my coursemates )

[Ben Hartmann]

Oh well it was worth a try

maybe i should RTFM - in this case the SDK

but this is going OFFTOPIC now,

So i'm going to end this "accidently on purpose" recruitment campaign

Only Joking

Ben