Hello all.
As with some others on this forum, i'm having some issues with users converting my content to trainz android, without any authorization or even crediting me.
These users are not members of the official trainz forums (nor of any other trainz forum in fact), they do not have a website and the vast majority uses a cracked trainz android version, downloaded for free from one of many "free" app stores (such as Aptoide).
They redistribute content via Google Drive, with the link to the .RAR folder (wich is locked with a password) posted on a YouTube video wich showcases the done conversion (usually with awful-tier music in the background). The link is usually posted in the description of these videos and will remain avaible for a limited time, usually 1-2 weeks, after then, the converter will edit the description and remove the link to the folder, however the video will still remain avaible.
As i mentioned, the .RAR package of the converted content is locked with a password. Said password will be usually displayed for a split-second in the video itself, forcing you to watch the video usually in it's entirety, thus counting the "view" for YouTube. Of course, all these videos are also unbearably filled to the brim with the "Like & Subscribe" crap.
Now, since they aren't members of the official trainz forum and they don't have a registered trainz version, unfortunately there's little that N3V can do about them. Often the only way to contact the converter is via a facebook group (wich is of course closed and invitation-only) or by commenting on their videos, asking them to stop. Some converters will ignore you and carry on, others instead will delete your comment and lock the comment section on all their videos (past, present and future ones) and posts, effectively clamming themselves up and making further communication impossible. Often, the only thing you'll be able to do is to leave a "dislike", wich of course is useless.
This is a good example of one of the most recent unauthorized conversion of my rolling stock, specifically my Amtrak Budd Metroliner electric multiple units.
^ note that the package is incorrectly named "Penn Central Budd Metroliner" (wich is the name of another of my Budd Metroliner versions) and the password is displayed "in pieces" in yellow words on the video at different intervals.
In full it reads "Penn centrall bud metroline anndrro [sic]", wich appears even to be the wrong password as it isn't accepted by the .rar (neither with or without the spelling errors!)
These conversions are particularily frustrating, as evry average idiot can come and steal all the work you've done (and in the case of the Metorliners, i'm particularily angry as i've worked a lot on them) without crediting you, not even with a link to your website or even mention that that content was made by someone else. Furthemore, during conversions, most of your work is horribly mangled, and many fetaures are missing, such as the animated doors (in the video above).
Therefore, ever since my content started being converted to android, i put in place a strict "nothing for android" policy:
- No new content for trainz android
- No conversions of existing content to trainz android
- No interactions with trainz android converters outside "cease and desist" ones.
- No requests from any trainz android users
Of course, this hasn't stopped these people from going on with their unauthorized conversions.
Now, since the converters aren't member of the official trainz forums, nor have a registered trainz number, there's little N3V can do about them, and threats of legal actions are frankly ridiculous, as you're going to sue someone from another country for freeware redistribution of your freeware content. There could be copyright grounds in case of payware content instead, however i don't think this will still be sufficient for a lawsuit (as i've seen some on this forum rightly threaten to do). The other option is to have YouTube block these channels by reporting them, however YouTube is notoriously sluggish in these cases (and they'll mostly ignore these kind of reports), and even if the channel gets closed, nothing stops the converters from opening a new one.
Therefore i decided to change my strategy: if redistribution of converted content can't be stopped, i'll make my content as hard and frustrating to be converted to android as possible.
As i've observed from "inspecting" my own converted addons, trainz android is unable to "read" .cdp files and thus all android add-on content will be packaged as a folder. These texture must be .JPG files as trainz android seemingly can't read other files. In this regard i'm quite lucky as i use sketchup to make my models and then use RubyTMIX to convert the models to .IM meshes and textures, and given that RubyTMIX exports .TGA files named "rtm0XY.tga", these converters will have to manually convert each .TGA to .JPG, for a frustrating work of sometimes 30-40 textures on some of my more detailed models, wich is something good to know.
To further reinforce my theory, one of the converters even had the nerve to write me an e-mail asking (seemingly and roughly) if i could make his unauthorized conversion process simpler by making my models with .JPG textures instead of .TGA!
For reference, here's the verbatim e-mail:
"Hello there i recommend Render To Texture(RTT)your add-ons if your PC is strong and please the RTM file is .jpg file because IM Hate add-ons I'f the RTM is TGA the size is not Friendly to trainz android [...]"
Thank you for letting me know. I'll be sure not to follow your request.
One more thing, as shown in the Budd Metroliner video, is that converters seemingly can't export animations (.kin files specifically) to trainz android. This makes an interesting case: if we can find a way to have a .kin animation connected to the bodyshell (there doesn't need to be something "moving", it can be as well a "static animation") the converters won't be able to import .im files without having to convert .kin files as well, else they'll only get an "invisible train".
Now, i'll be releasing soon (on my website and on the DLS) these 5000 Series trains of Cairo Metro's Line 1, wich have been requested to me by a friend.
As i'm sure many android converters (specifically egyptians ones) will be immediately "jumping" on this, i've decided to implement some countermesaures:
i've made sure to put a good number of extra "decoy" .TGA files to waste the converters' time and frustrate them as much as possible.
If they'll succeed in their conversion however, i've still prepared some "watermark-like" things:
Inspired by real life rolling stock, i've made my own "manufacturer's plates", fitted in the passenger compartment:
These are intrinsic to the bodyshell 3D model and cannot be erased. Given that sketchup texturing works as a "bucket fill a cetrain polygon", i've made sure to paint the plate with the "main" textures of the bodyshell. The dark blue and light blue of the plate are the same textures of the livery of two left 5000 Series trains in the first picture, wich means by altering the colours of the plate, you'll also automatically alter the colours of the boyshell itself. The only way to to "erase" the logo and my website's name is to change the two colors to the same one, wich however will mean that the whole livery will be changed; and even if they go on with the livery alteration, the lettering and the plate itself is written in relief, and the sides are painted with yet another colour. In short, to fully make the plate disappear, you'll be forced to have a train painted of a single colour.
However, there is also another option: i could "bite the bullet" by changing my policy of "nothing for android" and start making my own content for trainz android as well, in an attempt to try to "steal the market" to these converters. This could be a very interesting option, and perhaps more effective that all the other "solutions"...
So, what could be more countermesaures against unauthorized android conversions?
As with some others on this forum, i'm having some issues with users converting my content to trainz android, without any authorization or even crediting me.
These users are not members of the official trainz forums (nor of any other trainz forum in fact), they do not have a website and the vast majority uses a cracked trainz android version, downloaded for free from one of many "free" app stores (such as Aptoide).
They redistribute content via Google Drive, with the link to the .RAR folder (wich is locked with a password) posted on a YouTube video wich showcases the done conversion (usually with awful-tier music in the background). The link is usually posted in the description of these videos and will remain avaible for a limited time, usually 1-2 weeks, after then, the converter will edit the description and remove the link to the folder, however the video will still remain avaible.
As i mentioned, the .RAR package of the converted content is locked with a password. Said password will be usually displayed for a split-second in the video itself, forcing you to watch the video usually in it's entirety, thus counting the "view" for YouTube. Of course, all these videos are also unbearably filled to the brim with the "Like & Subscribe" crap.
Now, since they aren't members of the official trainz forum and they don't have a registered trainz version, unfortunately there's little that N3V can do about them. Often the only way to contact the converter is via a facebook group (wich is of course closed and invitation-only) or by commenting on their videos, asking them to stop. Some converters will ignore you and carry on, others instead will delete your comment and lock the comment section on all their videos (past, present and future ones) and posts, effectively clamming themselves up and making further communication impossible. Often, the only thing you'll be able to do is to leave a "dislike", wich of course is useless.
This is a good example of one of the most recent unauthorized conversion of my rolling stock, specifically my Amtrak Budd Metroliner electric multiple units.
^ note that the package is incorrectly named "Penn Central Budd Metroliner" (wich is the name of another of my Budd Metroliner versions) and the password is displayed "in pieces" in yellow words on the video at different intervals.
In full it reads "Penn centrall bud metroline anndrro [sic]", wich appears even to be the wrong password as it isn't accepted by the .rar (neither with or without the spelling errors!)
These conversions are particularily frustrating, as evry average idiot can come and steal all the work you've done (and in the case of the Metorliners, i'm particularily angry as i've worked a lot on them) without crediting you, not even with a link to your website or even mention that that content was made by someone else. Furthemore, during conversions, most of your work is horribly mangled, and many fetaures are missing, such as the animated doors (in the video above).
Therefore, ever since my content started being converted to android, i put in place a strict "nothing for android" policy:
- No new content for trainz android
- No conversions of existing content to trainz android
- No interactions with trainz android converters outside "cease and desist" ones.
- No requests from any trainz android users
Of course, this hasn't stopped these people from going on with their unauthorized conversions.
Now, since the converters aren't member of the official trainz forums, nor have a registered trainz number, there's little N3V can do about them, and threats of legal actions are frankly ridiculous, as you're going to sue someone from another country for freeware redistribution of your freeware content. There could be copyright grounds in case of payware content instead, however i don't think this will still be sufficient for a lawsuit (as i've seen some on this forum rightly threaten to do). The other option is to have YouTube block these channels by reporting them, however YouTube is notoriously sluggish in these cases (and they'll mostly ignore these kind of reports), and even if the channel gets closed, nothing stops the converters from opening a new one.
Therefore i decided to change my strategy: if redistribution of converted content can't be stopped, i'll make my content as hard and frustrating to be converted to android as possible.
As i've observed from "inspecting" my own converted addons, trainz android is unable to "read" .cdp files and thus all android add-on content will be packaged as a folder. These texture must be .JPG files as trainz android seemingly can't read other files. In this regard i'm quite lucky as i use sketchup to make my models and then use RubyTMIX to convert the models to .IM meshes and textures, and given that RubyTMIX exports .TGA files named "rtm0XY.tga", these converters will have to manually convert each .TGA to .JPG, for a frustrating work of sometimes 30-40 textures on some of my more detailed models, wich is something good to know.
To further reinforce my theory, one of the converters even had the nerve to write me an e-mail asking (seemingly and roughly) if i could make his unauthorized conversion process simpler by making my models with .JPG textures instead of .TGA!
For reference, here's the verbatim e-mail:
"Hello there i recommend Render To Texture(RTT)your add-ons if your PC is strong and please the RTM file is .jpg file because IM Hate add-ons I'f the RTM is TGA the size is not Friendly to trainz android [...]"
Thank you for letting me know. I'll be sure not to follow your request.
One more thing, as shown in the Budd Metroliner video, is that converters seemingly can't export animations (.kin files specifically) to trainz android. This makes an interesting case: if we can find a way to have a .kin animation connected to the bodyshell (there doesn't need to be something "moving", it can be as well a "static animation") the converters won't be able to import .im files without having to convert .kin files as well, else they'll only get an "invisible train".
Now, i'll be releasing soon (on my website and on the DLS) these 5000 Series trains of Cairo Metro's Line 1, wich have been requested to me by a friend.
As i'm sure many android converters (specifically egyptians ones) will be immediately "jumping" on this, i've decided to implement some countermesaures:
i've made sure to put a good number of extra "decoy" .TGA files to waste the converters' time and frustrate them as much as possible.
If they'll succeed in their conversion however, i've still prepared some "watermark-like" things:
Inspired by real life rolling stock, i've made my own "manufacturer's plates", fitted in the passenger compartment:
These are intrinsic to the bodyshell 3D model and cannot be erased. Given that sketchup texturing works as a "bucket fill a cetrain polygon", i've made sure to paint the plate with the "main" textures of the bodyshell. The dark blue and light blue of the plate are the same textures of the livery of two left 5000 Series trains in the first picture, wich means by altering the colours of the plate, you'll also automatically alter the colours of the boyshell itself. The only way to to "erase" the logo and my website's name is to change the two colors to the same one, wich however will mean that the whole livery will be changed; and even if they go on with the livery alteration, the lettering and the plate itself is written in relief, and the sides are painted with yet another colour. In short, to fully make the plate disappear, you'll be forced to have a train painted of a single colour.
However, there is also another option: i could "bite the bullet" by changing my policy of "nothing for android" and start making my own content for trainz android as well, in an attempt to try to "steal the market" to these converters. This could be a very interesting option, and perhaps more effective that all the other "solutions"...
So, what could be more countermesaures against unauthorized android conversions?
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