Question about releasing reskins from your models.

D

DARTrider

Goofy Fictional RR Owner
Hi, I own a site called Timetable Trainz, and I was wondering, could I maybe get permission to release a reskin of the CITX C40-8 and the SP SDP45 on your site? If no, then that's fine. If you do allow me, I will credit you guys wherever I can in that asset. Thank you!

Image of reskins:

2021-08-04-090639.jpg

2021-08-03-191949.jpg
 
jointedrail said:
These would still be on payware models so that is not approved. Sorry!
Click to expand...


That's alright, thanks for the response! Could I instead get a reskin of the old freeware GP40-2 model up on my site? Its a reskin from the SP GP40-2 to SSW lettering and a reskin of the SP GP40-2 to an SP GP40-2 with speed lettering.

2021-08-05-085730.jpg
 
Last edited:
I've been thinking of this now since I have learned how to do this. Of course it would be illegal to release regular reskins of payware with the meshes and all. But what about... Wait for it...
ALIASED! Reskins? Simply the reskin asset ONLY contains the reskinned textures and the config.txt's mesh table simply called for "mesh-asset" under all the meshes with the KUID pointing to the original payware asset and then the reskinned textures are done under "texture-replacement" effects and finally to do the aliasing a custom script is made which switches the textures to show the reskinned textures and then to ensure the original fx-loco script works the reskin script contains a thing to include the original script so the asset works as normal. I learned it and successfuly applied it to a class 37 reskin. The procedure is documented on the Trainz Wiki at https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/HowTo/Reskin_an_Asset_using_an_alias

Thoughts?
 
slenderman8888 said:
I've been thinking of this now since I have learned how to do this. Of course it would be illegal to release regular reskins of payware with the meshes and all. But what about... Wait for it...
ALIASED! Reskins? Simply the reskin asset ONLY contains the reskinned textures and the config.txt's mesh table simply called for "mesh-asset" under all the meshes with the KUID pointing to the original payware asset and then the reskinned textures are done under "texture-replacement" effects and finally to do the aliasing a custom script is made which switches the textures to show the reskinned textures and then to ensure the original fx-loco script works the reskin script contains a thing to include the original script so the asset works as normal. I learned it and successfuly applied it to a class 37 reskin. The procedure is documented on the Trainz Wiki at https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/HowTo/Reskin_an_Asset_using_an_alias

Thoughts?
Click to expand...


Nice loophole :hehe:
 
Not really a loophole but the main thing of an aliased reskin is that again all the actual asset that you distribute contains is just the reskinned textures, two scripts and a config.txt. The original asset becomes a dependency of the reskin and so you would be required to own the original asset of the reskin to work. It's kinda like how Railworks reskinners distribute their stuff they leave out the mesh files (known as geos in RW speak) and it is up to the end user to manually copy over those meshes on their install. Again it means that you are required to own the original asset before you can use the reskin.
 
Pretty much all of the Train Simulator content developers (including DTG) do not have a problem with distributing FREE repaints of their product as long as the geometry files are left out. It forces the user to have or purchase the base product on which the repaint is based... which equates to another sale for the content developer. There has only been one content developer (that I can remember) that became a stickler for no repaints, and they have pretty much lost a fair share of that market due to their policies. But that was their business decision.

As for Jointed Rail, their EULA probably covers distribution of reskinned product. While the above process only involves new textures and scripts, the base textures are still the intellectual property of Jointed Rail. But you're doing the right thing by asking for permission and I applaud you for that.
 
cnwfan said:
Pretty much all of the Train Simulator content developers (including DTG) do not have a problem with distributing FREE repaints of their product as long as the geometry files are left out. It forces the user to have or purchase the base product on which the repaint is based... which equates to another sale for the content developer. There has only been one content developer (that I can remember) that became a stickler for no repaints, and they have pretty much lost a fair share of that market due to their policies. But that was their business decision.

As for Jointed Rail, their EULA probably covers distribution of reskinned product. While the above process only involves new textures and scripts, the base textures are still the intellectual property of Jointed Rail. But you're doing the right thing by asking for permission and I applaud you for that.
Click to expand...


Thank you. As for removing all the geometry files and meshes and such I need a tutorial, anyone have that?
 
I'm no lawyer but if you modify a texture enough couldn't it come under copyright law as a new work or come under fair use as "transformative" purpose. Also thinking about the "threshold of originality" which governs whether a work is copyrightable or not. The Trainz process of aliasing reskins also does the same thing as a railworks reskin i.e. The user is forced to purchase the base product for the reskin to work. (As I said the original asset becomes a dependency of an aliased reskin.)
 
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