SLM Files

[RedPoly Inventor]

Hello,

If i'm not mistaken the .slm file is how the actual mesh assets looks like after cleaning COLLADA tags and compressing all information?

Today I've made the following test:

1. Created box.dae and teapot.dae ( box object and teapot object )

2. Uploaded the teapot on the beta grid. Since my "meshImportUseSLM" is set to True ( default debug setting ) the viewer created a teapot.slm file in the same folder.

3. Renamed the teapot.slm to box.slm

4. Tried to upload box.dae

The result is: The information in the Box.dae was completely ignored and in the preview window I saw my teapot. After hitting calculate/upload etc , a teapot was uploaded. *(http://www.mediafire.com/?24zx4ycsfho2zkp  - both files)

Now I'm not sure if this is a bug. As a full perm prefabs creator I really like the idea to be able to sell empty.dae + real object .slm. This will prevent my customers to upload my work on freebie websites and use it outside SL (and this will reflect in the price ),but it will allow them to reupload the model back in SL and have their name listed as creator.  On the other hand, I'm not sure how much mesh asset is secure from downloading with a copybot like tool. Can we expect this "trick" to hold or it will be fixed/changed?  Selling .slm will be great if the mesh asset format is secured like scripts are.

Best regards,

RedPoly

[Runitai Linden]

Mesh assets are as secure as textures, which is to say they are not secure.  Selling a .dae is like selling a Photoshop .psd file, and selling an .slm is like selling a jpeg.  If you want the "creator ID" to always be your ID, never sell or share an .slm or .dae file.

Mesh is vulnerable to copying just as textures are, which is one of the reasons we require payment information on file to upload a mesh.  When you upload a mesh, the simulator embeds your agent ID and the date the mesh was uploaded inside the mesh asset, which makes it much easier to resolve disputes of who uploaded what first.  

 

[RedPoly Inventor]

Hello,

Thank you for your answer!

As a full perm/prefab creator I prefer not to sell pure DAE file to my customers ( at least at low prices ). Collada can be shared and used as it is in any 3d application, 3d warez sites, torrents etc. SLM format in other hand is something that can be used only inside SL. I'm perfectly aware that at some point someone will create  SLM->DAE converter, but I can only hope it will stay private and not widely available. I'm taking here about average customers not programmers, hackers etc. My customers ( and most prefab customers ) want to have their name listed as creator of the  prefab. In order to achieve that they need to upload the prefab on their own. My questions are:

1.Can we sell SLM files and use the trick I've mentioned in my first post?

2. Do you plan to support direct SLM upload in the future?

3. If a user uploads SLM file directly which user id will be uploaded ? Mine or the actual uploader's id?

 

Best regards,

RedPoly

[Miranda Umino]

You sell a right on an asset ; you don t sell a dae file or slm file

[Runitai Linden]

I wouldn't recommend selling an .SLM file.  The SLM file is not guaranteed to be compatible with future SL versions, so if someone bought the SLM file there's no guarantee they'd be able to use it.  We do plan on supporting direct SLM upload, but it's very low priority.  There is no creator or uploader information in the SLM, so anyone who uploads from an SLM file will be listed as the creator.

 

[RedPoly Inventor]

Thank you for your time and answer