Just a question about the legality of a software

J. Nicoll

My question is this, and please moderators don't ban me, this is my first post and I'd appreciate a warning if I'm breaching any rules, the software 3D Ripper DX, it's available free for download, It was brought to my attention while I was browsing game-artist.net. Nobody mentioned anything about it being illegal in fact one said they thought it was lawful. When I asked a question about it in a new thread I got banned for a month, now I can't even look at the forums. So I ask you guys, is it really illegal?

Neox

i guess it depends on what you are doing with it, in the end its more like a screenshot and i guess that isn't illegal creating your own stuff with that data and use it on your own will break copyright laws

Richard Kain

Yes, the software itself doesn't strike me as any more illegal than FRAPS or alt+Print Screen. However, what it could obviously lead to would be illegal. Using the software is fine and dandy. Using what the software acquires in your own projects is highly illegal.

I can understand using such software to obtain reference material for study. Taking a look at how someone else has constructed and animated a model is very useful and informative. But this has to be a look, don't touch scenario. The second you actually use what you've "ripped" from a 3D scene, you've stepped over a very big line.

BradMyers82

Man, I just looked this up as this thread brought the software to my attention, and this is scary! I mean, we have all heard of people ripping games, but ripping art? I could see it being educational, but I feel there would be simply too many that would use it inappropriately. I hope this isn't a glimpse to the future of a whole new level of piracy.

glib

Holy crap, you can rip out people's HLSL shaders to take a look? Jeebus.

Neox

omg you can use unreal to decompile gamescripts or open up their shadernetworks omg omg

so what? it happens, it's unlikely that it's going to be used professional at the state it is in now

it's not like you'll get the source files out of it, all ripped characters will be triangulated, split and whatnot and will also be posed, so what could you possibly do with this data?

[Deleted User]

Hasn't this kind of software been around for a looong time? I remember on another forum years ago (and probably still) people were ripping models out of other games and sticking them into garry's mod for hl2, despite the questionable legality of that

Yeah, anyway, it's fine to rip stuff just to look at it. Don't use what you rip for anything but reference.

Daaark

This is nothing new.

Almost every game I have owned on the PC has handed me over complete access to the game data and assets on a silver platter. Even if they didn't, they were easy enough to rip out. This is just a '3D screenshot'.

In either case, the law doesn't protect your work any less.

J. Nicoll

Thanks folk of Polycount. I did just want to use it for research, I'm particularly interested in seeing the horse geometry for the games Dynasty Warriors 6 and Gun, both of these games crashed when I tried to run them, so I didn't get very far with that. I'm not sure whether it's worth it now if the extracted geometry will be triangulated, that'll mean I won't be able to tell where the edge loops are.

If anyone knows how I can see wireframes for any horse models, especially the ones from Assassin's Creed, Gun and Dynasty Warriors 6, I'd greatly appreaciate some advice.

Daaark

There's wireframe shots of a horse model here:
http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/223449

BradMyers82

I made a horse model, you could look at my portfoliio if you want

Xoliul

I'm pretty sure I've even come across the portfolio of the artist who made horses for Gun. Shouldn't be impossible to find.

low odor

http://www.pig-brain.com

BradMyers82

Xoliul: Here it is...
http://www.pig-brain.com/gallery.htm

[Edit] Low Odor beat me to it by a few seconds, ha ha.

claydough

When I wa a student at MICA I had my entire portfolio stolen from me the week of reviews.

Thankfully my professors still Aced me that semester.

It still irks me to this day that my werk may have been used to pad some one elses portfolio ( as the timing suggests ). I would rather the art was stolen to be kept which at least would have been a compliment.

Otherwise, whats the point? yer life would be a lie.

[Deleted User]

I don't think anyone would get very far using stolen art in their portfolio anyway. Even if they were able to land a job with it, if they couldn't produce the same quality of work (and if they could, they shouldn't need to swipe it) they probably wouldn't last long. They'd have to have a pretty crummy work ethic in general too.

J. Nicoll

Thanks,

Nice horse Brad. Is it for a Half Life mod? Do Half Life users have access to this model?

One thing I've been wondering is why the word Diffuse is used for the colour. Does the Diffuse texture go into the color channel?