Someone in Vietnam altered a script for an old sketchup extension called “Floor Generator” to run on 2024-2025 versions. They are soliciting for sale all over the internet including Reddit. I would assume this is not allowed by Trimble.
The website used for the point of sale: Archviz Tool
A Reddit post describing the extension: Reddit - The heart of the internet
Trimble does not own the rights to plugins. You’d have to alert the original author…
And you joined 12 minutes ago to post this?
well, the new “dev” might get a cease and desist from the old one, and from the people who served him one in the first place.
but they’re not on the extension warehouse, so sketchup itself can’t really do anything.
Some developers haven’t updated their extensions in years, 1001bit tools comes to my mind right now, but there are simple extensions that have been abandoned, the developers won’t even answer the mails probably some of them could even have passed away. I had an issue with a extension that is a must for me, it’s called Toolbar editor, and it stoped working when version 2024 was released, I tried alternatives like Lord of the tool bars, but it’s a bit more complicated to set it up, for some reason Vray wasn’t on the list of tools so I couldn’t create a Vray toolbar, but the worst think imo is that the toolbars can’t be docked on windows, it was something that gave me a bit of axiety every time I use sketchup on windows, I looked for another solutions and as a last resource I posted here if someone knows an extension like toolbar editor, Dan Rathbun is a developer and programmer who is quite active on this forum, I don’t know how he created a file that if it was replaced by another file on the toolbar editor extension folder it would make it work with sketchup 2024, 2025 and 2026 so far without any issues. I don’t think it’s ilegal, he is not getting a profit out of it even after investing some time to fix the program, he just used his programming powers to make an old extension compatible with newer versions since the developer hasn’t done.
yes. there is a difference though.
you’re talking about an extension still available but that didn’t launch anymore and someone did a quick fix for you.
they’re talking about an extension that was removes from sketchucation 2 years ago following a cease and desists that another user has tweaked and re-published on their own page for a cost.
on reddit, someone asks about the cease and desists, and they even say that it’s still valid.
On a tangent, if you are an extension developer and are okay with others patching and fixing your extensions once you’re not around to do it, make sure to slap an open source license on it. Put it on GitHub.
An open-source license is a legal agreement granting permissions to use, study, modify, and distribute software. These licenses are necessary because copyright law, by default, restricts others from using creative works without permission. They provide a legal framework for collaboration, allowing users access to the source code and the freedom to share or build upon the software under specific terms.
What Open-Source Licenses Allow
Use: The software can be used for any purpose, commercial or private.
Study: Users have the freedom to study the source code to understand how the software works.
Modify: The source code can be changed to tailor the software to specific needs.
Distribute: Copies of the software, both original and modified versions, can be shared with others.
Key Types of Open-Source Licenses
Licenses are broadly categorized by their approach to permissions and restrictions:
These offer minimal restrictions on use and modification.
MIT License: Short, easy to understand, and compatible with many other licenses.
Apache License 2.0: A popular and widely used license.
BSD Licenses: Another family of permissive licenses.
These require that modified versions of the software also be released under the same or a compatible open-source license.
GPL (GNU General Public License): One of the most well-known copyleft licenses, associated with the free software movement.
LGPL (GNU Lesser General Public License): A more lenient form of copyleft that allows some integration with proprietary software.
MPL (Mozilla Public License): A file-based copyleft license, offering a middle ground by allowing integration into larger proprietary projects without requiring the entire project to become open source, according to this YouTube video.
Why They Matter
They enable global, collaborative software development by providing clear terms for sharing.
Using open-source code without the proper license can expose organizations to legal risks, such as lawsuits or demands to release their own code.
By allowing free use and modification, these licenses foster innovation and allow software to evolve more quickly.
A wide variety of licenses exist to accommodate different project goals and philosophies.
(one learns something (new) every day)
p.s. this was AI generated / check if no mistakes were made!
Not withstanding any of the above - someone stole this free code [without credits] and is selling it… The original author does offer it freely in the file’s header, BUT the withdrew it from publication because he had received a ‘Copyright Infringement’ notice against his own website from a much bigger company who have something similarly named and also functioning in a similar way [although I think it might have been more Trademark than Copyright !], but that said it is for a completely different app. His code also needed considerable updating to meet newer Ruby methods etc…
So the ‘pirates’ should expect a similar message soon…
Message from whom? Has anyone reached out to the original author or the proper authority in charge of a cease and desist? Or are you saying this is something that should happen.
The new author is in Vietnam. I doubt there’s anything that can be done.
them
I’m assuming the original author did.
