Question on reupload and embedding

3D Warehouse
1

Hi there,
I am new here and I have a question:

REUPLOAD
1.) Is it allowed to download 3dwarehouse files, modify them, and then reupload them to my own account?

I need to e.g. change colors or remove the background to make them look better and similar to be used on my homepage. I think it should be allowed:

Can I download a model, modify it and then upload the modified model as my own?
Answer: Yes, but note that the unmodified version will still be owned by the original developer. The original developer will also continue to own any unmodified portions of the original model you include in your model.

EMBED
2.) Is it allowed to EMBED the reuploaded models?

Can I incorporate models from 3D Warehouse into my website for use by my members?
Answer: No, this is impermissible aggregation.

I have found that but what does that mean, exactly? (I am not a native speaker)

Why is there a embed button when it is “impermissible aggregation” and what exactly does that mean?

3.) Did they change the EMBED code recently? Because the ones I did do not work any longer.

4.) Can I share (EMBED) private models? Or do they HAVE to be PUBLIC? It’s not a problem to make them public but I thought it might confuse if its just a reupload and (sometimes) not much changed to it.

My homepage is a big homepage, its main purpose is not the 3d models and I dont make any money off it. I dont want to steal anyones work etc. I just want to add this interactive element and some modes are really well done. I also did some myself but I cannot do all of them. The main reson for the reupload is, as said above, to remove the background and sometimes change colors or update them a bit.

I once added all the sources and links when it was still Google Sketchup but all the links have changed now.

I hope someone can help me out. Thanks in advance.

2

If you copy all (many) models from 3D Warehouse to incorporate on your own website/store/“MyBetterWarehouse” and redistribute them, then this is an example of aggregation. Another example would be to write a script that automatically scrapes (batch-downloads) many models.

But that is not “embedding”. Using the embed code you display a small 3D Warehouse website on your website and the model stays on the real 3D Warehouse. Also the logo and origin is properly shown.

3

Hi,

@Aerilius
Thanks for your answer.

I want to do both, reupload and embed.

I need slightly improved or adjusted models, e.g. I change the background to white and remove the lines/edges of construction (change the view) and maybe change the colors a bit, sometimes add minimal changes to it or create new models out of the existing one (e.g. a Commodore C16 computer is a variation of the Commodore C64, but comes in a black instead of brown case). I also had to extract some, e.g. if there is a console with controller, I need them seperated to display them on 2 different pages as stand-alone model and not together.

I have about 70 models now, only those who I make information pages of. I have text as well as images on my homeapge (all done by myself) and I want to add the 3d models as interactive additional information. By doing so, I wanted to improve some models, view settings and make them more uniform (all look similar). The main purpose on the page is not to deliver 3d models, it’s about my collection and it has many text and pictures and it’s only meant as additional element on some pages (if a 3d model is available)

Do I have to ask everyone or is my use not allowed and should I better go with unedited models who are maybe not suiting to my page as well as my updated ones?

Thank you.

4

You should get actual legal counsel on this matter to make sure but the way I would read this, you would be violating the terms of use for the 3D Warehouse.

5

@DaveR

So it’s not allowed to alter the models and use them on my page?

This is what I try to find out - I thought it would be a bit more open to changes and encourage users to alter them and spread them - thus the download and embed button. Additonally, I saw many people doing new models out of existing ones, e.g. using a console and adding a table or controller to it.

If I am wrong here I can ask the owners or I have to live with the way the models are done?

For example, this drive is a good model but my version on the right displays more realstically and has no background. So this change is not allowed?

sketch
sketch1852×544 98.3 KB

6

All I’m saying is you should get someone who can give you a legal interpretation of the terms of use for the 3D Warehouse. No one here on the forum, including me, can do that for you.

7

@DaveR

I could not find a better contact option on where to ask. I looked into the FAQ as you saw, and the Terms of Use, which for me say is altering allowed, but the original owner still owns the rights on their work, which is totally okay and fine to me.

How can I contact the company responsible for this 3dWarehouse?

I also can try to contact the model owners or just embed the originals, but it’s kinda sad to see as I looked at it at it like a pool of creativity and very interesting option to be able to share the models.

The homepage is currently not online and I will try to find out or use the original files, which should be okay to be embedded?

8

OTHER IDEA

Is there a way to change the models ON THE FLY?

E.g. I embed the original model and kinda tell the viewer to use white background or other view option?

9

No, the viewer does unfortunately not have a JavaScript API (as the Google Earth browser plugin had, just for inspiration).

You can however still export the modified models to a file format of your choice and host them on your server and display them with your own WebGL vewer of your choice. That is an alternative to embedding models hosted on 3D Warehouse, but it solves not all doubts whether modification and unattributed reused is allowed (which should be, as it’s the purpose 3DWH and people are doing it). If you have doubts, consult a real lawyer.

10

Short story: it looks like this author didn’t turn on “allow users to contact”, but they did allow comment, so write them a comment with your request and see if they’d upload or just give you permission to do it yourself. They’ll get an email notice when someone comments on their model.

Longer:

What I do is contact original owners when their thumbnails are off, not showing the model, etc… and ask them to set the camera, save, then re-upload. We’ve had requests to add a scene, where the original owner could keep the style he/she preferred but add scenes for others to display… kinda like sites without 3D adding multiple camera angle pictures. Yes, we could do a LOT of things, like naming standard SketchUp styles and camera positions in url’s, but that hasn’t been a highly requested feature.

11

@Barry

Thank you for taking time to answer my question.

I will try to contact them or use the original sources and embed them /which should be okay). I am not sure about downloading them and hosting them on page, it would even be more unfair to the original creators I think. Again, I dont want to steal it, I just wanted to embed them in a view and setting more suitable to my needs.

It would be great if users could change the view or enter the prefered setting into the embedding code. Some models are real great, but because of the lines of construction (edges) it looks like a toy rather than a realistic model or image.

It’s maybe not requested often but would add value to the page and make customizing available without touching the original model.

BEST SOLUTION:
Simply add a function to add altered models to the page of the original model - so it’s directly linked to the original source model, users can see the original source, editors could see the changes and the use of their models as well as it would solve any legal issues that might arise by the current system. So e.g. you upload a model, you incl. the original link (or more links) and on each original page it will say: “This model is also available in following edited forms:”. If, however, the original owner does not want to have edits he could set that. Or if he decices, for whatever reason, to delete his model, the edited ones may also get removed on request, and the users informed (e.g. to not have dead links on their pages).

12

if I have a written permission, will it still violate the Terms of Use?