Okay, before I start, I’ve put this off for close to a year. I’ve also searched in every way I could think of - with no results. But now, my curiosity has gotten the best of me.
What purpose do people have for registering/joining the 3DWH, but do not create and upload any models?
1. You don’t have to be a member or signed in to cruise thru the 3DWH
2. You don’t have to be a member or signed in to d/l models
3. You don’t have to be a member or signed in to view models in the WebGL 3D Viewer
I have noticed that most of the people clicking the “like” on my models, have no models of their own. Some of them have collections of literally THOUSANDS of liked models. One has over 26,000 “liked” models - but none of his own. Nearly none of these people can be contacted. And one of them appears to be a professional of some sort.
One, who’s clicked the “like” on one of my models as recently as 15 July (has no models of his/her own), has links in his/her profile to FB, twitter and Linkedin - all of them lead to blank pages.
On the flip side, most of the warehousers who DO have their own models, CAN be contacted.
What gives with these people who lurk around in the warehouse clicking the “like” on peoples’ models?
I can’t help but wonder if some of them are gleaning models for use in activities for which they earn money, using models that were created in free versions of SU - something I, as the creator of those models, am not allowed do using a non-pro version of SU.
None of the ‘labels’ you mentioned, just users like me.
It’s optional to allow other users to contact, check this article for more info.
1- to like and access liked models/collections via my profile.
2- to upload big scenes and share links here that we can’t upload to forum directly (because of the size). Usually later on i delete it.
3- to upload and get benefit of SketchUp version conversion when downloading. (Later on deleted)
Also it’s very common to have it this way. See how other websites such as Youtube, Sketchfab, Github etc. working more or less similar as well. Reasons are similar (for me), there might be more.
I have a proper linkedin url but there’s a problem with redirecting (it must be a bug).
Well, noone is forcing you to share your models in 3D Warehouse. You may want to check these: 3D Warehouse: Terms of Use and FAQ.
@ filibis – "It’s optional to allow other users to contact, check this article for more info."
I never implied that anyone HAD to have a means for others to contact them, and I certainly know it’s optional. I was high-lighting the differences between those who have no models uploaded to the 3DWH and those who do. Just seems to make a person’s presence questionable when they have no models, but have a collection of hundreds and sometimes thousands of liked models - just makes me wonder why.
@ filibis – "Well, noone is forcing you to share your models in 3D Warehouse. You may want to check these: 3D Warehouse: Terms of Use and FAQ."
I know no one is forcing me to share my models. I don’t have a problem in sharing my models - at least as far as I know, no one has re-uploaded my models and then claimed them as their own as I have seen done to some people’s models. But that doesn’t mean they’re not taking my models and perhaps using them and claiming them in another platform. That said, my concern (for lack of a better word) was if people are using models I created in a free version of SU for monetary gain when I, as a user of a free version of SU, cannot.
Perhaps you present no ill intentions, and I’m glad to know that… but you are just one person, and can hardly say that everyone of those who fall into the category of activity I described are in the warehouse for the same [benign] reasons as you.
Well, if your concern is this, then it’s a software piracy issue regardless of 3D Warehouse usage. It’s sad that people pirate softwares for commercial use and authorities can’t prohibit all of them.
I don’t know how countries/manufacturers handle these situations or if there are any local anti-piracy organisations etc. but i know there is this organisation: Business Software Alliance (bsa.org). They have a report piracy option as well (it’s hard to detect such person/company though).
Part of what you agreed to when you chose to share your models in the 3D Warehouse is that others can use them. You agreed to give away your models for free. There’s no limitation on Pro users using your models in projects they do for hire. If you don’t like that idea, buy SketchUp Pro and sell your models instead of sharing them freely in the 3D Warehouse.
The user who likes 26K models - if it’s the one I’m thinking of, I Googled their username, and one result was the Web site of a one-man architectural rendering shop.
Since there’s no links, no keyword spam, and no “visit me” comments, my vote is “lurker”. A lurker that may not be very selective, but still a lurker.
I am the person you describe. I raid the warehouse constantly to throw together initial sketches of ideas and I am making money. I may have used something of yours, I really don’t track where things come from. 99 times out of 100 I’ll end up redrawing the items myself as the project progresses and the design become a more specific, plus most warehouse models are too poorly built to modify. But that’s the deal, my models are on the warehouse too, other people may be making money off them.
I think I understand the spirit of where you are coming from, but really being part of the warehouse community and having access to that resource is a big positive that outweighs the inevitability imperfect system. We all give some and we take some right?
@endlessfix… no, probably not you unless you have more than one account in the WH. The individuals I am talking about have no models of their own uploaded to the WH. Or if they do, they are all private. As I said above, it’s those who have no models I wonder about.