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Rules on using other peoples shaders for your own?

Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,086
edited December 1969 in The Commons

Are there any restrictions on using a shader you like from somebody else, modify it and save it as your own on your item eg a skin shader preset? What are the rules of engagement regarding shaders?

Comments

  • SockrateaseSockratease Posts: 813
    edited December 1969

    You can use and modify shaders from others however you like for your own renders - however you may not redistribute them for free or commercial items without the express permission of the original artist.

    I think that's the accepted rule.

  • pwiecekpwiecek Posts: 1,577
    edited June 2012

    For commercial items:

    Pretty much, if you're not selling or giving away your modified textures you're fine. You CAN sell renders or animations.

    For freebies

    Many freebies come with a "non-commercial use" or "contact me first" statement. This is usually because someone else own the rights to the character, etc. This wouldn't prevent you from doing what you asked about, but you would have to keep track of the modified product an non-commercial etc.

    To summarize: You can probably do this and avoid any trouble as long as you follow the rules for the original stuff.

    Post edited by pwiecek on
  • Zev0Zev0 Posts: 7,086
    edited December 1969

    Just to be clear by shader I am not speaking of the textures, just the ambient, velvet SSS settings etc. The textures are all mine.

  • scorpioscorpio Posts: 8,411
    edited December 1969

    What you are creating is shader presets. These can be redisturbuted as long as the original shader is not included.
    I think thats right.

  • pwiecekpwiecek Posts: 1,577
    edited December 1969

    Zev0 said:
    Just to be clear by shader I am not speaking of the textures, just the ambient, velvet SSS settings etc. The textures are all mine.

    Seems that that's even LESS likely to get you in trouble.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,747
    edited December 1969

    Note that shadres made with Shader Mixer will be included in a preset, so you can't usually share those. The Visual style shaders use a custom script to create presets that are shareable, but you can't use the File>Save as versions.

  • JohnDelaquioxJohnDelaquiox Posts: 1,195
    edited June 2012

    Actually back when I think it was poseworks the creators of the pw shaders site was fucntional people would upload modified or custom shaders built using their shaders. i remember one of the being a really good hair and fur shader. But you would need to have their shaders installed for them to work. These were how you say shader presets

    Post edited by JohnDelaquiox on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,747
    edited December 1969

    That's right, as long as it isn't a Shader Mixer shader a preset doesn't include anything except settings and can be shared. However, a I said above that isn't the case for Shader Mixer shaders.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited June 2012

    Richard Haseltine said:
    That's right, as long as it isn't a Shader Mixer shader a preset doesn't include anything except settings and can be shared. However, a I said above that isn't the case for Shader Mixer shaders.


    Is there a way to tell if it's a shader mixer shader vs not? I don't use shader mixer so I'm not sure if there are any differences to look for.
    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,747
    edited December 1969

    Hmmm. Well, there will be a bunch of brick definitions in the preset if you open it in a text editor, or if you take the shader into Shader Mixer you will get a non-standard network. Also the label at the top of the Surfaces pane won't be one of the standard shaders (DAZ, pw or om). But I'm not sure there's a guaranteed indentifier.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited June 2012

    So if I save a preset that uses the Daz Default shader then I assume it's safe to distribute as everyone has it?

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,747
    edited December 1969

    Yes, any materials using one of the DAZ, PoseWorks or OmniFreaker shaders are safe (at the moment, have to allow for future releases that may be different).

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited December 1969

    I'm assuming for Omnifreaker's shaders the restriction is to the UberSurface/SimpleSurface stuff. I have UberArea and UberSpot as well, but those were purchased separately.

    Are there ways to distribute presets without including the base shader? So the end user would need to already own the shader to use the preset?

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    Vaskania said:
    I'm assuming for Omnifreaker's shaders the restriction is to the UberSurface/SimpleSurface stuff. I have UberArea and UberSpot as well, but those were purchased separately.

    Are there ways to distribute presets without including the base shader? So the end user would need to already own the shader to use the preset?

    You can distribute presets for any of Omni's shaders -- the presets don't include the shader itself, so anyone else has to own them to use the presets.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited June 2012

    Thanks guys. :)

    Sorry for jacking your thread a little, Zev0. :red:

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
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