Reality Plugin End-of-life notice

jjoyner

Omniflux said:

@jjoyner @mt_travists_f89bf86362

I have added what I believe to be the necessary files for Poser to the 4.3.3 release.

Please let me know if it works/doesn't work and if the installation instructions are correct or not.

Thanks.  I just got notifcation about the thread's postings today.  I'll give the files a try tomorrow.  I hope to have the success that mt_travists_f89bf86362 had today. 

jjoyner

mt_travists_f89bf86362 said:

mt_travists_f89bf86362 said:

Omniflux said:

mt_travists_f89bf86362 said:

Still prompts to activate with serial number.

This sounds like Reality.exe and Reality_lib.dll did not get replaced.

I'll try the Reality_lib.dll. Those weren't in the poser zip and didn't see anything about those in the instructions.

Got it!! Launches fine now, so should render and everything else.

@mt_travists_f89bf86362

I haven’t achieved your success yet.

• I downloaded the Reality 4.3.3.Update.zip file this afternoon.
   
• I moved the files Reality.exe, Reality.pyd, and Reality_lib.dll located on my computer at C:\Program Files\Poser Software\Poser 11\Runtime\Python\addons\Reality and replaced them with the three newly downloaded 64-bit files with the same names.
   
• Although not part of my original Reality 4 installation, I also copied to the location above the other two files (libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll) in the Reality 64-bit OpenCL folder.
   
• I rebooted my computer and opened Poser.

When I clicked on Reality Render Editor, nothing happened, so I loaded a small scene and clicked on Reality Render Editor; still nothing happened.  What did you do that I have not done?  What did I miss or am otherwise doing wrong?

 

rokkr

I understand the author had his issues and moved on with his life, but, unless they were selling it with an expiration date, people deserve a refund and even some compensation for any damages incurred if something they bought is not working anymore... The least they could do is to release an update to stop the activation procedure. The activation procedure is a measure the sellers do to stop piracy, but it's their duty to make it work; if they can't keep it working, they have to stop it because they can't deny people who *legally* bought their product to use it.

rokkr

Omniflux said:

EDIT: Issues have been reported with this version, I only tested with new scenes, not already existing scenes...

EDIT: Working version now uploaded.

 

I have uploaded the updated files for Reality with registration requirement removed.

What are OpenCL and Non-OpenCL?

jjoyner

jjoyner said:

mt_travists_f89bf86362 said:

mt_travists_f89bf86362 said:

Omniflux said:

mt_travists_f89bf86362 said:

Still prompts to activate with serial number.

This sounds like Reality.exe and Reality_lib.dll did not get replaced.

I'll try the Reality_lib.dll. Those weren't in the poser zip and didn't see anything about those in the instructions.

Got it!! Launches fine now, so should render and everything else.

@mt_travists_f89bf86362

I haven’t achieved your success yet.

• I downloaded the Reality 4.3.3.Update.zip file this afternoon.
   
• I moved the files Reality.exe, Reality.pyd, and Reality_lib.dll located on my computer at C:\Program Files\Poser Software\Poser 11\Runtime\Python\addons\Reality and replaced them with the three newly downloaded 64-bit files with the same names.
   
• Although not part of my original Reality 4 installation, I also copied to the location above the other two files (libeay32.dll and ssleay32.dll) in the Reality 64-bit OpenCL folder.
   
• I rebooted my computer and opened Poser.

When I clicked on Reality Render Editor, nothing happened, so I loaded a small scene and clicked on Reality Render Editor; still nothing happened.  What did you do that I have not done?  What did I miss or am otherwise doing wrong?

 

I've still not been successful in getting Reality for Poser to Launch.  Today, I reinstalled Reality for Poser 64 bit - v 4.3.1 and then put Omniflux's replacement files in place.  Still, when I click Reality Render Editor in Poser's Render menu, nothing happens.  Has any Poser user been successful in getting Reality to launch?  Thanks.

Cobra Blade

It's been forever since I last used Reality, but seeing this, thought I'll try. I've got a Mac and Poser, so what better way to test that out.
But it turns out I can't even install it anymore, I'll get one of these errors every time I attempt to use the installer.

The configuration file /private/var/folders/vz/rsrjjwp97pl21bp4lrx20s600000gn/T/AppTranslocation/37EB35A8-6BD6-4726-A61E-033CA15F098B/d/RealityInstaller.cfg is missing. This installation cannot continue.

Syphonaptera

pciccone said:

Hello everybody.

It's with a heavy heart that I'm announcing that the Reality plugin will be retired in the next few months. 

I am grateful to all of you who used and supported Reality in the past. When I first released it 11 years ago, in August 2010, Reality spearheaded the PBR revolution for DAZ Studio and Poser. At that time almost nobody knew, in these forums, what PBR was. Since then, PBR has become commonplace and both DAZ Studio and Poser have native solutions for that.

The goal of Reality was not only to bring PBR to the masses but to make it easy to use. Still today, people tell me how much they prefer the Reality workflow to the built-in one. That was the result of a lot of very careful design and I'm pleased that it worked. 

Unfortunately, my career brought me to other directions and I have retired from writing code 5 years ago. Reality has been placed in Open Source for quite some time but nobody picked up the torch. 

Updates in the OSes, drivers, and host applications have created several incompatibilities and Reality is not working as well as it should. I have stopped selling it on both DAZ and Renderosity marketplace and I will stop it on my website very soon. 

There is an issue. The software requires server activation to work and because of that, I have kept my server running for all these years. But now it's just costing me money that I can't afford to spend. So, I will shut down the preta3d.com website on March 1st 2022 and that will cause Reality to stop working. 

I'm giving you this notice so that you can find a migration path and start becoming familiar with a different way of rendering your artwork. Again, if anybody wants to pick up the code from the Open Source repository and strip it of the DRM, that would solve a lot of issues. I personally cannot do it.

Once again, thank you very much for your support and your friendship, this has been a wonderful experience.

Best of luck.

--

Paolo

I am just starting DAZ again. Well this sucks. Payed for nothing then!! Not fair at all.

 

 

 

 

Syphonaptera

pciccone said:

vrba79 said:

Here's hoping someone can fix that source code. Not to sound harsh, but server-side DRM was a bad move to begin with.

Here's a for instance: Motionartist no longer exists via online retail. SMSI dumped it. However, all of us who bought it, and hung on to our Serial numbers can still install and run it.

Had SMSI went with server-side DRM instead, it would have become useless junk the second they axed their graphic design software division.

I sympathize and understand your point. It's hard to make a decision. Reality was extensively attempted to be pirated, for something that was just $30. For a few years, it was my livelihood so I wanted to protect it. When I started I did not see a time when I would not code but it has come and I'm sorry. 

 

Get that Reality working again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We paid for it!!! Don't make us the victim for piracy!! At least you have to make it work again.

 

takezo_3001

Syphonaptera said:

I am just starting DAZ again. Well this sucks. Payed for nothing then!! Not fair at all

Agreed, at the very least he should have disabled the authentication requirement and/or opted for password protection rather than effectively rendering people that supported the author by having their copy of the program moot, it sucks that those who supported the product are getting punished... 

N-RArts

takezo_3001 said:

Syphonaptera said:

I am just starting DAZ again. Well this sucks. Payed for nothing then!! Not fair at all

Agreed, at the very least he should have disabled the authentication requirement and/or opted for password protection rather than effectively rendering people that supported the author by having their copy of the program moot, it sucks that those who supported the product are getting punished... 

+1

I wanted to go back to using Reality because I'm sick of Iray (fireflies), and 3Delight (stupidly long render time due to hair). As for Filament, don't get me started (you can STILL see the scalp through hair! Grrrr!)

Welp! That's another wall that I've run into. I don't think "the universe" wants me to try and get into Daz Studio ...

EDIT: At least Luxus still works... I'm going to look into it - after I've had a nap.

takezo_3001

N-RArts said:

+1

I wanted to go back to using Reality because I'm sick of Iray (fireflies), and 3Delight (stupidly long render time due to hair). As for Filament, don't get me started (you can STILL see the scalp through hair! Grrrr!)

Welp! That's another wall that I've run into. I don't think "the universe" wants me to try and get into Daz Studio ...

EDIT: At least Luxus still works... I'm going to look into it - after I've had a nap.

Yeah,  thanks for reminding me, I too have Luxus, and UNLIKE reality, I believe LUXRENDER IS still being updated so luxus is still viable!

N-RArts

takezo_3001 said:

N-RArts said:

+1

I wanted to go back to using Reality because I'm sick of Iray (fireflies), and 3Delight (stupidly long render time due to hair). As for Filament, don't get me started (you can STILL see the scalp through hair! Grrrr!)

Welp! That's another wall that I've run into. I don't think "the universe" wants me to try and get into Daz Studio ...

EDIT: At least Luxus still works... I'm going to look into it - after I've had a nap.

Yeah,  thanks for reminding me, I too have Luxus, and UNLIKE reality, I believe LUXRENDER IS still being updated so luxus is still viable!

I've got Luxus working with the version of Lux that I already have on my SSD. However, I haven't been able to get LuxRenderCore working with it. 

The problem is that Luxus wants LuxRender.exe. But it won't accept LuxRenderCore.exe

The only way around it was to download an older version of LuxRender. I got mine from here (sorry, Admin if it's not allowed): https://wiki.luxcorerender.org/Previous_Version

If the link isn't allowed, just search: "LuxCoreRender Wiki Previous Version". The last version is 1.6 - Which I have working on my laptop (in Daz with Luxus).

N-RArts

Omniflux said:

EDIT: Issues have been reported with this version, I only tested with new scenes, not already existing scenes...

EDIT: Working version now uploaded.

 

I have uploaded the updated files for Reality with registration requirement removed.

 

I have not created an installer, so you will have to manually copy the files in place.

https://github.com/Omniflux/reality/releases/tag/v4.3.2

https://github.com/Omniflux/reality/releases/tag/v4.3.3

I've suprised myself. I got it working on the first try. Thank you  

VKNet1024

No dice on Poser for me. Poser Pro 11.1, I replaced the files in the Poser folder, and the ones in my seperate Runtime  folder on another drive, but no luck at all .

Efindel

A huge thanks to Omniflux for having gotten this working again!