Octane and internet connection

[dono]

I'm probably not alone. I think it's really a shame that we should connect to the internet to use octane.

Imagine that you are in production, you have a short time to finish a project, and you had a problem with internet connection. How do you do?

Do you change this system in the future? I think it's really harmful and poses a real problem.

I love octane, but I can not offer a studio to buy your license, knowing this problem. This is not serious and reassuring.

Cheers.
Dono

(sorry for my bad english)

[Aenima]

Search before you post. It was a long thread about this you find almost all answers. Imo it not a shame it a must bacause the piracy. What do you want? Keep Octane developed or an abandoned project? I think if you have lot of work not a big deal to buy a 3G stick or put your mobile into your pc.

[Quandtum]

Sorry, I agree with Dono. I work in professional software where our compiler licenses cost thousands of dollars and I couldn't image having our teams work like this. To answer your questions "What do I want?" ... easy, I want a USB license dongle (yes, I will gladly pay the extra 5-10 bucks for this). For companies another alternative (again often used on software compilers) then there's the FLEXlm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FlexNet_Publisher.

Anyways, to Dono's point, in a production environment one can't rely on the net or the server to be available, but that will never be an acceptable excuse to the customer who is paying for the show. I'm sure as Refractive matures they will better position themselves.

... and for the record, no, I haven't searched or read the discussions here, I just happened across this and responded.

[arexma]

I second the OP and the dongle.
Additional I´d also like to have email notification on errors, halts or completion of tasks.

If you render an animation over night for instance, each restart of the engine requires a server connection.
If the net fails once, or the server for that matter, the whole production would stop and in the morning you can view an error popup, not your frames.
Well, depends if the next frame starts another instance of octane though, haven´t had the dubious pleasure yet to come in that situation.
But in a production with a tight deadline there is no way someone wants to find out.

A dongle really would be cool and I too wouldn´t mind the additional cost.
Sad enough though that you need such security measures for a tool that is priced so decently and has a generous trail as well.

[ycarry]

I think it's really a shame that you had a problem with internet connection. How do you do?
As you pay, your provider must guarantee good and permanent connection, as electric power or gas do (do they?).
If no power in house (big snowfall, powerplant fail, ... any) you cry cause CNN or TF1* use electric power to send picture to you?

(*private french tv channel)

[Jaberwocky]

A hardware USB dongle sounds like a plan.As you say even if it costs a bit.Perhaps if the software does not detect the dongle it tries to phone home.If it does detect the dongle it phones the dongle instead.That way you could either choose to buy a dongle or not.That way Refractive would not even need to change the program.

Anyway...just an idea.

[dono]

Hello and thanks for answers !

It's only my opinion, and may be i am wrong... but...

Aenima: Your post doesn't give any answers... I want keep octane developped, BUT (!) i want also work with it in good conditions. The 3G stick, or mobile on my pc, is it a joke ? It's not answer, just say "it's you fault, it's not our problem"...

Quandtum: i am agree with you. The USB license dongle could be a good solution i think.

arexma: i agree with that: "If the net fails once, or the server for that matter, the whole production would stop and in the morning you can view an error popup, not your frames." "in a production with a tight deadline there is no way someone wants to find out." You can't explain to your director that there was a internet connection problem... It's not serious...

ycarry: "your provider must guarantee good and permanent connection". The same answer than Aenima. "It's not our problem, it's your fault, or the fault of your provider"... (and i don't look at CNN or TF1 ^^, and i don't pay for it also...)

Jaberwocky: I don't understand exactly what you propose, but dongle could be a good solution i think also.

I know a company that has 10 pcs, but does'nt want to have internet connection on each of pcs, because of possibility of virus... What solution do you propose for that ?

I repeat, if i post here, it's because i love octane, and i would like work with it in professional conditions. And it's not currently possible, i think.

Cheers ! (and sorry again for my bad english...)

Dono

[ycarry]

It's not our problem, it's your fault, or the fault of the providers

Mais oui ! en fait, c'est de ta faute si ta connection déconne ou risque de déconner
(puisque c'est un soucis entre toi et ton provider) et c'est pas le problème de Refractive !
Tu veux aider Octane, tu aimes Octane ? alors tu passes par son système de protection inviolable (pour l'instant).
Si t'es un pro et tu veux utiliser Octane, tu dois être connecté. Point.
Si ton patron ne comprends pas ça, c'est son problème; si tu ne sais pas lui expliquer, c'est ton problème

In english: one more time "yes, it's not our problem"

[dono]

ok

it has the merit of being clear...


And what about dongles ?

[Carl S.]

Dongles sound horrible what year are you people living in?
It's 2011 around here, where internet flows like raging waters.