deter.vlx

[chrisdarmanin]

you can find it here

http://www.dotsoft.com/freestuff.htm

has anyone ever used it?

this is what it says on the site description:

A strong deterrent to prevent changes (by others) to the drawing because it can’t be exploded or refedited. Be careful to use only on a copy of your drawing you intend to send to others!

would it be a bad idea to send it to other people like that? (rather than pdf of maybe dwf?)

[ReMark]

If you're thinking of doing it I'd recommend letting the end user know in advance that the drawing cannot be editted by normal means. You're basically sending them a "screenshot" is one way of looking at it.

Is there a particular reason why you feel going this route is called for? Has a particular end user been revising and reusing your CAD drawings or is it more a matter of protecting your intellectual property?

[chrisdarmanin]

partly to protect intellectual property. most people would want a dwg rather than a pdf because they cant edit, print (since its better with acad) or measure accurately. every time i sent drawings in dwf format no one knew what to do with it and they were too lazy/stupid to download and install dwf viewer so i thought this is a good way to protect all my work such as the blocks and all the standards i use and still send the .dwg

dwf would be the most ideal imho.

you said:

drawing cannot be editted by normal means

what are the other means? or there aren't?

[rkmcswain]

what are the other means? or there aren't?

Using lisp, vba, or arx code to "undo" what "deter" does.

[ReMark]

If "they are too lazy/stupid" to use DWF Viewer then "Deter" may be just enough to stop them in their tracks. I can't see them trying to use any one of the options R.K.M. has mentioned.

[chrisdarmanin]

hehehe yes exactly what i thought

[ASMI]

10 minutes need to break Deter

(defun c:antideter(/ mIns mBl blCol actDoc oLst oArr)
  (vl-load-com)
  (if
    (and
      (setq mIns(entsel "\nSelect minsert block > "))
      (= "AcDbMInsertBlock"
         (vla-get-ObjectName
	   (setq mIns(vlax-ename->vla-object(car mIns)))))
    ); end and
    (progn
      (setq mBl
	     (vla-Item
	       (setq blCol(vla-get-Blocks
		 (setq actDoc(vla-get-ActiveDocument
		   (vlax-get-acad-object)))))
	       (vla-get-Name mIns))); end setq
      (vlax-map-collection mBl
	'(lambda(x)(setq oLst(cons x oLst))))
      (setq oArr(vlax-make-safearray 9(cons 0(1-(length olst)))))
      (vlax-safearray-fill oArr oLst)
      (setq oVar(vlax-make-variant oArr))
      (vla-CopyObjects actDoc oVar(vla-get-ModelSpace actDoc))
      (vla-Delete mIns)
      ); end progn
    ); end if
(princ)
); end of c:antideter

[ReMark]

If a person doesn't have the intelligence, time, or desire to use DWF Viewer what makes anyone think the same person is going to try to break Deter? You could give them 10 minutes, a half-day or an entire week, it just wouldn't matter.

Maybe something like this would be a better option:

http://www.cadlock.com/

[hendie]

... every time i sent drawings in dwf format no one knew what to do with it and they were too lazy/stupid to download and install dwf viewer ...
dwf would be the most ideal imho.

Then EDUCATION of your end user is the key..... NOT screwing around with the drawing

[chrisdarmanin]

Then EDUCATION of your end user is the key..... NOT screwing around with the drawing

that is sometimes difficult. they always have some excuse about not having time to install the dwf viewer or its not working. sometimes they barely know how to use a computer...