Sandbox on forum for Ed/Pro version exchanges

[Benson Shaw]

Recent forum thread by user of education license revealed that pro version cannot open the ed version files.  Makes it harder to ask and to help if we cannot see the file content.

 

Wish:  Devise some form of sandbox so that Community Board users of all legal vwx licenses can exchange files or at least view files.

 

Idea:  I'm thinking there might be some way to do this by posting files into a special forum-only file sharing on the vwx servers. Or there must be some other avenue to allow this on the forums without danger of illegally creating or operating pro content via an educational license.

 

-B

[klinzey]

To clarify, the file format restriction on educational versions is a restriction imposed by some distributors of Vectorworks. For the US, professional versions of Vectorworks can open files created by the US educational version. The watermark from the educational version will be viable when the file is opened in the professional version and all resources will be watermarked.

[Benson Shaw]

Thanks for clarifying 

 

Here is thread with problem. My vwx cannot open the OP vwx files, in my v 2021 or v2022. Generates illegal or old file error pane.   The geometry apparently georefs to New Jersey so seems US origin. 
 

Maybe a problem is localized non US vwx? or with my vwx designer??
 

 

-B

[mjm]

10 hours ago, klinzey said:

and all resources will be watermarked

<weepweepweep> every line,symbol, polygon etc

[klinzey]

@Benson ShawI took a look at the file and verified it was created using an educational version issued by our Hong Kong distributor, so it can not be open by the US version. This a restriction imposed by some of our distributors to prevent abuse of the educational license in their local markets.

[Benson Shaw]

@klinzey  Many thanks for checking this out and explaining!  Seems that the HK version solution for protecting the Pro from lower cost Ed is working as designed.

 

But, my wish stands.  For posts presenting Pro/Ed version conflict on the Community Board, which is wonderfully international, provide a method to allow working with the files for exploration and help, while preventing "escapes" between the versions. The forum must not become a source for illegal conversion from Ed to Pro.

 

-B

[zoomer]

It would already be nice if we could somehow recognize if a file is EDU,

before downloading.

I can't estimate who is a student or pro and often download files just

to see I can't access nor help the poster with his problem.

[Jeff Prince]

12 hours ago, zoomer said:

It would already be nice if we could somehow recognize if a file is EDU,

before downloading.

I can't estimate who is a student or pro and often download files just

to see I can't access nor help the poster with his problem.

add pirate to the list LOL

[zoomer]

Yes, but I think in this case you will get the other warning.

But in the end it is the same, I can't neither open the file nor help the pirate 😉