Zugg Software :: View topic

Newbie Joined: 28 May 2003 Posts: 3

What I'd like to do is be able to use triggers to make different windows to hold things a list of mobs, a separate socialization window, an items in the room list, and an inventory window. I set it up so that it used smaller console windows for that but they got in the way a lot and didn't have much functionality. I was thinking it'd be nice to have actual list windows, with customized right click menus. Any chance this could be done with plugins? Would try it myself but I think it's stupid that they're making people pay to make plugins that make their program better.

Wanderer Joined: 23 Aug 2002 Posts: 96

They're not... the download is free to use for personal use.

Maybe you should read it before you say how stupid something is?

MASTER Joined: 28 Nov 2000 Posts: 4817 Location: USA

This could easily be done without plugins. However, it's a larger task than I want to take on.

There's nothing stupid about charging people for useful programs. It's how Zugg makes his living.

LightBulb
Advanced Member

Newbie Joined: 28 May 2003 Posts: 3

"you can download the DevKit for free and look at it, plugins will not load into zMUD unless the DevKit is registered." Whether the d/l is free or not, you still can't use it. So which one of us hasn't read it? As for charging for useful programs, that's not the point. The plugins are designed to make ZMud better. There's no reason to penalize those wishing to make ZMud better by charging them to do it.

Wizard Joined: 14 Oct 2000 Posts: 1368

quote:

There's no reason to penalize those wishing to make ZMud better by charging them to do it.

Hello!

I thought the same a bit earlier but I realized that it is wrong. zMUD has free updates, and not many software companies have that as far as I can tell. To get some income I would guess Zuggsoft has to do things like these. We have to remember that without any profit for Zuggsoft we probably won't get any new updates of zMUD

.

Anyway you might want to read this page: http://www.zuggsoft.com/zmud/complug.htm
Look at the section 'Implementing your Plugin', 5'th paragraph.

Have fun!

Rorso
Currently using zMUD 6.62

SubAdmin Joined: 18 Nov 2001 Posts: 5182

The DevKit is a free download, and you may write and use plugins without registering the DevKit. zMud must be registered in order to load plugins irregardless of the registered state of the plugin developer.

If you have further gripes about this please take a few moments and search the net for SDK's. SDK stands for Software Development Kit. In general companies do not make these available for download and often charge as much for them as for the software itself. This is especially true of software in the 200+ dollar range. Also many programs that are useless by themselves in that price range place all references to thier API in the SDK and do not publish any type of data about the API outside of the SDK. This applies to numerous database kernels and other such things that require something to else to activate them.

Wizard Joined: 14 Oct 2000 Posts: 1368

quote:

zMud must be registered in order to load plugins irregardless of the registered state of the plugin developer.

I doubt zMUD has to be registered in order to load plugins. It should work during the demo period. The reason for this is that zMUD uses a wrapper (e-license). As I understand it it encrypts the "real" .exe file, and placed a loader in there that starts when the .exe starts. Then if it is a valid registration it unencrypts the file and leaves control to the main program.

To be able to check if you are registered or not you would need an API call and as it is a wrapper I doubt that is the case.

Rorso
Currently using zMUD 6.62

Wanderer Joined: 23 Aug 2002 Posts: 96

Going back to the original post ... I don't see any reason in the world why you would think that what you requested would need a plugin to produce?? Any child window has it's own settings, which can be customized, triggers, aliases, buttons, right-click menus... everything.

I helped with development on a mud, and wrote a script for on-line creation which popped up windows, and allowed you to choose attributes and set settings, all with a pretty GUI interface. It was pretty slick, and we all used it for quite some time.. they were still using the script when I quit that project.

GURU Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 4379 Location: USA

zMUD is capable of knowing if it is registered or not and plugins do work only with a registered copy of zMUD.

So, let's summarize so we don't miss anything:
1) The development kit is free to download and use
2) It does not have to be registered in order for you to use your plugins (some files on the site may say otherwise, but they are wrong and outdated)
3) It does have to be registered in order for you to distribute your plugins to others (meaning that it is only free if the plugins are for your personal use)
4) The copy of zMUD that uses the plugin has to be registered, regardless of anything else
5) Even if the development kit could not be used for free for your personal use, it is not a bad deal considering comparing it with other products and considering the value that you get from products like zMUD for a one-time payment (free upgrades for life anyone?).

Kjata

Newbie Joined: 28 May 2003 Posts: 3

quote:

Going back to the original post ... I don't see any reason in the world why you would think that what you requested would need a plugin to produce?? Any child window has it's own settings, which can be customized, triggers, aliases, buttons, right-click menus... everything.

This is the kind of response I was hoping for. Not a big thing on plugins. I've been looking around and figuring out speed menus since reading this post and I think I've got it. Thanks.

Wizard Joined: 14 Oct 2000 Posts: 1368

quote:

zMUD is capable of knowing if it is registered or not and plugins do work only with a registered copy of zMUD.

I'm sorry but this is wrong. zMUD has no idea if it is registered or not. Let's look at how the protection likely works:

The zmud.exe file:
[call decryptor][zmud: Encrypted zMUD][decryptor]

Now at startup my guess is that a decryptor is called. This is the dialogue that is shown and tells you if you need to enter a registration code or not. The decryptor can probably also be located in a separate file and just have a call to it but this is just to show the general idea of it. The decryptor's work is to decrypt the encrypted version of zMUD (or parts of what is encrypted of it). This is why it is called a wrapper. It wraps around the real zMUD.exe inside zMUD.exe

.

So this system leaves zMUD outside of the protection scheme. zMUD does not need to know anything about e-license's existance or how it operates. All that is hidden but it could exist a function call zMUD could use to ask about its status, however there does not seem to exist such a call or atleast it isn't used.

If you install latest zMUD on a new computer you'll see that you can load plugins even if you haven't entered a registration code. So plugins do work during the free trial period (which I think is really nice =).

To prove this further look at the MXP page where I got this quote from:
http://www.zuggsoft.com/zmud/mxpzmud.htm

quote:

zMUD can no longer determine if the user is registered. Registration of zMUD is now handled by the eLicense technology, and this is not accessible to the client code. Thus, registration status will not be sent as part of the < VERSION > response.

So "4) The copy of zMUD that uses the plugin has to be registered, regardless of anything else." should be "4) The copy of zMUD that uses the plugin has to be registered or still in the free trial."

Rorso
Currently using zMUD 6.62

GURU Joined: 10 Oct 2000 Posts: 4379 Location: USA

Hmm, you are right, I missed that change.

Kjata