Hey, I Am using MCX on a vertical milling machine. Today, fo the first tie, mastercam began adding extra lines into my program that did not show up during backplot/verify, and totally screw up the parts. My version of mastercam was downloaded and cracked off the internet, I do plan to buy the software when the funds are available to me, but I am a very small operation, that is struggling as it is, so please no guilt trips.
Is there some sort of timebomb inside mastercam so it starts fouling when it knows its cracked, or is something else going on here?
Must be! Few weeks ago, downloaded Nero 8 cracked version. since I couldn't use Nero
7 on VISTA! Soon as I started using it a massage popped up, saying I'm using a cracked code and I should register it. Than only allowed me to use the software for 10 minutes. So, looks like they have new technology to counter software hacking! JS
"My version of mastercam was downloaded and cracked off the internet, I do plan to buy the software when the funds are available to me, but I am a very small operation, that is struggling as it is, so please no guilt trips."
How did you put yourself in this precarious position to begin with?
Not mastercam. I seriously think they are spreading their own cracked software on the filesharing networks to gain market share indirectly. It's too easy to stop it, but instead of stopping, the cracked version comes out a month after it's released or sooner? Every major release.
How to stop it? Simple. Get the file off shareaza. Strip off one bit from the "beginning" of the zip file, dont change the name. Then simply share the file. Within days the broken file will be downloaded as parts to the whole world, it will make every archive corrupt. The file will still "look" ok Mastercam could stop this with one computer at home and a few minutes of work. Then do a check for new ones every couple of weeks. But....I'm sure that's NOT what they want. This guy with his illegal seat is getting hooked on it as each day passes, as well as anyone working for him using it. Sooner or later it will go cha ching...Either in his buissiness or a shop down the road. As far as it not being fare...It's definetely not. As far as it making it harder to compete...all I can say to that is stop competing locally, compete with europe and asia etc... If your competing with another shop using mastercam in America, good luck. It's a global buissiness now, to compete otherwise is suicide.
what you say does make sense; a good cadcam system needs available good operators, operators without machines cannot make parts, and businesses that steal licensed software have far more to lose when caught. It would be sensible to allow the software to be distributed with a "smart bomb" that will allow practice and familiarity with the package but make actual machining or production risky at best. I read that worknc would bump the tool into the workpiece if not correctly licensed. The op might learn more if he bought a mastercam employee a few beers one day after work - they're computer programmers, not idealists, and off the clock might be willing to shed some light on the issue.
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