How to project EZP files and effects

[askmanojjain]

I would like to know how we can protect EZP files and effects used in EDIUS. [various versions]

I have seen many protections used dongles but do not know how they protect.

Can anyone help me please?

Thanks in advance.

[askmanojjain]

More clarity

Adding for clarity:

We make dongles and many people contact us to protect effects and EZP project files so they can sell [distribute] safely.


To do this EDIUS should first check in our dongle and then run the project ....

Is there any way we can do it as a third party. There must be some thread in EDIUS to connect our dongle and ensure that ezp is saved with verification requirement.

Please comment .....

[SoundFreak_HD]

Not sure what you mean here but Edius requires a Dongle License to function.

EZP is a project file that Edius creates when you save a project.

I think there is some miss understanding here, please try to clarify.

[askmanojjain]

Not sure what you mean here but Edius requires a Dongle License to function.

EZP is a project file that Edius creates when you save a project.

I think there is some miss understanding here, please try to clarify.

I understand that EDIUS is protected by a dongle and EZP files are project files.

lets understand my requirement in detail. For example person A makes a project ..[.ezp file] he wants to sale it to person B but wants that person B should not be able to give it to person C. In short .ezp file should be protected.

Even if person B uses "Save as", the .ezp file remains protected.

We make dongles [these dongles have no relation with dongles used by EDIUS for its licensing]. Presntly our dongles are used by software applications [similar to EDIUS] to protect applications. We also protect PDF and SWF files with our dongles by making them virtual files and ensuring that they are viewed only if dongle is present.

We want to design a similar application for protecting .ezp file to be used by person A so that he can sale his .ezp project.

This will not effect in any way the licensing dongle of EDIUS. To know more about us I can give you URL of our site. I do not know if it is permitted in forum.

We can protect "Adobe Photoshop actions" using our dongles and making "actions" virtual files.

I think similar thing can be done for protecting .ezp files and effects in EDIUS.

Regards

MANOJ JAIN

[GrassValley_PS]

The .ezp file is the actual EDIUS project showing the cuts and edits in the EDIUS program. You cannot open it without EDIUS. And who would want to anyway? So it seems to be a moot point. I have never heard of selling the ezp file. I think you are confusing this with the finished export file.

[SoundFreak_HD]

Not sure what you want do with a EZP file without any source footage that has been used to create it.
It's like selling the screen shot of a puzzle but no pieces to re-create it :)

[askmanojjain]

The .ezp file is the actual EDIUS project showing the cuts and edits in the EDIUS program. You cannot open it without EDIUS. And who would want to anyway? So it seems to be a moot point. I have never heard of selling the ezp file. I think you are confusing this with the finished export file.

The user will have to have a working EDIUS ... without that it will not work.

The person A creates these cuts and edits and provides it to person B.

Peson B uses his own media for same cuts and edits. In India, it is used for editing marriage videos.

I am not an expert in this subject. I have communicated exactly what my customer [person A] has told me.

In fact, I have never used EDIUS or any other movie editing software.

Just for information: In adobe photoshop, we are using commandline option to run javascript to "load actions". This this standard Adobe photoshop feature. We simply run adobe in a virtual environment using our API's. The end user must a valid adobe photoshop software. I am looking for similar feature in EDIUS for securing effects.

For securing .ezp, I think if EDIUS can add a call to our DLL in .ezp, it will be possible.

Just search for "isohelpline" in google and you will be able to reach us.

[askmanojjain]

thanks... more about .tpd file

Not sure what you want do with a EZP file without any source footage that has been used to create it.
It's like selling the screen shot of a puzzle but no pieces to re-create it :)

OK, so I should say to my customer that .ezp file cannot be protected the way he wants [I described above]; I will try to get more information on the subject from him and post here.

Regarding effects :
I would like to know more about .tpd files (user effects)

can they be loaded via command line or a javascript and commandline [like we do in adobe photoshop.

Thanks for valuable input.

[antonsvideo]

Even if ezp can be protected, the user can export the timeline to an avi or mpg or whatever

I don't know anyone who would care about ezp protection

You would be better off finding a real good way to protect DVD so that users can't rip

[askmanojjain]

I enquired with my customer and he said that solution to protect "project files" .ezp is available with rockey dongles. and they are currently using such solution.
I do not know how it is done ...

I would also like to know how .tpd can be loaded via javascript and commandline

[SoundFreak_HD]

Not being familiar with rockey dongles and just glansed through the web page.
Say you can protect your ezp project file through that, Edius still will allow you to SAVE AS so then the newly named ezp is unlocked, me thinks.

If you want to properly protect your work, design a compatible plug in for Edius and dongle protect it or bi-weekly activation through your own server etc.

Locking a ezp file will be, well, pointless ......

[askmanojjain]

Not being familiar with rockey dongles and just glansed through the web page.
Say you can protect your ezp project file through that, Edius still will allow you to SAVE AS so then the newly named ezp is unlocked, me thinks.

If you want to properly protect your work, design a compatible plug in for Edius and dongle protect it or bi-weekly activation through your own server etc.

Locking a ezp file will be, well, pointless ......

The important thing is that .ezp project file remains locked with rockey dongles even if "save as" command is used...

It runs with rockey dongle only.
Does .ezp format allows saving verification within its file structure?

[SoundFreak_HD]

The important thing is that .ezp project file remains locked with rockey dongles even if "save as" command is used...

It runs with rockey dongle only.
Does .ezp format allows saving verification within its file structure?

I honestly have no idea, I'm not a software engineer.
What I can tell you is that upon Edius start a EZP file is either created or previously made is loaded then it resides in the system ram.
When Edius auto save kicks in it will make a backup copy of the project file in a prededermend location with as amendment the date and time behind the EZP project name, to make matters more complicated for you, each auto save is a new file, not a overwrite of the previous back-up copy.
The auto save doesn't touch the original EZP file you use to open, it only writes back to that original file when either you manually click on save or when a new project is loaded or close Edius and select save. In ALL other cases the EZP is a auto save copy !
I wish you luck with your quest ......................

[askmanojjain]

Thanks for important update...

Many thanks for your important update.

What exactly is .ezp file .... is it a xml file only? any details about the format...

Has grassvalley published the format details?

and what about loading .tdp [user effects] directly from command line...

[SoundFreak_HD]

Why don't you try to contact tech support to point you in the right direction ? On this forum there are many Edius users but I'll doubt that more than a handful know actual programming. The GV moderators are also not the guys who write the code, however it would make things turn around faster if the would, no doubt about that. I know that it is possible to receive a SDK for Edius plug-in development, if you ask through the correct channels. Besides plug-ins and After Effect bridge I'm pretty sure the Edius core programming is closed for third party intervention ................... http://www.grassvalley.com/support/contact