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If a client wants to have the Maxwell scene file and continue to use it to render further products would you let them have it for a cost or keep it? How much roughly would you charge for the file? (feel free to PM me if you don't want to mention costs).

Hope someone can help!

Or is it normal to just give it away?..... as this is what they've just told me. Their reasoning is that they give away Illustrator files or web code so I should give away the Maxwell file....

no it is not normal to give the the scene files if they don't explicitly state this in the contract.
they wanted a rendering - you give them an image file.
not all the files you had to create to make the rendering.

it's normal for them because formerly they worked with this guy who made the renderings in his mom's basement for 15$ and sent all the files. he also was willing to do the dishes for them of course.

edit: ask at least for 5 times the price of one image for the scene files. if they make 10 further renderings with it they still have a great deal.

edit2: they probably end up making all further renderings with your scene... hundreds. so fuck it, ask for 1 mio

if you create an illustrator file with a great generative script you programmed they also just get the illustrator file, not the script you wrote

ask them if they want your mouse as well

nahhh.... better take that off of there...

I would say an MXI file would be reasonable to give them but an MXS file is essentially cutting yourself out of future work... and if you do sell it to them make sure to protect the geometry and lock all the cameras, objects and UV's to make it difficult for them to modify without good knowledge of Studio.

Also if you have any commercial materials in there or commercial HDRI then tell them to take a hike as you can't resell that anyway.

Best,
Jason.

You could lease it to them for an annual maintenance fee of many thousands of dollars.

Then each year, improve it a little tiny bit, and increment the version number.

SceneFile 2013!

Haha good one dmeyer

But no i would never sell the scenefile unless the pay is beyond imaginable, and i can imagine quite a lot of money..
It's the same rule as when you sell photos, you never sell your raw files. Only your jpeg's to clients.

/ Magnus

Without more information I would not jump to the rigid, "I am not sharing" sentiment that most have expressed above.

It is a competitive world and good will goes a long way. It is much easier and more lucrative to renegotiate your fee on the next project with this client than never see another job from this client. I have seen contractors lose out on potential long term, lucrative gigs for just this issue.

And there are all sorts of considerations: even if you give them the file, how likely is it that the client can replicate your speed and expertise in house? What, if anything was your agreement with the client? Is the rendering art or purely visualization? All of these and other issues would influence how I proceeded.

In the end nothing is better than a polite, direct conversation— " I never expected to share these files, and it is generally not done in the industry, would you consider...."

Good luck.

Gary

Good point - I never thought of the commercial HDRI thing...

Half Life wrote:I would say an MXI file would be reasonable to give them but an MXS file is essentially cutting yourself out of future work... and if you do sell it to them make sure to protect the geometry and lock all the cameras, objects and UV's to make it difficult for them to modify without good knowledge of Studio.

Also if you have any commercial materials in there or commercial HDRI then tell them to take a hike as you can't resell that anyway.

Best,
Jason.

Too slow, I saw it.

rusteberg wrote:nahhh.... better take that off of there...

what's the end of the story?
did you sell it?

Yeah - pretty much sorted for cash til I die.

kami wrote:what's the end of the story?
did you sell it?

The real answer is... they haven't got back to me yet. I explained that I'm unlikely to give it away though.

kami wrote:what's the end of the story?
did you sell it?