What's happened to BTB - Brendon Pywell?

sunalp2 · 5 March 12, 10:49

I seem to be in a bit of bother.

For some reason my licenses seem to have run out.

While looking onto this, I came across a thread at Race Department saying that Brendon has shut up shop due to someone cracking BTB.

Is this true?

I wanted to get back to my building projects but I can't renew my license.

gwaldock · 5 March 12, 12:15

I own multiple copies of BTB Pro and one of BTB-Evo as well. You may have noticed in the "fine print" of his website verbiage that Brendon has adopted a somewhat draconian authorization scheme for both releases of Bobs Trackbuilder; his software cannot be "permanently" licensed to hardware. When a copy of BTB is purchased you must first select the length of time that is is to be authorized for a single computer and then return to the website at that later date for re-authorization. This process IS a nuisance but, having been subjected to it for a few years, I have NEVER been "locked out" of BTB on any of my computers for longer than 48 hours. In fact, the email usually arrives in 8 hours or less (as it did again - two days ago)!

I have also been playing with the beta of the next version of BTB since its release last year. Brendon's beta is free (!) to licensed users of BTB but the caveat is that you must return to the website every month for re-authorization.

I have been using BTB since its earliest days and I was in direct communication with Brendon until a few years ago; his interaction with the sim community appeared to morph when Bobs Trackbuilder was hacked. It seems to me that Brendon is determined to insure that anyone who uses his software for free will always be locked to an increasingly outdated version of it.

analogkid66 · 13 March 12, 17:06

yes i tried getting my license to work on Win7 today, just wont work!!, although it did a couple of months ago!...ok now to try my XP PC, fingers crossed!

On the up side, i do get my licenses within a few hours, so its working fine for me.

sunalp2 · 14 March 12, 06:15

Ok. I'll try and get a new license.

Age Rohbein · 14 March 12, 18:26

That licensing system is completely broken and it'll never work properly, imho.
Huge bother for the users (if the other guys' server is down or if you add some hardware you, as a legal buyer, can't use your own program) and hardly a deterrent for the pirates.

analogkid66 · 15 March 12, 17:20

i know...pay money for something then get locked out from using it!?

All i can suggest is if you do get it working only renew for one month at a time, that way if it stops working you haven't got too long a wait!

KieferDJW · 25 June 12, 13:13

For me, the licensing isn't the only prob. I haven't get BTB running correctly on my Win7 64bit system. Meshed up icons and graphic errors all the time. It couldn't be, that I have to rebuild a own WinXP (XP in the year 2012!!!) workstation only for BTB. That's just frustrating...

analogkid66 · 27 June 12, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by KieferDJW

For me, the licensing isn't the only prob. I haven't get BTB running correctly on my Win7 64bit system. Meshed up icons and graphic errors all the time. It couldn't be, that I have to rebuild a own WinXP (XP in the year 2012!!!) workstation only for BTB. That's just frustrating...

...Yes its almost a no go on Win7 64bit, but just do a dual boot with Win XP Pro, works great for me!...best of both worlds....and keep your license to renew each month, then it wont be too long if it goes bad!

Deltaflyer47 · 6 July 12, 00:17

I've been putting off buying a BTB license for a while but now now when I go to the site i just get a big "Service Unavailable"
Anyone know whats up with that?

brabham67 · 6 July 12, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deltaflyer47

I've been putting off buying a BTB license for a while but now now when I go to the site i just get a big "Service Unavailable"
Anyone know whats up with that?

Not sure. But it doesn't look good, IMO. I can't upgrade my, now unusable, license...

Deltaflyer47 · 10 July 12, 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by brabham67

Not sure. But it doesn't look good, IMO. I can't upgrade my, now unusable, license...

Oh good it's back

Age Rohbein · 10 July 12, 20:31

...And it'll go down again. And again. Point is, that isn't what *your* software should be dependent on.

MrOblongo · 5 September 12, 21:21

Works perfectly here in Win7 64bit (0.8.0.4 and 0.8.9.1)... problem is... the BETA license keeps running out and the endless waiting for it to be renewed...

2 weeks for it, and counting...

V-dubber · 22 September 12, 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrOblongo

Works perfectly here in Win7 64bit (0.8.0.4 and 0.8.9.1)... problem is... the BETA license keeps running out and the endless waiting for it to be renewed...

2 weeks for it, and counting...

Any joy?

Anyone managed to get any response from Brendon these past months?

R Soul · 24 September 12, 19:09

There's still no sign of him.

MrOblongo · 5 November 12, 16:32

And still waiting....

cesniper · 9 November 12, 03:58

I was "so stupid" to renew the beta license and 0.8.0.3 licences while having and external hard disc connected (I think that is what is was, not even sure yet what the hell is going on), messed up the whole HID thing and never got to get the licenses going again (one says something about invalid software and the other one about expired license) and I´m supposed to wait another 12 months to get it "fixed"...end result, months of work to a halt if not forever gone

The most ironic part is that now I´m forced to use the 0.8.0.0 cracked version, which I have for a long time and was the one I used to check how the program behaved before buying the license. Now, That is what I must do if I want to continue using BTB since the one I paid for is not working anymore and Mr. Brendon seems to be too busy "spoiling/protecting" his (we must admit) good and user friendly software with some "funny" measures but don´t seem to have the same will towards customer service....
I think if, let´s say, EA did something like that to protect their battlefield series for example, it would be a complete fail and probably got some sues along the way....

radillion snake · 9 November 12, 08:35

Well, W7/64 works for me, don't now why.

After I had a not working BTB for a long license period due to an exchanged harddisk, I always renew the license for only a month. Renewal works well every month.

I keep the hardware-components untouched during the license period. BTB otherwise quits immediatly during period. This also means not to disconnect external harddisks that where taken into the current HID-file and vice versa. BTB is very delicate on hardware changes.

You better reduce the risk of BTB quitting due to broken hardware by licensing for a month only.

What can I do with my payed software when Brendon's website expiers?

banger · 14 November 12, 15:57

i have it working on win 7 64bit...? a few graphical glitches maybe.

MrOblongo · 20 November 12, 04:09

10 more days...still no joy.

banger · 22 November 12, 02:20

have you send the hid file to piddy,make sure your hid.exe file is set to admistration privileges too.

MrOblongo · 4 December 12, 03:19

Problem is not with the 0.8.0.3 version. It is with the 0.8.9.1 Beta, no renewal of the license for like 2 months now... and all my projects on hold.

Still no signs of him...

bullzye7 · 17 May 13, 11:55

Hey Brendon is back on racedepartment and is working on a new version of Bobs Track Builder

sunalp2 · 17 May 13, 23:51

Well that's good news. I'll get in touch for a new key.

max attack · 18 May 13, 07:03

Yeah, that is good news

hoboholic · 19 May 13, 12:55

That's awesome news, now that I know more about 3D modelling for games I'm looking to get into some track making as practice, so having some more BTB updates would be perfect timing for some projects I want to do

5 March 12, 10:49	#1
sunalp2 Grease Monkey Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne. Age: 61	What's happened to BTB - Brendon Pywell? I seem to be in a bit of bother. For some reason my licenses seem to have run out. While looking onto this, I came across a thread at Race Department saying that Brendon has shut up shop due to someone cracking BTB. Is this true? I wanted to get back to my building projects but I can't renew my license.

5 March 12, 12:15	#2
gwaldock Donated Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington DC area	I own multiple copies of BTB Pro and one of BTB-Evo as well. You may have noticed in the "fine print" of his website verbiage that Brendon has adopted a somewhat draconian authorization scheme for both releases of Bobs Trackbuilder; his software cannot be "permanently" licensed to hardware. When a copy of BTB is purchased you must first select the length of time that is is to be authorized for a single computer and then return to the website at that later date for re-authorization. This process IS a nuisance but, having been subjected to it for a few years, I have NEVER been "locked out" of BTB on any of my computers for longer than 48 hours. In fact, the email usually arrives in 8 hours or less (as it did again - two days ago)! I have also been playing with the beta of the next version of BTB since its release last year. Brendon's beta is free (!) to licensed users of BTB but the caveat is that you must return to the website every month for re-authorization. I have been using BTB since its earliest days and I was in direct communication with Brendon until a few years ago; his interaction with the sim community appeared to morph when Bobs Trackbuilder was hacked. It seems to me that Brendon is determined to insure that anyone who uses his software for free will always be locked to an increasingly outdated version of it. Last edited by gwaldock; 5 March 12 at 12:23. Reason: Added recent renewal info.

10 July 12, 20:31	#12
Age Rohbein Join Date: Jun 2011	...And it'll go down again. And again. Point is, that isn't what your software should be dependent on. Last edited by Age Rohbein; 11 July 12 at 20:11.

9 November 12, 03:58	#17
cesniper Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Spain	I was "so stupid" to renew the beta license and 0.8.0.3 licences while having and external hard disc connected (I think that is what is was, not even sure yet what the hell is going on), messed up the whole HID thing and never got to get the licenses going again (one says something about invalid software and the other one about expired license) and I´m supposed to wait another 12 months to get it "fixed"...end result, months of work to a halt if not forever gone The most ironic part is that now I´m forced to use the 0.8.0.0 cracked version, which I have for a long time and was the one I used to check how the program behaved before buying the license. Now, That is what I must do if I want to continue using BTB since the one I paid for is not working anymore and Mr. Brendon seems to be too busy "spoiling/protecting" his (we must admit) good and user friendly software with some "funny" measures but don´t seem to have the same will towards customer service.... I think if, let´s say, EA did something like that to protect their battlefield series for example, it would be a complete fail and probably got some sues along the way.... Last edited by cesniper; 9 November 12 at 04:49.

17 May 13, 11:55	#23
bullzye7 Join Date: Apr 2010	He is back Hey Brendon is back on racedepartment and is working on a new version of Bobs Track Builder

13 March 12, 17:06	#3
analogkid66 Track Maker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles	yes i tried getting my license to work on Win7 today, just wont work!!, although it did a couple of months ago!...ok now to try my XP PC, fingers crossed! On the up side, i do get my licenses within a few hours, so its working fine for me.

14 March 12, 06:15	#4
sunalp2 Grease Monkey Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne. Age: 61	Ok. I'll try and get a new license.

14 March 12, 18:26	#5
Age Rohbein Join Date: Jun 2011	That licensing system is completely broken and it'll never work properly, imho. Huge bother for the users (if the other guys' server is down or if you add some hardware you, as a legal buyer, can't use your own program) and hardly a deterrent for the pirates.

15 March 12, 17:20	#6
analogkid66 Track Maker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles	i know...pay money for something then get locked out from using it!? All i can suggest is if you do get it working only renew for one month at a time, that way if it stops working you haven't got too long a wait!

25 June 12, 13:13	#7
KieferDJW Join Date: Jan 2010	For me, the licensing isn't the only prob. I haven't get BTB running correctly on my Win7 64bit system. Meshed up icons and graphic errors all the time. It couldn't be, that I have to rebuild a own WinXP (XP in the year 2012!!!) workstation only for BTB. That's just frustrating...

6 July 12, 00:17	#9
Deltaflyer47 Join Date: Dec 2010	I've been putting off buying a BTB license for a while but now now when I go to the site i just get a big "Service Unavailable" Anyone know whats up with that?

5 September 12, 21:21	#13
MrOblongo Join Date: Feb 2012	Works perfectly here in Win7 64bit (0.8.0.4 and 0.8.9.1)... problem is... the BETA license keeps running out and the endless waiting for it to be renewed... 2 weeks for it, and counting...

24 September 12, 19:09	#15
R Soul Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Formby, NW England Age: 30	There's still no sign of him.

5 November 12, 16:32	#16
MrOblongo Join Date: Feb 2012	And still waiting....

9 November 12, 08:35	#18
radillion snake Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Düsseldorf/Germany Age: 51	Well, W7/64 works for me, don't now why. After I had a not working BTB for a long license period due to an exchanged harddisk, I always renew the license for only a month. Renewal works well every month. I keep the hardware-components untouched during the license period. BTB otherwise quits immediatly during period. This also means not to disconnect external harddisks that where taken into the current HID-file and vice versa. BTB is very delicate on hardware changes. You better reduce the risk of BTB quitting due to broken hardware by licensing for a month only. What can I do with my payed software when Brendon's website expiers?

14 November 12, 15:57	#19
banger track maker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bedfordshire,UK Age: 48	i have it working on win 7 64bit...? a few graphical glitches maybe.

20 November 12, 04:09	#20
MrOblongo Join Date: Feb 2012	10 more days...still no joy.

22 November 12, 02:20	#21
banger track maker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bedfordshire,UK Age: 48	have you send the hid file to piddy,make sure your hid.exe file is set to admistration privileges too.

4 December 12, 03:19	#22
MrOblongo Join Date: Feb 2012	Problem is not with the 0.8.0.3 version. It is with the 0.8.9.1 Beta, no renewal of the license for like 2 months now... and all my projects on hold. Still no signs of him...

17 May 13, 23:51	#24
sunalp2 Grease Monkey Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne. Age: 61	Well that's good news. I'll get in touch for a new key.

18 May 13, 07:03	#25
max attack Donated Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Melbourne Age: 47	Yeah, that is good news

19 May 13, 12:55	#26
hoboholic Hobo strikes again! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Western Sydney, Australia	That's awesome news, now that I know more about 3D modelling for games I'm looking to get into some track making as practice, so having some more BTB updates would be perfect timing for some projects I want to do