I started using Leena’s patternmaking program in 1996 while she was still living (version 6). An American compant has taken over maintaining and updating the software and they now charge for pattern definitions that she once gave away free. Is anyone else familiar with Leena’s program?
I was looking at that a while back. It seems that you buy each pattern set in macros. I don’t know if one can completely design one’s own pattern with it.
I got interested in Leena’s program in 1996 when I first found it. At that time, you could use the entire program free and she developed a good site full of drafting instructions. I never knew her personally but (if memory serves) there was once either an email list or an IRC chat
they have a separate program (MACROGEN $350) that allows you to design the macros.
An American company took over maintaining the software and now charges ($399.00) for the version that will interface with the MACROGEN program, so the quick answer is yes, you can completely design a pattern if you are willing and able to pay nearly $800 to get the software to startup. My experiences with the program are from the trial version and the older version 6.
Part of why I bring the topic up here is that I want to be respectful of “intellectual property” but I also wonder if some of Leena’s original demonstration macros are so generic that it would not violate ethics if I were to reproduce them and post example pattern block files for use with Valentina. To do so would require some original work of my own which I am perfectly willing to put into the public domain.
As i remember correct @slpencer said that patterns can’t be part of copyright.
If you wrote out the steps from one of your Macrogen pattern/macros, we could translate those steps into Valentina.
Example #1 - artwork: If someone created a drawing with Adobe and it was included with the Adobe distribution. You looked at the drawing to learn how to use the software. You created your own drawing, and translate it into Valentina - This is acceptable. The drawing that was included with the Adobe distribution has the same licensing as Adobe - it is probably not a good idea to reference material owned by Adobe. I’m assuming Leena’s generic macros were distributed with the licensed software, correct?
Example #2 - text: You can take algorithm descriptions from Donald Knuth and code them up without copyright infringement. So if it’s text out of a book, even if it’s illustrated with copyrighted drawings, it’s not a problem!
Example #3 - explanatory diagrams: two types: Circuit Diagrams can be copied if what they’re implementing is not copyrighted or patented. Their intended purpose is education and training about circuits. Circuit Diagrams which fit on a certain board size, use certain components, have a particular purpose for a certain manufacturer, etc. these would be protected, shouldn’t copy these! The same holds true for plumbing diagrams and other diagrams which illustrate a generic principle or process. We can’t copy the diagram, we can create our own. We can also translate the information contained within the diagram into code, semaphores, cave drawings, etc.
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If you wrote out the steps from one of your Macrogen pattern/macros, we could translate those steps into Valentina.
Yup, that is what I meant when I said I could do original work which I am willing to donate to the public domain. I would basically translate some of the macros to “english” to create the procedural description which would then be straighforward to implement in a Valentina pattern.
I’m assuming Leena’s generic macros were distributed with the licensed software, correct?
I don’t recall for sure, but believe that most of the macros I have were included with the version 6 software before it had a licensing issue. They won’t even run on the current licensed software. I once tinkered with a couple of them and got them to run well enough to get a pattern that I then modified with pencil & paper - my goal at the time was to make a garment. This was about 1999 so I don’t remember exactly what I did.
So, I am fairly sure that what I want to do would not be a violation.
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Ok, great idea, no problem!
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looking forward to it