A7 free editon and engine plugins

I just figured out that you silently removed the support of engine plugins in the current free edition (I know it worked in 7.82 and even in the old atari lite-c release).
It seems that you can still load normal dlls using the #define PRAGMA_API syntax. Is that a mistake and you will remove this feature too or do i have to redo all my plugins?
(@jcl: you can stop reading here and answer my question above, the rest of the post is just me being pissed off)

Removing a feature of a edition (even if it's just the free edition) is a no-no for me. How can we be certain that you don't remove essential features from the more expensive edition? Maybe you wan't to remove the shader support in the commercial edition just to reintroduce it in the a8 release to push the sales? I'm really pissed off.

sincerely
ChrisB

I think that, especially if #define PRAGMA_API still works, it's rather a bug than purpose.

Not according to this list:
http://www.conitec.net/english/gstudio/order7.php

that list also says you cannot compile to exe, but you can?

You can't compile the .c code to a .exe with the free edition. You can create a .exe which compiles the .c files on startup.

engine plugins should never been removed from free edition...this is a bad move...It's ridiculous to force plugin developers to buy the little sdk with poor documentation and more now to force to buy a higher version to be able at all to test and use plugins...I thought it would be a bad joke with the plugins to not beeing enabled in free edition....sorry but this is my opinion

I'm pretty sure that plugins were never supported in the free Extra Edition, at least this was so already half a year ago on the feature list when this version came out.

I remember that I was wondering, because you do not necessarily need plugins, you can easily substitute plugins with normal DLLs in lite-C.

As long as it is possible then it's ok but they should update the information on the Editions Chart, immagine some new potential user who see it the first time. They probably not even try it out, if they think that they can't "extend" the engine and this would be sad. Programmer love the freedom to change something to their needs as long it is possible. But with that Chart it looks too restricted for someone who doesn't know the engine good enough ( and I doubt that someone registers an account for only make one question on the forums ).

you'd be surprised what kind of folk registers an account here.

what's the difference between plugin and normal dll? that plugin is a dll compiled with the A* sdk?

It makes a difference if I use a DLL with extern functionality (no matter what) and if I use a dll which permits to use some acknex internals. But anyway if we can use it, it doesn't matter that much. I just wanted to write my opinion and say that it would be a bad move if acknex plugins which extend its funcionality would be restricted to use just for the ones who purchase a higher Edition. But if it is still possible to use them ( DLLs compiled with A* SDK) then just forget my words spent here
I just doubt that in future anyone who is able to real propgram with C++ etc., will spend his money before testing at all what is possible for him on the developing level, which goes further the normal use of this engine. I think it's nice for new user to see that this software is extendable and then they spend the money for higher version nearly automaticaly. It's the "welcome" factor which I wish more...

To clarify:
An engine plugin uses the GS plugin sdk which allows you to call engine functions (like beep(), ent_create(), diag() etc, also user defined lite-c functions) and read/set engine variables (like fps_max, entity->x, ev->pd3ddev etc) inside the dll. Of course you can achieve the same with a normal dll and transfer those GS specific stuff from the dll side to a lite-c file, but this normally results in messy and uncomfortable code.

As i've written above, it was possible to use engine plugins with the free edition in A7.82 and even before with the atari lite-c version. I don't know and i don't care when exactly this was changed, they removed a (for me) essential feature.
Normal dll still works using PRAGMA_API, but maybe jcl just forgot to disable it in the last update?

Of course we do not "silently remove features" from the list. This would be even illegal. When you purchase software, you're entering a contract with the seller, and the feature list is a part of that contract.

It is true that engine plugins worked with 7.82 free, but this was not intentional. It was a bug. For obvious reasons, we don't list bugs of this kind in the bug list.

I can understand that someone is annoyed when he developed a plugin and suddenly can't use it anymore. I can not change the feature list because that's not my sole decision. But I can offer this: All people who owned the free version 7.82, and have written an engine plugin for it and can now not use it anymore, can contact the support. They will receive a complimentary Extra Edition.

Thats a great offer, jcl. Tough I've already convert the plugin to be working with the free edition.
http://www.opserver.de/ubb7/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=327497