Why cant we edit other tunes?

[DarrylC]

I am working on a scaling project on Fords for other people to get around the inability of HP Tuners (and SCT) to change the t-MAP/boost sensor. What is frustrating is that I am not allowed to edit their tune to change the parameters that need fixing (mostly speed density) without licensing the tune.

So why cannot I fix their tune for them and then they install it? The vehicle is licensed by them so only they can rewrite the tune without adding another license. Seems like a silly HP Tuners restriction, it certainly does not happen for other tuning software.

[ElecTech]

Just save the modified tables and have them import them into their file. Each HPT table can be saved individually as a file.

[DarrylC]

Lots of ways around it if you have tune with the same tables. Unfortunately you cannot save tables in the beta version and that is what is needed to tune the Ausy Falcons without tables being messed. And, of course, you cannot open a tune worked on with the Beta in the production version!

Just seems like a silly restriction.

[jtrosky]

This is kind of a good point. Why stop you from editing other tune files? As long as you need a license to actually write the tune, I don't see what harm is caused by simply editing a tune file for a car that you don't have a license for....

Is there a valid reason why it's done this way (they very well may be)?

[ElecTech]

Lots of ways around it if you have tune with the same tables. Unfortunately you cannot save tables in the beta version and that is what is needed to tune the Ausy Falcons without tables being messed. And, of course, you cannot open a tune worked on with the Beta in the production version!

Just seems like a silly restriction.

This is kind of a good point. Why stop you from editing other tune files? As long as you need a license to actually write the tune, I don't see what harm is caused by simply editing a tune file for a car that you don't have a license for....

Is there a valid reason why it's done this way (they very well may be)?

Well, one possible reason is that it would allow someone to distribute an unlimited number of calibrations and charge money for them without HPT benefiting one bit from it.

Once you obtain a year/model license, it becomes a non-issue, which is what most "shops" do.

[jtrosky]

But nobody can do anything with the tunes you edit unless they already have a license, so I'm not sure why it would make a difference if you could edit someone elses tune or not. HPTuners shouldn't benefit from someone modifying tunes - they should benefit from someone buying a license, which the person using the modified tune woud need to do regardless of who edits the tune.... Unless I'm missing something....

[ElecTech]

But nobody can do anything with the tunes you edit unless they already have a license, so I'm not sure why it would make a difference if you could edit someone elses tune or not. HPTuners shouldn't benefit from someone modifying tunes - they should benefit from someone buying a license, which the person using the modified tune woud need to do regardless of who edits the tune.... Unless I'm missing something....

You're looking at it from the standpoint that people just want to help people out of kindness, but there are others who charge for a "base tune" and many who are happy to pay $100.00 for one to get them started, use a couple of credits and they are up and running, fine tuning from there. So I could sit and pump out base tunes at $100.00 a pop without any real cost to me other than my initial purchase.

I'm not saying that this is the reason for why HP does it this way, but I would think this is a possible scenario.

[jtrosky]

I completely understand what you're saying, but I just disagee that HPTuners should make money from someone elses hard work. HPTuners make their money from people licensing their vehicles, not from tuners using their software to modify others tunes...

I acutally purchased a mailorder tune from someone myslef to get me started - paid him $150 for his work, but I don't think that HPTuners should make anything from that tuners efforts - they did not particiapte in the tuning process - why should they profit from that? They make their money selling the licenses for the vehicle that the tune is applied to.

We just disagree on who should be profitting from the tuners work, that's all. Like you already mentioned, a true professional tuner will already have a year/model license anyway, so really this limitation only makes it harder for the "small guys".

At least that's how I see it - I'm sure HPTuners sees it differetntly! :-)

[DarrylC]

You're looking at it from the standpoint that people just want to help people out of kindness, but there are others who charge for a "base tune" and many who are happy to pay $100.00 for one to get them started, use a couple of credits and they are up and running, fine tuning from there. So I could sit and pump out base tunes at $100.00 a pop without any real cost to me other than my initial purchase.

I'm not saying that this is the reason for why HP does it this way, but I would think this is a possible scenario.

Might have to explain this a bit more as the logic seems strange to me. The ONLY way to install a tune is to license it and HP Tuners makes their money by the license purchase. If you say a shop could do this and distribute the file then they have already paid for the license and the customer then pays for the license again to install it, sounds like double dipping to me.

If a shop wanted to do this then I don't see an issue with this and we have mail order tunes from SCT all over the place.

As you say you can work around it but I still see this as a silly restriction when we have paid for the software to edit tunes and then we pay for a license to install them. It seems more like a restriction to help tuner shops but that may be no bad thing.

[GHuggins]

Well yes AND it is a nuisance at times, BUT are you licensed with SCT or any of the others. $10,000 for software on average to get setup, plus handheld cost, plus training and then on and on... HP cost $400 to $600 for an interface AND software not to mention especially for GM, a much better equipped tuning tool... They make their money with the licenses and numerous amounts of interfaces sold, so the average joe can afford to purchase and tune their own vehicle... I personally both hate and enjoy this setup, but wouldn't plan on it changing anytime soon. Because if it does... I imagine the "regular joe" wouldn't be able to go this route anymore

[BBA]

Honestly, it's a pain. I agree there is no good reason to require licensing to edit a tune. HPT doesn't really care if you post your tune all over the internet, heck that's why there is a tune repository here even.

Installing a tune is a different thing altogether and I agree with licensing there. HPT could actually make more customers by allowing their software to be used without a licensed cable...people would do it and find how good it is and buy their own setup, more business for HPT.

My point for the aggravation: Someone has a tune issue, they email the file to me, I import their tune to one of my licensed files, I edit the settings and send that file back to them. Most of the time I have to instruct them on how to import my changes into their tune. So the point is valid: Why the added hassle of being required to go through the importing from one tune to another process when the end result is the same, the guy with a licensed tuner for the vehicle is the only one who flashes the vehicle.

[Road]

Honestly, it's a pain. I agree there is no good reason to require licensing to edit a tune. HPT doesn't really care if you post your tune all over the internet, heck that's why there is a tune repository here even.

Installing a tune is a different thing altogether and I agree with licensing there. HPT could actually make more customers by allowing their software to be used without a licensed cable...people would do it and find how good it is and buy their own setup, more business for HPT.

My point for the aggravation: Someone has a tune issue, they email the file to me, I import their tune to one of my licensed files, I edit the settings and send that file back to them. Most of the time I have to instruct them on how to import my changes into their tune. So the point is valid: Why the added hassle of being required to go through the importing from one tune to another process when the end result is the same, the guy with a licensed tuner for the vehicle is the only one who flashes the vehicle.

^^^^Agree^^^^