In this post, I wanted to go through a few of the features planned for the upcoming version 2.0 release of RTEncoder. Please keep in mind that development is still ongoing, so this list is still subject to change.

RTEncoder version 1 allowed you to encode a source file against a single key file. Version 2 will expand this to allow encoding against up to three key files. I heard of several cases of people jumping through hoops to accomplish encoding against two key files using version 1, so I wanted to make sure that it was a snap to do with version 2. And just to be sure, I added a third key file option, just in case.

A brand new encoding feature that you will find in version 2, is the ability to encode against a pass-phrase, rather than a key file. The way this will work internally is that a random number generator will use the entire pass-phrase as an initialization vector, and a random stream of data will be generated in place of a key file. The better the pass-phrase, the better the randomness of the data stream. So, on the surface, this could provide an easy way to password protect a file, even without using a key file for the encoding process. But wait, there is a better option for file protection coming up later in this article.

Another new feature for encoding in version 2 will be the ability to compress the source file prior to encoding. Since one of the primary uses for RTEncoder, and the original reason for its creation, is the encoding of the 3d format OBJ files, file compression should result in significant file size savings. Preliminary testing shows over 50% size reduction of OBJ files using this option on average. This would translate into both disk space and bandwidth savings for the distribution of RTE files.

And finally, as I promised earlier, an option for those just wanting to password protect a file. Much more secure than a simple XOR with a random data stream, version 2 will offer true encryption via the Blowfish encryption algorithm. Blowfish is a very fast block cipher algorithm and will do an excellent job at protecting your data so only those you give the pass-phrase to will be able to open your RTE file.

A final note, you will be able to use any of the above mentioned new features in combination when encoding your version 2 RTE files. So for example, you will be able to encode your source file against three separate keys files and a random data stream created from your pass-phrase, while compressing your source file and encrypting the output using the Blowfish algorithm.