OFFICIAL Fantasy Emag Contest Q&A!!!!! [Archive]

shartley

11-06-2001, 08:16 AM

Arman/XPM
You are to design what YOU think will be the Ultimate E-Mag (thus the Fantasy part). As the rules state, you are free to use what you like to design this with.. BUT you can NOT use any part of the picture Tom posted as the Example and inspiration for this contest.

Please review all rules again, I am sure if your read them slowly, you will get the idea.

I hope this helps. I will help clarify the rules for those who need it, and make sure all issues are handled, BUT I will not restate clearly written rules (that gets counter productive).. I will simply ask that Members review the rule number(s) that cover their question(s). I will even provide the Member with the exact rule number. :)

In your case, it is pretty clear what the contest is about, please review Tom's original Post, and the Official Rules Thread. It is clearly outlined.

For other Members wanting to ask questions, please be a bit more specific. It is hard answering a question that could be answered several ways depending on how you read it.

Thank you for your understanding.

shartley

11-06-2001, 08:23 AM

Shaft
Deadline is MIDNIGHT of the last day of the contest, November 30th, 2001. Since we have a WORLD to deal with on AO, we will make it midnight on the West Coast of the U.S.A.

The entries will then be gathered and made into a gallery (much like the Design the Box contest), and all Members will be provided with instructions as to how to vote. :)

Phil

11-06-2001, 09:40 AM

I, like most of the AO members, have no computer grafix design skills to speak of. Would it be possible to either scan a drawing or simply spell out in words an idea and have a chance of winning?

shartley

11-06-2001, 09:56 AM

Phil
I am sorry, but no. Part of what Tom wanted was as follows...

Quoted from Tom:
I want to see stuff that looks COOL and REAL (as possible). I am looking for creative ideas on looks that can eventually be used in our gun line. I want pictures that make people on other forums say "is that REAL??".

As you can see, a hand drawn picture or a text description will just not work. Please take note that there WILL be, and HAVE been, contests run that don't require what this one does. In fact directly after this one, there will be a "Name The Fantasy E-Mag Contest".

Noone is being left out. People just have to enter the contests they can realistically compete in. However, as with most contests here on AO, YOU the Members, have a great deal of participation no matter wether you enter, or VOTE.

Thank you for your understanding.

Flamebo

11-06-2001, 11:34 AM

Might wanna drop part of your last post so nobody gets a head start on it...

Nobody except me, that is :D

shartley

11-06-2001, 11:47 AM

Flamebo
Actually Tom already mentioned it in his announcement Thread. ;) I am not saying anything Tom had not already openly posted.

Quote from Tom:

The contest is going to run for at least 2-3 weeks so you have time. For the non-photoshop people there will be another contest to Name the Fantasy after this one.

:D So chances are, people will skip right over this post as well. ;) I am however, going to suggest to Tom that a LIMIT be put on the number of names people can enter.. that will make them THINK about the names and not run down a Thesaurus or Video Game list (like they did last time). That should solve THAT problem. :)

But we are focusing on ONE contest at a time.

AkaEnder

11-06-2001, 01:07 PM

Quick question regarding the ownership of these designs.

Any potential Patent or Copyright infringement would be worked out during the actual development of the Marker (if said Marker was to be developed), NOT during the concept phase.

12) All entries become the property of AGD.

Im alittle confused after reading through the rules who actually owns the design.

eg: if my design is actually developed at some point and time, I have no rights over my orginal artwork? Im effectively trading those rights for the chance at an RTpro?

shartley

11-06-2001, 01:51 PM

AkaEnder
Actually you bring up two totally different issues. Let me address each separately.

Any potential Patent or Copyright infringement would be worked out during the actual development of the Marker (if said Marker was to be developed), NOT during the concept phase.
You did what is so classic on AO... Taking things out of context. That section has nothing to do with the contestants' rights to copyright or patents. It deals ONLY with existing parts and designs of actual Paintball Markers being produced by other Manufacturers, as they pertain to any Concept Graphics produced by contestants of the contest.

If I may, please examine the ACTUAL Rule:

6) You may use any parts from other Markers in your designs. Since this is a Concept Contest and the actual Marker will not be made (but may influence future designs), this is allowed. Any potential Patent or Copyright infringement would be worked out during the actual development of the Marker (if said Marker was to be developed), NOT during the concept phase. So have fun!

Your other quote from the rules is dead on. It would be silly for us to sign contracts with each and every contestant to give AGD Rights to the Concept Graphics or to figure in any potential profits gained by the design. Thus, as was with the Box Design Contest, all entries become property of AGD upon submission. This is quite common.

However, if anyone has a problem with that rule, that is fine. They are free to either enter the contest, or not to. We had the same question asked with the Box Design Contest and it went just fine. We had plenty of submissions, and we all had a great time. The spirit of the Contests are NOT to take advantage of AO Members, it is to GIVE to them, and I am sure most see this clearly.

Yes, when you enter a design, you are instantly signing away all future rights to that work for the chance to win one of the prizes offered.

(Added Note: I know this was longer than a simple YES, but there were two issues actually mentioned. And I wanted to head off any further questions of this type. I hope everyone understands,.... and AkaEnder, it was not directed at you personally.)

Wild_Osiris

11-06-2001, 02:54 PM

Could I have a z-grip emag? ( I know it was in the ex pic). Can I do my own milling? If not what is the point? Just see the coolest colors?

manike

11-06-2001, 03:03 PM

Originally posted by shartley
BUT you can NOT use any part of the picture Tom posted as the Example and inspiration for this contest.

I think this statement is a little confusing. I hope the intention is not to stop people using the z-grip outline or the outline of the SFL Extreme.

People should be able to use parts of that pictrure that are generic to the Mag world. I.e. the z-grip and the SFL body shape outline. Just not copy the exact style of that example.

I think it would be great it people used the outline from the Extreme bodies as their starting point. If they do that there may be even more chance of seeing their design evolve out of the fantasy world and into reality...

If people would be interested in basic view images (side, iso etc.) of the extreme body, and if that is acceptable within the rules then I can provide them as starter images.

manike

shartley

11-06-2001, 03:04 PM

Wild_Osiris
Yes. You can have a Z-Grip Emag. You can also make an M-Grip Emag if you like. The only restriction is that you can not use the same Z-Grip Image used by Tom in his Announcement Thread.

Yes, you do your own milling, modifications, combination of parts/products, setup, etc.

Just follow the Official Rules... they still allow a WIDE range of things you can do, and more flexibility than most would need. :)

Hope this answers your question.

Snappy

11-06-2001, 03:15 PM

To have the max ammount of originality I think we should keep out ideas to ourselves, and the gallery CLOSED, until 01DEC01 (First of December). Is that how it works? I wasn't hever for the other contest.

shartley

11-06-2001, 03:17 PM

manike

BUT you can NOT use any part of the picture Tom posted as the Example and inspiration for this contest.

That does not say you can not use "parts" seen "in" the picture Tom posted... it says you can not use any part OF the picture Tom posted. It restricts the use of the ACTUAL graphic or parts of it that he posted, NOT the parts seen in it (if taken from other sources). It makes people have to do more than take an already started graphic (that Tom posted) and use THAT as their base image... this would not be allowed. People also can not take any PART directly from the graphic and use that either.

I hope that clears up that issue. ;)

Yes, people can use the same parts SEEN in that graphic.. just can't take them FROM it. If you would like to provide the Members with base images, that would be wonderful. It would also be well within the rules.

Feel free to start a base image thread in Friendly Corner if you like. :) It will save some of the members much searching for good pictures to start with.

Thanks.

Snappy

11-06-2001, 03:20 PM

Okay, I see that Tom said that they will be kept by AGD until the due date. I can't wait! This is so exciting! I feel like a little school girl! Okay, I'll stop. :p

shartley

11-06-2001, 03:30 PM

BONESisAgod
Please delete your post (or a Moderator do so). I have already answered a question similar to your post. You are basically working around my answer to Phil about providing a description of the marker... it is not allowed. I hope you understand. If we allow you to post what you would like someone else to design, it will open the same thing up for everyone else, and we just can't allow that to happen.

Snappy
No pictures of ANY of the designs will be posted until AGD/AO staff posts the Official Gallery. The Gallery will not even be made until AFTER the submission deadline. Anyone who posts their graphics (on or off AO) will be disqualified.

I hope that clears things up for you. :)

synreal

11-06-2001, 04:03 PM

all milling and coloring aside, would these new designs have to be able to prototyped from existing mag parts, or are we free to let our minds run free to create guns needing proprietary parts (different battery packs, altered valves, ...)?

i have no disturbing plans like magnetically charging the rounds for propulsion, but i would like to know how far we can safely stretch the existing tech level.

shartley

11-06-2001, 04:15 PM

synreal
Welcome to AO! Now for your question.....

As long as the "stretch" is not greater than would be feasible to create (and have work) with current manufacturing equipment, YES, go for it.

New Battery packs, altered valves, etc. are not too far out to exclude them from the contest. Of course if you make a hydrogen powered unit, it WOULD be a bit of a stretch. ;)

I hope this answered your question adequately. We are depending on a bit of self restraint and common sense for much of this. But if we get an entry that is over the top, we will let the designer know.

AGDMINIMAGAGD

11-06-2001, 04:18 PM

Is there any place to find a kind of archive type thing of emag outlines to work with, im having trouble finding a starting point like an SFL or extreme body and warp feeds and triggers and such. I think manike said he knew somewhere, i think setting up an archive is a good idea, that way everyone kind of has the same starting point and can go where they want, otherwise, just a few tips would be really helpful, Thanks.

shartley

11-06-2001, 04:36 PM

AGDMINIMAGAGD
Yes, Manike said he had a bunch of stuff you all could use. I think he will be making a central place to pull these images from, but I can not speak for him directly.

I can not offer any other tips or advice at this time without actually telling you what and how to do things. And that would just not be right. I CAN however answer questions about some things.... remember, half the battle in getting the right answers is asking the right questions. ;)

Hope this helps.

AGDMINIMAGAGD

11-06-2001, 04:52 PM

1st place gets an RT pro with warp, 2nd gets a warp and intelliframe trigger from triggernomics, and 3rd and 4th get a custom intelliframe trigger from triggernomics i believe, check down a bit, they have all the rules and such down there

manike

11-06-2001, 05:02 PM

I'll post up links here to images I have of the extreme body. I am just (as I type this I am on the phone) in the process of getting the files required to model up the modules and battery pack. As soon as I have them finished I will add images of the body with the modules in place. Until then these may be of help.

http://www.automags.org/~Manike/emagside1.jpg

http://www.automags.org/~Manike/emagside2.jpg

My fantasy E-mag is not going to be just a fantasy :) I'm making it!

manike

shartley

11-06-2001, 05:57 PM

Thanks Manike.

Guess you will win either way. ;)

InfinatyBPS

11-06-2001, 09:59 PM

that we cant have it have wings and says it fly's and has rocket capabilities. I am wondering because that would be a fantasy.

shartley

11-07-2001, 05:54 AM

InfinatyBPS
Are you serious? Come on now. Please read the rules and Tom's original post about the contest. Fantasy would also be a RP E-Mag that would allow you to not even be ON the field to play... but that is also quite obviously against the rules.

The only thing "Fantasy" about the marker is that is has not been made yet. The rules clearly define what is acceptable, if you use just a bit of common sense. You may stretch the capabilities, and design a bit to provoke thought, but the ideas can not be to far out there that they would simply not be feasible.

And please do NOT PM me about the contest again. This goes for everyone. I can NOT answer questions about the contest in PM or E-Mail. It would then open a flood of PM's and E-mails that is not needed and warranted. Also what if others had the same questions?

KEEP ALL QUESTIONS HERE ON THE Q&A THREAD PLEASE.

Thank you.

cphilip

11-07-2001, 11:40 AM

And please do not use the report this post to a Moderator feature to ask contest questions. Shartley will not get them. All the Mods will and we will not answer contest questions. So ask all contest questions here in the thread.

However if someone gets out of line by all means let us know thorough that report the post feature.

Thanks

The Moderators

shartley

11-07-2001, 01:17 PM

Some of you were asking for some Tips on what you should do. Well, here are a couple things to keep in mind when creating your Concept Graphics.

1) Most people know direct size comparisons of parts and equipment. So when putting together your various elements, pay close attention to this.

2) Angles make a big difference. Putting in the extra time to find elements that are close to the same angles will cut down greatly on your actual graphic creation time.

3) Just because it is not perfect, does not mean it will not win! And just because some parts don't quite work correctly together should not stop you from trying it out. It is a concept... remember that. Some leeway WILL be given in the "reality" department. Just use your common sense.

4) You have 3 weeks to complete your entry(s)... use the time. If you get stuck, don't get frustrated. Step away from it and relax. It is better to come back to it later and do a good job, than to push yourself and not get the results you are after.

5) How you display your Concept can often be as important as the Concept itself. Although this is NOT a display contest, you will find that graphics and ideas that are displayed well can often cover up little flaws. After all, you are selling your concept to the other AO Members since they will be voting on the entries.

I took a few minutes to work up a sample for you. Since I can not show you a concept marker without violating the rules, I went with a slightly different theme. Don't ask where I got the picture from, because it does not exist... it is a concept.

You will see that I covered a few questions with this sample design. The angles, the "idea", and the different paint jobs. Remember you can not submit the same marker with different color schemes or paint jobs as separate entries. This shows you one way you can display several different versions of the same item using one submission.

As you can see, I did not try to cover up the concept, just accented it a bit. I used colors and form to direct the eye to the object I want the viewer to focus on. I gave it all a bit of depth to make the viewer seem as if in some small way they were a part of the graphic... hey the MTS is coming out of the picture right?

<img src="http://www.gbsu-usa.net/boss/mts.jpg">

There are MANY things you can do. And I only touched on a few of them. I hope this gives some of you some ideas, inspiration, or whatever. Creativity is the key... use it!

zvanut

11-07-2001, 04:08 PM

I have a question,

Can i put two versions os a gun in one entry. like say 1 was warp feed body and the other was verical feed body (that is an example) so i dont have to go w/ two entries?

shartley

11-07-2001, 04:14 PM

zvanut
Absolutely. In fact it is encouraged. If people have a basic setup with only external equipment "add-ons" or alterations, it works best to make it all one entry.

It will also make the entry more interesting and true to Concept Designs.

Yes, yes, yes. :D

zvanut

11-07-2001, 04:17 PM

Thanx,

the was i figured it was if i did two entries and people liked mine, but couldnt decide on which 1, it would give me fewer votes on a single one :)

Wes_M

11-07-2001, 04:30 PM

I'm already done with my fantasy mag. Hope you guys are hard at work cause mine looks preety sweet! I plan on winning that RT Pro. Out.

Mega Man

11-07-2001, 06:34 PM

When the voting time rolls around will it say who submitted the work? I dont remember from the intelliframe package contest. (by the way im only using paint since its the only art program I have so im expecting alot better art work from you guys)

shartley

11-07-2001, 06:40 PM

Mag_Man_2000
That will be determined by the time the gallery is posted. More than likely the names will be posted however, because as soon as the gallery goes up we will get "Hey number 7 is mine!".. like what happened with the other contest anyway. :)

But that is still quite a ways off yet.

brazy-u

11-08-2001, 11:45 AM

to excuse me I am french and i don't understand where to send the drawings
:D thank you!!

manike

11-08-2001, 11:49 AM

Bonjour Brazy-U,

The e-mail address to send the drawings to has not been provided yet.

It will be made available sometime next week and then you can submit your work. You can not submit your work until then.

When the entry e-mail address is posted you will be able to send your images to that e-mail address :)

Au Revoir

manike

shartley

11-08-2001, 11:51 AM

brazy-u
manike is correct. :)

Thanks manike. :D

brazy-u

11-08-2001, 12:23 PM

thank you has all

Wes_M

11-08-2001, 01:43 PM

Where can I sumbmit my final .gif design at?

manike

11-08-2001, 01:47 PM

:rolleyes: look three posts above yours for the answer...

shartley

11-08-2001, 02:25 PM

Wes_M
Please read ALL of the Questions and Answers (looks up to the last question asked and sees that it was the SAME question, and it was already answered). Thank you.

FOR ALL
I will not answer the same questions over and again. No offense is intended... I took the time to answer them the first time, it is not too much to ask that people read all the Questions and Answers FIRST before asking another one. I will also put this in the FIRST Post and hopefully it will take care of repeat questions.

Thank you.

(took out my Sig Image.... LOL)

InfinatyBPS

11-08-2001, 04:09 PM

I have a question but if I ask it my whole concept will be given away. The question is the one that I PMed you about. Should I ask it again on here? I realy dont want to give my design away.

shartley

11-08-2001, 04:26 PM

Well, I think you just answered your own question.

If by asking it, you give away your concept.. then it IS a concept.. right? And this is a concept contest, right? ;)

Are you wanting to mix different parts made by different manufacturers? Yes, that is allowed.

Are you wanting to stretch current designs a bit, but not TOO much? Yes, that is also allowed.

If you are wanting to ask me if you can put "X" barrel with "Y" body, and slap on a "B" style stock, and plop on a "W" airtank system and gauges...... hmmmmmm No... I can't answer that, and you can't post it either.

And I can not start allowing people to PM or E-Mail me their questions either. I hope you understand.

There are some things I just can not tell you (or other contestants). Many good questions have been asked already. There are also pretty specific guidelines already laid out for people to follow.

I hope this helps you out some... although I have a sinking suspicion that it will not.

Sqweezer

11-08-2001, 11:09 PM

Now I didnt see a rule on this; Might be kind of obvious, whatever. -- We are ONLY submitting the one outside view of the mag, no insides or anything?

Thanks

shartley

11-09-2001, 05:40 AM

Sqweezer
Correct, you do not have to submit an internal diagram for your marker. It is a CONCEPT contest, not a technical contest.

However, I if I may...

from squeezer:
We are ONLY submitting the one outside view of the mag....

People may submit only one outside view, but people may find multiple views may work better (and even more so if they want to submit it with multiple color schemes).

I just did not want anyone to read your post and claim that someplace they read only ONE view could be entered per design. Only one GRAPHIC per design, but the designer may put multiple views on their graphic if it assists the effect. :)

shartley

11-09-2001, 07:31 AM

Some of you were having a problem with your software (Photoshop), and requested some lesson links.... well I provided a bunch in Friendly Corner for you.

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15993

Have fun! :)

Chef123161

11-10-2001, 02:21 PM

Is it ok, on the final image, to say what kind of features the fantasy gun has?

shartley

11-10-2001, 03:03 PM

Chef123161
Absolutely! Just try to make sure any text used does not cover parts of the marker if at all possible (should not be hard to avoid this).

Maghog

11-11-2001, 07:14 AM

Hats off to Shartley for some serious devotion to this contest and the website. Get some sleep man!!!
There is one aspect of this contest which disturbs me, and I'm going to ignore it, regardless of winning or not.
I can appreciate that Tom wants this stuff to look as real as possible, but some of us don't have the computer skills that others do and are thus left with conventional methods.
I drew up two sketches a while back of what my fantasy E-mags are going to be like(I'm with you manike)
One is of the Micro E-Mag that I just purchased, and the other is based on the modular body design that I'll pick up when they become available.
When I saw this contest, I decided to spruce up my drawings, add some color and a little more detail.
When you glance at what I've drawn, or slightly blur your vision, you'll get the idea as to where I'm headed, but no way do these things look real when observed closely. They are neat and took a lot of time to create, and I think they are worth sharing. I'd encourage anyone else who can't compete with the "realism" of computer graphics to submit whatever they can come up with.
Who cares if you don't win? I certainly don't need a twelfth automag(though I would accept it if I won), and I definitely don't want(and won't accept)to take away someone else winning one of my own triggers.
I'm sure that everyone else is in this for the prizes, and I think that offering such wonderful rewards brings the best out of you all.
I would just hate to see the creative people out there with good ideas be held back because of this rule.
Maybe we should consider it a guideline?
In the end, it's up to the designers of the contest what to post in the gallery and what not to, but I thought I'd offer my two cents.
Thanks,
Dan@the company formerly known as Triggernomics

shartley

11-11-2001, 08:24 AM

Maghog:
Thank you.

You also brought up some good points. I can fully understand your position.. but think about this if you will..... what about people who don't even own a computer, or are not connected to the Internet? The contest is excluding them as well, right?

And what about those who can not draw very well? If we opened it up for anyone to enter anything they wanted, you would get those who would not think it is fare that some people can draw and have their work scanned in.. while THEY can't (or not very well).

This is the nature of contests. You have to build the rules and guidelines around your desired effect. This is Tom's desired effect:

I want to see stuff that looks COOL and REAL (as possible). I am looking for creative ideas on looks that can eventually be used in our gun line. I want pictures that make people on other forums say "is that REAL??".

As you can see, hand drawn entries (for the most part) would simply not produce the desired effect, or the one Tom wanted. It would be like going to the Olympics and seeing a race being run... then looking again and seeing that there are children and old people in the race as well... hmmm sounds fair... Gives everyone a chance to get
involved, but takes away from the spirit and concept behind the race.

Tom DOES run contests for other skill levels, and desired results though. So those who do not have the skills or software needed for this one will still have a shot at winning something soon enough. The same thing happened with the Design the Packaging Contest. You could not enter hand drawn entries.. and that is because the results would not be in line with what Tom was looking for.

So, when looked at in the actual light of things, saying
that by not having the skills or software required to meet the guidelines of the contest, it is "holding them back" from showing their ideas, is not quite accurate. And that the contest should be changed to accommodate those not able to meet the requirements would not be in keeping with any standard contest rules or procedures.

What if Tom was to run a Trigger Contest where he wanted people to actually send in their triggers? Not everyone can make one right? So, we should then allow pictures of triggers, right? And then why not just descriptions of triggers, right? See where it would all end up?

Contests are run here to accomplish TWO things. The first is to allow AO Members to participate in the process (by entering or voting) and for them to Win Fantastic Prizes. The second is so that Tom and AGD gets a desired result, effect, or object.

I don't see the rules changing to allow hand drawn entries, sorry. I hope you understand, and do not take offense.

What I WILL do, however(AFTER the contest is over) is to make a Gallery Thread for everyone to post their Hand Drawn concepts. There was nothing stopping anyone from doing so before the contest began, but noone did. I will ask however that NOONE post any such hand drawn concepts until AFTER the contest is over. If you DO, I ask that any of the Moderators DELETE the posts and that a warning be given to the person who posted it. This is because it would be directly interfering with the contest being run.

I would like to say however that I have taken much effort to assist those who may require additional help in this contest. I have not forgotten about people, and have done everything short of actually teaching people how to make the graphics. This would not be done in any other contest being run by any other company. AO and AGD are a step.. no a LEAP.. above any other company and forums for this and other reasons.

I was not offended by your post. I just wanted to provide a bit more insight into why it is being run as it is (another thing most other contests would not do) and hope that you understand. Please do not send any hand drawn entries, they will not be posted in the Contest Gallery. I will be making a Thread for those types of things after the contest is over.

Thank you for your understanding. It is not easy to see people unable to meet the contest criteria, but some criteria had to be made... and enforced. Not an easy or fun job. But like they say... someone had to do it. ;)

manike

11-11-2001, 11:27 AM

HHmm since when did 'Cool and as real (as possible)' mean only computer created images?

I think hand created images fit the original criteria Tom stated if they are done well.

Having worked in Design and Concept in the motor industry I know there are many hand drawn images that will look far far cooler than any computer created image. They just have more 'feel' to them. And some hand images will look more real than some of the computer images entered I bet!

Who is to say the 'real' part of Tom's request is any more important than the 'cool' part? (other than Tom :) ). I think it would be a mistake to rule out cool for sake of more real. Any anyway many drawings/renderings look very close to being real anyway.

I think people should be able to use what ever skills they have in order to create the 'cool and real (as possible)' if that means hand drawn why not allow it? There may be some amazing ideas and images you are stopping by not allowing hand done drawings. I don't think that is the idea behind this. I think the idea behind this competition is to see ideas and good images.

In my case I can't use Photoshop nor do I have the time to learn it. But I can CAD and so my images will not look like photo's, the light on them may not look realistic, but they will look cool and the final image will be as real as I can make it... I daresay someone could create images like mine by hand and they would look just as 'real'...

manike

shartley

11-11-2001, 12:21 PM

Well, no offense to anyone, but since Tom contacted me directly about this, and the contest was inspired by a computer altered graphic, and his intent was not of Hand Drawn pictures.. I think "I" would be the one to determine what Tom wanted, or had in mind... wouldn't you say?

It seems that everyone has their opinions on how the contest should be run, what the rules should be, what things should be accepted, etc... well, without getting into it all.. If YOU were not contacted by Tom himself about what Tom wanted, did not see the correspondence, were not involved in the planning of the contest, or are actually involved in any part of the contest aside from entering your concepts..... It is more than a bit rude and disrespectful to keep this issue going.

I could have very well said, "Who cares what you think. We are doing it this way and I don't have to explain a darn thing to you." But NO, I wanted to show that a little more thought went into it than what some may have realized.

Tom did not intend to have Hand Drawn entries. In fact he even mentioned to warm up your Photoshop (indicating a computer based graphic).... he did not say warm up your pencils. I am not going to consult with every AO Member on every contest point or rule and I should not have to.

Manike, I am disappointed that you even posted what you did. You know very well that Tom put things in MY hands, and that would indicate that I would be the one to make the determinations on various aspects of the contest. It is so that Tom did not HAVE to get involved in the actual running of the contest, and be free to do other AGD business. I know what Tom wanted, what direction he wanted to go, and what types of things he wanted to see out of the entries. That should be enough to satisfy anyone as to who can answer your questions, and what Tom actually wanted.

And being familiar with real concept images myself, and knowing that they are in fact quite often hand drawn, I know that the average person is actually LESS likely to produce that quality by hand, than by computer. So the issue is ENDED! NO HAND DRAWN ENTRIES!

I am not pleased that you took the issue this far. I tried to be diplomatic about it, and actually should not have even tried. I should have just said NO, and not bothered with it again. Your tone implies that everyone BUT myself knows what is best and what Tom wanted out of the contest.. or at a minimum that only Tom could determine what the REAL rules are... I am tired of it and more than a bit insulted. I was put in this position so that Tom would not HAVE to answer these questions directly.

But hey, what do I know, right?

manike

11-11-2001, 01:13 PM

What's up with that? Can't accept a little constructive criticism or other's opinions? I'm dissapointed in you.

Here's some more images of the Modular body with vert feed and warp feed modules, for anyone that wants them. I hope they help.

manike

http://www.automags.org/~Manike/vertside1.jpg
http://www.automags.org/~Manike/vertside2.jpg
http://www.automags.org/~Manike/warpside1.jpg
http://www.automags.org/~Manike/warpside2.jpg

shartley

11-11-2001, 01:49 PM

manike
Actually that is not what just happened, and you know it. ;) So your disappointment is actually moot, since it would have been caused by events that did not happen. :D My job here is not to answer "constructive criticism" or "personal opinions" dealing with the contest. It is to draft the rules, verify the actual rules, clarify any confusion concerning those same rules, and assist where it would not be in direct violation of the rules. I am well aware of what Tom wants, and he was the approving authority of ALL the rules... and I drafted them to fit what HE wanted. If you have a problem with it, please feel free to contact Tom directly.

On another note, thank you for your contribution of the CAD parts. I hope they help some of the contestants. Do you know of any good resources for actual photo's of parts? I know if people dig through the Mag Picture Threads, they can get some nice ones, but it would not be as handy as actual parts.

I know that even poor photos can be used for better realism than most good CAD renderings. I am VERY familiar with CAD (since I have used it and deal with others who do) and would actually prefer a standard "Graphical" 3D Modeling and Rendering Program for this type of thing, such as 3DSM or LW Modeler, etc.

I have even toyed with the idea of taking plans for each of the Mag Parts and modeling them in LW Modeler. This would allow a fully realistic anno/paint job to be applied to the actual parts, have them put together in a 3D World, and actually animate the whole process. This is a realism that just can't be reached with standard CAD software. (Of course this is a bit beyond this contest's needs. Just sharing ideas.)

Granted you would not want to design new parts with this software, but taking existing parts would be SWEET. And once ONE Mag and all its components (i.e. Air Tank, Drop Forwards, etc.) was fully modeled and skinned, you could use THAT for a HUGE amount of things. And changing part colors, anno/paint jobs, angles of parts, etc. would be a breeze. Not to mention any milling you would want to do.

Again, much of this could be done in CAD, but the things you could do WITH it after are a bit limited compared to the other software. What do you think? The best way to do this would be using the CAD plans for the Models.... sound interesting?

Vegeta

11-11-2001, 02:00 PM

This has probably already been asked but what/where are we supposed to submit these? email adress? I hate posting this, but I acnt seem to find it in any of the posts.

manike

11-11-2001, 02:02 PM

Way ahead of you Shartley :)

I've already modelled an Armageddon Air system and tanks in 45 68 and 114 ci sizes... I'm just finishing off the e-mag battery pack and grip frame.

I'm just trying to find out if I can hook up a session on Alias Wavefront via a friendly designer... if not I may just ask him to do it for me.

If I could get on a seat I'd do it myself but I don't have access to Alias anymore. I could do some beautiful renderings but they still won't look as real as something done from photo's in photoshop.

Renderings of my Manike-E-mag should look stunning...

Is teamwork against the rules? We can share the prizes :) lol

I already contacted Tom as I think it would be a real shame/waste to not allow hand created images.

manike

BlackVCG

11-11-2001, 02:10 PM

In all honesty, take a look at prototype pictures of cars. Most of these are hand drawn and look very good at that. Since Tom has never actually said. "No hand drawings." We can't exclude them. Just because he "implied" to use photoshop and rendering of existing photos in some computer graphics program, does not say hand drawings are not allowed. I think Tom needs to make a formal statement on hand drawings before everyone is told what he wants without him having his say.

shartley

11-11-2001, 02:16 PM

Vegeta
It will be announced this coming week.

manike
LOL No you can not do a collaborative effort.. I have a feeling you were asking in jest anyway. ;)

And as for Alias not making photo realistic renderings... actually it can. I have used both Alias and Lightwave to make some outstanding still images out of 3D Renderings. It however takes much more work than is normally put into any such project. You can trust me on that one.

But good thing for stills, you don't NEED to have the 3D rendering software actually do all the work. You can render it as close as you can, and then use Photoshop to tweak it. ;) This is often the best way to go for still images rendered in 3D Software. The time saved and the effects created make it the perfect marriage.

( I wonder if anyone will use any of this conversation for the contest.. ;) )

manike

11-11-2001, 03:26 PM

Good news :)

Sounds like we are going to have another competition after this one for hand drawn/created images :)

Tom is just too generous some times!

manike

shartley

11-11-2001, 03:30 PM

Yes, it is a compromise that works. :)

Vegeta

11-11-2001, 05:34 PM

Next week... hmmm... i might lose/accientally delete it by then. better make backups!

Everybody look at how many people have posted question. Now times that number by about 2. Theres not gonna by 2000 poeple enter this thing... we all actually have a good chance to win something.

zvanut

11-11-2001, 07:54 PM

i have another question,

i have a kodak software program that can crop images etc. Do you know anywhere i can get some info on it. the instruction manual is lost

shartley

11-12-2001, 05:58 AM

zvanut
Did you try contacting the manufacturer? They should know what software package comes with each camera. Then they can either send you the manual, or you can find one online.

Hope this helps.

Maghog

11-12-2001, 09:57 AM

I will not keep this issue going(though I do have a lot of thoughts about it), I just wanted to thank shartley again for trying very hard to interpret the rules correctly. He made some worthy points.
Eeking another contest out of Tom is great, but I was still mostly interested in how my drawings would have stacked up against the other stuff when it came to voting.
I guess we won't get to find out.
Oh well, we need to remember that Tom doesn't have to do any contests if he doesn't want to.
Bickering about the rules is not the AO way and as seen from the creator of the contest's standpoint, I would find it rather annoying and counterproductive to go on and on and on.
That's why I'll keep my trap shut now,
Dan

shartley

11-12-2001, 10:18 AM

Maghog
Thank you for your post.

There is often more to what goes on than gets posted in the Forums. And so people understand a bit better about one of those things, I would like to post a line from an e-mail sent to Tom by myself, while we were determining where we would take this issue...

And you could even run a hand drawn contest after as well...

See, you were not forgotten, or overlooked. :)

And...
I just wanted to thank shartley again for trying very hard to interpret the rules correctly.
Thank you again. This is actually not too hard to do, since I was the one to draft the rules in the first place. ;) It is having to explain them, and enforce them, that can be the tricky part. :D

I thank you all for your understanding.

synreal

11-12-2001, 11:41 AM

is their a rule regarding multiple contest wins?

i.e would it be possible for the same person to win this contest as well as the naming contest that is coming up.
or does winning a contest exclude you from a future trip to the winner's circle for XX days/months?

shartley

11-12-2001, 12:19 PM

synreal
That is a good question, and I have thought about it in passing, but not focused on it. I will see what Tom thinks. I think that there should indeed be a Win Limit, but what it should be will have to be thought about carefully.

I will get back to you on that one. :)

zvanut

11-12-2001, 03:32 PM

shartley,

its kodak camera, the problem is i cant get any info because it is an industrial type camera for labs. Since my dad is a sales rep., we just happened to get it free w/ the several hundred dollar lab software which is complicated :)

shartley

11-12-2001, 03:36 PM

zvanut
Okay.... open the program and go to its HELP and then ABOUT section. Let me know what it says and I will see what I can dig up for you. The more information you can provide the better. Just don't expect me to get the info right back to you 5 minutes after you let me know it... LOL ;)

AGD

11-14-2001, 12:38 AM

Contestants,

First I wanted to make everyone aware of a great program we have started using here that has most of the functionallity of Photoshop at a fraction of the price. It's called Paint Shop Pro and goes for about 90 bucks. That should be within the reach of most people. It does layering, background subtraction, effects the whole works. Check it out!

For right now we will allow multiple wins by the same person. If it happens then we will look into modifying the rules.

AGD

shartley

11-14-2001, 07:59 AM

Thanks Tom, I am sure Paint Shop Pro will help some of the folks out. It is not a bad program. In fact I am sure it will actually be easier to use for many members.

That being said, it ain't Photoshop either. ;) There are reasons why they cost so much different, and it is not simply the name. :D

Let's reverse the situation for a bit.....

You are at a Paintball Event, and a Well known and respected Graphic Artist runs up to your group and shouts.. "Hey, to play paintball all you need is to shoot paintballs right? Well, I started using this BE Marker and it is working GREAT! And it costs a fraction of what EMags do. Check it out!" ;)

Well....... I guess that would be correct, right? Not exactly. Sure they do some of the same things when looking at the basic functions, but they are not close to being the same. ;)

I do however believe in the following rule....

It is better to use a lower end application to your abilities and produce decent results, than to try to use a higher end application and not produce anything. So, I am NOT slamming Paint Shop Pro. It is a great application for what it does, and where it fits into the scale of graphics software. I just don't want any misconceptions as to how it actually stacks up when compared directly against Photoshop.

Again... it ain't Photoshop. ;) But then again, I have said time and again, Photoshop ALONE will not make you a great Graphic Artist. But it will never be the part that keeps you from being one. :)

I think people should use what they will be comfortable with. And that may very well be Paint Shop Pro. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the cost issue isn't really an issue for most members.... how many of the members getting their hands on Photoshop do you think are actually PAYING for it? :D ;) This makes it an issue of ease of use, not which is actually the BETTER software.

shartley

11-14-2001, 05:02 PM

When Tom tells me, I will post it in the Official Rules.

There is still over 2 weeks left, so it should not be that big of a deal yet. :)

Thank you for your understanding.

omni

11-16-2001, 10:26 AM

Hallo

I'm new here and I read through most of the posts here the nite before and saw something about names with submitions.

Will our names show with our submistions? ( I wasn't around for the Box comp.) The factor of favourtism comes in when you know who made the design and the actual Design/Concept/Idea might not get 'judged' by the judges, and people would vote simply for who they liked best.

Sorry if I come off as a prude ... just wondering.

shartley

11-16-2001, 11:10 AM

omni
That is a good point. However you mention a couple issues at the same time... let me please address them for you.

1) All names must be submitted with the entries so that we can keep track of who submitted what.

2) The file names must reflect the member name of the person submitting the file so that it is easier for us to match entries with the actual member.

3) Okay, for the sake of argument, let's say we DON'T put the member's name with the gallery picture... You do a right click and see the file name. You now have the member's name. And even if we change the file name, do you think people will not post someplace else which design is theirs? It happened with the Package Design Contest. I know you said you were not here for it, that is why I am telling you this. :)

So, yes, this has already been thought out. If we worry about each and every little detail, the contests will become so difficult to run that they will more than likely STOP being run. We try to take care of the major issues in a way that allows the contest to be run smoothly and still get the desired end results, both for the contestants AND for AGD.

I am sure you would agree that it is better this way and allow the members the chance to WIN great AGD Prizes, than to get so nitpicky that noone gets that chance. I hope this answered your question.

omni

11-17-2001, 05:12 AM

Heh ok sounds fine, see your point.

Just one guy on another forum(wont say) was posting about selling his vote to the highest bidder ... even if it was a joke, which I hope it was .. still rasies the issue.

shartley

11-17-2001, 10:29 AM

omni
I can understand your concern. But think of it like this.. if someone BUYS votes, what is the point? They might as well skip the middle-man and buy the Marker. ;)

Also, in the last contest like this, some “games” were tried, and they were quickly discovered and corrected. So you can rest assured that things will be fair.

I think most everyone will see the contest in its true spirit, and have a great time (as most did with the last one). :)

Vegeta

11-17-2001, 12:34 PM

Shartley, may I make a suggestion....

when you release the adress to send the pics.. would you mind posting it in a new topic? It semms as though it might be hard to find amoungst all this commotion on this topic.

shartley

11-17-2001, 02:36 PM

Vegeta
Great idea. I will make sure a new Thread is posted so that it is right in the open. I will than also make sure it is added to the Official Rules Thread and this one as well.

zvanut

11-18-2001, 11:36 AM

Here Is A Temp. Fix For Not Bein Able To Save If U Hvae The Demo

While Photoshop is open, and your pictuer is in full view, press ALT/PrtScrn. That will give you a screen shot. Then go to your programs and open Paint (should be in your accessories). Go to edit, paste. then just crop all the other stuff out, and save it as a JPG.

if u have any problems please PM me, as i may be able to help

Paintchucker

11-19-2001, 10:48 PM

Just out of curiousity, how many entries have you recieved so far?

synreal

11-20-2001, 07:59 AM

hopefully none, i have yet to see the email address to which we are sending our entries.

polorboy

11-20-2001, 10:21 PM

I read in the rules that we could send in our stuff between somthing like the 15 and the 30th of this month. Well it is the 20th and I still have not seen an address to send it to. Am I just missing it or is it not out yet?

--- A concernded Mag owner who really wants to win a RT Pro --

I think I should add that the gun that orginaly got me interested in paintball was the RT (this is no joke). I saw a picture of a RT in a magazine when I was in highschool and I said to myself I have got to get one of those. Of course I didn't but that is what orginaly got me interested in paintball. Anyway, I hope the e-mail address gets posted soon, I am getting a little anxious :D . I can't wait to see what everyone else has designed and I hope I win the RT Pro, good luck to everyone who is entering.
:) :D ;) :p :cool:

Vegeta

11-21-2001, 05:21 PM

Yes I really want that mag.. if I dont in it, it will beyears before I get a new gun (own a Tippmann 98, no feilds around to play at, no reason to upgrade guns)

Its getting awful close shartley. Im afraid that some poeple will not find the address this week, and then forget or get disinterested, and whe the 30th comes around they wont have it submitted.

Vegeta

11-22-2001, 07:33 PM

nother question:

It says in the rules that you cannot put a name of the gun on the marker anywhere. Does this mean it cant even say "E-MAG" on it? cuase i kinda already have E-Mag extruded on the back of the gun... looks neat.. and after all.. it is an emag.. just dotn wanna DQ myself.

shartley

11-23-2001, 06:36 AM

Paintchucker
No entries thus far. As was pointed out by another, no entry e-mail address has been announced. ;)

polorboy / Vegeta
There was a delay in announcing an E-Mail Address for entries. This should not be a problem. Please keep in mind that Tom gets quite busy with running the actual business as well as other things. When he lets me know the exact E-Mail Address, I will post it quite BOLDLY for all the world to see. :D

Vegeta
The rule about naming the Marker was to prevent people from coming up with an actual NAME for their marker. EMag if seen like standard EMags on body parts should be fine. An example of naming the EMag would be like the SFL EMag. See the difference?

This also allows us to have the "Name the Marker Contest". We don't want to ruin any chances for additional contests and prizes do we? ;)

synreal

11-24-2001, 01:07 PM

just to play devil's advocate, i know tom and the entire AGD crew is busy, but can we expect atleast 36-48 hours to submit our entries? i don't think it matters much if this forces the deadline to be pushed back, i think everyone just wants a fair shot at entering the contest.

i don't really care when the email address is released as long as there is a reasonable amount of time for us to send in submissions.

am i wholey off base with this request?

shartley

11-24-2001, 01:25 PM

synreal
No, you are not off base... at all.

Unfortunately, I can not post something I do not have conformation on. I CAN however, assure you and the other members,that as soon as I get it, I will make it known in its own Thread, as well as on the Official Rules Thread, AND this one.

Thank you for your understanding.

shartley

11-24-2001, 01:51 PM

Contest e-mail address for your entries!!!!!!

contest@airgun.com

zvanut

11-24-2001, 09:05 PM

i have two diff. styles of an e-mag, diff. colors etc., can i put them on the same entry??

shartley

11-24-2001, 09:21 PM

zvanut
That is a hard question to answer. I do not know how different they are. Of course you can put 5 totally different Markers on the same entry if you like, but it will still be ONE entry. If the Markers are substantially different, it is best to make them separate entries.

But I don't know how different they actually are. That is a determination that YOU the designer must make. Here is the actual rule as is stands in the Official Rules:

11) Individuals may enter as many concept graphics as they want as long as there are substantial differences between each of their entries. This means that color changes are not enough for an additional entry. If you have different color schemes feel free to add small thumbnail pictures TO your submitted graphic showing various color/paint schemes of the same Marker design, but do NOT send as separate entries.
So, as you can see Tom wanted only ADDITIONAL entries if the changes were greater than minor changes (such as a different tank, color scheme, etc.). For a new entry they should be a totally different Marker, not variants of the same one.

I hope this helps, but I think this one can only really be answered by you, since you know how large or small the actual changes are... not me.

Ov3rmind

11-24-2001, 11:32 PM

Is it possible to replace an entry with another one? I was just wondering, because I fiddled around a bit with my entry, and was able to make it much sharper than the one I entered. So, would you guys take an entry and replace one I already sent in (I will have it under the same file name)?

shartley

11-25-2001, 07:20 AM

Ov3rmind
I knew a HARD question would come up, and you presented it. I took a hard look at all the issues this question presents, and how it would effect the contest, and everyone involved in the contest.. to include the contestants.

The answer is no, you can not resubmit your entry. One of the reasons people were given such a long time before the e-mail address was announced was to prevent this type of thing. Another reason is that no other contest would allow entry swapping for any reason, it just opens up too many doors that are way too hard to close. There are other issues as well, but I am sure you get the idea.

I understand your problem. But I can not allow one person to resubmit, or I will have to let everyone do so.

I am sorry.

Ov3rmind

11-25-2001, 11:18 AM

I understand. Just out of curiosity, how many other people here have already submitted theirs?

shartley

11-25-2001, 12:02 PM

Ov3rmind
Thank you for understanding.

As for how many entries have been submitted to this point, I do not know. I do not personally receive them. I am sure a good many will be coming in over the next week, so we will all just have to wait and see. :)

The Mag Man

11-25-2001, 12:29 PM

How long will it take to get the "Gallery" of voting images up? By this I mean after the contest is over on November 30, when will we know who the winners are?

zvanut

11-25-2001, 12:35 PM

i know how i can give u my situation w/o telling everyone it :)

say i have 2 e-mags, one w/ a flatline tank and halo and its polka dotted, the other has a crossfire tank w/ a revvy and is striped, can the be on the same entry?

zvanut

11-25-2001, 12:42 PM

That Is NOT my situatuin, just an example to give him an idea of my problem

shartley

11-25-2001, 12:45 PM

zvanut
Yes, what you described would be one entry, not two. :)

The Mag Man

11-25-2001, 12:51 PM

Don't forget about my question.

shartley

11-25-2001, 01:04 PM

The Mag Man

How long will it take to get the "Gallery" of voting images up? By this I mean after the contest is over on November 30, when will we know who the winners are?As with the last contest, it all depends on how much time Tom and the AGD Crew have. If they are very busy, there will be a slight delay in setting up the Gallery.

Then there will be a full week for all votes to be sent in (one vote per member, any trying to "fool" us will be found out very quickly... as it was the last time.). This should allow every member to get their chance to vote.

I hope his gives you a good indication of the timeframe we are looking at.

(Sorry for not answering it before. You slipped it in between rapid posts. LOL)

omni

11-26-2001, 05:50 AM

Hallo, I looked around and I don't think I saw this asked, sorry if it is.

IS there a Size limit on the design, aka. 1024X768 tipical desktop size.

I'm running 1280X1024, and I could fill that up with Idea's/art, but I'm not going too heh, that would be huge!

So tipical size or Dimension limit? big is good tho :)

shartley

11-26-2001, 06:50 AM

omni
You got me on my first cup of coffee. So I had to hold back with my answer. ;)

This is what the actual AO site says about its design:

This site is optimized for Internet Explorer 5.0+, millions of colors, and 800x600 resolution.

Yes, it WILL expand to allow larger resolutions, but is designed for 800X600. And that being the case, at 800X600 a good size to use for an entry graphic would be no more than about 600 to 700 wide (600 SHOULD be fine). As for height, again, does everyone ACTUALLY want me to start making limits? Sure, there WILL be a problem if someone sends in an image that is 700Wide and 5560000High.

Remember, if the entries get sent way too large, they WILL be reduced to an acceptable size. And again, if that process reduces the quality of the entry.... you get the idea. This is a WEB BASED and DISPLAYED contest, there has never been any doubt about that. So you must keep your entries appropriate for that.

I hope that clears up that issue. :rolleyes:

shartley

11-27-2001, 05:53 AM

cujdik
More than likely. That is about the only logical way to do it. It would just take too long for a full scale gallery to load.

tunaman jr

11-27-2001, 11:26 AM

samples anyone?

Hexis

11-27-2001, 11:55 AM

Can we submit our own thumbnails for out entries? If so, how big you want em? I figure a "-small" added on the end of the file name would be clear enough.

shartley

11-27-2001, 12:29 PM

Hexis
No, do NOT send thumbnails for your entries. ONLY SEND THE ACTUAL ENTRIES. They have software that makes them for them. That way each thumbnail will be uniform.

Thanks.

Hexis

11-27-2001, 02:41 PM

It was a question, no need for an all caps answer.

That kinda sucks tho, cause a tumbnail can be so much more than just a shrunken down version of the whole picture.

shartley

11-27-2001, 03:37 PM

Hexis
The reason I used CAPS is to accent the answer so noone would miss it.

Please keep in mind that when I answer a question it is for ALL to see, not just you. And I often have to answer the same question time and again, or people claim that they did not see it answered.

THAT IS WHY IT WAS ALL CAPS. (actually only a small part was all caps though :D)

No offense was intended... you can trust me on that. So YES there WAS a need for an all caps answer. ;)

As for the thumbnail issue.... you are correct! But this is not a thumbnail contest, and the thumbnails serve only one purpose.. to allow the person to get to the enlarged version. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mwmathes

11-28-2001, 12:47 PM

WHOO HOO, my clip(s) went in to contest.airgun today! I got done before the deadline, and may everyone see my work for all its glory.

Good Luck to all who entered, im gonna enjoy seeing what everyone with Photoshop was able to dream up...

See you on the field
MWMATHES

Team Praetorian Guard, IL

Defalcot

11-28-2001, 02:37 PM

Hey all!

I am glad to have partook in such a fun challenge.
I hope that everyone had as much fun as I did!
Thank you AGD for the opportunity to win such great prizes,
I heard about the contest 3 day's before The deadline. So I figured, what the heck! I'll give it a go.

I haven't played in 6 months, I have been Mountain Biking lately and lost interest in paintball for a while because it was hard to organize all my pal's for a weekly game or two. I hope that this will re-spark my interests in this great sport! I am sooo glad I did not sell my RT, because I knew that I would want to play again. My bud's sold all their stuff and now they regret it, but not me and a couple others! We knew that we could never give up paintball! I see many new things in the world of paintball already, this sport just keeps growing! Well if I win, I will donate my old gun to one of my broke pal's and then he can join me in some butt kicking fun!

Long Live Paintball!!!

Defalcot.........

nutz

11-28-2001, 09:49 PM

i cant wait to see every ones entries!!

omni

11-29-2001, 08:17 AM

shartley:

Could I make My concept a bit longer, like say 800X800?

or thiner but longer, much like the box contest was, I need more hight due to design?

Would you resize that on me, becuase if you did it would make the Marker look funny :) stubby!

shartley

11-29-2001, 11:14 AM

omni
One of your questions is as follows:

Could I make My concept a bit longer, like say 800X800?

or thiner but longer, much like the box contest was, I need more hight due to design?
Noplace in the rules does it state it had to be a dimensionally square, in fact quite the opposite. Please review my actual comments on that issue...

... that being the case, at 800X600 a good size to use for an entry graphic would be no more than about 600 to 700 wide (600 SHOULD be fine). As for height, again, does everyone ACTUALLY want me to start making limits? Sure, there WILL be a problem if someone sends in an image that is 700Wide and 5560000High.
This CLEARLY indicates that you CAN make it longer than it is wide, but to keep the width to roughly 700points or less. It also indicates that you should not make it TOO long, but that we expect some of the graphics to be longer than they are wide. 800 is a bit wider than I asked for so please reduce the width a bit.

You also asked....
Would you resize that on me, becuase if you did it would make the Marker look funny stubby!This is just not true. When a graphic is resized to a smaller width, the height is also reduced in direct proportions (unless the person doing the resizing does not have a clue). The WHOLE graphic is reduced, not just the width.

I hope that puts your mind at ease. :D Noone's graphics will be warped in any way by any resizing the contest staff may have to do.

Defalcot

11-29-2001, 11:56 AM

Hello,
I made mine at: 640x480 72dpi. If you make it bigger or smaller it seems like it gets pixilated. Will the grafx be altered to accommodate the forum boxes?

Defalcot :(

shartley

11-29-2001, 01:02 PM

Defalcot
Don't worry.... the Gallery is not a part of the Forums, it is a part of the main site... so forum boxes are not an issue. Also, your entry will not be made bigger, and it is already well within the guidelines I made (for size), so I see no need to make it smaller.

So......... you are fine. :D

Hope that makes you feel better. :)

Defalcot

11-29-2001, 02:00 PM

Thanks Bro!

thei3ug

11-29-2001, 02:49 PM

Will we be notified and given the option to change it if our entries are too large?

shartley

11-29-2001, 03:35 PM

thei3ug
I do not handle the actual entries, but I would highly doubt it. I am sure they will just be resized down to those sizes discussed. This should not be a problem thought.... only ridiculously huge graphics would be negatively effected by this resizing... and I am sure people had more common sense than to make their entries THAT large.

It is, after all, JUST a Web Based contest for viewing online. ;) It almost sounds as if a bunch of people missed the whole spirit and idea behind it all........

Have Blue

11-29-2001, 05:10 PM

I don't think anyone really missed the point - it's just that we've spent a great deal of time and effort on these images, and we just want to be certain that people will be viewing them as we intended. Scaling some of them down, even just a little, may render small yet noteworthy details obscured.

Just think of everyone competing as an eccentric artist :-)

Defalcot

11-30-2001, 10:12 AM

Hello,

When and where is the art going to be on display? I know that the 30th is the last day for entries. Do they have until midnight? Or was it midnight 29th?
The suspense is killing me! I can't wait till I get to see all the cool art.

Defalcot

shartley

11-30-2001, 11:10 AM

Defalcot
Your question:
When and where is the art going to be on display? The answer: It will be on display in its own gallery on the main AO site. You will be notified via the main site as well as here on the forums as to where the gallery actually is, and how to vote. AS for how long it will take for the AO Staff to set it up, that all depends on how busy they are. It may be set up by Monday, or it may take a week. Again it depends on how busy they are.

And as for entry deadlines, that was pretty clear in the Official Rules...
Contest Dates will be November 04, 2001 - November 30, 2001!
Entries will not be collected until AFTER November 12, 2001.
( Deadline for entries will be Midnight PST USA, November 30, 2001. All entries will then be gathered and placed in a Gallery for final vote by AO Members. When the Gallery is completed, all AO Members will be notified VIA the Forums and given voting instructions.)

Hope this helps.

Defalcot

11-30-2001, 11:33 AM

Thank you.

synreal

11-30-2001, 11:36 AM

quick question, is it legal/ethical to have your friends who are not currently AO members join to vote on your entry? or can only existing members (pre Nov 30) vote?

i understand that some people may abuse this and open 30 accounts to cast votes from, but this is what IP tracking is for.

however, i think that if friendX really likes my design, he should be able to join and vote accordingly. is this correct/

i just want to get ALL the rules straight so we can play fair/nice.

best luck to all who entered, can't wait to see the designs.

shartley

11-30-2001, 12:35 PM

synreal
That is an interesting question. I could write all day about that one alone... but will not. :rolleyes:

Answer:

Legal... yes, but a bit borderline to say the least.
Ethical... NO, and not by a LONG shot.

I hope that is clear enough.

(I wonder why it even surprised me that it was asked?) :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

synreal

11-30-2001, 12:51 PM

ok, let me rephrase this to make sure that i am clear with your meaning, in your mind it is unethical to tell a friend (who may or may not be a fellow player) to come, join the site, and vote for my entry?

i am NOT talking about spamming boards across the web to hoard votes, just word of mouth.

shartley

11-30-2001, 01:08 PM

synreal
Wow.. I was hoping I would not have to go into it. Are you serious, or are you just wanting to cause a problem? Either way, it speaks volumes.

I wrote about 5 replies to your last post...... but ended up deleting them before posting, and made THIS one....

NO. You can not use word of mouth to tell friends to join so that they can vote for your design. If you thought AO was such a great place for them, you would have told them to join already.

I hope this is clear enough for you. Please don't make me get into any further. :rolleyes:

synreal

11-30-2001, 01:17 PM

thank you for your timely response, and no i am NOT trying to start problems, but if you truly believe that people entering this contest will purely sit back and 'let the best man win" i believe you may be mistaken. anytime a prize of value is up for grabs people will do anything in their power to go for it.

i truly want to have a fair shot in this contest, and would be very disappointed to find out at the last moment that i got DQed for asking a teammate to lend his vote to my cause.

shartley

11-30-2001, 01:49 PM

synreal

but if you truly believe that people entering this contest will purely sit back and 'let the best man win" i believe you may be mistakenLet me respond to that with the following:

If you think I have never run a contest and am not aware of what SOME people will do to win, you ARE mistaken. I am fully aware of all the tricks and other things people do to win. And you can trust that any improprieties will be handled accordingly, as they were with the last contest.

What I was trying to avoid is a long conversation about how RULES and ETHICS are two different things. You asked me, and I told you, short and sweet.

I will not make a rule that will prohibit new members who may join this weekend or next week (for normal reasons), but BEFORE the voting begins or ends, from voting, simply because some members don't have any ethics, or have poor ones at best.

Again, I was trying to avoid this conversation. I don't have the time to explain ethics to you, nor should I have to... maybe another member can. A little common sense will go a long way.

i truly want to have a fair shot in this contest, and would be very disappointed to find out at the last moment that i got DQed for asking a teammate to lend his vote to my cause.There are over 3000 AO Members, are you THAT worried that it will come down to ONE vote? I can not believe this to be the case... However if it was, maybe less time should have been spent worrying about the ethics of this process and more time on the entry itself?

I am truly trying NOT to be offensive, but please let this issue drop. I did not avoid answering your question, and in fact did so three times now. I think it has been more than adequately answered now and any further questions about it will be considered disruptive. If you are still confused, keep this in mind.... If you think it may not be right, it probably isn't.... SO DON'T DO IT! :)

This issue is now officially ended.

deded

12-01-2001, 01:18 AM

Everybody entered and we all got one vote!

:D

I can't wait to see what people came up with!

FiTiRPiLiT

12-01-2001, 01:56 AM

i just entered my image with 3 minutes to spare! i hope it went through okay! i can't wait to see what everyone came up with, this is exciting!

Vegeta

12-01-2001, 01:14 PM

Oh no.. oh no oh no oh no...

See... like many people, i put more than 1 pic of my gun (more than 1 camera angle) and so the picture became quite big.. i worked up until almost hte deadline to get it done... had computer problems for a week till the 30th.. and so it was late and when i put these pics together, i didnt realize it at hte time, but hte pic became quite large... try about 1200 x 825. I just HAD to put in those other angles to give the whole story.. but.. im afraid your people will think thats too big and disqualify me...

Its past hte deadline so its not like i can cut some off and resubmit.. will that big size be a problem? the actual file size if small.. only around 55kb's...

please PLEASE tell me if there wil be a problem with my pic.. its a great gun and I was hoping I might come close to actually winning!

Edit: 1 more thing.. I think we all need to give shartley here a hand.. look how hard hes been working on this, trying to answer all of our questions in a calm, ethical way while still being sincere. He has really worked hard on this, and he wont even be able to submit an entry! (I do belive I read no one involved with the contest could enter right?)

So again, Thanks shartley, and thanks to Tom for funding this whole thing.. this is money out of the companies pocket im sure.. right? But of corse.. they will get to see some really cool new ideas with it...

shartley

12-01-2001, 02:09 PM

Vegeta
First I would like to say thank you for your comments.

Now..... I hope you DID still enter. I gave rough guidelines, and tried to make sure it was clear that some leeway was going to be used. This is so that as many entries could be gotten as possible. And even at the size you stated I am sure if it is a bit too wide, it can be reduced with no problems here on our end. I don't think we will totally disqualify an entry for being a bit larger than we wanted or can use easily... we will either resize it, or if it is not that much larger, run it as is.

Think of it like a speed limit sign.... if the sign says 65 people will be doing 75 or more. If the sign was to say 75? LOL So if I had not said to try to keep them at 600-700 wide, and said "Sure make them as large as you like.", you can imagine what we would be getting in. :D

Again, I wanted to keep as much freedom as I could without losing all control. :)

And you are correct, I can not submit an entry. But that does not bother me. :)

Hexis

12-01-2001, 03:10 PM

I did my entry using a 3d cad package. Can I post some other concepts that I have using some of the parts, but that are far different from my contest entry?

shartley

12-01-2001, 03:14 PM

Hexis
I would ask that you hold off until AFTER the contest is over and the winner is picked. Posting anything now would take away from the contest. I hope you understand.

Vegeta

12-01-2001, 03:16 PM

Yes I did submit it.. I realized it was awfully big AFTER i had mailed it. :(

Well.. i opened it up again this morning just to admire my work... and Thats when I saw it was huge... Then realized.. "oh no... thats way to big for their web page" followed by mass panic. I made it in 3D Studio, so it isnt like its fuzzy pics bodged together.. so resizing shouldn't change it that much.. But I really wish it were to stay the cureent size... (I rendered hte thing at 800x600, 4 pics, i tried to make them fit in a small of an area as possible, still turned out big :( )

Well we'll find out soon.
i'll try resizing it myself just to see what it might look like it if you peopel resize it. Hopefully it will still look ok,

Vegeta

12-01-2001, 03:19 PM

Ok.. i got it down to 800x600... and it didnt distort it any, but it did make it really hard to see much of hte detail that took most of my time to do... :(

all I can do is hope and wait.

shartley

12-01-2001, 04:35 PM

I am sure it will be fine. :)

Defalcot

12-03-2001, 07:38 AM

Hello,

Just came by to say good luck to all contestants and remember, it is all for fun and to benefit the Mag community for our future Mag designs.

:)
Defalcot

omni

12-03-2001, 08:16 AM

I can't wait to see some of the cool/creative stuff you guys whiped up! :)

and as always, good luck to all

Paintchucker

12-03-2001, 05:48 PM

Any idea of when we will see the creations???

shartley

12-03-2001, 05:58 PM

Paintchucker
That has been answered a couple times at least.... :D:D:D

As with the last contest, it all depends on how much time Tom and the AGD Crew have. If they are very busy, there will be a slight delay in setting up the Gallery.

Then there will be a full week for all votes to be sent in (one vote per member, any trying to "fool" us will be found out very quickly... as it was the last time.). This should allow every member to get their chance to vote.

I hope his gives you a good indication of the timeframe we are looking at. and
AS for how long it will take for the AO Staff to set it up, that all depends on how busy they are. It may be set up by Monday, or it may take a week. Again it depends on how busy they are.So... we will all know when the Gallery is setup at the same time. :D

I hope this helps. The AGD crew are very busy folks.