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Buddy World
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Buddy World // Roundtable
Post by splinters // Oct 31, 2008, 2:39pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Nope Lightworks all the way baby!!! :D |
Post by splinters // Nov 3, 2008, 12:53pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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OK, I threaten to keep posting renders so why not some of these? These are a few of the recent images in context of the website pages. This is just a grown up acting out childish games with virtual action figures really. Who says you have to grow up?? ;) |
Post by Nez // Nov 3, 2008, 11:09pm
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Some typically great renders there Splinters, I love the finish you get with Lightworks, although I'd be interested to see how much is achieved post-process (do all your light 'glows' get added later, for example, and if so what method do you use?)
I noticed that the Mothership 'legs' don't look like they're quite touching the ground... but I really like all three shots and wish I could get my shaders looking that good.... |
Post by splinters // Nov 4, 2008, 12:29am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Some typically great renders there Splinters, I love the finish you get with Lightworks, although I'd be interested to see how much is achieved post-process (do all your light 'glows' get added later, for example, and if so what method do you use?)
I noticed that the Mothership 'legs' don't look like they're quite touching the ground... but I really like all three shots and wish I could get my shaders looking that good....
Cheers Nez. I have always said I may not be the best modeller but I think I have a decent eye for lighting and composition...and a bit of imagination which helps doing this stuff.
I love Vray; it gave Little Cloud a very soft ethereal look. Dribble is amazing especially for fur and displacement but I guess my real love is Lightworks.
Glows are added by selecting white areas with the magic wand, copying them and then adding outer glow. Flatten image, manually blur the edges then add a little diffuse glow.
Finally, my magic dreamy filter and a quick auto levels....voila. Sounds like a lot of post process but only takes a few minutes per image. All these (and several more) were made and rendered at tea time last night in a few hours.
I work quick...I have to...;)
Oh, and the legs....the ship is floating....easy eh...:rolleyes:
With kids stuff...you have to be able to suspend belief; they can't differentiate between reality and fantasy at an early age. That is why I love doing this stuff. |
Post by Nez // Nov 4, 2008, 1:26am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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I think I have a decent eye for lighting and composition...and a bit of imagination which helps doing this stuff.
Undoubtedly true....
Glows are added by selecting white areas with the magic wand, copying them and then adding outer glow. Flatten image, manually blur the edges then add a little diffuse glow.
Finally, my magic dreamy filter and a quick auto levels....voila. Sounds like a lot of post process but only takes a few minutes per image.
Cool, thanks for that. I do most of my limited post work in PSP5 which is a bit more limited in effects, so tend to resort to a seperate render pass for glowing objects which then gets some gaussian blur and blended to the underlying image.. (or several such layers with varying degrees of blur). I occasionally make use of an old copy of Photoshop (5.5?) which had some of those inner glow/outer glow etc effects which is very handy but I'm usually on my work PC to finish off my tS work and don't have PS to take advantage of. I've vaguely heard mention of this 'dreamy' filter before but don't know anything about that... and I wish I could figure out how to do levels in PSP - it's so easy in photoshop! Use that to tweak all my digital photos....
Oh, and the legs....the ship is floating....easy eh...:rolleyes: HAd a feeling you might say that! ;)
With kids stuff...you have to be able to suspend belief; they can't differentiate between reality and fantasy at an early age. That is why I love doing this stuff. Too true, mine regularly get a trifle confused over some of the stuff they read/watch on TV...! If I ever get an internet connection restored at home (rely totally on work for that) then I might be able to look at getting hooked up to Buddy World for them. Will have to see if I can talk some of my other family members into it though... |
Post by Steinie // Nov 4, 2008, 2:01am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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For those following along.
"Dreamy Filter" link posted in another thread by Splinters:
http://www.autofx.com/freeplugins/dreamyphoto.asp?id=7
Now back to our regularly scheduled Commercial... |
Post by splinters // Nov 4, 2008, 2:24am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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If I ever get an internet connection restored at home (rely totally on work for that) then I might be able to look at getting hooked up to Buddy World for them. Will have to see if I can talk some of my other family members into it though...
I appreciate that. My difficulty is in finding time to promote the site as I am so busy making content. If I pay a promoter I may well be owing revenue I never have so I really do hope anyone who takes a look will tell someone else and so on. Word of mouth is often the best advertisement.
At the moment (with my workload) I need all the promotion I can get.
Cheers again...:D
P.S I just showed this to a group of ahem, older kids who were transfixed. Lets just say they made Tamtam look young....:rolleyes:
Seems to be that most kids who see it are sucked in and want to see more..but it depends on their parents doing the subscription. |
Post by splinters // Nov 4, 2008, 2:44am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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For those following along.
"Dreamy Filter" link posted in another thread by Splinters:
http://www.autofx.com/freeplugins/dreamyphoto.asp?id=7
Now back to our regularly scheduled Commercial...
Hey ya can't blame a man for a bit of self promotion...;)
The dream range of filters really are excellent. I use them to take the 'hard' edge of renders especially Lightworks which does cold, reflective, industrial so well.
And they are free now (not sure what the limits are) so go get 'em. Thanks for the link Steinie. |
Post by splinters // Nov 9, 2008, 10:59am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Thanks to the generous help from BrotherX, I have now addressed the issues of flash elements and layers being out of line especially on HD displays or minimised windows. Many, many thanks for that..:D.
This also means that things should show up properly on consoles too. I have tried on the least powerful (the Wii) and it all works but unfortunately the output of the Wii is a lower res than a HD set so you have to 'track around' the screen to see everything. Also, the Wii browser does not support latest flash so some elements cannot be seen.
I can get access to an Xbox and PS3 through the week but if anyone wants a 3 day pass (Free!) to have a look around in exchange for a bit of testing and feedback, then PM or email me and I will arrange a membership (I just need your email address).
Would be beneficial to me if you have a large screen connected to your console and ideally a bunch of kids to share the experience with...:D
Just LMK |
Post by stoker // Nov 9, 2008, 11:15am
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stoker
Total Posts: 506
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The site is looking good!...just one thing though..
The Thumbnail Links for Planet Invaders and space shooter are the wrong way round. The Thumbnail doesnt correspond to the game.
Just thought ad let u know!:) |
Post by splinters // Nov 9, 2008, 11:36am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Good spot Stoker...I had just updated the page hence the error. Fixed now.
Thanks for that...;)
How are you finding the new stuff...lot bigger than the first time you visited eh? Are you having a 'retro arcade' moment?
Good to hear from you...:D |
Post by Finis // Nov 9, 2008, 3:28pm
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Finis
Total Posts: 386
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Not much time to look over the sample section but what I saw had a look of professionalism and quality. It certainly looks like something worth paying for. I wanted to read the rest of the aliens on the farm story and enjoyed the jigsaw puzzle.
I have a friend with teaching experience and more than 20 years of child care experience. I'll ask if she will look at the site.
In the FAQ:
I saw a minor typo "...experience educator...".
The part about why it isn't free is apologetic in tone. It asks an accusatory question and then you defend against it which is a tacit admission that charging for it is bad. Don't put the thought that charging is bad (it's not) and that the bad thing is part of the site in the reader's mind. Instead, answer the question, "Will I be plagued with ads and pop ups?" That way your answer establishes that the site is free of these bad things. |
Post by splinters // Nov 9, 2008, 11:17pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Cheers Finis, I fear that the apologetic tone goes back to when the site was in it's infancy and I did get a lot of people asking why it was not free. A lot of FAQ's are made up questions but most of these have been posed to me at some point.
Either way I just changed it to this:
Remember that no websites are really free, and they do cost money to run, but most earn money by placing adverts, links and pop-ups from their sponsors within the site. Buddy World has no such distractions so you can be sure of a safe visit here for you and your child. Subscriptions cover the costs of running Buddy World but they also guarantee that your visit is not disrupted by pop up screens, adverts or even potentially damaging viruses!
I think that reads better, and I changed the typo.
If you have kids Finis or a console connected to a TV, would you like a pass to try the main site out? Nothing better than good word of mouth advertising!
As for the sample section, I have not updated the code yet so it maybe that elements are still out of line there. It took all day yesterday to correct the main site and I 'burnt out'. I will look at porting some over later today.
That offer still stands for the free pass. |
Post by nigec // Nov 10, 2008, 4:15am
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nigec
Total Posts: 314
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Great site :D
Have you thought about going Flash with the pages? |
Post by splinters // Nov 10, 2008, 5:40am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Great site :D
Have you thought about going Flash with the pages?
Which ones?
Many of them are, certainly all the 'flipbooks' are flash. One problem with flash is the loading times. Take the main map you reach. It is made of layers and have rollover effects...takes time to load but once the first image is up, you can see all the links and they are active so an impatient child can navigate immediately. It just takes time for the 'pop up' elements to become active but a child would not realise this.
If that map were to be a flash element loading (at 1028x764) it could take some time and they may get bored and give up.
I can view this site on a Wii or PS3 but not all of the flash elements, that would also limit my audience.
Oh, and my flash skills are non-existent...:p
Thanks for the compliments though, I am rather proud of the main site but the sample section is not as impressive as the members section...I really need to update it soon. Would hate to think I might lose some customers due to what may seem like incompatibilities....I can assure you the members side works fine and has much more content! |
Post by nigec // Nov 10, 2008, 7:10am
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nigec
Total Posts: 314
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Yeah it was the map area.. yes i agree 1028x764 flash could be painfully slow.. but saying that it does have quite good compression..
you can get flash loading one page at a time instead of one big single file
I think it would look cool if.. if say the duck or frog reacted if the cursor went near them ;)
The flip books look great :).. it might be worth moving them over away from the edge of the screen, I looked at the site on my wife's laptop which only has 1024 screen res and it was a bit difficult to find the turning point.. plus i'm useless with touchpad mouse, so it was more likely me than the page lol :rolleyes:
if you want to try some stuff in flash give me a shout.. i'm no expert but i'm happy to give it a try |
Post by stoker // Nov 10, 2008, 7:39am
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stoker
Total Posts: 506
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Good spot Stoker...I had just updated the page hence the error. Fixed now.
Thanks for that...;)
How are you finding the new stuff...lot bigger than the first time you visited eh? Are you having a 'retro arcade' moment?
Good to hear from you...:D
'Retro arcade'.....well thats one way of putting it!:D
Site is looking great mate, certainly a few extra bits and pieces since the last time i visited.......cant load up the flipbooks though...:o |
Post by Finis // Nov 10, 2008, 9:09am
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Finis
Total Posts: 386
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FAQ:The new text does read better and covers many of the strengths of the material and the site. Unfortunately these strengths are still diminished by using them to justify charging. I agree about using real questions in the FAQ. It would be dishonest to call it a FAQ but have made up questions. Maybe some questions shouldn't be answered. These strengths could be presented as positives on the info page (maybe they are) without the question associating them with negatives.
As an American, capitalist, free market, competitive enterprise supporter I'm bothered by any implication that charging or profit (I think you hope to put money in your pocket) is bad or needs an excuse. That's me though. Defensiveness anywhere on the site counters promotion of Buddy World.
I critiqued yours so here's mine:
http://www.phosphorgallery.com/S_pages/PGAboutFrames.html
I'll pm you the location of the join page (for crits if you want to, it has more promotional text) since it is disconnected for a while.
Thanks for offering the free pass. I don't have kids and my friend is better qualified to give an opinion. Since it is worth paying for she will pay, or I will, if she wants to look at it. |
Post by splinters // Nov 10, 2008, 9:20am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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'Retro arcade'.....well thats one way of putting it!:D
Site is looking great mate, certainly a few extra bits and pieces since the last time i visited.......cant load up the flipbooks though...:o
Have you got the latest version of flash? Seems to work on the machines I have tested them on...:confused: |
Post by stoker // Nov 10, 2008, 11:33am
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stoker
Total Posts: 506
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Have you got the latest version of flash? Seems to work on the machines I have tested them on...:confused:
Yeah it was my bad not yours:rolleyes: i had an old version of flash, hence it not working! :D:D |
Post by splinters // Nov 17, 2008, 12:29pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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It's late, I am tired so I may have missed a few bits but the sample section is now fixed to mirror 99% of the main site if anyone wants to have a look around. Hopefully it is clearer to the visitor that this is a 'free' tour with limited access. I cut down the content a bit and added a few 'timeout' pages at the end of links. Hopefully this will be an incentive for visitors to subscribe to the main site.
Anyways, I can get on with new stuff now. If anyone spots any bad links, errors etc. then feel free to let me know...:D |
Post by jayr // Nov 17, 2008, 1:21pm
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Total Posts: 1074
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Looks great Splinters. Got a few relatives with kids, i'll recomend it to them. Are you going to add t-shorts with characters on them to your store? DSD would make a great t-shirt! |
Post by splinters // Nov 17, 2008, 1:29pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Cheers Jayr, store is my next pet project...unfortunately they banned my pepe movie posters. I thought they would make great T-Shirts but they are very cautious of copyright issues...:confused:
Still, much mileage to be had with Harold, Doris etc. |
Post by Finis // Nov 18, 2008, 6:04am
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Finis
Total Posts: 386
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The FAQ looks great now!
Spelling: "...a virus on you PC..."
Micro things not really needing attention:
The "how do I join" part says annual subscription but there are really several subscription options.
"There are several books to be added to the site in the next few months." Shouldn't a FAQ be timeless? Will there always be several books in the next few months? Maybe something about new material added approximately every X months.
Maybe section 16, about refunds, could be titled Legal Bits and used as a catch-all for legal details. |
Post by splinters // Nov 18, 2008, 6:11am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Thanks Finis, just amended them but I can't upload from school so they will be live later tonight.
Cheers again for your eagle eyes...;) |
Post by Finis // Dec 10, 2008, 10:34am
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Finis
Total Posts: 386
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Splinters is controlling my mind! This morning I did a crossword puzzle while having coffee. One clue was "movie pig". Four letters. The first answer I thought of was ... Pepe! |
Post by splinters // Dec 10, 2008, 10:45am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Splinters is controlling my mind! This morning I did a crossword puzzle while having coffee. One clue was "movie pig". Four letters. The first answer I thought of was ... Pepe!
Correct answer. I have been busily working on mind control these last few weeks in order to increase sales. It may have backfired...anyone else having strange feelings for Doris or Harold??
:p |
Post by v3rd3 // Dec 10, 2008, 4:27pm
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v3rd3
Total Posts: 388
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I tried this when I wanted to cheat at chess..... only problem was when I tried to scurry the king out of trouble all that happened was the pawns shivered..... |
Post by splinters // Dec 15, 2008, 1:05pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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I never did make that gift card for Buddy World subscriptions as Xmas presents. I just found some time so if anyone here is interested in having one to give as a gift then let me know and I will make one...:D |
Post by splinters // Jan 10, 2009, 4:11am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Ok, not a sale as such but with the economy being the way it is I am offering a years subscription to Buddy World for a little over half price and I think it is fair to say that it was a reasonable cost at full price.
Anyway, you can get a years access to Buddy World for just £10 (around 15 US dollars). The offer is available for the rest of January then it will go back to its normal price.
A few people from the forums expressed an interest in subscribing recently so hopefully this will help save a few pennies (cents!).
Here is the link and feel free to pass it on to families or friends who might be interested. There is no restrictions on who can take advantage of this for the rest of the month.
http://www.buddyworldbooks.com/signup.html
Just agree to the terms and proceed to the subscription page. Choose the Annual private subscription and ignore the £16 price; when you click on the buy button you will be taken to Paypal but the price will now only be £10. I will amend this on the actual web page later.
Thanks to all who have supported the site so far. |
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