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September 2008 MMC Challenge - Fairy and Gnome dwellings
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September 2008 MMC Challenge - Fairy and Gnome dwellings // Monthly Modeling Contest
Post by theuns // Aug 31, 2008, 9:00pm
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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Anything goes, from Hobbit style burrows to Elfish forest or mountain mansions and anything in between...
Just google gnome or fairy house or visit the Lord of the Rings websites for references if you want, or just come up with you own original...
Remember, focus on the detail of the dwellings, not the fairy or grome ...
Here's the rules (from Jack's original Challenge) :
The idea is to have a challenge that is geared more towards the complete 3D development cycle from concept through modeling, surfacing, lighting, rendering, and post process. This is a chance for TSer's to really show their stuff and help motivate the production of portfolio quality images.
1.) Submission expresses the topic. If topic is an object, then it must include at least one instance of the object which should be the focus of the image.
2.) Use your own work. No pre-made purchased or free models, please.
3.) Start a Work In Progress thread for your submission.
4.) Submission should be one image and a link to your WIP thread.
5.) Indicate tools used to create your submission. TS should be the primary application used to create the image. Post Processing in a paint program is ok.
*It's important that everyone who's planning to enter start a WIP thread.
You can do that by starting a thread in The Work In Progress Forum
With difficult challenges like this many entries are over ambitious and don't make it to completion so in many cases it may be likely that judging will have to take place on the WIP.
Deadline: Monday September 22TH at 10:00pm EST
---This gives you about three weeks to work on your WIP
Judging Ends Sunday September 28th at 8:00 pm EST |
Post by Weevil // Sep 1, 2008, 9:52am
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Weevil
Total Posts: 534
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Fairies and gnomes huh?
Maybe I'll...sit this one out...
...Or maybe not...who knows? |
Post by rjeff // Sep 1, 2008, 4:03pm
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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Sounds like a good one Theuns. I am sitting this one out. I just can't seem to get anything done to completion with the newborn and the 2 year old. So with that, maybe I can join in October. |
Post by kena // Sep 1, 2008, 4:14pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Come on! we need entries! lots of different things to do.
Here is my entry thread:
http://forums1.caligari.com/truespace/showthread.php?t=6530 |
Post by theuns // Sep 1, 2008, 9:45pm
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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Come on guys, don't shy away from a challenge, organic modeling is not one of my strong points, which is exactly why I want to take part in this one as well, to broaden my horizons and improve my skills ;)
I love modeling wood objects, so a wooden tree house isn't that hard to do, but to make it look more 'organic' and natural, like 'growing' a house or carving it out of wood or ground is something else...
I want to learn more about SDS and Nurbs and Metaballs and Deform tools so I will try and enter more than one if I can...
Will start my WIP thread soon :D |
Post by kena // Sep 2, 2008, 7:43am
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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yeah... I would have started a wip on a castle last month if I didn't have any entries too. Unfortunately the Challenge coordinator cannot get voted on. But that should not stop you from doing a wip to encourage other people to. |
Post by theuns // Sep 2, 2008, 8:27pm
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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I have not seen such a rule, where did you hear about it Kena?
Why would there be such a rule that the coordinator can not be voted for? He/she is not a judge so I don't see why they can not participate and be voted for?
yeah... I would have started a wip on a castle last month if I didn't have any entries too. Unfortunately the Challenge coordinator cannot get voted on. But that should not stop you from doing a wip to encourage other people to. |
Post by Nez // Sep 2, 2008, 10:13pm
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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theuns
I don't think it's a rule that's ever been set in stone, but most of us who've hosted either an SMC or MMC have not put ourselves up for voting at the end of 'our' challenge, simply to guarantee that the next topic is set by someone else. Notionally it should stop the really good guys (like Prodigy - no offence man!) from winning, setting the next topic, winning that, etc - but in practice this is probably increasingly unlikely as the number of participants increase.
Personally, when I've run a challenge, I've still made a scene - partly to support the topic (why should anyone else do one if I can't be bothered to on the subject of my choice), partly because I chose to do something I'm in interested in attempting - but haven't included myself in the poll, so that someone else has the fun next time round.
So it's more of an unwritten rule as I see it - Idon't think it existed when the various challenges started but someone (might have been Steinie on an early MMC) did something along these lines and it pretty much stuck. |
Post by Nez // Sep 2, 2008, 10:17pm
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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NB - of course, everyone is technically a 'judge', and also there's nothing to actually prevent you from voting for yourself in a poll when the voting is not made public - personally I would hope that people wouldn't do that and this is a pretty responsible forum so it's unlikely, but it's not technically impossible. But your query is valid, there is no particular reason why you shouldn't put up an entry and be voted on, it's just a habit that has stuck to ensure things stay as 'fresh' as possible.... |
Post by theuns // Sep 2, 2008, 10:24pm
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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I see your point Nez, and it makes sense... I think I will also make that a habit... have't quite thought of it that way before...
regarding voting, I find myself sometimes too impartial or not objective enough to vote when I REALLY like a model I've made so even voting for others becomes difficult and I sometimes feel like not voting at all, lest I vote for myself or not for the best candidate to help me win, which I won't do, so I'd rather abstain from voting...
But I agree with your view point on this so I'll just partake for the fun of it, like I said, want to enhance my 'organic' modeling skills [actually just downloaded the organics course in the fundamental series ;]
Good luck everybody :) |
Post by Nez // Sep 2, 2008, 10:52pm
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Yeah, voting can be a challenge sometimes - I do usually pick someone to vote for - and they usually end up beating me....:rolleyes: If I wanted to do better in the SMC/MMC polls, the first thing I should do is stop voting! |
Post by theuns // Sep 3, 2008, 1:10am
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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Hehehe... but what if you REALLY feel that your own design is the best looking? If you are really honest, you have to vote for yourself, otherwise not voting at all would be the best policy :D
Yeah, voting can be a challenge sometimes - I do usually pick someone to vote for - and they usually end up beating me....:rolleyes: If I wanted to do better in the SMC/MMC polls, the first thing I should do is stop voting! |
Post by Steinie // Sep 3, 2008, 1:14am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Theuns,
I'm glad you decided to enter but not be judged. I always believed the more people who get a chance to run a Challenge the better. It keeps the ideas fresh and gets more people involved.
I started the rule for one of the Challenges because the participation was so low. I decided to award Dribble as a prize to boost excitement. I'm glad we are getting more and more entries.
This Challenge worries me because we had just finished a Castle scene and this one is another "building/structure" Challenge. You might want to broaden the focus to bring in more entries. (do dwarfs, sandpeople, height challenged homo sapiens count too?)
This is the perfect challenge for VE so I'm sure Caligari is happy.
I'm tossing around ideas in my head for this one so count me in at some point.;) |
Post by Nez // Sep 3, 2008, 1:34am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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Hehehe... but what if you REALLY feel that your own design is the best looking? If you are really honest, you have to vote for yourself, otherwise not voting at all would be the best policy :D
In that situation (and without meaning to sound smug, it has happened) I would vote for the entry I would consider best if mine were excluded - I'd never vote for myself. I'd actually have no problem with the voting being public or revealing who'd I'd voted for, I'd like to think I could always justify it.
Steinie has a point - I think this category could be safely widened to include any number of mythical/fantasy creatures (not necessarily just those short in stature either). I don't know whether I'l lbe entering personally this time round as I've alot of other things that need attention at the moment and Inever get any modelling done except for the SMC and MMC. We'll have to see - I never get started right at the beginning anyway, so may try to put together something later on.... |
Post by theuns // Sep 3, 2008, 2:01am
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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true, Nez, but strictly speaking, that would not be honest or fair, should yours be the best but you loose because you voted for somebody else... I think abstaining would best if you want a fair competition that you want to win, and if you host, don't submit your own entry for voting...
I have no problem with expanding the range of the challenge, might just be difficult to vote if some entries are structural or architectural and others are creature character based but we can expand it not to be limited to only fairies and gnomes...
Just to keep in mind though, it would be better if everybody came up with a model of the same thing, a burrow, for instance, because then the voting would directly compare the best scene for a borrow and not a borrow and tree house and flower pod or mushroom hut etc.
It would make it more interesting with more potential and nice different ideas for entries so both options is good :)
That said, if anybody wants to do something different within the "fantasy dwelling" concept, that's fine too... ;) |
Post by Nez // Sep 3, 2008, 2:08am
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Nez
Total Posts: 1102
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ON the voting, what's 'best' is down to opinion anyway.... besides, if someone beats me partly because I voted for them, I'm not going to hold that against them - I'm in it for the fun...
On the topic - if you look back over some of the previous MMCs (and even SMCs) that interpretation of the subject is half the fun - we don't really want everyone modelling stuff that's too similar (usually, anyway, though it might be interesting to see different approaches to bvery similar models...) Of course, some people are more imaginative than others on the themes, but still, I like seeing the range of interpretation.... |
Post by theuns // Sep 3, 2008, 3:29am
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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Of course it is about fun yes, not that serious an issue, just a casual observation ;) I sure have had a lot of fun the the recent challenges and are actually very glad of it, since it brought me out of a couple of months worth of slump where I did not have the will or motivation to model anything :D
true about the different approaches, but of course even that would have a down side for some, who might not be so creative or imaginative as others, which is also a handicap... but there will never be a totally perfect challenge because we are all so different, a balance in between would have to do... as long as, once again, we have fun doing it ;)
ON the voting, what's 'best' is down to opinion anyway.... besides, if someone beats me partly because I voted for them, I'm not going to hold that against them - I'm in it for the fun...
On the topic - if you look back over some of the previous MMCs (and even SMCs) that interpretation of the subject is half the fun - we don't really want everyone modelling stuff that's too similar (usually, anyway, though it might be interesting to see different approaches to bvery similar models...) Of course, some people are more imaginative than others on the themes, but still, I like seeing the range of interpretation.... |
Post by MikeJoel // Sep 3, 2008, 4:23am
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MikeJoel
Total Posts: 266
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(one running the poll voting): Also may want to consider the idea that the person running the poll also knows what the topic will be (sometimes days) before everyone else. Also that they may be choosing a topic because they have some ideas on what they would like to see (not talking about you theuns or anyone else, just saying that would be one reason why they shouldn't get to be voted on).
(voting for yourself): I don't personally see a problem with voting for yourself if you look at all the entries and still consider that yours is the best (and I do mean objectively). I agree though there is a real strong tendency to vote for yourself because you always will be more "connected" to your entry than anyone else's.
I mean politicians vote for themselves...... errr... oh well, lost that one. Ok so no voting for yourself :D
(the current topic): If you want to broaden the topic how about just making it "woodland homes (fantasy or real)"?
With all that said.... I won't be able to enter this month's MMC. Got a lot I'm having to do. |
Post by theuns // Sep 3, 2008, 5:14am
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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hehehe... i hear ya Mike, sorry you cant' join in though... |
Post by J90 // Sep 3, 2008, 8:47am
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J90
Total Posts: 107
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Do we have to create our own textures? or can we use ones we find ? |
Post by Steinie // Sep 3, 2008, 8:57am
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Steinie
Total Posts: 3667
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Just about everybody uses textures from other sources. Some users will modify them but that is up to you. |
Post by MikeJoel // Sep 3, 2008, 9:01am
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MikeJoel
Total Posts: 266
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Nope. You don't have to create the textures.
I asked the same question on the last MMC.
I assume you mean free to use textures when you say "find" ;) :D
Mike |
Post by J90 // Sep 3, 2008, 9:08am
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J90
Total Posts: 107
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Just about everybody uses textures from other sources. Some users will modify them but that is up to you.
I will see if I am able to participate :) |
Post by rjeff // Sep 3, 2008, 10:35am
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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j90 if you want a good free texture maker grab Simbiont TS. It is nice,free and you can modify them to your liking as well. |
Post by J90 // Sep 3, 2008, 2:20pm
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J90
Total Posts: 107
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Thanks Rjeff.
Edit: Rjeff I downloaded the Simbiont ts plugin. I can't get the shader to scale down on a simple cube.
How can I do it properly? |
Post by kena // Sep 3, 2008, 4:35pm
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kena
Total Posts: 2321
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Go to the Simbiont Transform tab and change the scale in x y and z. |
Post by J90 // Sep 3, 2008, 6:14pm
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J90
Total Posts: 107
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Go to the Simbiont Transform tab and change the scale in x y and z.
I did that and applied the updated shade to the model it still didn't scale it down though.
Edit: Nevermind I guess it only shows the actual shader after rendering. I didn't think about that. Sorry |
Post by rjeff // Sep 4, 2008, 3:23am
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rjeff
Total Posts: 1260
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glad you like it J90..it is a very nice free texture pulg in. |
Post by Weevil // Sep 5, 2008, 2:09am
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Weevil
Total Posts: 534
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Oh what the hell...count me in... |
Post by theuns // Sep 5, 2008, 9:53am
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theuns
Total Posts: 519
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Good to hear Weevil, the more the merrier ;)
I told my girls about this months MMC and they brought me their fairy book of short stories with some nice illustrations, which has some nice ideas for fairy mushroom houses and elf kitchens in the roots if trees, I think I'll be trying them out in 3d ;)
will post a WIP this weekend with perhaps the first images, was also thinking of doing a comic-book/flim-reel like collage of the progress to show the modeling steps, just for fun ;)
Oh what the hell...count me in... |
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