Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/messages.ez?ForumID=12368&Form.ShowMessage=1034523

When I created the rules for our January challenge, I was hoping for a little more feedback to know if you all like this idea to reproduce photos or paintings in Vue. Some users gave their opinion, but most of you did not. That's why I would like to ask for your opinion. - Do you like or not like the idea of the new challenge? - Do you think it will be boring to reproduce other's images? - Do you like the idea of double entry with and without postwork (I thought we all can learn a lot from each other about post work)? Your opinion is important, as the year just started and I would like you to have fun in participating to the challenges. Thanks alot:-) Guitta

Great idea. I was a little shy after the big discussion regarding pro and con of postwork. A full year is maybe a little long - but let's see after some months how it goes. To make you a more work, maybe it would be a good idea to have two contests running - this one and the "classic mode" with a new theme every month. But thats probably much too much for Guitta. With and without postwork is fine with me. Walther

Thanks Walther. Yes, it would be too much work indeed. Remember, I have to write alot HTML in uploading all the images and thumbs. I would love to do it, but cannot affort it in time:-). Guitta

I like the idea, but I think it is very, very difficult, especially with this first picture. There is so much possible in VUE, but you can't do everything with it. I agree with Walther - one year doing the same is a bit long, but just test it. It is a good idea to post two versions - one only Vue, one with postwork, but you should be carefull by selecting the photos. They should not be too difficult, so that many members can try to do the work. Irene

I think it is a great idea, and it will surely be a challenge for many (including me)....Sharen

It sounds like a wonderful idea. As long as we can import objects and plants, I think it will be fun and I don't think a year is too long at all. :) Irene

I feel that reproducing photos and the such is very challenging and by doing so one can get very proficient with the app. I also feel that there should be a double entry, one for post and without.

I think its a good idea for a challenge. I'm not keen on making reproductions of pictures for a whole year though. I think it will get boring quite quickly. It also makes vue look like a one trick pony even if the pictures are quite different. As to post work - while I try to achieve everything in Vue sometimes I do a little bit of post work to tidy up something when I don't have time to re-render. One of these days I'll finish a challenge entry in time for the deadline. I still enjoy doing them though.

I also agree that it is good for one challenge but not for a year's length. If it's always from a picture, you might have a technical challenge, yes, but it will be difficult to have the creativity and imagination running, which is also very important in a draw. Our way of seeing things, not copying one another :o) As for the double entry, I am not in favor of this because the postwork subject is tearing down this Vue community already. I respect everyone's opinion on this, but it shouldn't be a criteria for winning a challenge. Elaine

I like the picture idea, but not for the whole year. I like seeing variety and creativity along with talent. :)

As for the postwork I will say this. For gallery stuff, I don't mind postwork, but being this is a challenge to see what we can do with Vue, I WILL NOT vote for any picture that has postwork done. Sorry, but I like these challenges because they push our Vue skills to the limit, not other apps. :)

I don't care if nobody copies the picture exactly, it will just be cool to see how close people can come with Vue and Vue alone. :)

Thanks, thanks:-) Feedback is not finished here, but I just want to reply to who did give some:-) TO IRENE: Yes you're right. Images to reproduce should not be too difficult. Our Winner, ShadowWind has sent me 3 images to choose from and I took the (what I supposed to be) easiest one. Please don't stress. I would be happy to see any outcoming picture that's close to the original. I know very well that Vue has its limits and doesn't contain all the vegetations from real world. But there is not the importance. Our challenge is not against somebody, not against someting, but for ourself. Let's just try to get out what we can. That's why I would like to repeat: don't stress, just play the challenge:-) and have fun. TO SHAREN: I know you spend most of your time to create great objects for us. But I also know that you're able to do great images, even if you don't show it in the gallery:-). TO IRISH: :-) TO DARKSKILLS: :-) TO IMPISH: This is one of the points I really needed to know. That's why maybe we will not do it over the whole year (you are not the only one who thought this will be boring:-). I hope you will participate to this one:-) TO ODYSSEY: Yes, you may be right. 1 year is maybe too long and as you said, we also should have some "creativity and imagination running". I accept:-) TO NIGHTVOICE: I don't care if nobody copies the picture exactly, it will just be cool to see how close people can come with Vue and Vue alone. That's exactly what I projected to communicate for this challenge. But your English is much better then mine:-) Now, I know, it is very difficult to reproduce a "given" image. This mostly happens, that you have to obey when you are working as a designer (not as a creator) in a firm. This also happens when you are studying fine art in an academy. Last but not least, we could do this "copy-a-photo-or-a-painting-thingie" sometimes, let's say every 3 or 4 month, but not all the year over, if you prefer. I think that even me, as an old Vue user, can almost learn lots of things (hehe, postwork!!!) from some of you who does it a great way. My mind and my eyes are open and I'm ready to go:-). Please continue the feedback. Thanks:-) and more we know from your opinion, better will be our "challenge future":-) Guitta

I do particularly like the idea. I think it very well could be more challenging from a technical point of view i.e. force people to learn how to do a specific type of thing with the software; but I thought it pretty much bled any creativity and originality from the endeavor. And I think that is what most people look for in their art, the chance to express themselves as they see fit. As to post work, I could care less. I do think it only right for people to declare themselves as to how much post work is in the scene, so voters can choose for themselves if it's important to them. But having two branches Post/NoPost seems a bit overkill to me. I seem to recall that challenges had two parts, the artistic challenge where the winner was voted on, and the technical challenge that someone (the moderator? - I don't remember) judged. Maybe something along those lines would work? jon

I'm a minority I guess. I guess it would be a ok idea. It's not interesting enough for me to enter though.The challenges I like the best are free stuff challenges like we did with the skies. We sould do them all a material one a plant one keep doing a things then when the challenge is over load the parts up to free stuff. Then everyone wins... The best parts series if you want to call it. Do terrains, do metals, Pick a folder in Vue and use it for the months challenge.

I think its a cool challenge to try to reproduce a real-life photo. It pushes you to really dig in to all of Vue's capabilities and be innovative. On the other hand, I can see how everyone would miss the pure creative process of taking a simple theme and doing something totally out of their head. Maybe alternating months throughout the year would be a good compromise between the two...

I think doing a photo every month would become boring, and maybe frustrating. If we could hange out with other challenge ideas (many already mentioned here, like MightyPete), I think it would be more fun.

I'm pretty much of the same opinion as MightyPete with a good sprinkling of what jstro said. I personally wouldn't enter a 'reproduce this' challenge, but that's because I spend all my time at work doing pretty much exactly that with no room for personal creativity. I don't want to do it in my free time as well! I much prefer the more open theme based challenges. That way it's as much about your imagination and skills in translating that into artwork as it is about your mastery of Vue. In other words it levels the playing field - you might not be as good as some others here with what you can get out of Vue, but your image will shine (and win!) because it shows amazing creativity. If it's just a 'copy this' challenge, then the emphasis is entirely on how good you are with Vue... imagination not required. I also don't mind postwork at all - in fact I think it is a good thing; there are just some things that you want to convey in your image that Vue can't do. But yes, you should declare what postwork was done. My tuppence worth.

I guess I'll put in my two cents here. I was going to go with a theme of "Flights of fancy", a whimsical look at life, but Gebe told me that there would a new challenge concept. I have to admit that I'm not totally up with what can be done in Vue, because except for a very few pictures, I don't generally stay within Vue's boundaries. So I apologize for picking ones that I thought were about right in Vue from my perspective. I tried to stay away from things that would require modeling or postwork. I thought there was an easier one than Gebe picked that I sent, but maybe not. I left it up to her, because she'd know better than I would what is capable in Vue direct. As to the challenges, I like the themes better than the picture copying because it gives the creative side a chance to shine as well as the technical side. Kinda would have liked to see what you came up with for the "Flights of Fancy" theme, but oh well.

Not going to get back into the postwork discussion. That's up to Gebe and gang on how the challenge should work on that note.

I think for one month it's fine, but for the long term, it's kinda difficult and it will be difficult for challenge winners to find suitable pictures. Maybe like one person said, maybe a certain aspect of Vue could be chosen like the Atmosphere one.

Just my 2c...Anybody got change?
ShadowWind

Reproduce photos is a good idea for me as I already said. MAybe we could also try to create scenes from 2D art (drawing, painting), or fractals,... if we want to change sometimes ;=) Yves