Hey there, Ok, I know it is far away. I love conventions. I am definately going. Let's all go. Yeah. Just think of all the intrique and scandal. We could have a Renderosity Deathmatch. Lol only kidding. Anyway, off the top of my head people I am dying to meet and would like to see go. Bloodsong Spudgrl PhilC Traveler JimBurton anyone at CuriousLabs if they go. I think there are make believe sometimes. DebbieM and all the post-render celebs from the galleries Jack Krammer. (we need Joan Rivers to cover this event) Nerd jeffH ....hmmm..who else A few warez people I know but they don't know I know. (a sweet revenge) ...and the moderators here. I have tons of questions. I hope Mehndi goes. :) I want to meet the guy who made "Spike the monster". That thing is so damn cute and funny. One of my favorite marketplace things. Reminds me of Mr. Bill for some reason. Daio should go. too many people to mention I think. I love parties. I'll bring a digital camera. Someone make a blow up Vicki for the Renderotica people. Just kidding..not. Anyway The link is on the front page talking about it. Hoping you all go. I bet Renderosity will let you use store credit towards tickets. Someone should ask them. Willing to throw a party at the hotel. ;) Anton

With my dog/cat (2 poodles and 2 cats) team I might make in it ten years... mayhaps poser5 would be ready by then :)

Oh god, please don't wait for that. Just board the pets(not with a stick). :)

Anton, I've already done DunDraCon (ran 3 games). In a few days is the Game Developer's Conference. Then it's KublaCon (I might run something for them) over Memorial Day. Origins is 4th of July... and I'm the official hostess for our CompuServe gaming group (responsible for keeping them entertained and out of mischief all week) :). That brings us to fall, and the WorldCon, PacifiCon, and SiliCon. Meeting folks ftf is wonderful. The guys from CompuServe have been the sweetest, nicest, most creative bunch of friends a person could wish for. We have 3 from Germany flying in each year to be with us, and I often play "friendly native guide" to anybody wanting to see the real Yosemite. I'm not going to make DragonCon. But if any of you come to California for a convention, let me know! Carolly

I went last year for the first time and had a blast. And had planned on going even before this, but this just solidified it. :Grins: it really depends on if I can swing the airfaire. Last year the plane tickets were real low, this time.. eh... they're back up. :grins: But I hope.. it should be real.. interesting. Anz

Hey PhoenixRising do you Poser pros deduct this kinda stuff off on your taxes. Wasted minds want to know.

Groingrinder, As artists, this is a tax-deductable business trip. Many of us enter the art shows, sell prints in the dealer's room or print shop, watch and photograph the Masquerade (people moving in costume). For those of us in the games industry or other entertainment fields, it is vital to see the demos, catch up on gossip, eyeball the competitors' offerings, etc.. If we also happen to enjoy our work? I have been audited twice, and once I provided the fliers listing my name as guest, and the maps of the dealer's rooms, and programming schedules, the IRS agents had no trouble with the fact that these are trade shows as much as they are conventions for the fans. Part of being professional is being involved. Of course, being professional means that one can't just use the trip as an excuse to party. An art director once came up to me while I was wearing full medieval costume (REAL Gothic), after a couple of minutes of chatting, I pulled my business cards out of my beaded belt pouch. :) I've also lugged a full size computer to too many conventions to name, including out of the country. Giving hands-on animation workshops has meant gathering 6-7 computers ahead of time, too. This is work. Talking all day and half the night is work, too. OTOH, what else would we rather be doing? Note: save all relevant pieces of paper if you do write something like this off on your taxes. Getting audited is no fun, but it would be worse without evidence. Carolly

Thanks Carolly I sure appreciate your explanation. I can certainly understand how it could be good for business and I am glad to know that the IRS understands it too. If I could ever swing the move to the ranks of graphics art professionals I would love to go to something like this. I am working on my modeling and texturing skills at least 5hrs each day trying to make that a reality for me.

Hey Anton, as soon as I seen this, I checked it out, and I definately have plans on attending. My Sister lives in Atlanta, so I'd have 2 good excuses for a road trip wink Hoping that everything works out as planned and I can get the time off work to attend. I'd love to meet some of you guys as well :) Deb

I was planning on going anyway - I hear there's a good market for dolls down thataways :) So I'll be seeing some of you guys there :) And just to make it simpler - no matter where I am, I'm always Lyrra. See? Isn't that easy? :) I thought it was so cool of them to be at a con I was going to anyway :) BTW theres a con in NJ, Jersey Devil Con - and I'll be on a panel on computer 3d art :) So any people in the tristate area should drop in. Lyrra

"If you build it they will come"

They built it... I'm coming :)

I was going to go to the one that was cancelled in Dallas some time ago. Is there a limit as to how many guests they allow? Do you have to reserve a ticket in advance or just pay at the door? Do you have to be a member of Dragon Con? It does sound very interesting and a great opportunity to meet some of the great artists here and elsewhere.

there is a link on the front page with info. :)

everyone coming would have to pay admitssion to get into dragoncon. You don't have to be a member, just an atnendee. Anz

I might be there... :) At least I hope so! Britt

I'd love to go but that's my b-day weekend and I already have other plans.

Well, I 'm hoping to go, although the hotel costs are a bit steep for me and I can't leave the kids or poodle that long - hmmmm it's just a weekend though maybe they can stay with friends..... Solution?

Fire up the old monster winnebago and here we come :-) Towing our car behind us. We are in Virginia so it's not too far.

The kids (oldest is 15) are all set up in old Winnie with tv, VCR and video games so DH and I can make the conference. If we can find a park/campground where we can drive from.

So if DH can get the new carbureator in Winnie, we'll be there!

Going to Anton's party..... :~)

great. sounds like allot of fun. i'm reading information on the page now.

It's a shame southwest doesn't fly into Atlanta.. for all of those who can it'd only cost about 100 each way. From the west coast the tickets are going to be in the 300-400 range. Anz

Time to get organised.... car pool. I'll be traveling from Lawrenceburg KY (12 miles south of Frankfort) and will have 2 seats spare, more if you count the roof rack :)

Happy to share a room too providing you don't snore.

Yeah :grins: If I lived out east that'd be a great idea.. but I don't think ANYONE (including me) would want to drive 2000 miles from CA/NV etc... :Grins: with strangers.. the car trip would cost more than the tickets :grins: Anz

We were in attendance at one of the Dragon Con's last year. Joe Grover, "lawndart" here, who is a great Poser animator, formerly a QA tester at Curious and all around funny guy was invited to speak, and from the way Joe tells it, he was a big hit. I'm always game for a party as well. Depends on schedules and all, but possibly we could swing the event... Steve Cooper

I so wish I could go... (trying to devise some means...) Unfortunately, I am getting married in September and just don't think I can swing the extra expenses and the time off. But I will be there with you all in though. Maybe if we do this again next year I can just make it an early anniversary trip. Oh well, sulking at myself (lol) Angela

I'll most likely be there. It's just down the road from me. ;o) I used to be at DragonCon every year, but stopped going around 10 years ago. It will be fun to meet some people from Renderosity.

its a very good possibility I will be there demonstrating amapi...thats such a long ways away tho, its hard to say. It'd be fun to meet so many people from the 3d world that I have interacted with for years! and Im always looking for another excuse to have a party :) BT

i was thinking about doing WorldCon that weekend, but this is a much tastier proposition! Meantime--Balticon is coming over Memorial Day weekend. For the folks within driving distance of Baltimore, MD, please consider coming! i am working hard to proselytize for 3D and digital art there, will be on several art panels--not that it's so great to see me, but we are having a bunch of programming about digital art--and i'm working on the programming folks in regards an official Digital Artists Party one night. Balticon is smaller and more intimate than DragonCon--only about 1000 attendees--and as such has its own charms. It's got one of the better east coast art shows, certainly. DragonCon, the year i went (pre-Renderosity), had a less inspiring art show that Balticon. Hmm, if i go to Dragon*Con, i might have to do some ASFA volunteering... hmm. Anyhow--perhaps i'll see you there AND at Balticon! --Nan

Looks like I'm on my way, too! Wahoo, I love Atlanta! I'll see y'all there, I look just like my Member's Gallery picture (but with no beard anymore)... so I guess you could say that I look more like my self-portrait...

Oh, Phil... Quick Question.... Where is Frankfort in relation to Memphis? Is Memphis too far out of your way? I probably will need a ride, and would be willing to chip in on gas...

My route would be Lawrenceburg/Lexington/Middlesboro/Chatanooga/Atlanta. I think Memphis would be two sides of a triangle. I'm sure as more folks pitch in we'll get some better matches.

JanC has just pointed out that if we came through Nashville we could possibly meet you there.

Hrms... okay, sounds good. I could get a really cheap bus fare to Nashville, and meet y'all there. Shall we continue the plans in IM or e-mail?

email is probably best. Drop me a line and I'll give you my phone number which may help also.

pcooke@philc.net

hey nan - shoot e the info for Balti-Con I'm only a few hours from there :-)

All I'd have to do is: 1) find enough vacation time to pull it off and not conflict w/ other vacation plans, and 2) come up with enough dough to fly my butt down there and stay at a hotel. The only thing getting in my way is the fact that, as a 5th wedding anniversary present, I promised the missus that we'd go on a cruise in October. This tends to suck down all the resources needed to pull off both 1) and 2). Hmm - why couldn't they have held it in Salt Lake City, where DAZ lurks? (heh... good luck on that one :) /P

I'm in upper east Tn so I have no excuses to not go, so I'm there!! it will be interesting to see some of you in person as even pic rairly do one justice and it loses a lot of "energy". and any excust to go to Atlanta, You have no idea how unbelivibly bad the two pitifull Gay bars are here! Not that the Con won't keep me incredibly busy. Just makes for more and more reasons to go.

Yeah.. we should just have a poser convention in Salt Lake. :grins: I'll bring some pretzals. Anz

Attached Link: http://www.balticon.org/

Balticon info is at www.balticon.org. i *know* we have some other neat folk in a reasonable driving distance--Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York, for starters. Here's a tentative list of what's up... will probably mutate somewhat: 9-10am: Is It Soup Yet? Acrylic Texture Techniques with LW Perkins and Halla 10-11am: After the Fire, Art : Charcoal Drawing with R Wayt Smith 11am-Noon: Pencil Explosion: an Intro to Energy Drawing with Joel Keener Noon-1pm:Duelling Easels with Rikk Jacobs and Nan Fredman 1-2pm:Graphic Graphites with Phil Foglio 2-3pm:The Architecture of Perspective with Hanna Shapero 3-4pm:Painting Demo with Mark Rogers 4-5pm: Hal Is Not An Artist-- What it really takes to get good Art from a Computer: Ron Miller, L W Perkins, Kaja Foglio and Nan Fredman 5-6pm:Ron Miller Slide Show on Space Art 6-7pm: Arranging the Happy Accident or Jump-starting the Muse with Ray Ridenour, Halla and anyone else I can dragoon into it

Well, I'll be there, it's going to be a great event. I look forward to meeting all the interesting people here.

If I can get the cash together I am gonna try to go. :) Id love to meet everyone. :)

I don't know if I'm doing Balticon this time around - but It'll be great to see all yall there. Also, Dragoncon (i think) has an internet lounge, so we can arrange to break the rosity chat room while at the con :) Lyrra

Just go go go. You know it would be fun. :) Anton

Don't forget to post pictures for those of us who aren't going.

Sigh. I really want to go but would have to fly in from the West Coast. If they were going to have more authors at DragonCon I'd go in a second. A few years ago I saw Katherine Kurtz at a Dragoncon here on the West Coast. Though I did dangle to my husband that we could then drive down to Orlando and visit Epicot and all the other theme parks down there...he looked thoughtful. Maybe it will all fly. I would really like to meet ya'll and obviously we are going to have some of R'osity's big guns there. Anyone from DAZ or Curious Labs going for sure? Though CL has the attraction of WorldCon in their backyard the same weekend....

...and at WorldCon, you have to get special permission to show digital/rendered works. "3D" there means sculpture, textiles and jewelry. They've been pretty easy with the permission, but the attitude toward rendered art is... less than progressive at times on the part of the art show policy makers. The public still needs educating about 3D/rendered art, nonetheless.