Linda---

Why not continue to post in a "family friendly" place for your family to view your work (either the site you mentioned or open up your own website), and continue to post here simultaneously? Not sure I understand why you can't do both.

Mindy

It's fine, in fact, I sent her a link myself :)

Attached Link: Color Bakery

I've long considered you a dear woman and have also admired your work. How sad that you are going to miss out the enjoyment of sharing that work, and the friendship that goes along with it, because of the amateurish images from which Renderosity makes its living.

I am not a lover of porn (even though I strongly defend the right for it to exist, as long as it is nonviolent and non-children oriented); further, I think most of the Poser crap here is more of a result of hormones than they are any real talent. But I would ask you who you are hurting. Renderosity will sail along, raking in cash from their overwhelming specialty; and nothing will change...money drives the site, and a site this size needs lots of money to run. As a person who runs her own business, I am not unsympathetic to doing what you have to do to pay the bills, if it also results in a greater good. Renderosity can certainly claim providing a greater good.

On the other hand, you will be cutting yourself off from an arena you clearly love, and from people for whom you have undoubtedly grown affection. Who wins? Certainly not you. Who loses? Your friends, admirers of your art for sure, and you as well...but not Renderosity.

There is anti-virus software like Kaspersky that blocks banner ads if you configure it that way. That means if you come straight to Fractals, you never have to view another porn ad again. Isn't that a better, more practical, solution? Actually, it's a pretty easy solution--so easy, in fact, that you might want to look into it.

You did this before, Linda, and you came back. That tells me that this place is meaningful to you, and gives you pleasure, friendship, camaraderie and a million other benefits. You announced it on this board, too, instead of just quietly heading for the door. So let me be the first to try to talk you out of something that you will miss, and tell you that I think you are making a mistake. I would suggest there are ways to solve the problem without leaving. I would suggest, too, that leaving a place that inspires you to create, share and bond with like-minded others  will do more damage than viewing badly designed nudie ads that offend. Just my opinion, honey.

Mindy

Spanzhang...I only just installed it but I can tell right away I am going to LOVE it. :)  And I am a fusspot when it comes to fractal programs, I have tried them all but only consistently use two. This may be the third. :) Wonderful! Thank you again.

got it :) Thanks so much :) Can't wait to play with it.

Hey Carol, I can send it to you in a zip when I get it, if it helps :) Or I can upload it to my domain and you can download it from there. Will keep you posted ;)

Mindy

I just emailed you, Spanzhang. I'd love a copy. :) Thanks for making it available to artists.

Your site won't load at all for me, so I couldn't download it.

Thank you,
Mindy

Hi Gradient:-

I have Genuine Fractals, too, and used it prior to Alien Skin. But after having used both for a while, I can tell you that I prefer Alien Skin for a couple of reasons, first of which is that the image quality is better. I had some shaky images that customers ordered as murals, and Blowup came through beautifully, much to my surprised relief.

Another benefit: it automatically duplicates the image before blowing up, and you can blow up images that are layered. It also has a grain addition feature and a sharpen feature, very handy. And right before blowing it up, you can see the actual pixel preview of what your image is going to look like.

I also found that it works faster than Genuine Fractals, although both aren't going to win any marathons. Kinda ironic I would prefer Alien Skin, because "Genuine Fractals" has a name close to my heart. Most of my work is fractal-based digital art.:) (www.peapoddesign.net/gallery.html)

The advice given here has been really wonderful and very helpful. I must admit I have heard of "RAW" but don't know a thing about it. So thank you, I will be researching that. It's pretty crucial for me to learn this stuff anyway, and not for my own photography, but for others'....we do a lot of work for photographers and artists who want to print their own work on tile murals (gass, ceramic and stone) as well as coffee mugs and other gift and home decor products. I am just as anal about their work coming out perfectly as I am my own. :)

Thanks again, you guys are really wonderful. I am so glad I came here. :)

Warmly,

PPG

You guys are awesome. Thank you SO much for taking the time to respond. You've given me a lot to think about.

I will answer more thoroughly when I am not passing out from lack of sleep. (Just finished an emergency website for a client).

Gradient...you are right. I use "alien skin blowup" to blow up my images for the least amount of lossy. :)

Hugs to you all,

PPG

No, I am talking about the raw fractals before I start fussing with them. The moods, shapes and tones that "come" to me being reflective. Sure, I can probably take most any shape or scene that pops up in my generator and change it to where it is consonant with my vision, but that's not what I mean. :)

What I meant was tendencies, proclivities that are too uncanny to be coincidental. :)

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Terry}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

My dear old friend, how are you? It's so good to see you. smooch

Of course I am painfully jealous of your "zen experience." I would sell my firstborn not to have to pop Valium when working with Photoshop. It sounds like you really solved your problem. And I know that you more than most understand my problems, because like me, you use fractals as a jumping off point for your art. (BTW I meant to tell you that some of your newer pieces I have just seen are incredible.)

The startup costs of a brand new, self-finance business are formidable, so I am going to have to wait a bit until I can buy the computer I not only want, but need for the business. But that's definitely on the books for this year. I told my husband if he doesn't want me in a strait jacket, he's going to have to do something to alleviate my pain. Unfortunately for him, I NEVER suffer in silence.

My big issue now are tile murals. We do six foot by six foot tile murals for clients...sometimes larger. And watching Photoshop go through the permutations of rendering these large images is horrid. Patience was never one of my virtues, and this is no exception.

So good to see you, Terry. Please drop me a note now and then.

Hugs to you,

Mindy

I see. That would explain nine hundred hours.

It seems to me we could all use HAL. :)

I see. That would explain nine hundred hours.

It seems to me we could all use HAL. :)

Okay, this may sound like a dumbass question....but can't you flatten those layers before rendering in UF?

You are the best, Redshift. I greatly appreciate this. :)

Thank you SO much.