United3dArtists Archive

Discuss the farming challenge here.

Main thread is here.

I have an image in my mind to do... and I want to do it.. but I'm not sure how to begin concerning my time.. as I have many many deadlines going on! Trying to expand my business and delegate! But I still have to work haaaaard.

Challenge. Do it.

About two weeks left. Main thread is here.

Get those entries ready. Not much time to work on it? Just do a pitchfork leaning on a barn wall or corn in a basket. It can be a whole farm or a quick simple picture.

The farming challenge has been restarted.

Main thread here.
Registration thread here.

There is a new procedure to enter the challenge. You must register to declare that you are a contestant in the challenge. The way that the challenge end date is determined is different too. That is an experiment to try to solve the issues discussed in the first farming challenge here.

I like the curious approach.

You all do entries! Just post in the registration thread to say you are entering, make a picture/animation, post it in the man thread. Steinie ... characters! No time? Make it simple. Maybe a rusty old tool in the grass.

Draise wrote:I like the curious approach.

I like the traditional set deadline way. The other methods proposed are worth a try. The problem though is that no one is here after the malware problem. There just aren't enough people here to do challenges. Although U3DA isn't just for trueSpace most members were here for that but now have moved to other software and other forums.

I keep thinking of more problems with this registration method. Solutions for them just create more complex rules until it would be like a legal document. For example, if Draise enters his picture today then all the registrants would have entered so the poll should start! This is for fun. It should be easy.

Let's try registration for this challenge but I think the original way or some version of Rayman's or Stan's way will work better. Stan's seems foolproof but there's no theme and no prize of designing the next one. Rayman's could be good if we have the old fashioned deadline plus if there are less than the required number of entries then the challenge continues until there are enough.

The CSB makes the rules so we don't have to use the same rules each time.

Im still here just dont post much have to get my head back into 3d .
i only use blender and zbrush but i dont post on there forums ,
The old forum was only ts now its stopped thats why the people go even though there is
a bit of hope there for ts

Draise and Steinie are in. Anyone else want to join? Just post in the registration thread and presto you are a contestant!

If you want to do an entry don't work on it without registering. Registration ensures (within reason) that the challenge won't end without you. You can, and should, post your withdrawal if you later find that you won't be able to participate this time.

@Steinie You can enter now and then modify your entry like you are doing if you want to but the idea of the registration scheme is that the challenge waits for your entry. Given your plan I'll consider yours not really entered until you say it is finished. That is really the spirit of this method -- that the poll waits until everyone is finished. I just expected posting an entry to be the thing that indicated it was finished. ("Milk the challenge", hahaha!)

I think instead of the last registered contestant finishing triggering the poll I will start the poll a few days or a week after that. That gives time to be sure everyone is really finished, declare any second entries* (in the registration thread I guess), and maybe for new contestants to register.

* You can do more than one entry. How should that work in this registration/wait for everyone scheme? Maybe wip's are what should be registered? The poll would wait for all the wip's to be finished and entered?

You all enter the challenge. Not much time? Simple pictures are good (link). Try modeling an object or two to merge with a photo background.

@Steinie: Inflatable signature!

I'll be starting my modeling today.

Get it done Draise! This is taking too long. Time for a winner and a new challenge.

Oi! Good things take time! It's only been a month!

I'm modeling this one in Softimage, but I have to learn how to first to do it well.

Draise, any estimate on how long to finish?

I think this no-deadline-registration method for challenges isn't good. It will likely always have most contestants finished and waiting for a few slow or ambitious ones to finish. The traditional deadline, about a month, way is probably best. However, whoever wins could try an alternative method for running a challenge. I think participation is not going to improve due to some alternative method.

I'm cool on waiting if Draise starts a WIP showing progress. If not chop chop!

I've started. I've also started two new animation jobs.
And it is December.

I plan to finish it by January early.

When I get back from work I'llpart my wip.

Good! I envy you working in CG.

You all could do entries (post in the registration thread if you start an entry or if you have but decide to withdraw). If they don't take more than a month then it wouldn't make the challenge go on forever ... let's avoid that.

Again, I think the traditional rules, one month or so deadline, is best. If the winner wants to try some other alternate rules I'd recommend that they include a set deadline but as challenge super being you can do what you want. I tried different rules on this one in response to a discussion about low participation (link).

I would never be able to compete in one month. Some of my projects, small ones.. may take 40 hours of work. Meaning two 20 hours part time weeks of work that would cost me a lot, even at 10 hours a week.. so I need to measure my 40 hours over a longer span so I can use that time with work that pays and covers my costs - or do it by investing time learning something useful while doing it.
Which is what I liked of this one with the quarterly aimed theme, 3 months.

This one isn't quarterly. It's method is register to declare you are a contestant. The challenge ends when all the registered contestants have entered ... within reason. All kinds of problems are possible so I don't think this method is viable. One problem is the contest going on forever if people keep registering.

Good point about spare time. Gotta do the real world stuff first. However, you could adapt to the challenge rather than insist on doing a demanding project*. You could simplify or reduce the project or do an easier one to meet the deadline. Ambitious projects could be continued after a challenge to properly finish them. Sure, we all want to see our ideas done right but some flexibility is helpful. No hurry for your current entry. Do what you are doing and it will be soon enough.

I'd like to see "turn over" with challenges changing often but maybe a having longer deadlines is better. Longer deadlines overcome the spare time problem. Speedy folks could do multiple entries. Short/monthly ones encourage creativity with challenge themes or rules (3D haiku ... popular, teamwork ... didn't work well) since unpopular ones would pass quickly.

Another possibility is to go the other way. CSB's could do more speed modeling challenges. With a limit of a few hours spent per entry that would work for you and speedy folks could still do multiple entries.

*In my non-entry plow only the visible parts were modeled.

Edit: Added a "you could" and noted not about current entry.

Quality vs. Quantity is really probably why I struggle with the tight deadlines in a competition that isn't supposed to be anything like work, but fun. Work is based around quantity with deadlines.

I come to these forums to take a break..

Sorry for taking long.. If you want to, Steinie and Finis, you can compete in vote and propose another competition. I will probably take till January to finish this one.

You are so right Mr. Draise. All this stuff about participation in challenges ... make 'em fun like they're supposed to be and participation will increase. Fun is the main thing!

Go on and work toward a January entry and do it the way you want. Everyone's busy with Christmas anyway. So there will be another month or so. Take advantage of that Y'all and do some entries! Register (see thread) so the challenge won't end without you but I ask that you try to finish new entries by Mid January so we can wrap this one up.

Good tractor parts so far. What? You aren't a Softimage modeling expert? I thought that was the main thing for Man of the Flowers.

hehe.. yeah.. well I do all my modeling in trueSpace WS mostly then import into SI (sometimes Blender). I do everything else from SI.

Steinie sneaks in another one! Pink Sheep! I like those color coordinated titles Steinie.

Mostly waiting on Draise now. If anyone else is working on an entry then register in the registration thread or say so here so the challenge won't end without you. Also please try to get 'em done so the challenge doesn't drag on forever. It is time for a new CSB with a new theme. Hopefully not these rules with no deadline.

The poll will start on January 31, 2017 and run for 3 or 4 days.

Are you going to make it in time Draise? We can go a few more days if you are almost there. Just don't want the challenge to go on forever.

Nah man. Go ahead with the vote. I still have a long way to go. Working on multiple jobs while starting the Hobbie was probably not a great idea haha

Would be awesome to see that Combine machine in the challenge!

Poll starts on Jan. 31 then. Anyone who's working on an entry -- get it done!

You better finish that model and make the picture you planned as an independent project. Maybe the next challenge will have a theme that fits the tractor.

Working multiple dream jobs in CG and making a living from it ... green with envy.