Topic: Simple Machines Smiley Contest

[Trekkie101]

like i said no one has entered the contest so far 0 have entered on my sites we have over 300 enter in OVER 300.

SO ADMINS/STAFF take a min to go over my comments again other non staff dont need to comment on my feedback


Hello everyone nice to see you all again.. this is message is directed at the staff and administration the best way i can contribute is by offering my input and feedback We(my company) have personal ran over 100 contest with 1000s of people. Contest that had no budget to over a grand budgets contests. so i hope you will take this constructive criticism.

contest is a good idea but i have a few issues with this contest.. is only open to those that make graphics and only to those that know how to and make smileys so thats like what 5% or less of the members here. so next is who is going to do them? the elite members here who all carry Charter membership which is the freaking prize? are you kidding me? sure thats a great prize if you already dont own it. if you do its nothing. its pretty easy if you spend a little time thinking about a good prize with out spending money something as simple as free hosting for 3 months is a fair and good prize and there's much much more things you can do hell simply put the smiley set on all new smf and i am sure this would be a REALLY great reward for them and make more people want to do it.  there is over 2,000 public free smiley sites, with more then 100,000 smileys.

i like contest and think they should happen but i personal think SMF would be better off with other contest that will build user participation help create a bond with the site its members and to improve smf.  Something as simple as  testimonials contest would be great SMF would get 100s of people that enter. there is over 2,000 public free smiley sites, with more then 100,000 smileys   i strongly suggest making this a testimonials

I hope you find this contribution helpful feedback.

We have entries here

[SoLoGHoST]

Working on an animated set and about 1/2 way done it, but I gotta tell you, hate working with GIFs and their 256 colors

[Arantor]

The GIF format is 20 years old... 256 colours then was extravagant.

[Nao 尚]

Sologhost, you can work in PNG if you want... (Can't you?)

[Arantor]

Sologhost, you can work in PNG if you want... (Can't you?)

SoLoGHoST specifically said animated - neither APNG nor MNG are widely supported yet

[SoLoGHoST]

Yeah, unfortunately, Arantor's right.  Can't do animation with PNG's, unless they are MNG/APNG.  And only allowed GIF or PNG in this contest.  Well, will do what I can with the limited 256 colors    Though the real problem with GIFs is that it doesn't support semi-transparent pixels (like 50% opacity... has to apply a color to it that isn't transparent).  Perhaps I'll make it a Semi-Animated Set.

Cheers

[SoLoGHoST]

Here's 1 from my Semi-Animated set, just a teaser...



With a black border and black matte...


Do you guys think I should make the border black like in the 2nd pic??  Kinda hate the way the edges look rough.  Maybe it's a little too fast?  What do you all think?

EDIT:
Question - Do we have to have all images in the set in the same format??  Or can we mix up the image formats?  That is, can I have PNG and GIF images within a complete set?  Or do I have to have all GIF or all PNG for each set?  At a guess, I would say the latter.  But figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Cheers

[Arantor]

I'd keep it to a single format though there is no reason I can think of why you'd *have* to. But it'd be better for consistency.

[d1m0n]

I would like to present you some os these:












(if you want them u need only to give credits to the autor, that all what he asks. You can find more on kolobok.us and maybe he can make some custom for you!) i think they are very cool and always using them on my smf forum, and they work pretty good together... just try. i know that they are not made by me, just givving you to know, and maybe you dont need any contest at all? not sure...

[Gary]

The idea here is for you to show your drawing skills, not your searching skills.

[d1m0n]

The idea here is for you to show your drawing skills, not your searching skills.

yes, I understand lol. but in case if you dont get any nice and good or better then this ones, what you would do? still remain on ones that was created even if they s*ck (apart me) ? just letting to know And im sorry if i did somthing wrong, just was trying to help

[SoLoGHoST]

I'd keep it to a single format though there is no reason I can think of why you'd *have* to. But it'd be better for consistency.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of consistency.

I would like to present you some os these:


(if you want them u need only to give credits to the autor, that all what he asks. You can find more on kolobok.us and maybe he can make some custom for you!) i think they are very cool and always using them on my smf forum, and they work pretty good together... just try. i know that they are not made by me, just givving you to know, and maybe you dont need any contest at all? not sure...

Not to put down this set at all, but while it looks very good against a light colored background, try throwing it up against a dark background and you will see all of the many imperfections in the borders of these smilies that will show up like a big sore thumb.  The problem with these smilies is that they use a white matte instead of none.  While the white matte preserves the original border around the smilies a bit nicer, you sacrifice having it only look good against certain backgrounds, in this case white and very light colors will do okay (which IMO is a huge sacrifice that isn't worth it).  If you change the matte to none, you will get a fully transparent background for the smiley, which will most likely make the edges a bit rough, but will look good against ANY background color, image, etc..  So, just my 2 cents on this, is better to make the matte = none.

Cheers

EDIT:
For example, here is the grin smiley from the set, that you found elsewhere online, with a dark background (and trust me, is the same for all smiley's that you posted above)...


And here is my laugh with the same color background (took a still snapshot of it, mind you)


I'd rather have my edges look a little rough than to look like that!

RE-EDIT:
There is also the other possibility that the creator of these smilies purposely placed in the white around the smiley's in order to maintain the smooth border appearance in light backgrounds, with a matte = none, which would give the same effect.  However, in any case, you see the problem with dark backgrounds, not worth it IMO.

[d1m0n]

I'd keep it to a single format though there is no reason I can think of why you'd *have* to. But it'd be better for consistency.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of consistency.

I would like to present you some os these:


(if you want them u need only to give credits to the autor, that all what he asks. You can find more on kolobok.us and maybe he can make some custom for you!) i think they are very cool and always using them on my smf forum, and they work pretty good together... just try. i know that they are not made by me, just givving you to know, and maybe you dont need any contest at all? not sure...

Not to put down this set at all, but while it looks very good against a light colored background, try throwing it up against a dark background and you will see all of the many imperfections in the borders of these smilies that will show up like a big sore thumb.  The problem with these smilies is that they use a white matte instead of none.  While the white matte preserves the original border around the smilies a bit nicer, you sacrifice having it only look good against certain backgrounds, in this case white and very light colors will do okay (which IMO is a huge sacrifice that isn't worth it).  If you change the matte to none, you will get a fully transparent background for the smiley, which will most likely make the edges a bit rough, but will look good against ANY background color, image, etc..  So, just my 2 cents on this, is better to make the matte = none.

Cheers

EDIT:
For example, here is the grin smiley from the set, that you found elsewhere online, with a dark background (and trust me, is the same for all smiley's that you posted above)...


And here is my laugh with the same color background (took a still snapshot of it, mind you)


I'd rather have my edges look a little rough than to look like that!

RE-EDIT:
There is also the other possibility that the creator of these smilies purposely placed in the white around the smiley's in order to maintain the smooth border appearance in light backgrounds, with a matte = none, which would give the same effect.  However, in any case, you see the problem with dark backgrounds, not worth it IMO.

Ok tottaly understand you, but it is NOT a problem because the autor made them as you mentioned above in purpose to look good with light color themes, and he also did for dark themes, without a border at all, I posted here a light berdered only because theme here is light so for more looking good... selected light color, and now here if you dont mind i post u some without border:








I pick them randomly, only to demonstrate, there are all that you asked smiles like angel, sad, happy etc, like the request is made in a first post. only need to search and select them, SoLoGHoST if you dont mind, put some of this ones on the same dark background if you dont mind afcours, and yes your simes are cute too!

[SoLoGHoST]

Ok thanks for sharing the smilies that you like best d1m0n.  However, I think you are missing the point...

The idea here is for you to show your drawing skills, not your searching skills.

Would be better, IMO, to just throw up a link to these smilies instead of putting them in this topic, however, I get your point too.  But, evidently, SMF (and correct me if I'm wrong) is not going to bother running to other websites asking if they can use their smilies, thus the purpose of this contest, to find the talent from within the SMF community, not from without.

Cheers

[Arantor]

Would be better, IMO, to just throw up a link to these smilies instead of putting them in this topic, however, I get your point too.  But, evidently, SMF (and correct me if I'm wrong) is not going to bother running to other websites asking if they can use their smilies, thus the purpose of this contest, to find the talent from within the SMF community, not from without.

That's the general idea: what can the community itself produce? Not what can the community find on the thousands of other websites out there, but what can the community produce and showcase?

[d1m0n]

I would like to present you some os these:












(if you want them u need only to give credits to the autor, that all what he asks. You can find more on kolobok.us and maybe he can make some custom for you!) i think they are very cool and always using them on my smf forum, and they work pretty good together... just try. i know that they are not made by me, just givving you to know, and maybe you dont need any contest at all? not sure...

already did in my first post.

and what if you dont get any good of comunity?

[SoLoGHoST]

It's a contest and with all contests there is 1 thing that is inevitable, someone has to win.  As far as not getting any good smilies from within the community, that is the risk that you take whenever you have contests.  So, hopefully this answers your question.

OMG, look at me, am just now noticing that I am a Full Member... 

[Arantor]

There's already been multiple entries and knowing some of the themes here on the site I'm sure there are some awesome smiley artists lurking too

[d1m0n]

It's a contest and with all contests there is 1 thing that is inevitable, someone has to win.  As far as not getting any good smilies from within the community, that is the risk that you take whenever you have contests.  So, hopefully this answers your question.

OMG, look at me, am just now noticing that I am a Full Member... 

rofl, yah i can see u are a full member. congratz, at all people who participetaed in contest or tryed u was the best curtenly. that was easy. Congratz dude.

And dont be so bad, was trying to help only... ppl im here in comunity, without critics u never can go better.... im i wrong?

[Arantor]

The contest isn't over yet - still plenty of time to run!

Btw, congrats, SoLoGHoST - only another few hundred to the next one!