Pixelation

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rargh! on October 18, 2007, 06:00:19 am

Title: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Rargh! on October 18, 2007, 06:00:19 am

So, I've been lurking at Pixelation for the last week, trying to read as many threads as possible, and what stuns me is just how incredibly talented and knowledgable a lot of the longstanding members are. There's just so much detailed discussion on palettes, animation cycles, dithering, etc. with some amazing edits depicting how it all works. Only problem is, the repository of knowledge is scattered all over this site and trying to learn about some of the pixel art basics--as I am--is difficult.

Would you guys consider starting a new category (I don't know... call it "Repository" or something) that forms something of a wiki on pixel art. It could include glossary elements (eg. What is "dithering"? "MC restrictions"? "Widepixel"?),  tutorials, sample palettes, references, links (this thread was awesome: http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?PHPSESSID=7fc47ec6d9f5e397b6a7efc0c851e660&topic=3467.0 (http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?PHPSESSID=7fc47ec6d9f5e397b6a7efc0c851e660&topic=3467.0)), etc. Maybe even some top notch examples of work by people like Helm, Ptoing, etc. Or they could nominate some to go in there. Kind of like a gallery of pieces to study.

There's just too much talent here to have 90% of it hidden in 67+ pages of threads...

Cheers,
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Helm on October 18, 2007, 08:40:53 am
Thanks for the kind words. This has been discussed on many occasions, I don't think anyone is up for doing the legwork for this, sadly. The threads with the good stuff might be a bit burried, but they're still here, a patient person will find what they're looking for.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Rargh! on October 18, 2007, 11:17:44 am
Thinking about it, Helm... you're right. The problem with the internet is that we all too often expect "answers" to be at our fingertips. Making knowledge harder to come by makes the gaining of it all the more valuable. The "easy" path is not the one paved in gold (perfectly pushed) pixels. I guess as someone new to what some of you have been doing for 20 years there's a real sense of being overwhelmed by so much to learn.

Cheers,
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: baccaman21 on October 18, 2007, 12:30:17 pm
I've often found myself tearing my hair out trying to locate a thread I know is around...

Is it possible to integrate Tags yet?

It's a big part of internet 2.0?

I mean, things that I often like to comment on, (animation, anatomy and the odd bit of technical background) could be tagged up - I know the search function is capable of locating same to same but tagging is the way forward...

I've been using Del.ici.ous on and off for a while now and find it really, really useful to save pages I'm interested in... perhaps we could setup a del.ici.ous shell that we all can use purely for tagging Pixelation topics and threads?

Bit of a clunky solution perhaps but may be useful... keep the link to the Pixelation Del.ici.ous as a sticky somewhere?

I dunno, maybe there's a better way... just a thought really.

Cheers

 
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Helm on October 18, 2007, 01:12:10 pm
The tags are a wonderful idea. Perhaps 'anatomy' 'structure' 'tiling' 'animation' 'color' 'aesthetics' style'. You'd flag your critique with the appropriate tags and people would be able to search the forum by tag. Dude if that's easy to do, it would solve a lot of problems. We could even have a week of open flagging to all users so they could go back pages and flag as many old threads as they want. Then we close the flagging option and only the person who posts a reply can flag his reply.

If that's easy to code in, great. Probably not, though.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: ptoing on October 18, 2007, 01:18:49 pm
When I have more time I will look if there is a plugin that allows tagging in SMF. Sounds like a cool idea.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Jad on October 18, 2007, 06:01:38 pm
A Pixel art Wiki wouldn't be all bad either, right? O: For explaining techniques and such, I mean.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: pkmays on October 18, 2007, 06:22:29 pm
There was a wiki at one time, don't think it ever really took off.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Rydin on October 18, 2007, 07:55:19 pm
http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=4912.msg59610#msg59610

It's a start...
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: ndchristie on October 18, 2007, 10:52:51 pm
it would sorta be like the rules or the resource thread, nobody would read it really.  anyone who wants to know what something means can use the forum search feature (which i just tested will take you to explanations of subpixel, aa, hue shift, color ramp, and style dither, to name a few) at the touch of a button.  If you cant find it, ask, and then your post will put it in the archives frevrrz (so the next guy can search the term and find the post that answered your q)
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Helm on October 19, 2007, 10:49:32 am
If all else fails just a sticky with 'terms to search the forum for' would be enough.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Feron on October 19, 2007, 03:57:14 pm
I already started a sorta repository thread:

http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=4912.0
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: baccaman21 on October 19, 2007, 04:38:53 pm
Tagging is the future - everyones doing it - may as well embrace it?
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Jad on October 19, 2007, 05:40:30 pm
Tagging is the future - everyones doing it - may as well embrace it?

When I have more time I will look if there is a plugin that allows tagging in SMF. Sounds like a cool idea.

Well, as you see, it'll probably happen :]
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: skw on October 19, 2007, 07:39:12 pm
Well, the PixelWiki thing rings a bell -- my pixelhead friend was planning to start something alike off; and though he was given some hosting space, there was none who'd launch into and get it off the ground.

Quote
There was a wiki at one time, don't think it ever really took off.
Hmm, are there any mirrors or something? I'd like to take a look.

The best thing about it, imo, is that you can easily provide translations and, with an equal ease, get thus to people barely understanding English or even not speaking it at all.
Title: Re: A new category: "Repository"?
Post by: Akira on October 22, 2007, 02:11:42 am
Here's a tag system for SMF: http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=579