planter

...and another one for the gallery: a product illustration for my brother's company (cover picture for a flyer).

Any comments? Tear it apart!

jens

...and another one for the gallery: a product illustration for my brother's company (cover picture for a flyer).

Any comments? Tear it apart!

jens

Is your brother's company invisible Jay?

Your image appears to be [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Even So Humble...

I know why I hate this forum software. It's a real drag, because I faced the problem with image uploads for several times.

Another post, another luck :-)

Thanks Gary, but I really hope the company will be visible now :-((

please do it NOW...

Here we go.

AND THIS IS TO THE ADMINS :

Hey guys, you must be some real crackheads! And believe me, I stand up for this. Why are you redirecting post commands to the zymodules server? Do you want to screw me on this topic? I mean it's total nuts to perform a redirect. I am using a filter to ban your fu.... banners to save loading time, and you don't have anything else to do than to be 'smarter' than the rest of this rotten world. Tip: turn this redirection OFF - the sooner, the better.

Thanks for listening AND a fast fix of this bullshit.

jens

Hey guys,

I did NOT mean the moderators of this forum, but I addressed my complaint to the programmers behind this damn forum setup.

OK, and since we are cleaning the dishes anyway, this one is for the admins of the server as well: why doesn't the forum app display my image - it's a jpeg !

If this 'smarter than nobrainer' bullshit will continue, this will be the last time you'll see me in this forum.

I don't like it to be FORCED to see banners, you read me?

Got the message?

Thanks!

BTW, if you think you have to tell me something:
jens@highspeedweb.net
I'd like to nail you to the wall!

I'll try to post your image Jay.

Aha! I see the problem. Somewhere along the line, the file had an (1) appended to the jpg file and that was causing the software to see it as a non-image file.

The image is quite handsome. (Once you can see it)

Gary

Gary,

thanks a lot for postsing my image. Superb service, I really appreciate it.

However, where did the (1) come from? I definitely didn't add it to the filename, that means the forum software does have a bug. Pls. inform the devlopers - this is bugging me like hell.

And now pour in and send the comments !

jens

Impressive image Jay! The plant looks spectacular, very 3Dish, did you do it all in xara! Must have taken a while. The only thing I can see that could be a little better is the bowl it is planted in. It could be a little more shaded to match the rest of the image. Would you mind posting the xar. file, I'd really like to "Tear into it"!? Great work!

Steve Newport

Jay, Yes very nice, very handsome.

I do agree with Steve's comment about the plant's pot. ITS THE FIRST THING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE.

Perhaps clone the pot's shape, paste on top, give it a darkish fill, and then try a vertical linear transparency which is more opaque at the bottom of the pot and more transaparent at the top.

Regards, John

Hi Jens,

I like the overall drawing. The only thing that doesn't seem exactly right is the reflection of the three spheres. I can't decide if they need to have some perspective added because of the floor angle or if simply adding some reflection of the word HANSA would make it more accurate.

Soquili [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

yes, I also agree with Soquili, the reflection of the spheres need to be a little more transparent so you can see the lines on the floor. If the floor is meant to be really shiny, try adding a few more whitish highlights. Nice work

Steve Newport

Hi guys,

thanks a lot for your input. Seems I really have to work on the shadows and highlights.

BTW Steve, the palm tree is a bitmap (aaarrrgggghhh). A plain photograph taken with an old fashioned SLR, scanned, background to alpha in a png file format, then imported into in XARA. I tried to keep a similar angle for the lightning. However, it's not 3D, because in 3D I don't have too much control on the shadows (feathering, transparency).

The HANSA reflection: the reflective floor unfortunately does have almost the same color as the logo type, so I guess I need to apply some tricks for this one.

Overall: thanks for your input! It always helps to have more than 2 critical eyes on an artwork!

jens

I downloaded Ivan's cathair brush yesterday and it downloaded as catfur.xar(1) I had to rename the file to use it.

This must be a bug in the forum.

Every file I download is like this. Using IE5.5, I right-click to save.

www.thelondonhouse.co.uk

It is typical of this forum software to append a (1) to file types it does not recognize. Clearly it should have recognized Jens' jpg. Why it didn't is perhaps only known to InfoPop/OpenTopic.

Sometimes when I try to post with an attachment, after identifying the file I want to attach and clicking for it to upload, I get a error message. The workaround at that point is not to continue and start over with a new reply. Instead hit the back button, re-identify the file you want, and click for upload again. I find it always works on the second time if it didn't on the first.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

Ross,

------------------//--
Instead hit the back button, re-identify the file you want, and click for upload again. I find it always works on the second time if it didn't on the first.
------------------//--

Wrong. I tried it and received following message: connection closed by remote server.

In my eyes this is a very lousy programming, and obviously no one really cares about it.

jens

That never happens to me Jens. Life is full of mysteries but these computer related ones are more frustrating than most.

The TalkGraphics forums are, I would think, one of the very few users of InfoPop that has a emphasis on attachments. That being the case you would think they would be interested in how these forums are working. I just visited their site and I get the impression that in terms of bandwidth, the Xara forums could be one of their biggest customers. If they are asking for it (who knows?) Xara Ltd./TalkGraphics.Com should get service from InfoPop. Perhaps Xara should be encouraged to complain.

Also noted on the InfoPop site was the fact that they've released a new version of their boards. You can find info here. Still no tree structure from what I see, but it is more customizable. Some of their customers are using it now. Perhaps we will be soon???

In another thread there was talk of the humble "Esc" key. My three-year old son discovered that if he presses it while Dad is composing a reply to post - the Esc key deletes the message. There is no undo for it. Grrrrrrrrr!!

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The TalkGraphics forums are, I would think, one of the very few users of InfoPop that has a emphasis on attachments.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting point, Ross! My biggest frustration with the forum software (as I've said in another thread) is the way attachments are forced to reload from the server on every visit to a thread instead of popping quickly out of my cache. I suspect the attachments feature was designed more for optional downloads (eg .xar files) than the PNGs, JPEGs and GIFs that our browsers all recognise and display!

Peter</p>

Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

PS This is doubly frustrating as the images are clearly cached anyway (can see them if I revisit a thread offline), so why should I have to wait around for ones I've already seen when I'm online? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img]

[This message was edited by Peter Duggan on April 21, 2001 at 06:03 AM.]

Peter - Your comments make me wonder: Is Xara Ltd./Talkgraphics.com paying for the bandwidth? If so then maybe InfoPop doesn't care.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

Here's an example:

I look at a thread with ten 50K images (by no means untypical), let the whole page load, and I can revisit it offline. Next time I'm on, it's gained another 50K image and, unless I hang around for all 550K, the whole page is ruined for offline viewing. Maybe Xara Ltd/Talkgraphics.com is being fleeced for all that unnecessary bandwidth (I dunno), but I'm sure as hell paying for it my end and that sucks big time! (To come back to one of the points of my Modems thread, I know it's a graphics site, but I wouldn't really have a problem with images of almost any size if they weren't being forced to reload from the blinking server every time. Linking to images at your site or mine by posting the appropriate HTML doesn't cause this problem, so why should uploading directly to here?)

Peter</p>

Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

PS Another thing (got me going now) - when threads have more than one page, I have to go through page 1 to get to any subsequent pages, which means that I lose the offline use of page 1 and all its images if I visit it just long enough to click on whatever page (usually the latest) I'm looking for... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img]

(Even bookmarking the original page 1 and being prepared to type in the URL with a new last digit wouldn't really help here, but it would be an intolerable footer even if it did!)

[This message was edited by Peter Duggan on April 21, 2001 at 08:16 AM.]

I've never really had a problem in these forums, everything has loaded up pretty nicely. The extent of my problems has been not being able to *tab over on a start of a new paragraph. It could possibly a hard/software problem. What kind of comp. and internet connection do each of you have? I'm on a pentium w/ Windows98. I also have Road Runner (An amazingly fast connection, no modem, all cable!) It could just have a problem with certain kinds of computers or internet connections. But it could also be the forums!! One will never know! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Steve Newport

Oh, Ross, by the way, all you have to do when your six-year old hits escape while your replying to a message is hit Ctrl+Z. Com'on Ross, Xara instinct!! I know that button combination better than the back of my hand, God only knows I use it enough (the button combination that is)!!
Also, if you still wanted that galaxy on a wall file, here it is, see if you can find the hidden message.

Steve Newport

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>It could possibly [be?] a hard/software problem.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

But it's not! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>It could just have [be?] a problem with certain kinds of computers...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

But it's not! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>But it could also be the forums!! One will never know!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Steve, it is the forums! I do know and it sucks! Count yourself lucky if you've got 'An amazingly fast connection, no modem, all cable', but don't let that blind you to the fact that forced reloads of every attachment from the server stink, period. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif[/img]

Sorry if this seems a little harsh, but fast connections your end don't excuse crap programming at the other end...



Peter</p>



Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

Carved Wood thread:

So Gary's just posted a new image (33219 bytes, and I'm not complaining about that) but, to see the whole page (and be able to revisit it as it should be seen offline), I have to wait for 322079 bytes (28160+11095+56171+69581+18188+90293+48586) of forced downloads that should already have been cached at this end. Next time someone adds an image to that thread it'll be 355298 bytes, and for what? It pisses me off big time and it'll ultimately drive me away from these forums (jump for joy if you like), but what will Xara Ltd/TalkGraphics.com have gained from that except a dissatisfied customer?

Peter</p>

Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

[This message was edited by Peter Duggan on April 21, 2001 at 10:48 AM.]

Ross, Steve, Peter and all the others,

my question to XARA is: why do they run the talkgraphics on a third party server?

We set up the servers for our customers that the forums run on their servers. Period. No hassle, and screamingly fast on a T3. And a lot cheaper than European servers. The forum software is included in the server, only the set up is extra.

This forum set up has two problem areas: the redirecting of the pages, and the check back to the zymodules server for the banners. So actually we are talking about 3 different servers. Based on the nature of HTTP commands, one part of the packets can be send eastbound around the globe, the other one westbound around the globe - even if the servers are located in the same building.

IMHO this is the weirdest set up I've ever experienced.

And if someone from XARA should ever read this thread: you can order your server at http://highspeedweb.net (nomen est omen), and it will be set up in less than 48 hours with your choice of NT, LINUX or BSD UNIX. Prices start at US$ 99 per year incl. 50 megs if I remember it correctly.

Any questions?

jens

Jens

I might have felt bad about hijacking your 'Planter' thread for a diatribe against the forum set-up, but...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>In my eyes this is a very lousy programming, and obviously no one really cares about it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm taking my cue from you, and I care! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]



Peter</p>



Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

Peter,

so you can remove threads? Great, go ahead if you don't like my comments. I am not the guy who will swallow everything that's served on the Net. Diatribe? If you are convinced it's a diatribe, I can't help. I like to speak up, and I like to speak up loud. Because I've worked for more than 5 years with a large ISP. I've set up many servers with forum software, chat rooms etc. Bug free. Working great from day one.

--------//--
I'm taking my cue from you, and I care!
-------//--

what do you mean with 'taking my cue from you'?

Great if you care. I really appreciate it. And I press thumbs that you will be able to move something.

And if you want to learn more about the software we use for our customers:

http://www.dcscripts.com

It's sleek, stable, fast, reliable. You have the choice to activate UBB code or not.

For a demonstartion, please go to
www.dcscripts.com/cgi-bin/demoboard/dcboard.cgi

For admin access, use
username: admin
password: demo

Enjoy your weekend !

jens

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> so you can remove threads? Great, go ahead if you don't like my comments <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jens, I'm sure you've misunderstood Peter. He was refering to his regrets that your thread that was originally to be about your fine illustration has, in large part because of him, [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] turned into a discussion of the forum itself. ie. regrets that your great drawing has been lost in the shuffle - the thread has already been hyjacked by the change in focus. He was appologizing to you and is not critical. He admires your willingness to take on the status quo when it sucks. I am sure of these things.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

Jens, that demo seemed very slick - and fast! Can the system handle tree-like structure organization of posts? I agree that the current TalkGraphics/InfoPop system sucks - especially the lack of "trees" and the cumbersome maneuvering across multi-page topics to see new posts - I hate that! What a brain-dead system - a horrible time-waster! I sure hope Xara will take a closer look at your setup.


K

Oh crumbs, oh no, think this might be the last thing I ever post here...

Jens

I'm absolutely mortified if I've been misunderstood to the extent that you thought I was having a go at you - I was agreeing with you, man!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Diatribe? If you are convinced it's a diatribe, I can't help.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Course I'm convinced it was a diatribe, but it was my flaming diatribe, for heaven's sake! (Check what I said - it was 'I might have felt bad'. I, me, Peter Duggan, for dragging your thread off topic.)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>what do you mean with 'taking my cue from you'?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It was supposed to be an acknowledgement that, if I've driven this thread off topic, it was partly in response to your own comment further up the thread about the forum software. It was supposed to express support for your views and let you know that people do care.

Now I see that someone's gone and given this thread the ultimate insult of one star, and probably because of me. (I never liked that star system anyway, and have never used it, but it's kind of ironic because my intentions were constructive as usual and my comments seemed to follow on from Ross's and your own... well, to me anyway.)

Enough said, however. It's unfortunate that so much hurt seems to have come from trying to be so helpful, but what else can I say now?

Bye



Peter</p>



Peat Stack or Pete's Tack?</p>

There. I just submitted my rating and the vote seems to have lifted the stars out of the gutter. The content of this thread is I believe important to all forum users.

I hope Thomas from Xara Ltd. will investigate InfoPop's new forum software. Maybe some of our concerns have been addressed by the latest release.

Peter - Don't worry about anything! Jens won't be giving you one of those Glasgow kisses written about in the thread on carved wood in the main forum. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

Peter,

I have to apologize, but I totally misunderstood your post. But the bug was on MY end, because English is 'only' my second language out of 4 :-(

Ross,

thanks for the explanation, opening my eyes!

Klaus,

this forum software can be setup in many different ways, but to be honest, I never went too deep into the manual to be able to answer your question. In addition, there are some explanations in it that I did not understand, and I was too lazy to grab my dictionary to translate all relevant words :-)

However, it is possible to give the DC Forums the same look as this forum, and you can arrange the posts in a tree structure, but not like a navigation bar if you mean that. It's more a tab like approach like this
-> message 1
---> reply
------> reply
---------> reply
---> reply
------>reply
see what I mean? In addition you have the choice to display the first 180 chararcter of a message in the header. Of course you can add a rating system as well, and the USER can determine to collapse the tree or not.

Here is an example I have set up a week ago for a customer:

http://www.bobeldridge.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi

(pls don't post anything there or register - it would cause a lot of trouble for me: this is a membership site...)

But what's more important is the fact that this forum will run on the customer's server, not on a third party server.

Another important feature: the admin can broadcast alerts or important information directly from the admin page to the registered forum users.

Again, I have to apologize for getting Peters message wrong :-(

Design galore ! FIESTA !

jens