how about using a default blender scene and apply the material to that, this has been suggested elsewhere on the forums in relation to a materials contest (http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=86219)
BTW the blend file link is down so I’ve reuploaded a copy I downloaded a while back here
Jeremy Birn (Digital Lighting and Rendering) sponsors a lighting contest on his website. They provide the models, so everyone is working with the same base. I know blenditall proposes to have everyone use the same photograph to begin the texture, but I think it would be difficult to judge a texture fairly unless it is applied to some model. Otherwise, it may just turn into a “who can grunge this up the most” contest.
In Jeremy’s contest, the models change from contest to contest, to give people a wide range of challenges. They’ve done a bowl of fruit, a rabbit in the grass, underwater scenes, bottles, the flying spaghetti monster…
I think to make it a good contest, we would have to provide both a model and a base texture, or maybe two or three base textures, and judge based on how good the model looks with the texture applied to it. As I’m learning from the critiques of my “finished” project, there’s more to working with texture than just getting the image to tile or putting some grunge on it.
Here’s my suggestion: we have a weekday challenge, which produces untextured models every week. Suppose we ask the winners and runners up to licence their WDC models under a creative common licence and make them available for the texturing contest? Then provide entrants with a blend file containing a scene with the model, a standard lighting set up, and the base texture(s). Rules would state that you can’t change the model or the lighting, just the textures.
sounds good, i think that would work
OK- heres a really interesting concept that might cross some lines but might be worth trying…
What if we were allowed to use the models from the speed modeling thread contest winners to texture… I’m sure the modelers would like to see their work being textured and it would probably create interest in more than one thread. (While we’re at it, give it to the Python coding guys to use for coming up with new code for new procedures (e.g. wing animation, car collision, GUI’s, etc…)
Its a little broad- but its definitely possible- just a little coordination- what do you think, is it too broad minded?
I am sorry, But I really don’t see this working…, Because the original contest idea was to make a texture based of what you call a “base texture”. and that “base texture” is from a photograph that was taken by one of us…, and I don’t know about you, but its rather hard for me, to get a picture of an Abacus, a Sparrow, etc.
Unless you are proposing that we should take a picture of say a…rug then try to make it a texture for a Kola bear for example…?
While that could be interesting…:p… It might be more work than people want to put into a weekly texturing contest…
Now if everyone thought that Orinoco’s idea was a good one, Let me suggest a small change…, That the BWDCers have to model something from the WTC(Weekly Texture Challenge :D) picture, that way you can apply something from the picture to a BWDC model in a way that makes sense…
Just my 2 cents…, I wanna to hear other peoples opinions as well! :yes:
~Marslyr
I like the idea of bettering peoples texturing skills. However I do not think you should have people use an image. Instead i think you should give a good description of the texture that you want them to create, for example “Make an old wet and musky concrete wall that would be seen in a tunnel”. I think it would enable people to paint their texture from scratch, and provide a realistic scenario that you would see in a working environment. Another reason I think it is better, is because it can teach you to have more control over the environment your textures are in as to having to conform to the environment that is in a picture.
I personally would much prefer to have a description of the texture, and then just create the texture rather than having to create a texture for a model.
Ok, this is really broadening into lots of options (which is a good thing:D). The question is, which one? I’m starting to like the idea of making a texture for a specific model. Orinoco gets points for the WDC models suggestion.
alanier_01: To me it seems that the SMC models are not as good quality as the WDC models (obviously – there’s less time). Also, giving the models to the coders is a bit of a stretch… if they needed them they would probably ask at the WDC etc.
blackcougar: But there would need to be a new ‘default’ scene each week , would there not?
Marslyr: I’m not sure I"m totally getting your idea… you’re saying the WDC people should be modeling at least one thing based on a texture? Seems a little backwards… am I misunderstanding? (But it is an interesting idea…:eyebrowlift2:)
Haker: Another idea thrown into the works… and I like it. But organizing this contest properly is going to take a lot of thougt…
Lots of great ideas, keep em coming. Here’s a sum-up of the ideas so far…
Paint a texture based on a description of a location (i.e., old concrete tunnel)
Modify a ‘base image’ into a more interesting texture (i.e., for bricks add graffiti. Or make the bricks multicloloured. Or shrink the image, tile it, and make a texture for a whole side of a building with windows etc.)
-We use weekday challenge models to texture. (Textures could be photo-based or painted).
The second (and original) one may be not as worthy as number 1 and 3 IMO. I think the first and third are looking the most promising right now.
I think this should still be up for discussion a while longer though. Lots of input:yes:.
I think there is a bit of confusion over what is a texture. I wasn’t suggesting that we take pictures of koala bears or abacusi or flamingos. My suggestion was more along the lines of taking a photograph of a rug, or a brick wall, or some mud in a ditch, and using it to texture (the verb, this time) a model made by a WDC participant.
I like Haker’s idea, too. After all, textures come in three varieties: modified photographs, original paintings, and procedurals.
We could provide a model and one photograph, and a description of a kind of look, or maybe some unrelated concept art. The challenge would be to use two kinds of texture, either painted, modified photograph, or procedural, to get the model to fit the description.
So it’s almost a combination of them all… I like it.:yes:
I like the idea of taking a WCD model and let people texture it. we could combine this with a trend for the texture to take. Lets say we take the wheelbarrow model from WCD #11 and say to texture it to make it look old and weathered. Allowed are photos, procedurals or painted texture. Each entrant has to specify what base they used to texture the object.
If there are enough entrants we could have winners for different categories:
Most lifelike
Best texture
Best painted texture
etc…
i like orinoco’s idea too, it should be workable