No need for polls or any of that sophomoric junk, just a call for well-considered opinions.
The Blender Cookie crew has been fabulous about responding to requests and comments, thanks a lot for that, it makes this an even more tightly-knit community. So I don’t hesitate to ask for another change to the site to be considered, but understand if it’s not feasible.
I’ve noticed a number of posts, some of my own included, that have in-line wide-format images cropped, so that they require scrolling to view fully. I realize that very wide images need to be managed to keep the site looking well-ordered and readable. But would it be possible to increase the overall page width enough to comfortably accommodate images up to 1/2 HDTV width (960x540). HDTV is becoming a very common and popular size for animations, and while it’s too big for easy forum display, most images hold up very well for showing off even at half that pixel rez. I think most folks working in CGI, and even those just interested in viewing, are using monitor settings (1280x1024 being very common today) that can handle a wider forum page easily.
This effect is particularly noticeable in the blender.org header thread in News & Discussion. I see the point you’re driving at, but I’m not entirely sure that increasing the default width of the site is the best option. This site is also viewed by many with laptops and even mobile devices. Personally (and for the time-being), I’d recommend that users take advantage of using thumbnails in their posts that link to the full-size image. It’s friendlier on bandwidth and certainly friendlier for this particular screen layout.
That said, the horizontal scrolling can be pretty frustrating when looking at wider images. Perhaps the layout can be adjusted such that the user identification sidebar on each post isn’t as wide. I’ll discuss this with the rest of the ba.org team and see what options we have available.
I usually use the attachment/thumbnail approach for stills, but there are times when either a full-size image is better (so the reader doesn’t have to jump out of the text to see the pic being referenced), or when formats are not attachable (animated GIFs, for example).
I heartily agree that the site has to remain readable for a number of devices, including laps and mobile, though this is a site devoted to producing imagery of various sorts, and that’s often best seen at generous sizes. A compromise that suits all is best, but probably hard to achieve.
We are going to move the site to a liquid layout on the actual “thread view” to accommodate the larger images. But the “Thread List” will remain to help display and keep info organized. Appreciate the feedback and glad to change it so it reads better.
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