New MTBS Signatures Needed

[Neil]

Hi Guys!

MTBS has gone through a lot of exciting changes over the past few months. A new look, new logos, new certification guidelines and much more to come.

We have over 3,000 registered members now, and I would venture that most of our membership is comprised of people who already own or are already familiar with S-3D technologies.

We had older MTBS signatures, but I think they bordered on coming across as too promotional and weren't as sharp looking as what we are capable of now.

So, I have a few questions for you that I'm hopeful you can answer:

1. What core messages or concepts should come through the signature? (not text, just the messages or ideas).
2. What copy do you think should go in the signatures?
3. Do you have some ideas on what they should look like? Size, imagery, etc.
4. Would you use them? Signatures are useless unless you use them.

If you don't think you have talent in graphics design, don't worry - we know people who do. Please answer these questions as best you can.

Thanks in advance,
Neil

[cybereality]

Cool, I was thinking about making some new MTBS3D sigs. Seems like we are on the same page. 8)

My idea was to give it a competitive edge that will make regular gamers feel like they are missing something (which they are!). Like with slogans: "You're not a True Gamer unless you play in True 3D" or something along those lines. The sigs should be small, maybe 300 pixels wide by 25 pixels high, in a variety of different colors. Would I use them? Sure, why not? They can be a very effective promotional tool without looking like we are spamming other forums and websites. So I think its a great idea. I'd be interested to hear what other people were thinking too.

[NITRO1250]

If I was a newbie gamer and wanted to get more out of my games, I'd really want something eye catching of what you can do. The thing that really set me off to stereo back a few years ago when I was just learning about it was the fact that when you play a game, it is as if you are looking through a real window (not a flat picture) into a new world.

Take Company of Heroes for example. You are looking through a window. The effect is prominent.

So, emphasis on this "window" viewing is what I would emphasize. That and yes, stuff sometimes comes out of your screen too...

[stee1hed]

Okay, I thought about this a little bit.

Freke has an awesome signature, it shows off 3D and it grabs my attention every time.

I would use a signature that had 2/3rd's a standard mtbs3d animated gif that showed off something 3D and the other 1/3rd that I could personalize.

Or maybe it's 50/50.

The size of Freke's sig would be good as well, short and wide.

[Neil]

Ok. Let's keep working on this. Can you write down some object ideas or concepts that a graphics designer can put together?

Think of imagery that would grab peoples' attention.

Regards,
Neil

[LukePC1]

We have a 3D logo, right? Could we display it as a wriggle gif, which gives the appearence of S-3D?

It should grab the attention somehow, so it has to be moving. That does help usually!

Comical or funny scenery do help imho.

[yuriythebest]

I gave it a shot



it's very hard to present everything in one small sig...

[yuriythebest]

wasn't satisfied with it so I improved it

[LukePC1]

It's still looking a little Flat, but I think it catches attention and it tells the history ok. Most people seem to think it's completly new and forget, that it has been invented before.

But were ther (stereoscopic) games out in 1970? And when did SG got popular? I think most are from 1998 to 2000.

Do you think it's possible to bring movement into the tank, so that it seems to popout? Or maybe also the haert?

[yuriythebest]

nope for the tank it's impossible since I do not have a 3d model of the tank. however I tried this way:



I decided to not include the years cause people might confuse them with prices or something.

[Killigath]

Why is the wall dry humping those IZ3D glasses mommy?

[LukePC1]

LOL
That was not exactly, what I wanted (expected), but it's moving (and getting attention) and giving a first Idea of S-3D.
When the person is interested now, he/she can follow the link.

[Neil]

Can you do something a bit more generic than an iZ3D monitor? I think it's a stronger signature if the idea comes through without being tied to a single product.

Regards,
Neil

[stee1hed]

I had an idea at work today that struck my fancy. There are 2 monitors (or just pictures) side by side in the sig (not touching). They both have some nice image on them, car, monster, whatever. The view starts from the left and moves to the right. The left monitor shows a flat 2d image on the monitor and the right monitor shows the image in 3D with the perspective changing. I would love to do a mock up of this like Yuriy did, but it might take a little while.

There would be some words in the beginning like

"Evolve....." by the left monitor and "to 3D" when the perspective ends at the right monitor. I don't think exclamation points are needed, we are trying to non-aggressively impress the user to investigate further and click. The tech does the talking.
or
"Evolve your experience..." blah blah blah "to 3D"

I just made myself a little excited. woo hoo!

[Neil]

I think Sharky did something like that for another purpose. I like this concept.

Regards,
Neil

[stee1hed]

So I PAINFULLY put a mock up in my Punch Software 4000 home design software and created an animation path. The darn thing won't render nice with Vista. All that work, I'm basically done, and I can't render that darn thing. XP here I come! At least dual boot.

[sharky]

here it is..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANgBD30nlks

[LukePC1]

But like all the stuff we create it has not many views
How did this headtracking thing get so popular, while real S-3D stuff is ignored by the majority?
Is it only, that no one knows about it or is it, because people don't understand it???
I think the explanation in sharkys clip is very limited - and I'm glad I did watch it without speakers

A good video should be
- clearly spoken
- easy to understand (most people don't know about S-3D and are no scientists either).
- use simple examples
- use visual and acustic information
- have the right marketing e.g. in the news of gamers newspapers.

[Neil]

Well, let's focus on the signature for now. Something that can be tagged at the end of a forum message - something fun.

Regards,
Neil

[yuriythebest]

not exactly a signature more of a general image type thing

[stee1hed]

Here's an animated gif showing some of the concept...



I created dual boot xp/vista on my laptop, installed a bunch of my software that doesn't work in Vista, created models and animation paths in Punch architecture series 4000 home design software, exported to avi, opened in Adobe premiere 6 and exported the timeline to gif file sequence, ran unFREEz and put all the images together. That's all!

The file is about 1.5 meg, a little big. It needs to be cropped top and bottom and made sig style long. Text needs to be added in the proper animation frames. etc etc...

The images here are just for concept, although a car might relate to more people.

Time for bed!

[Neil]

Getting there!

Yuri, this is a pretty good concept. Can you put more focus on what the 3D does rather than the evolution of the player? Maybe have him start from a distance, and as it progresses, he eventually jumps into the screen - or the screen swallows him!

Stee1hed, keep working on this. What if you have a single television, let it rotate once saying "2D", then the glass breaks, the car rotates inside the TV so it is half in, and half out - and then the screen says "3D". Something like that.

Regards,
Neil

[LukePC1]

You could rotate the first direction with 2d and turn back with 3D and then start all over again. It should look relativly fluid then
I'd like to have some more FPS, if possible. I hope the picture and not my PC limits the FPS..

[stee1hed]

I only did it at 5 fps to try and keep the file size down. I could definitely boost it.

The software I used to create the tv's and the car original animation does not support animated objects within the world. It is home designing software and pretty much things are static.

I'll have to look into other software to get objects to rotate/move.

Luke's idea may be possible by putting two video's together with my current software.

[LukePC1]

And for size: try to cut away the top and bottom and everything else. Maybe you could use some compression (like with JPG) to get it to normal level.

[phil]

Here's my attempt

[Neil]

That's pretty funny!

Regards,
Neil

[cybereality]

Here's my attempt

ROFL