I just had a quick peek at the stats down the bottom of the front page of the website, and I noticed 1162 members already! That's quite a lot of people, not to mention all the guests who browse the forums.
Oshyan, got any stats as to how many downloads the Tech Preview has gotten so far? Or the number of registered users? Just being curious (and impressed!) :)
These forums have been a huge success - it is now easy to communicate with just about all of the people who like using Terragen. These forums also make it easy to share good tips - a very useful feature, considering the vastly increased number of settings there are to experiment with in TG2.
I have been pulling for a forum for some time now so I am thrilled to see it and how well it is working. The Yahoo! mailing list type group is just totally inadequate for this type of complex subject matter. The mailing list type of site just constantly causes communication issues because users are being bombarded with emails that they really don't have an interest in. I am really impressed with the features on this version of the SMF software. (Including the fact that it just flagged a typo I made before I even noticed it.) Now if I could just learn to use TG2 adequately.... Thanks!!!!!!
You didn't have to recieve emails from the Yahoo! group, although I do agree that the forums are much better.
From both a commercial and public relations stand point these forums just had to be. Now that Terragen is going mainstream as a commercial product with a four item product line, as part of a professional service to their high end user base; and the folks who will eventually use TG2 in production and VFX work would expect away to ask product support questions and receive answers to them in a timely manor.
With this in mind then and the fact that so many software companies are offering forum user feedback and some such as Nevercenter offering user cantered development of the software there had to be an official forum for the Terragen community.
The trouble with the Yahoo list was and maybe still is was the overriding feeling by some members of that list that they where not been listened to which lead to a lot of accusations and so forth been put around that at the end of the day could have been handled in a better way, but that is what can be said now with benefit of hindsight.
The problem with the Yahoo list that I can see is topic hijacking where people just copy and paste what the last poster said and 5 in every 10 posts that I have seen there has been like this. The other part of the problem that I see with the Yahoo list is topic drift, but form what I have been able to find out this is quite common with these kind of E-mail lists.
People are more sophisticated now with their exceptions about what they want form a software company and that company's product/s to be; deadlines are tighter and law suits are more common if you cannot deliver on time and under budget.
I think the nature of what Terragen will be will be greatly shaped to a greater or lesser degree to what is said in these forums and of course in the court of public opinion weather that's right, wrong or indifferent; in the end soup to nuts that's just the way things will be.
Regards to you.
Cyber-Angel
Quote from: Cyber-Angel on January 11, 2007, 08:51:35 AM
I think the nature of what Terragen will be will be greatly shaped to a greater or lesser degree to what is said in these forums and of course in the court of public opinion weather that's right, wrong or indifferent; in the end soup to nuts that's just the way things will be.
These forums are a great way for Planetside to find out what we want and what our most common problems are. After all, there is little point in them making features that nobody wants or needs.
The Yahoo group was always doomed due to Terragen's popularity - it had no structure and therefore made it hard to keep track of conversations and their topics. The group also had the problem of people filling it with needless rubbish a few words long that just agreed with previous messages. The forums seem to be immune to this problem so far.
This has been my best experience with a user community on forums so far. Very helpful.
:o
I agree, these are the most helpful and amazing forums I have ever been on - even better than the forums of open source (and supposedly more friendly and community-based) software such as NSIS (http://forums.winamp.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=65). I am struggling to work out why these forums are so good. My best guess is that the combination of Terragen not being incredibly well-known and the years of glimpses of TG2 has produced a large bunch of Terragen-enthusiasts who have suddenly found the perfect place to talk about Terragen and share their work - these forums.
DarkFire, I'd agree that there's a great hunger. What I think is the greatest influence of bounty on this site is the developers and the original beta testers coming online and sharing their knowledge, specifically helping us one at a time. That is humility and tends to spawn life like we see here.
Quote from: Dark Fire on January 12, 2007, 03:22:22 PM
I agree, these are the most helpful and amazing forums I have ever been on - even better than the forums of open source (and supposedly more friendly and community-based) software such as NSIS (http://forums.winamp.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=65). I am struggling to work out why these forums are so good. My best guess is that the combination of Terragen not being incredibly well-known and the years of glimpses of TG2 has produced a large bunch of Terragen-enthusiasts who have suddenly found the perfect place to talk about Terragen and share their work - these forums.
also we are a friendly bunch ;D
that and we are all rather mature nd want Terragen 2 to be all it can be 8)
Regards,
Will
Yeah, these forums are pretty impressive. I really like the SMF features, and everyone here is really helpful - I haven't seen a single person get flamed yet ;).
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 01, 2007, 06:44:02 PM
Yeah, these forums are pretty impressive. I really like the SMF features, and everyone here is really helpful - I haven't seen a single person get flamed yet ;).
heh yea I may be the youngest guy on these fourms being only a sophmore in highschool, which would explain the lack of flaming.
Regards,
Will
Quote from: Will on February 01, 2007, 06:45:47 PM
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 01, 2007, 06:44:02 PM
Yeah, these forums are pretty impressive. I really like the SMF features, and everyone here is really helpful - I haven't seen a single person get flamed yet ;).
heh yea I may be the youngest guy on these fourms being only a sophmore in highschool, which would explain the lack of flaming.
Regards,
Will
There are quite a few active young people on these forums, which is interesting and shows that there is a potential for Terragen to be introduced into some qualifications. For example, oggyb, MeltingIce, Will and I are all
apparently under 20, and yet we are top posters 10, 7, 2 and 4 respectively.
If Terragen is going to be excepted for use for gaining qualifications then this would require a major effort to do this and require working with the relevant authorities and educational standards organizations in all the countries around the world where you wish to establish training and certification programs.
You would also need to consult and work with the training companies that do work with retraining FX artists in the work place as well as the Internet based training companies that provide Internet based training resources.
These resources must be multilingual and must be done in consort with local communities where its the case of the translation of a local dialect to avoid accusations of a particular language been usurped, this happen last year with Microsoft (I forget where).
You need at least the following and this is be no means complete.
An official Instructor Training and Certification Program with support.
Class Room Based Training with the option of distance learning (The training program should have the flexibility of been tailored to individual learning needs and styles since no two people learn at the same rate or in the same way).
Terragen "How To Books" Physical books that you can buy from a book store, like the hundreds (maybe not that many) of books published every year on using Photoshop.
Internet based Training including video tutorials.
DVD (Or its replacement) based learning resources.
Utilise Social Network Sites such as Myspace and Youtube to put Terragen Learning resources on unless asked not to be a client.
Regards to you.
Cyber-Angel
...or, as I keep on saying, we could just get a member of the Planetside team to hijack an A-Level, as Steinberg have already done. That would be a good starting point.
Darkfire do I assume that you are based in the UK? A-Levels you take those after you've taken your GCSE exams! These are not every where in the world and the point I was trying to make was you need a system that can be tailored to different countries around the would ideally with instructors qualified from those countries who already understand the cultural and other sensibilities of people there.
Even if you could "Hijack" an A-Level, if its going to be an excepted qualification it would still need to meet the requirements of the 1996 Education Act and be approved as such by the A-Level marking boards and the Department for Education in Westminster.
Regards to you.
Cyber-Angel
OK. Here is a summary of the argument for taking over an A-Level:
1. Steinberg did it, so why can't Planetside?
2. 'Nevertheless, the British GCE A-levels are taken all around the world, as many international schools choose to use the British system as the examinations are recognised around the world. Furthermore, students may choose to sit the papers of British examination bodies at education centres such as British Councils around the world.' - From Wikipedia.
3. It is a good stage in education to get students to specialise.
Quote from: Cyber-Angel on February 03, 2007, 06:51:07 PM
Even if you could "Hijack" an A-Level, if its going to be an excepted qualification it would still need to meet the requirements of the 1996 Education Act and be approved as such by the A-Level marking boards and the Department for Education in Westminster.
There's an easy way to do that. Take an A-Level that already exists and tweak it so you need Terragen (although, it should not be strictly needed, otherwise the exam board would have to provide it). For example, the only piece of software that can do everything required for the Edexcel Music Technology A-Level is Steinberg's Cubase. You can use several other pieces of software to do the different parts, but Cubase is the only program that can do everything.
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 01, 2007, 06:44:02 PM
Yeah, these forums are pretty impressive. I really like the SMF features, and everyone here is really helpful - I haven't seen a single person get flamed yet ;).
YEA WELL YOU KNOW WHAT... just kidding ;)
I agree these forums have developed very nicely and everyone so far is pretty nice ;D
yes, I for example, am currently applying for a educational version of XSI and realflow. I find that the redused pricing is very helpful.
Regards,
Will
Quote from: Will on February 07, 2007, 05:28:24 PM
yes, I for example, am currently applying for a educational version of XSI and realflow. I find that the redused pricing is very helpful.
Regards,
Will
Yea I got Cinema 4D and Maya for $250 and $350, respectively. Instead of $1200 and $8000 ;)
Grumble... I would LOVE to get my hands on Maya or C4D, but even at those awesome prices, I don't have enough money for it... :(.
that and you need to be a student, not sure if you are or not just stating that fact.
Regards,
Will
Oh, yeah, I'm a senior in high school :P.
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 09, 2007, 09:20:29 AM
Oh, yeah, I'm a senior in high school :P.
Hey me too, join the club :D
ill be one in two years, but it will be too late by then :(
also what field are you guys planning on majoring in?
Regards,
Will
I'm going to a liberal arts college, which is another way of saying that I'm undecided ;).
Electrical and Computer Engineering here :P
you guys are making the rest of us all feel old:P:P....
well think of it this way: With age comes wisdom (it better or I don't stand a chance)
Regards,
Will
To have knowledge you must first have learning, for only through knowledge may you gain wisdom and through wisdom may you gain enlightenment. For it is said not all those who have learning have knowledge, not all those who have knowledge gain wisdom and not all those with wisdom gain enlightenment.
It is also said that those who would embark on a journey along a step road at night should like the wise man carry a lamp to light his way, then be like the foolish man who dose not. For it is better to be like the wise man with the lamp then be like the foolish man without the lamp who strayed from the road over a precipice.
Regards to you.
Cyber-Angel
Cyber_Angel are you going to major in philosphy? I think you would be good at it.
Regards,
Will
If I have time one day I would love to go to University to study the subject more formally maybe with art history if that's possible but more fundamentally then a university education can only give you the base upon which you may or not build upon, and really is no substitute for a life of thinking and arguing a point, the latter I have been doing since age 7, you are either born a philosopher or your are not.
Let me put to you like this, you can teach some one to play the blues, but unless they feel it there will be no truth, no feeling in what they say and if you sing the blues without truth then what your singing is not the blues and form that instance you have no business calling your self a blues-man nor indeed your music the blues, the blues is more then just music its an attitude, a way of thinking, of feeling and living in fact its away of life, the same conversely is true of philosophy you wake up with it in the morning and see in in your dreams at night.
To be a philosopher is to be born knowing that there a fundamental questions that need to be asked and that there is some thing underlying every thing, though what that thing is no one is really sure what is but some thing in the mind says that it is there; it is that thing that eats away at the philosopher you cannot teach that feeling you have it or you don't.
Regards to you.
Cyber-Angel
You guys are making me feel like a foreigner from a long-forgotten insignificant country. I can't work out exactly what 'high school' is (the page on Wikipedia is far too long to bother reading). Anyway, it's surprising the number of users of this forum still in education...
Well I want to go into computer science after High School, possiby going on to work on games or in movies so this is really doing what I love. I've been doing CG stuff since I was 10, Terragen was my first try then I went to Animation Master, not I'm going progressing with ZBrush, Terragen 2, XSI, and realflow.
Regards,
Will
Dark Fire - it's OK if you don't understand high school; I don't understand the British educational system either. Essentially, we have five years of primary school, three years of middle school/junior high school, and four years of high school. It's similar to the French system of five years of "Ecole primaire", four years of"College", and three years of "Lycee".
Will - It seems you got started on this pretty early. I think I knew what a computer what when I was 10... :P. Seriously, though, I'm kind of jealous of you for knowing what you want to do. I'm really interested in lots of things, so I keep on second-guessing myself when I decide what I want to end up doing.
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 11, 2007, 03:34:41 PM
I don't understand the British educational system either.
Thanks for the explanation of the American system.
Here is a summary of what most people have to go through in tha UK:
1. Primary school (which you start at 4 years of age) - 7 years (Reception, and Years 1 to 6)
2. Secondary School (which you start at 11 years of age) - 5 years (either called years 7 to 11 or 1st to 5th years)
3. 6th form or college (which you start at 16 years of age) - 2 years (lower and upper sixth) (6th forms are often part of secondary schools)
4. University or gap year and university (which you start at 18 or 19 depending on whether you take a gap year)
The only compulsory stages are primary and secondary school. The major exams are in Year 2 (Key Stage 1), Year 6 (Key Stage 2), Year 9 (Key Stage 3), Years 10 and 11 (GCSE), Lower 6th (AS) and Upper Sixth (A-Levels).
Quote from: Will on February 11, 2007, 03:05:24 PM
...I've been doing CG stuff since I was 10...
That is amazingly young. I was four years older when I first used Terragen and started programming.
Terragen was my first 3D rendering program as well. I started in 6th grade when I was 11 or 12 years old :P
I really need to learn python thoughbecuase I need to learn how to script better.
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 11, 2007, 03:34:41 PM
Will - It seems you got started on this pretty early. I think I knew what a computer what when I was 10... :P. Seriously, though, I'm kind of jealous of you for knowing what you want to do. I'm really interested in lots of things, so I keep on second-guessing myself when I decide what I want to end up doing.
I know what you mean, I know what field I want to go into but past that it still really foggy, I have changed my world veiw so many times over the past couple years that it all kind of mind boggling.
Regards,
Will
you guys all started really young:P... note when university comes alone terragen will lose importance:P trust me:P
i started 1 year ago with terragen... and no i'm not 11:P lol
two words: time compression. thats right I have learned to munipulate time with only my mind 8) (they need a confident smily)
Yea I know and it will be an intresting thing leaving it behind since I have grown up with it, its like that stuffed animal we all had except it is an assembly of code......yea
Regards,
Will
Quote from: king_tiger_666 on February 11, 2007, 05:47:05 PM
... note when university comes alone terragen will lose importance:P trust me:P
Not really. We'll just leave our computers rendering then, instead of sitting there watching them slowly render all day.
or in my case hitting refresh every thirty secounds on the fourms.
Regards,
Will
or I suppose you could use the university computers, with terragen on a usb drive, oh what a oppotunity I missed:(..
which brings to mind what school you guys applying to? And Ive leagers here.
Regards,
Will
Quote from: king_tiger_666 on February 11, 2007, 07:48:57 PM
or I suppose you could use the university computers, with terragen on a usb drive, oh what a oppotunity I missed:(..
Oh, yeah... if I can just get my hands on a computer lab for even 24 hours... instant animation :P.
Quote from: Will on February 11, 2007, 07:50:56 PM
which brings to mind what school you guys applying to? And Ive leagers here.
I visited a couple of Ivy League schools and decided that they were a bit too big for my tastes. I might try to go to one of them for grad school. Instead, I'm going to their small liberal arts counterparts. My top three are Swarthmore College, Middlebury College, and Northwestern University.
I had a swip card for after hours access... :D
Quote from: Dark Fire on February 03, 2007, 07:13:56 AM
Quote from: Will on February 01, 2007, 06:45:47 PM
Quote from: old_blaggard on February 01, 2007, 06:44:02 PM
Yeah, these forums are pretty impressive. I really like the SMF features, and everyone here is really helpful - I haven't seen a single person get flamed yet ;).
heh yea I may be the youngest guy on these fourms being only a sophmore in highschool, which would explain the lack of flaming.
Regards,
Will
There are quite a few active young people on these forums, which is interesting and shows that there is a potential for Terragen to be introduced into some qualifications. For example, oggyb, MeltingIce, Will and I are all apparently under 20, and yet we are top posters 10, 7, 2 and 4 respectively.
Hahaha, yes I am seriously under 20 (18 since January to be exact).
we are the more youthful demographic of terragen 2.
regards,
Will
Oh and to answer your other question, I have already gotten into and sent in my deposit for the Worcester Polytechnic Institute :D
Neat, I like their website. I ask this of you guys becuase after taking the PSATs I have gotten about thirty emails regards collages that I will not be even appling to for anouther two years. Its just so tempting since I live one hour away from cambrige. 100 miles from three of the best schools in the world.
regards,
Will
Yeah, after I took the PSATs, my inbox started filling up with college mail. When it peaked this summer, I used to get 4 or 5 college emails per day.
yea now they are bigging to send more asking why I haven't replyed and I'm afriad I have began to feel guilty about it...they are findly getting at me...must ...get... away!
regards,
Will
Quote from: Will on February 12, 2007, 07:39:55 PM
Its just so tempting since I live one hour away from cambrige. 100 miles from three of the best schools in the world.
regards,
Will
best in what academic area?... surely not all:P...
well yes but if you think about it MIT, Harvard, I've head MASSART is very good as well.
But I understand what you mean thats why I said some of the best schools.
Regards,
Will
which leads me to the question what are all your backgrounds?... mine is
physical geography/geomorphology/geology
Well I plan to go into computer science but so far my summer job has been as a lab techie at the local university working in the Biology, oceanogrfy department. I also find astrology intresting and like to go play with my teloscope and before I set a feild on fire my friend and I would build rockets.
Regards,
Will
we may just offer them some internships :-)
if they would like to :-)
Will.....
Do you mean astronomy.. or astrology.....
The difference is important ..... to astronomers anyway.... ;)
Rgds
Chris
astronomy, that post was before Firefox 2 and the spell check feature ;)
Regards,
Will