Combined Completed/Gallery Subforum

[RallyRaider]

So, I've closed the thread on our successful Motorsports forum, what’s next on the agenda? I'm sure many of you saw the suggestion by voyager about a combined completed forum for all models.

The idea is: finished pictures of race, rally, street, show, musclecars, hotrods, drifters, lowriders, etc, etc can all come together in one forum. The separate sections still remain as purely WIP sections. As each project is finished the originator can post a link (and maybe a teaser pic) at the end of the WIP thread to the new thread in the completed section.

Like it? Loathe it? Any concerns it will have any negative impact on the working of the current subforums?

[mickbench]

I think it’s a nice idea to have all the completed models in one thread. It gives the viewers an area to just go to and at least view models, meaning they do not have to trawl through endless threads of WIP. It also takes away the problem of those who do not follow motorsports, or street missing out on some splendid builds.

But, I think the sub forum needs to be tightly policed.. Not draconian style, but I think the completed thread should contain a minimum of say 4 x 800 x 600 pictures, in medium compression, with a max of say 15..?? Or even 1024 x 768…??

I’m so fed up with opening up completed threads, and I can’t see anything hardly. The idea of viewing a model is for enjoyment, not much enjoyment if you’re squinting all the time. Camera phone pictures are some of the worst, I do not profess to being a pro photographer, but I make an effort to get something posted so as you can see the model as it’s meant to be viewed.

There are some stunning models being shown just lately, with some stunning pictures being taken, but there has been one or two severely let down by pictures that look like something from CCTV footage. It really ruins the enjoyment… You see a thread title, you think. Ah I’d like to see that, and then you get a picture so fuzzy, you just leave the thread wondering why you’d bother…


Anyhow I think it’s a good idea, I don’t think it’s going to distract too much, and a group area for completed models would be cleaner, the completed model threads will not drop of the page so fast, and so the focus on them could be more, meaning viewers will get the chance to see them, before lost in a sea of WIP threads.

[sjelic]

Well another subforum......I don't know, but this one sounds interesting if it will be done properly (just a suggestion) because it will be a lot of trouble for moderators and I don't know if it is possible for forum to take it in that kind of form but I believe it could be done (so to cut the crap).
Every finished model should be named by the name of the car (bike, truck etc.) for example Subaru Impreza......bla bla or Honda RC211V....bla bla or Chevrolet Impala......bla bla
Once done sorting them alphabetically would be perfect so anyone could easily find what they are looking for.
Just my humble opinion.

[Sigmaman]

Over at Scale Sprints,the sprintcar modeling website,they have a thread for finished models only.It works well.You can look at finished models and not have to look through thr progress if you don't want to.It is a small forum compared to this one.You would need to have vigilant policing of the rules here for it to work.

[gionc]

I'm pro the merged "Finished Subforum"

I'm not worried about names, sizes, quality: as you all could notice whe have pro-photographer and blurried phone pics toghether: I guess anyone make his better but newbbes wiewing some great pics as in the Hiroboy photo HowTo (Why it's still out of HowTos?) could be motivated to learn something to improove pics quality.

[RallyRaider]

Thanks guys, some nice ideas there too.

No doubt the new forum will need a guidelines sticky setting out suggested size limits and what-not. A link to Hiroboy's photography studio thread wouldn't be a bad idea as well.

Since the new forum will be all completed threads there will be no need for the completed/finished prefix in the thread title. Titles can then simply be the model name, which will enable people to sort the forum by title if they so desire.

[Lurchio]

I'm not so keen!
I think the problems everyone comented on before still stand. i.e. there will be millions of skylines finished for every motorsports build, as such the motorsports will disappear from the bottom of the page pretty quickly.
I do like the idea of seperating finished from WIP but to do for each forum would mean 6 subs overall (too many).

Just my two pence worth, I'll quite happily go along with whatever is decided, this is the only forum I visit so I have no basis for comparison!

[MPWR]

A lot of people seemed to suggest in the last discussion that they only want to look at builds of cars they're personally interested in, and prefer to have their selections pre filtered for them. Is this really how people choose what builds to look at, mostly by subject the matter? I totally don't get that. There are many builders in this forum that can build whatever they want, and whatever it is I'll watch with keen interest. I know that I'll see terrific building, an entertaining thread, or both. This is why I come to this forum, not because it's full of people who build models of my particular favorite category.

I think that combining everything into a finished area and leaving street/show and motorsport divided as progress areas would be an excellent compromise.

[Lurchio]

I think it's obvious that people only look at builds they are interested in!

I think the key is in your own post, most people like to look at their favourite threads, only you "totally don't get that"

Is it really that important? At the end of the day the posts will keep coming and people will still choose which to view as they see fit.

MPWR, as you said, not an attack on you in any way, maybe came across wrong, just trying to play devils advocate!

[David Napier]

I dont like the idea at all, I am interested in motorsports and only occasiionally look at the street section, there may be some great builds that I miss but so what, great builds of a model that doesnt interest me.

If people are looking at improving the forum, maybe limit the number of in progress threads per person? I have watched a lot of interesting work started here only to go dead when the person moves to other models, in progress is ok but the finished work is surely our object?

[mike@af]

Originally Posted by David Napier

If people are looking at improving the forum, maybe limit the number of in progress threads per person? I have watched a lot of interesting work started here only to go dead when the person moves to other models, in progress is ok but the finished work is surely our object?

Thats like telling members they have to pay $1.00 to post now. This isnt a wireless plan where you have to pay for a certain number of messages. I think people should be allowed to post as many different projects as they wish. That brings much greater coverage to the forum with a much wider variety.

Whats wrong if the project dies? Modelers build and dont finish many times. I in fact start more projects than I have ever completed. The reason is I like to see how an idea looks, and once I've seen it I'm usually through with it. This implies for people build models with lots of body modifications.

In your opinion in progress is not what you look for, however I personally get more out of seeing something being built than something built. That way I can see how people go about building something and learning something new. Often times you see more of the model in a progress thread than completed pictures because each part is show as its assembled. Once again, this implies to projects that arent built straight out of the box.

Now for anyone complaining that they only like a certain genre of modeling, its not that hard to sift through the threads. I do it everyday. Granted, I look at many threads, but if I see something that doesnt interest me I dont go back and look at it. If I dont want to look at a Skyline, I dont open that thread. My loss, not anybody elses. I cant blame anybody because I didnt take the time to open a great build.

[gionc]

What I tought is really we haven't this trouble, or, at least, we could try: how many finished model we have in a week? few models for each subforum. I don't feel this antaghonism from the two subf. and I visit each, what I see is a target difference: motorsport user is (for my impression but it may be wrong) a bit aged and mature compare the average in the street subf: if we have kids in AF they're in the street sub I guess. Isn't?

So? To me is probably we could have more finished stuff in the MS section, exactly the opposit that people (you) say. And at least we have few finished models to let everyone could be in the first page for days.

BUT: the chance is another: think how much tread you discovered after lost WIPs, only becouse someone post a link o for a fortuit case: isn't a great thing have a "summarize" togheter?
And at least if you don't care the million of skylines (that I love) don't care also if your great ipothetic finished FW011 come in the second page following a skyline's gang: what is important may be the suffiss is for ST street and SP sport or something different so you'll check immediately, may be with the title color: red for Sport, black for street

[RallyRaider]

Ooops. Last thing we want here is antagonism between the subforums. What we hope to do is bring them together by having a common Showcase/Gallery where we can sit around and look at each others stuff. Imagine the WIP subforums are workshops where we toil away before holding our creations up to the light. Seeing those completed models might inspire people to look deeper into the goings on in different workshops.

Remember we want to brign people together, expanding horizons not naval gazing. I know AF has done that for me, I'd never have considered building road cars a few years ago, but thanks to what I saw on AF I give it a try, had a lot of fun, learnt some lessons, won some trophys and consider myself a better builder for it.

I had intended to move this discussion to the main section after a day or so but I think I'll do it now

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by Lurchio

I think it's obvious that people only look at builds they are interested in!

I think the key is in your own post, most people like to look at their favourite threads, only you "totally don't get that"

Is it really that important? At the end of the day the posts will keep coming and people will still choose which to view as they see fit.

The part I don't get is whether the type of car is the most important thing in determining if someone will find a build interesting. For me, it's only one of several factors in determining if I'll find a build interesting, and not the most important. Obviously I, like everyone else, will look at my favorite threads. But the fact that a thread is or is not a motorsports build is not what makes it a favorite thread for me.

I often see fabulous builds on AF of cars that I wouldn't look twice at if I saw them on the street. To find these builds, I have to look beyond the genres of automobiles that I consider my favorites. Therefore, breaking AF down into genres of subjects is not very useful for me. I'm more interested in seeing great builds of model cars than I am in seeing models of cars I like.

Maybe I am in the minority, and the subject matter of a model is much more important to most people than me. If so than as a minority, I will have to get along with what the majority decides. But right now I am wondering, is subject matter the most important factor in determining if people will be interested in a build- and if it isn't, why is breaking builds down by subject matter useful?

Lurchio- I didn't make my first post above in response to yours. It was not my intention to come across as hostile or critical of you or anyone else.

[willimo]

I like the idea. There aren't nearly enough models finished here to have one type of car drop like a stone while another floats around at the top. Sure, there probably will be cars that stay longer up top, but I imagine all builds will get a few days on the main page of the Completed section. And, as Rallyraider says, hopefully people will go check out the build process if they are interested. I think it will be a good way for everyone to have an opportunity to see everything more easily. And I like the idea of it being a showcase, while the other subforums are workshops. I like it quite a lot, actually. However, I would hate to see some myriad of rules laid down. Sure, the bad camera phone pictures are obnoxious, and unclear thread titles are a disservice, but most people get told "Hey, if you took better pictures I could comment more," and perhaps a lack of comments will be an impetus to get a new camera. These sorts of problems sort of solve themselves, and in the grand scheme of things, are a pretty small aspect of it all.

Also, Mike, I think you meant applies, not implies.