Quality over quantity

I'm a new user here, but one thing I noticed right away was the sheer volume of filters that have been submitted to the gallery.

Now, on one hand the argument could be made that the more filters there are, the more they show how versatile FF can be. However, on the other hand there seems to be a lot of less-than-useful filters available.

When I see a huge volume of procedurals in a library like this, and many of them seem very generic or easy to reproduce in other procedural generators (Dark Tree, Genetica, TextureMaker, etc.), it reduces the good impression I initially had of the software. It also makes it more difficult to find the really good filters when I have to wade through a bunch of seemingly-simple filters.

I personally would rather see a lower number of high-quality filters available, rather than a high number of lower-quality filters intermixed with a few strong filters. I would rather have my filter submissions denied if I didn't provide something new and great. I don't expect to get a free version of the software, I'll pay for it if I need it as a regular tool in my arsenal.

I appreciate that the idea of the library is to reward users. But I'd like to see a bit more editorial review before filters are accepted. Editors' picks are one way to filter the filters, but it still seems like every filter that is submitted makes it into the library, regardless of unique-ness.

I guess that's the issue... I'd prefer to see only unique filters represented. I see a lot of filters that seem to do nothing exceptional. But I'm new here, so I might not be seeing the whole picture. What do you think?

Cool.

I think denying a filter on bases other than simply completeness of the metadata (what the submission wizard seems to do) would be a good thing. It might make people re-examine their filters, increase the quality/speed/controls/etc., then resubmit.

The incentive stays the same... submit enough good filters, and get enough d/ls or editor picks, then you get free software. Doesn't seem to impinge on the altruistic incentive either.

I was under the impression that only the ones they deemed fitting would go with the commercial version any how but as far as the online repository some that have been editors picks I scratch my head at and other that look way complex and neet to me arnt. Its a matter of oppinion and personal taste . The more variety the better instead of ommiting options simply clasifying them by popularity or quality would be more appropriate
and example is my ceiling tile filter to most folks its simplistic and not fancy at all but to a game modder it might fit the bill perfect but by removing that you have denied them the opportunity to use it based upon your personal preference and discrimination. dont restrict the options simply refine the selection process for finding what you want for instance alot of the organics here dont look that great in doom3 but some of the ones I have made in my opinion look really creepy in game while other that some folk have made that arnt as popular look fantastic in doom3
I realize I bomb the place with all kinds of them and I dont expect them to be included in the retail pachage if you look at my contributions at various modding and computing sites I allways tell people use my stuff however and wherever they want and dont worry about credit unless they really want to credit me
Its not about what I get out of it but providing something for the comunity and not just a few eliet but the entire community

One last note out of all my filters some of my absolute favorites that took a lot of time and head scratching and I think are great arnt downloaded much and some that I think are cheesy and hokey others download far more and seem to enjoy more
This is one of the reasone I dont refrain from submitting something I might scrap might be a vangoh and the masterpiece in my mind --goat droppings in everyone elses
the other reason I go ahead and submit them is that maybe my crapy attempt might give someone an idea or a direction with their own
I never hold back anything I learn or produce I allways share the fruits of my labors

and one last thing is I really get no feedback even from ones that have a decent downlaod rate Not one comment typically --if you want something different I allready married one human being that expects me to read her mind and thats enough for me you want somethign different ---TELL ME and dont be affraid to be blunt or use terms like &^%*&%&^% sorry sensored -- seriously let me know what to change or improve Ive been foccusing more on contols and layout on this latest batch this week and last week because people commented on that In time I will go back and revamp the originals but While Im still figuring out the nuts and bolts Ill refrain from those corrections till I have a clearer idea so I fix it once instead of 50 times

So please if you want something different out of folks or to see a different dirrection ---tell people

I think we should have a filter request challenge or direction thread for people to know what to produce because of community cry out

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Eric Chadwick wrote: I personally would rather see a lower number of high-quality filters available, rather than a high number of lower-quality filters intermixed with a few strong filters. I would rather have my filter submissions denied if I didn't provide something new and great. I don't expect to get a free version of the software, I'll pay for it if I need it as a regular tool in my arsenal.

Thats why theres the Featured filter and Popular filter pages. Since what looks good and bad is largely a matter of opinion, the Filter Forge editors and then the community ultimately decides whats fit for consumption. Personally, i see the "Recent" filters page as a chopping block, those that fail to catch our eyes are doomed to sink into obscurity. Maybe its just me but i don't find myself having too much difficulty scanning the filters for what looks good.

And since this program is still in the beta phase, IMHO it would not be logical to limit what can be submitted to the FF library. For example they might find a program bug in a filter that may not be visually appealing or particularly useful.

Now, according to the few guidelines they established here,yeah, there are a few filters in the library that need to be retired, but i am going to guess that its not a priority for the FF team at the moment, or they are working on a better submission process as we speak.

All the more reason for me to keep working to improve my filter quality

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ask yourself if you could combine a majority of them into a few really sweet filters.

Now I have heard two camps argue this one extensivly some want more options and variations crammed into one others want single purpose simple ones so Im trying to find a happy medium currently of adding some options without antagonizing the I want simple crowd with to much
Im personally of the variety of wanting all the control and variation possible crowd to an insane degree hopefully the ones I released earlier tonight can get some feedback if Im heading in the right direction or not or have a ways to go yet
Thanks

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none of them are really unique

OUCH and here I thought a few where unlike anything else I had seen I guess I need to dig deeper in the creative juices
But just remember one thing this should ring true to you especially knowing me from the other site. I came both here and there with a complete lack of understanding about anything involved but through patient discovery I finally got to the point where I had a nasty tendency of finding solutions to things others said couldnt be done. Im the same here I look at extrac ??? and assemble ??? and I'm stumped Everytime I think Im starting to understand the few components Im foccusing on like refraction gradients and offsets for now They stump me with completly unexpected results and I have to dig way deeper. Stuff artistic and talented folks like you forget is half the controls I have 0 -zero Idea what they are for or do since I have no artistic background or ability. The only controls Im feeling confident in are noise. Everything else is new and being plubmed for its abilities. Im glad you gave me a direction on the first two I allready have a couple ideas they are probably unconventional since I lack all the needed knowledge and tools still but should work on the last If you could shoot me a picture So i could better understand Ill get to work on them The film burn a pic might help to since do you meen the end result on screen or a negative --actual film --a negative effect with burn I think I know wich one but I hate to assume what you really want.
As far as that stuff goes though Thats exactly what I was trying to avoid for 2 reasons
One there are a billion and one filters that allready exist that do color effects and a plethora allready here that do color effects as well and second I havnt even really begun to experiment with the color operations I still have to learn about 90% of what does what with this prog.

The other reason Ive shied away is that stuff dosnt appeal since those kind of operations are allready simple with stock tools in most moddern paint programs and the fact that out of popular downloads they tend to be downloaded far less if you look at the popularity lists. Though I have noticed that some allong theese lines do get editor picks. Again editor pick would be nice but not to be disrespectful its not my sole goal.
Beleive me Rich I have a TON of ideas and 1/10000 the skills to impliment them so far I can refrain from submission and take about a year to figure it out but I felt the additions and variety would be welcom if its not The I will gladly refrain from submitting things for a while. My sincere goal inst to antagonize or bother people Im sinceerly trying to contribute in my Way limited cappacity. Like i mentioned earlier heck I just finnally figured out alpha colors and how to use checkboxes properly.
Im in the midst now of pegging feathered edges and a few other effects Im working toward
But please do send me some intel on what you want and Ill make an effort --those areas are my greatest weeknesses right now but You know me I never like to leave a challenge unanswered It might take me 50 years and be far from conventional but I wont abbandon it till I find an answer
Jeese why couldnt this be simple like a posix migration or something else simple --you look at this art stuff from the outside and think --that dosnt look that bad or hard yeah right I should have learned with doom 3 having 0 knowledge and skill when I first started that it looked far easier then it is. P.S. Rich dont laught but my tinker folder for doom3 about 6 times larger then the actual install of d3 so You can get an Idea of just how much tinkering Im doing with this prog right now. hell if you think my submission are bad Ive got about 300 tinker filters Ive got stored under my folder while I plumb its depths. I really wish we had sub folders under my filters as is I tend to seperate in development and learning stages by what computer they are located on

Just as a heads up If I got your burnt film request right I have allready prototyped the negatization of the photo -color wise and use cells with bacteria profile for the bubbles --im useing refraction with a profile gradient to dialate and pinch bubble size and photo distortions (getting the gradient just right might take a while Ive also got the crumpled look preaty well underway. as far as the layer seperation of the negative Im still working on it. Im probably going to have to shelve this until I figure out some more but mayve someone of your abbilities can take those concepts and run with them--also considdered making the negative have burnt edges that are completly burned away as well

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John Michaud wrote: Now, according to the few guidelines they established here,

Now, as John wrote, the answer seems to be right there in the filter submission guidelines, under the 'New Filters' heading. Aside from the obvious technical and editorial standards that a filter must fulfill, in my opinion, an author should first ask himself whether a filter brings anything innovative or creative to the table. If it's a clone or a trivial filter, it probably shouldn't be submitted at all, for the sake of keeping the library as efficient as possible.

sunbleached poster is 85% done film it really depends on how you look at it the mechanics are 85% done as well but Ive hit a rutt so time table wise might be closer to 30% done still not sure what you meant by depth of field