Upload instructions



I know it's diagreeable but it's needed....
No one is forced to create things, and we don't put deadlines, we're well OK. But by registering to the RMP team and by in that way accessing the secret sections of Bu's temple, each member implicitly promised that he'd help the project by his creations, his scripts or even simply an active participation to the RMP forum discussions and ideas. Else, I deduce that his goal is just to be informed of the project progress by the web page and by newsletters, and for that case a special "spectators" status is at the moment being created, making more fair the movie credits, and there will maybe be access restrictions on it.

Same thing for the taken tasks : when you submit/subscribe to one, you gotta make it when you have time, or you unsubscribe from it, else we got tasks blocked for months that paralyse the project.

But all that isn't so important, what really irritates me is the upload unwillingness.
Because many members make pretty models and have no problems to show them on the forum in raytraced and global illuminated renders. And then, strangely, a part of them is happy to have so well helped the RMP and goes back to the bed or, in the best case, begins an other task. If everyone applied that awesome strategy, in ten years the RMP forum FTP would be full with thousands of pictures, and the RMP wouldn't be at 20% of its progress.
I know that showing his creations on the forum is one of the best rewards a creator can get. But its not at all the purpose of the RMP. Only the upload of those creations toward the RMP center, Bu's temple, can make the RMP to go forward. Only the groupping of creations on Bu's, their sorting by type and their sharing with other members in the different sections or by the mega zip packs can allow the creation of bigger scenes toward the final movie scenes. Fortunately I manage thanks to my obstinacy to get most of the creations, but it's more than tiring...
Administrating Bu's temple is most of time a quite boring work converting, checking, repairing, improving, retexturing, rendering, zipping, renamming, uploading and linking creations isn't a dream work, and cant be considered as very rewarding (I've dropped since a long time the idea to put my nick on all the creations I fixed/improved), and it takes a lot of time.

So I don't think I exagerate by asking members a little more willingness and cooperation. Actually, I don't want to have to go and catch myself members' creation or to send lots of mails to get them. I don't want to have to spend my time browsing the web to search for missing textures and files. More generally, I'd like people to obey as soon as possible when I ask for a file, and to always answer to request-mails/PMs (that's one of the gold rules of the internet...). Because it's highly frustrating to see corrupted/uncomplete files stacking on my HDD, or to see on the forum lots of awesome renders of old models that still aren't on Bu's temple, whereas it is soooo easy and quick to upload files toward the RMP depot...
Imo about 25 % if the models made lack on Bu's temple, most of time because of that unwillingness. That's quite a lot. I count on each one to get the upload reflex, that'll boost a lot the project.
BTW - I'd like to thank a lot Assassin, Dark Eyedol and The_angry_monkey, for their work but especially for their exemplary cooperation.



Advanced instructions

If everyone uploaded his creations, it'd already be excellent. But to make me win a little more time, members must respect some rules :
*Never collapse any model's modifiers' stack : it handicapps highly the future editions and improvements of the models. Use the modifier "edit mesh" but dont convert it to "editable mesh" or to "editable poly" by collapsing the stack..
*When you model characters, always make them with the harms spread out. It's way easier to set the bones then and to animate them.
*Always upload the textures with your models of course (apart from for the standard 3dsmax textures), and give to the ones you create/find-on-the-web short names (max 8 characters + extension) to allow the conversion to *.3ds.
*In general rule, never use plugins to add effects on your models, only standard 3ds max features. Some plugins could be used for the movie (one time shaghair or shagfur, just for fun...) but it must be discused on the forum.
You can use any plugin that helps you modelling (Metaballs, advanced surface tools...) but the final model must be compatible with the standard 3dsmax objects (mesh, poly, patch or nurbs).
*Sometimes I add details on models or change textures, and I'm so forced to remake their prewiev renders, but members should anyway join with the 3D file two about 640*480 or 800*600 renders of it, with the model only, well centred, over a black, or if needed grey, background (see the models previews in the Progress page). It doesnt cost much but makes me win a lot of time.
*If you upload your files on the RMP FTP, please inform me of that to be sure that I see them quickly.