Web Ring Logo

tmuir · Web Ring Logo

The little webring panel at the bottom of every forum page and at the bottom of everyone's homepage that has joined has an option of having a logo next to it to make the webring more recognisable.

As this is something that would be on everyone's page that joins rather than me just choosing something I think this should be a group effort.

So if anyone has a good picture for us to use as the logo post it here.
The main restriction is it must be less than 180 by 255 but can be smaller.
You must also remember this logo would be on everyone's homepage who is a member which are all different coloured backgrounds so something with a defined border would be good too.

Hopefully someone here can come up with a winning Logo.

Dampfzauberer

How about this one?
I thought: what can be immediately recognized as a steam engine?
Here the pic, shows a falk steam engine with typicaly steam engine proportions...but only suggestion of mine

tmuir

Just having a quick look and I think it really needs to be no bigger than 100 pixels by 75 pixels and if possible smaller so it doesn't take over peoples web pages.

Dampfzauberer

tmuir

You must of posted your first picture justs seconds before I said about the size as I didn't even see your first post.

I think at the smaller size it looses a bit too much definition but will wait and see as I haven't got anything better.

I was thinking of taking a nice photo of my Bing Loco though.
I would prefer to use a picture or drawing of a 'classic' toy steam engine rather than a modern one but thats just me and someone else may have a better idea.

Dampfzauberer

Can it also be an animated GIF ??

Or is that too big

tmuir

Dampfzauberer

Here are some GIF's I found in the internet some time ago.
Sorry, don't know where they all came from exactly....

tmuir

I love the man sawing, that has to be my favourite, I could possibly even shrink it a bit more.
But are these images for public use or does someone own the copyright?
I would hate to use one get it known and then have the owner come and tell us we can't use it?

But then I have Wilesco sawman and could always make my own animated gif or PNG with it.

Dampfzauberer

The sawman is from a page from the netherlands, just found it again!
I will contact the owner and ask him!

Mamodman123

Who did the mamod? it's going backwards

tmuir

Mamodman123

IndianaRog

I believe the blue based engine GIF is one developed by our own CEDGE and he should be consulted if we want to use it. I recognise it from his website.

tmuir

I thought that looked like a Jensen.
I wouldn't use any of the above animated gifs unless the owner could be tracked down and permission granted and the same goes for still pictures.

It certainly would be best if we used our own drawings or pictures or one old enough that copyright would of expired on it.
I like the animated sawing man and have a similar model so if nothing better comes along make one myself.

Dampfzauberer

Dampfzauberer

tmuir

Thats ok.
It's served its purpose and have given me an idea, if no-one else comes up with a better idea I will have a go at making an animated gif with my accessories.

steamgranny

Could always create our own gif using JASC animation shop (free). I've just done it easily by using the wizard. Simply take a dozen or so stills with flywheel or whatever manually moved forward each time & hey presto - no copyright problems. Can be compressed down to required size & trying to create an avatar, mine finished at only 54kb. Really needs a remote shutter release though to avoid camera shake & don't have that on my digital so first effort somewhat jerky

tmuir

Yes I've got a similar program on my PC for making animated Gifs, I don't have an external shutter button on my digital camera but do have a timer which is just as good for avoiding camera shake, you just have to wait the 15 seconds for each picture which is a bit of a pain if you are taking a lot of photos.

steamgranny

MooseMan

As it's a webring, maybe just a spinning mamod flywheel?

SillyBilly

Great Idea Moose!

Mamodman123

James

Well it's about steam, and it's a free place to join. So why don't we call the ring something like the "FreeSteamRing"???

Naaa, that's crap

I like your idea Moose!

Roly Williams

I think it needs to be something that is instantly recognisable as a steam engine, or part of one. A flywheel, preferably with a con-rod attached, and maybe including an oscilating cylinder. The SE3 one above is good but it's not so good when shrunk to thumnail size. Just a simple single cylinder one would be better, and just the flywheel and cylinder.

For taking the photos, the normal self timer wouldn't be any use, because you still have to press the release, which can move the camera - unless it's one that you can set to take pictures automatically, say, one every 10 seconds. I don't think mine can do that but I know some can. I don't have the animation software anyway. A hand drawn animation might be better, it would be less bytes to download.

johnreid

Set the camera up on a tripod, do not fire the engine, snap a pic, move the flywheel a tad by hand, take another picture, I believe that if you divide the movement into 16 moves, the picture would not jerk too much. before you import the image into the Animation software, shrink the picture to thumbnail size. If I was doing it I would save all of the full size ones too and make a bigger gif while I was at it. Good luck in your efforts.

tmuir

Your right Roly a drawn one would be smaller than one of photos, any budding CGI artists here?

Mamodman123

Roly Williams

Mamodman123

barry1946

[quote="Dampfzauberer"]Here are some GIF's I found in the internet some time ago.
Sorry, don't know where they all came from exactly....

OK its a bit off topic - but how is it that the flywheel turns one direction and the crank and eccentric go the other way?

Chris

[quote="barry1946"]

Dampfzauberer

[quote="barry1946"]

SillyBilly

Mister Occlusion

I saw that. On a monitor - like when you see a movie of a CRT and that band travels up it every couple seconds - it's called aliasing.

I just assumed that someone decided, for whatever reason, to put an alias effect on a gif..

johnreid

Ah Jennifer Garner, Aliasing is OK with me

That would be a cool effect if the gif ran faster.

Mister Occlusion

Mamodevon · Mamod Logo

Welcome to use my pic of my badge if needed.

Mamodevon

tmuir

Thanks for the offer but I'm looking for a generic engine picture not directly associated with any one brand to make it obvious its for all toy steam.

Cedge

Tony
Something maybe along these lines? Haven't decided between making it a slide valve or an oscillator, but either way it should do up nearly as well as the Jensen motor. Of course the size will be considerably smaller for animation use.

Steve

tmuir

Thanks Steve,
will have to wait until I get home to see it though as my work internet connection has a block on where you host your pictures.

Chris

That is fantastic Cedge!

I guess that for a small animated gif an oscillator would be easier to see.

tmuir

Yes Steve like that and I like Moose's idea of a close shot of just the flywheel and crank as it means less detail for a small picture.

I really must get back into playing with 3d graphics.

James

Steve... that's fantastic!!

Some "Micky Mouse" amatuer computer people reckon that they are the best at computer drawing, and I can say that that's the bees knees! You is the best drawer ever to have walked these forums

Roly Williams

James

Drawer... some bugger who draws

Mamodman123

Wow thats mega good

Cedge

Thanks guys... 3D imagery and animation is something I've been doing for many years. The little animated beam engine on my web site took a 3rd place internationally, a few years back. I seldom cross pollinate my board activities, keeping my digital graphics posting pretty much separate from my steam activities.... but the web ring thing looked like a good place to violate my own rules.

I'll do up something in a flywheel motif and I'll also finish this one as well. Then you can choose which works best.

"Drawers" are underpants here in the deep southern US. As in ... "I bet he had to changes his drawers after that happened"...LOL

Steve

James

LMAO!!

James

Did you say 3rd place Internationally? Bloody hell

Well done lad!

johnreid

I bet it will be a good one.
I tried to join the ring but it wont take, I guess I will try again later, maybe its broke.

tmuir

I will check it out when I get home, I'm limitted as to what I can do from a work PC.
As far as I know there is no reason that should stop you joining.
Worst case I can add your site for you and PM you the password and then you can log in and set it up how you want and change the password.

tmuir

Just letting everyone know that over this weekend I will be temporarily adding an image to the webring buttons just to get an idea of how it will effect the layout.
If you happen to be online whilst I'm doing it you will see the logo but I will only have it up for 10 minutes or so whilst I have a play and then it will be removed until we get a permanent image for it.

Tony

Mamodevon

tmuir

Welcome to the webring Cedge.

tmuir

Being having a bit of a play around with the html webring buttons and have had a go at inserting an image.
This is not the image that will be used on the webring but I just wanted something the right size to give me an idea.
What ever we use here will also be put up as the logo on the members page.

Don't worry about the picture its more just the layout I was playing with.
Colours and font and font size can all be changed and even the text can be replaced with graphics if we so choose.

Ideas suggestions anyone?

We can use a smaller picture too if people feel that makes it too big.

Mamodevon

This is meant to be constructive, and I have my business and design hat on at the moment, because I am at home working - supposedly. So please take this as my thoughts only.

To be honest, if the logo is going to take that much room up, its becoming intrusive. A logo should be subtle and indicative of the branding. If people want to go to the webring, the words already convey the message of what it is about; a webring.

The purpose of a logo it to reinforce a consistancy of approach and easy recognition so people know what they are getting.

One has to consider a logo for this webring link in context with other imagry that will be on the websites it is carried on. Some website can be rather cluttered already with images and little gizzmos.

You need a very distinctive and above all simple logo if you are going to have one. Otherwise it will be seen as just another image among many.

The Nike swish is one of the most simple images, that has nothing to do with sport, but is instantly recognised and associated with sport the world over.

Just a few things to mull over. MD

tmuir

All input is good input.
I was personally thinking its a bit big but I just shoved that image in there without changing the size at all.
We are getting an animated logo made up at the moment but if we decide its too much for the little box at the bottom of everyones web page it will just get used on the members page that displays all website.

Anyhow its 10pm here and I've got to go to work to do some out of hours testing so we catch up with what everyone else thinks tomorrow.

Mister Occlusion

Hmmm...this discussion has given me ideas for my own logo..

But anyway, if it's simple and symbolic that you want, then what about a very basic bit of line art representing a flywheel? That's about as universal a statement as you can make about what you're advertising without being busy, over the top, or creating a style conflict with someone's web site.

(of course I posted this without re-reading the previoous 3 pages to see this has been suggested in one form or another at least 3 times already

)

Mamodevon

Do you mean something like this:

These are at different resolutions and can be made at any size.

MD

Mister Occlusion

Pretty much. It gets the point across without becoming a distraction. All you want is to grab someone's eye for a moment in order to bring attention to the ring links.

You could also do something like a flyball gov, though at smaller resolutions it might look a bit more masonic than machine

Mamodevon

Mister Occlusion

IndianaRog

Gents, I think CEDGE is going to offer up another iteration for a web ring after the one he shared here a few days ago...it WILL be good, he has the midas touch with 3D renderings if any of you have visited his website, the Steam Gallery. From what I understand it will incorporate a flywheel as it's primary focal point.

johnreid

To me, the gauntlets seem to represent the gloves that many a Railroader wore during the days of Steam, didnt they wear gloves like that on the Railways overseas?
I for one liked them so Much I got a pair myself. They do kind of add a feeling of Steampunk to the whole Toy Steam experience. I guess I am the only one that caught the whole Generator/Dynamo Gauntlets as being what they are. I Like

I think that Steve will come up with something really impressive.

Cedge

Hmmm... no problem making a logo, animation or whatever... but a consensus is probably a good idea before I wind up chasing my tail and having to start over several times...(grin).

Steve

mc_mc

tmuir

Steve,

I liked where you were going with what you have done so far.
If you like why not post what you have done so far to give people an idea and we can see what everyone thinks.

As you say no point in putting in a lot of work if people don't like the idea but I've got a feeling once you put it up people will like it.

Cedge

Tony
After reading the thread through again and considering the input it provides, I've dropped the animation for a static design. The image below shows 8 different styles ranging from "real" to silhouette. The size is about as small as it will work and hold together as a recognizable image.

A Poll might perhaps narrow things a bit?

Steve

SillyBilly

I like No.7!

IndianaRog

#1 looks beautiful to me.

Chris

Griffin

Same here, #1 as first choice, and #2 as second.

Mamodevon

There is no argument that these are all absolutely brillient 3D pictures of a fly wheel, by a very obviousely tallented artist.

But that's exactly the point I was making earlier, they are pictures.

Pictures to be enjoyed and admired for what they are in their own right.

However, great pictures seldome make good logos.

A logo is a signature, a simple motief, a flag.

In my humble opinion, these marvilous works are too detailed to be small eye catching logos. If the mission was to find a nice graphic for a web header, then these would be spot on. But think of the job that is being asked of a logo at the bottom of a page. It has one thing to achieve and that is just to catch the eye and be instantly recognisable without a second glance.

I feel bad that this might be seen as knocking the hard work of fellow enthusiast

. But I stand by my conviction as I do this sort of thing for a living.

MD

James

Number 1 by far!!

johnreid

1, 3 then 2 I see how an animated gif might make the page take longer to load. already ringworld has slowed down how long it takes to access this forum, but no big deal if on broadband, which I am.

Mister Occlusion

Remember also gifs are 256 colour. Don't know what the colour depth on these jpgs are, but they might not look so good in gif format.

I like 1 and 4 as nice flywheel pics. 8 is a good B&W, but it almost becomes distracting as you spend a second or two figuring out what it is. Tis almost too flat.

Very classy, though. Reminds me of that artist the kids are always aping in school, where you've got 4 highly contrasting images of the same thing in a 2x2 square. Blow it up to poster size and you've got Haute Vapeur.

Mamodevon

tmuir

1 for me.
The image doesn't have to be a gif it can be a jpeg, png or any other format that web browsers support but I do agree its important to keep the file size down small.

Mister Occlusion

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