The 2008 Virtual Christmas Tree Decoration Party

[Welles]

Merry Christmas Pixel Dusters! At Gare's request, I've undertaken to chair the Digital Decoration Committee for 2008. I thought it might be fun not to just decorate a Christmas tree but the end of a room with the tree as a primary focus. That way we could add toys, ornaments, gift boxes etc to the scene, heck even put a tray of food on the low cabinet on the left or hang something from the window frames.

What we'll do this year is this:

I volunteered to assemble the scene from Member files, and I will update the scene as it comes to life with your help. Zip up your work, and then click the link at the bottom of this post to open your email browser. So waht sort of media can you hang on this year's tree?

• PNG file format, 24 bit with alpha transparency will work best for us.
• Photoshop native files are okay, too. But as with the PNGs, give me a layer with transparency; I really don't want to manually create everyone's alpha mask!
• I can also take 3DS (3D Studio Max), OBJ (Wavefront) with the corresponding MTL material file, Poser PZ3 files, and Vue VOB objects.

I'd like to suggest that each decoration is added to this thread as a single image jpeg. Images work best when 500 px wide but the, but Barbara created the forum to scale larger uploaded images to maintain the visual integrity. By doing that it means a bit more work as two files are needed but we can appreciate each addition individually before they are added into the final composite render. Then Gare will set up a directory drop site and you can drop the model or .png file in it so I can use it in the composite image which I'll render when there are enough additions to do so.

So here is the start of our holiday decoration....



The JPEG you can download and work on is 248K so you can really get in there and add presents and ornaments. It's 1200 by 900 pixels.

Click To Download Our Tree!

If this image is too big for anybody's screen I'll put up a smaller one. I just have the habit of working on largish images so more detail is available.

email your decoration to Santa Welles!

Merry Christmas!

[Raven Song]

!! Here's one I made last year but was too late to get it added to that tree.  I'll send along the png file. 

[Gare]

Welles is going all out, folks—

If you know how to load an alpha channel in PS, you can download the masks for the Christmas scene (you can download them even if you don't know):

Alpha channel of windows and tree

Welles told me you can email your images for him to do the composite work, or you can do it yourself. Here's how:

1. In PS, open for example, the tree alpha PNG file from the zip archive linked to above.
2. Open Welles' PDChristmas file.
3. Choose Select>Load Selection, and then choose the alpha image as the target document. The marquee loads areound the tree in the PDChristmas document.
4. With a selection tool, right-click inside the marquee and then choose Layer via Copy from the context menu.
5. Scoot your decoration behind the tree.

This is soooo much fun, after recovering from an L-Triptathane overdose last Thursday!

[nikkie]

sorry....

[Gare]

We're getting to that "d'un certain age" where we still enjoy the smell of fresh-cut pine and picking out a new tree each year, but the darned things are a PITA to lug home and marginally less cumbersome to put out in January.

So it's fake, but spirited! Each year, Barbara and I buy each other a new ornament, and although you can't see them, some date back to the late 1960s.

Merry!  Merry!

Gary

[Gare]

Me too,
Me Too!

-g-

[nikkie]

  pretty legs Gare...

[Rick]

I was going to say the same thing - NICE LEGS GARE- but Nikkie beat me to it 

[Rick]

Merry Christmas every one 

[Gare]

So you're a Leg Man, eh, Rick?

Okay, let's accommodate you in style.

Santa (Cruz)'s Helper,

Gare

[nikkie]

AHEM, Gare; i prefer someone else's legs...

[Raven Song]

  Well, this may not be as great as the leg ornaments but it's all I've got after wasting so much time with Duck the cat....    Welles, I sent ya the .png--

[Gare]

Nice one Maya!

I noticed no one has designed a tree-topper yet.

This is a real simple Poser figure, but I spent a lot of time on the render and the material.

-g-

[Raven Song]

That's a really lovely angel, Gare!   

[nikkie]

beautiful Gare !!!