3dmodeling

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Important Group Information and FAQ

This is where I will direct many of the people who ask us questions on a daily basis, from people submitting work to the group.

Our Group's Purpose


This group's primary purpose is to provide a singular source of high quality 3d Modeled art on DeviantArt, for it's watchers and visitors to find easily, without the need to sort through search results and clutter galleries.  Even setting the various 3D galleries to most popular of all time, will still turn out a lot of stuff a person might not actually be hoping to find.

As a side effect, it serves to get more exposure to those who get their art in, but that is not the specific goal of this group.  There are other groups that serve the purpose of just getting more exposure.  We are not here to serve those of you wanting to get your art seen - we are here for the viewer who wants to find a single source of high quality 3D Art.

What this means is that we try to keep a higher level of quality to what gets in and what does not.  There are loads of 3d groups out there that accept anything that gets submitted, but we're not one of them.  Call us 'elitist' all you want - that's just how this group functions.



So what gets in?  Well, it is still arbitrary, but that's why it's a democracy.  We have a group of moderators, and each mod (or 'Contributor') gets one vote per submitted deviation.  Each deviation requires a certain number of 'Yes' votes before it gets into the group.  If we end up with an even draw, and it cannot get enough yes or no votes to get in or get kicked out, it will Expire. If your deviation is rejected or expires and you would like more information about it, please feel free to comment on the correspondence item window for that deviation.


We judge by a few bullet points.

• Primarily Modeling Accuracy (Not necessarily 'realism' but even a 'stylized' or cartoony 3d model can be made poorly)
• Texture/Materials Quality
• Presentation
• Render Quality

Now that isn't to say that everything has to be textured, or exist in a complex scene.  But if a piece is distinctly lacking in one category, the others have to be especially good to make up for it.

If it's a clay-render sculpt, it can still get through, but it better be a damn phenomenal sculpt.

If it's a very simple stand-alone object, it can still get through if the textures, materials, and presentation are done exceptionally well.


Self-Made Content Only

Another rule that we hold to here is that no submissions can expressly feature stock or generated art as the main focal point.  First and foremost, this is a Modeling group, and it's expected that the deviant has modeled whatever objects/characters that are the main focus of the deviation.

So we don't accept submissions created primarily in Vue, nor do we accept deviations with Poser or Daz models that were not created by the deviant themselves.  We have had one or two people who've submitted custom-created models that they've setup for DAZ and offered up for others to buy, and they are occasionally good enough quality to get in, but only because that deviant actually Modeled them.

Even if a person has purchased the right to use the stock models, and has made alterations and/or textured them, if that model is the focal point of the scene, that deviation is not allowed here.


Giving Credit

We also like to promote the idea that if a person is using some stock assets as part of a large complex scene, that they please leave detailed credits in their descriptions.  I don't care if you paid for everything you're using and it would be too much of a bother to list out credits for every individual chair or whatever -- if you're using too many stock objects to list them in the credits, then you're using too many stock objects to be allowed in our gallery.

This is especially a problem for the architectural renders since so many of them are prone to using stock assets to fill in the spaces.  Its also very hard to know when the person is using a bunch of stock chairs and furniture and when they actually made the content themselves.  In cases like these, we try to ask the deviant for details, and ask that they please give proper credit in their deviation description.  If credit is not given for background stock content, Your Work Is Not Allowed Here.


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So, on to the FAQ portion:

Q. Why was my deviation rejected?

• Was it submitted to the proper category?
  If you deviation was just submitted to the group, without paying any attention to the categories, then it was submitted (by default) to the Featured category.  The Featured category has the HIGHEST STANDARD OF QUALITY REQUIREMENTS.  It is the hardest category to get into. We look for all aspects of the piece to be perfect. The model itself, Texturing, Composition, Lighting, Presentation. If it gets rejected, try submitting it to one of the other categories.
• If you get rejected, the first question you should ask yourself is 'was my art at the same quality level as some of the other pieces submitted to that category?'  If the answer is 'No', then you have the answer to your question.  
  
  Below are examples of what you find in each category.  If your submission is not of the same sort of quality level as these, then that is why you were turned down.
  
  Featured Category:
  
  
  
  Characters:
  
  
  
  Hard Surface Modeling:
  :thumb313086394:
  
  
  Architectural Renders:
  
  
  
  Scenes:
  
  
  
  etc. - You can visit each category and look through the images to get an idea for the level of quality found in each.
  

Q. But hey!  You let 'such-and-such' deviation in, and mine is better than it!  Why did mine get rejected?!

• Again, this is probably the result of the CATEGORIES.
  
  Yes, these deviations are in the group gallery:
  :thumb294514772: :thumb285376833:
  
  And yes - they are unquestionably, the weakest things in the gallery.  You know what else they are?  They're in the WIP category.  The WIP and 'I Want Critique' galleies have the LOWEST Quality Standard requirements.  If you seriously want your work in the gallery, but it can't get into the other categories - submit it into I Want Critique and it'll have a much higher chance of getting accepted.
  
  Bitching to me that 'this piece' got in, when yours got turned down, after you submitted it to FEATURED is pointless.  Especially if 'this piece' is sitting over in the WIP folder.  There are Different Quality Standards for each Category.
  

Q. Why did my membership application get turned down?

• We require that anyone who becomes a Member have at least one piece of 3D art already in their gallery, that is self made.  If you have No 3D Art, then you cannot become a member.
• If you applied for membership as a 'Contributor' we will ask if you really meant to join as a contributor.  Contributors are MODERATORS.  If you join as a contributor, and don't put anything in the comments section about being interested in joining the group staff and helping to vote on things, we will probably assume you set it to Contributor without actually knowing what that means.  
• Normal 'Members' can contribute art!  You do not have to be a 'Contributor' to do that.  That's just the screwy name DA gave for the Moderator class.
• You do not have to join the group to submit art!!!
  Even if you are NOT a member, you can still submit art.  You can just watch the group, like you would watch anyone else on DA.  You do not need to join the group at all!
  

I hope that cleared things up for some people.  If you have another question, feel free to leave a comment on the front page, send a note to the group, or reply to this journal entry.

-Athey

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Edit Notes from Whispyyr: Made some minor spelling and grammar edits. Also made some updates to reflect how the group has grown and evolved. The core and goal of the group is still 100% the same.  

We are, as always, still open to anyone who wishes to become a moderator. Just send the group a note!