Re: [Ampu-dev] Unimportant superficial stuff =)

[Lee Braiden]

On Fri, 2002-02-22 at 03:27, Lee Braiden wrote:
> I was messing around with a logo today.  It still needs work (I'm
>saying that a lot lately =), but if nothing else, it will fill the
>empty space in the UML pages which adiffer has kindly made up, and
>I'll be throwing together something resembling an real, honest-to-god
>website (*gasp*) for the project soon, so we needed something in terms
>of a logo, if not a final one =)

Heh, yes... it might have help if I provided the URL for this fine piece
of vapourware, eh? ;)

Anyway, the first logo discussed is on the Savannah site, in the files
section. In case you're in point-and-click mode, here's a link... =)

http://freesoftware.fsf.org/download/ampu/

The camera was too close when rendering, and cut off the edges of the
table, which I'll fix soon.  Also, the document in the logo can't be
read at corner-of-site sizes.


On Fri, 2002-02-22 at 04:25, address@hidden wrote:
> How about a semi-circular table with a slotted globe in the middle.
> A few chairs around the perimeter and the viewer faces the whole arragement
> like they would in a hearing room.
> The AMPU name goes on the globe.
>

Yup, that sounds very similar, except without the semi-circle, and the
slot =)

No, really.. I think the goal is the same in both... to make the viewer
feel like they can come sit at this table, and have new possibilities
opened to them immediately.

The logo I've made so far does this by presenting an empty table, at
"seated eye level".  It would be better to include chairs, etc.. but I
didn't want to overcrowd it.  I guess, though, if we go for something
more stylistic, then that will become easier.

I think I see what you're aiming at here, but I'm not convinced that a
table with a piece missing is the way to go.  I expect that, standing
within the gap of a circular table, I would feel like the one on trial,
not like part of the jury.  However, I'll mock it up, and let you guys
see what you think.


> My experience with logos suggests they come in two flavors.  One if the
> nice one that appears on web pages.  It can have shadow drops, fine detail,
> and color.  The second is a stylized version of the first that basically
> outlines major features of the nice one and sticks strictly to black and
> white.  The second one is useful for small images and letterheads.

Yes, I'm all too aware of the difference.  It drives me nuts sometimes
=).  I'd like to aim for color-independance as well.  That way, we can
use it on our own site, as well as making banners for different
backgrounds, etc.

It should be relatively easy to make a 2D stylised logo from a 3D one,
if that's how we eventually do it.  There are packages to render 3d
images as cartoon-style line art, and it's quite easy to modify 3d art
anyway.


>I do like how the project name isn't tied to any one particular
>technology, language, or voting system.

>and it seems there are a lot of them that got started and went nowhere
>or kept a very limited focus.

Yes, that's a shame.  One of particular similarity I found is phpSGVote,
at:

http://www.rit.edu/~cmm5533/sg/

The project is dead now, apparantly -- I've contacted the developer,
about why it's no longer being developed, but haven't received a
response as yet.  I guess he's left RIT now.  At least there's lots of
code to borrow/learn from, though ;)

You don't suppose everyone developing such projects is being
systematically eliminated, do you? ;)


>It would appear we have plenty of hurdles in front of
>us that most never get past.

Yes.. and that's only the hurdles we can predict =)   Still, we can
learn from their mistakes, and build on their successes =^)


-- 
Lee Braiden,

Lead Developer,
A More Perfect Union.

http://www.freesoftware.fsf.org/ampu/
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