The Herald: August 2005 Edition

[theinfamouspyro]

[theinfamouspyro]

...Of the Month

Member of the Month
Submitted by Patches

This month, I have chosen Michelle-Louise Janion as the Member of the Month for August 2005. Two years ago to this month, Michelle, known more commonly as Eternity, joined Solidsnake Designs.

Within four months, she had become Moderator of “Image-Ination” (later known as “Gra-FX”) and then a Super Moderator in April of that year; they were positions that she held until July 2004. She is now back in her rightful place as a staff member. She is moderating the "Resources" board.

Michelle is a beautiful person, inside and out. Her graphics, wit, and charm have earned her friends over her time here at Solidsnake Designs. These qualities combined with her friendliness gives her an advantage wherever she is, whether it be online of offline. One thing is true- Eternity is loved by all.

Congratulations, Michelle.

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Avatar of the Month / Signature of the Month
Submitted by Artos

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Ladies and gentlemen, I'm disappointed. I created a thread for this. I put the word out about this in Chillout. I asked Ollie to put a forum notice up. I was hoping for more people to participate.

See, there are things that I overlook- I can't see everyone's avatar and sig. Really. The thread was a place where everyone should have put their stuff.

Was it too much to ask? God, I hope not- there will be another thread for August.

Thank you to all of those who participated.

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AvOTM:

.Uzukami

This avatar is so true. Considering I spend hours in Word, I have a vehement hatred for the "help icons" that pop up every so often. I mean, come on, if I check you to say that I don't want you to appear every five minutes and ask if I want to learn on how to indent, you better stay the hell out of my workspace.

It's a simple idea executed perfectly. Congratulations.



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SigOTM:

LPF

This, too, is a simple idea- put a picture of Shadow the Hedgehog over/under/inside a nice grunge/tech picture. What I love about this sig is that it is clean and that the colors just look so damn good. The text suites it well, too.

Well done.



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Photograph of the Month
Submitted by Whitney

Cameron by darkchamber.

The sepia tone, the expression, the depth of field... the two front teeth -- it's all so adorable!

What I love about this photograph is mainly the expression. The child seems to be... hmm, perhaps I'll just let you decide on the expression yourself.

The sepia tone adds a very nice touch here somehow, and I usually don't go for sepia as it usually seems to mess up the image. The child's expression adds so much feeling and emotion -- it actually made me feel as if I were looking at the child in reality. The eyes seem to be so mischievous, yet the mouth completely contradicts that look!

It may not be an absolutely amazing photograph that simply blows your mind away, but this photograph has nice focus, a good sepia tone touch, good depth of field, and just nice expression.

Good job, darkchamber.

Backup Link.

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Famous Quotes of the Month
Submitted by urbancinderella


I don't deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that either.
Jack Benny

Don't you wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness', but it doesn't work.
Gallagher

Organized crime in America takes in over forty billion dollars a year and spends very little on office supplies.
Woody Allen

Honolulu - it's got everything. Sand for the children, sun for the wife, sharks for the wife's mother.
Ken Dodd

Whenever I see an old lady slip and fall on a wet sidewalk, my first instinct is to laugh. But then I think, what if I was an ant, and she fell on me. Then it wouldn't seem quite so funny.
Jack Handey

It is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.
Alfred Adler

A bachelor is a selfish, undeserving guy who has cheated some woman out of a divorce.
Don Quinn

I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Winston Churchill

To cease smoking is the easiest thing. I ought to know. I've done it a thousand times.
Mark Twain

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.
Oscar Wilde

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.
Albert Einstein

Experience is that marvellous thing that enables you recognise a mistake
when you make it again.
F. P. Jones

From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.
Winston Churchill

An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last.
Winston Churchill

Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
Homer Simpson

Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes.
Bill Cosby

I wasn't always black... There was this freckle, and it got bigger and bigger.
Bill Cosby

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Forum Quotes of the Month
Submitted by Kari

Happy Birthday!

I'd give you a couple roaches, but Tanja ate them all.
-urbancinderella


I wanna be a professional nerd.
-c130


SPAM sandwiches and n00b steaks this early in the afternoon!? Oh my God, it is Christmas in July!
-Artos


....nutcases, the whole lot of them are.

._.
-firetemptress


Eck, I want to, but, Eck. Motivate me.

... if my "leikomgsocool" didn't do it, you are beyond hope, m'dear.
-Combo + urbancinderella


There is no reason to be scared of me unless you cause me stress and grief.

...Who am I kidding? Lick my boots, lackey.
-Artos


And you guys didn't know that Saruman and Count Dooku had Michael Jackson? Saruman is such a loving mother.
-Apoc


Quickly! Press all the buttons on your screen and keyboard the the same time.

Next you throw your computer piece by piece out the window until it fixes itself.
-Quacker


Never drive a golf cart while you're intoxicated.
-SAN


what the, how old r u? lol
-Glow


Good job. Now sit. Roll over. Stay. Good boy.
-Nick


Have you been drinking wine again?
-Alien


... the things you miss when you're sleeping.
-Kari

[theinfamouspyro]

SSD News
Submitted by Oliver


SSD has been busy- this last week in particular.

We have a couple of new moderators, as well as one who isn’t so new. We welcome Eternity who will be working with the Resources area. I’m sure that you all will check that everyday. Also, California joins us in Code Support. Whether or not he is actually from California, we shall have to see…or ask him. WebUserX now moderates in our PHP section; talk to him about sitcoms.

I’d like to welcome three new writers: Combo, Assassinator and Electra. They are now under the eyes of the almighty-but-huggable Artos. [If you edit this out, Artos, I will do something to make your stay very, very uncomfortable.] (Editor's note: Bite me, Ollie.)

This month saw the end of the HeX Games. I was hoping that it would be a little more popular; people did make the effort and were rewarded for it. Congratulations to: C130 (first place) Neko (second place) and Jello (third place)! Each were awarded deviantART Subscriptions. Be sure to check out the Gallery on the main website for the runners-up in the HeX Games.

At the start of the month, we released a new art pack. The theme was Surrealism. Keep your eyes open for the next one, as it will appear shortly.

So what else do we have to keep you entertained over the next few months? Nothing, sorry. Actually- we do have a yearbook in production, which is something everyone will be able to submit to. Certain members will also be given the chance to work with the staff in producing the final book. It will include a history about SSD, member bios, artwork, and also The Excellence Awards. (This was suggested by Ryan, although Nick had come up with a similar idea back in October.) Head over to the Yearbook board and get informed.

We are also aiming to update our website at least once a week. However, we shall try to do so every few days. I’d recommend having a look at the PHP tutorials to pass the time. Because it can get boring over the summer, invite your friends over for a PHP session- they’ll love it. I suppose that was a bit extreme, but there are some very useful ones there, so check them out.




Enjoy this edition.



-Oliver

[theinfamouspyro]

...Reviews and Editorials


Movie Review
Submitted by Ryan

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Mass chaos. Planetary destruction. The earsplitting battle cry of alien invaders. Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds hit theaters on June 29, 2005, with all the subtleties along with the major details and plot, make this movie great.

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Spielberg's latest features an all-star cast: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Morgan Freeman. While the acting in this movie may not be top notch, it is a quality job. Cruise pulls off emotional scenes with flying colors and Dakota Fanning shines in this movie bringing a performance seen only in a few actresses. For her young age, she plays the role perfectly expressing the fright of any child around ten years old during an invasion of our planet and dealing with the aftermath of the invasion.

The sound effects and images in this film are amazing. Sitting right below the speakers in the back of the theater, I admit that even I jumped when we first heard the battle cry of the alien tripods. The mix of what seems to be an elephant and a very deep, loud booming musical note, it is a sound which fits the fear and destruction the tripods create. The images are beautiful - from the alien landscape after the massacre to the smallest details on the alien weapons and vehicles, I applaud the cinematographer of this film. They truly looked like real working machines and not fake props. Brownie points to the production team for that!

The movie's opening is perplexing. Showing the smallest of life forms in a small drop of water while Morgan Freeman narrates the words made famous by none other H.G. Wells. The movie starts by giving you a glimpse at Cruise's troubled character. Divorced and living alone, his own son can't stand to be around him. Only when the planetary invasion begins do we see the acting gold in this film.

During the film, we are taken through the family's attempts to escape the aliens. From the first time we are introduced to the alien tripods to the last minutes of the film, there is never a dull moment. The tripods invade through a massive storm then transport the living controllers of the tripods through small pods in the lightning and enter the machines long buried in the ground. So now we know that the humans are suffering their own fate laid down long ago in the structure of human civilization.

Although the acting may be gold, the storyline has quite a few problems in it which confuse the viewer and leave a gaping hole in the conclusion. I will not spoil the ending completely, but with the reunion of the families, it seems that there was no loss or destruction while everything else around them is destroyed. If this was an attempted extinction of the human race, Spielberg failed to notice that his own plot was forgotten in the ending moments of the movie. However, the tie in from the opening to the ending is great. Spielberg pulled off one of the greatest wrap-ups I've seen on film. Yes, I may seem to contradict myself there at first glance, but he really did great. The opening showing the bacteria was in fact what caused the alien invasion to be stopped. No, not the strength of the greatest armies in the world. No, it was bacteria - the smallest lifeforms that we have grown adapted to that finished off the aliens.

Overall this film was good. Definitely not for the faint of heart due to some of the fates of people and some grotesque add-ins, but still a great action adventure for this summer.

Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds gets a four out of five.

[theinfamouspyro]

Book Review
Submitted by Mr Robinson

J.K Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Well. Rowling's long awaited follow up to 2003's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hit shelves almost a week ago now, and those who haven't had the chance to get a copy are still asking to ultimate question: Is it any good?

Not really.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I did. Ever since I read the original (as a strapping young lad of a tender seven years), I've been hooked and have probably read - and listened to the storytapes of - the books (sad as this is) a number of times verging on three figures.

And so, it was with some trepidation that I opened Rowling's newest offering. Order of the Phoenix was a storytelling tour de force, a stunningly crafted thriller-come-romance that pressed all the right buttons with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but you didn't mind. The immature teenage fumblings of Harry and Cho in the book's middle section reminded adults of their own nervous encounters and let greasy teenagers know exactly what they were missing. The latter portion of the book, though rushed, climaxed with Harry's incompetent romping through the Ministry of Magic and the eventual death of his godfather, Sirius. It was a book that touched you emotionally because these characters had been built up over, what, 2,000 odd pages of prose over the series, and it was distressing to see them being picked off like flies. It was everything that HBP should have been and more.

But how does this relate to HBP, you ask?

Well, it's a hard one to call. I admit that the hype surrounding HBP - and in fact the last two books as well - makes it impossible for it to live up to two years' worth of rumours. And yet, when I read this, I felt I deserved something more. From the unnecessary opening scene with the British Prime Minister that, with a lack of subtlety that is annoyingly prevelant throughout the book, keeps you up to date on the events that have occurred over the summer, before flitting to another painfully obvious scene involving a few Death Eaters and setting the stage for one of many tedious subplots that occur with a distressing frequency throughout the novel. And so it continues. What really strikes me about this book is that Rowling had 1200 pages of story to tell and 650 pages to do it in. The story as a whole races along at breakneck speed, as have the last three or four, but it's a different kind of speed here. It's more a "well, I'm running out of space, so let's just skip May and get to the climax" kind of pace- more rushed than frantic.

Which brings me to my last point. Most of the content is simply quite boring. It's a complete role-reversal to the last book, where you felt Harry's stereotyped adolescent angsting dearly; you empathised with his scrabbling for information because you wanted it too. Here it's the opposite. You're almost told too much. And what you are told is badly executed. The betrayal of Snape is horrifically done - you're hanging on tenterhooks for the entire series to find out the reason why Dumbledore trusts him, and to have it thrown away in a fit of pique like that is distressing.

To conclude: It's a good novel, but not as good as it deserves to be.

And for those who demand spoiler warnings: This review contains spoilers.

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Book Review
Submitted by Patches

Last Saturday, I spent six hours reading a book written by Sue Townsend, the author behind The Adrian Mole Diaries. The book, The Queen and I details how Queen Elizabeth II, her family, and her beloved Corgis have been kicked out of their role as monarchy of Britain.

The basis of the series is simple, yet complicated. When a Republican party wins the General Election, their first act of power is to strip the royal family of their assets and title and send them to live in a housing estate in the Midlands.

Due to this, they switch from living in Buckingham Palace to living in a two-bed, semi-detached house in Hells Close. Caviar for them is now boiled eggs, social workers for servants, and the life of the underclass. The Royal Family has to embrace this all.

The book explores how the monarchy would live if, one day, we woke up and they weren’t there. This book tries to show that the royal family are people, too.

The book is both detailed and witty. It brings a mixture of both factual and fictional events into play, joking on the royal family’s past escapades and future ones they undertake during the story.

They learn that you can always rely on your friends to keep an eye on you and that you can always rely on your your instincts to keep you going. Surprisingly, the story doesn’t focus much on the underlying story of Diana and Charles' troubled marriage. However it does focus on the grumpy Prince Consort known as Prince Phillip.

The story is like no other; it follows the same style of Townsend’s other books, but is different from all of the others. The idea itself is unique, and it could only be pulled off by a unique author- an author whose wit and charisma defies limits of any other- an author by the name of Susan Lillian Townsend.

The Queen and I receives a four out of five.

[theinfamouspyro]

CD Review
Submitted by Mr Robinson

Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Bloc Party's debut album has exploded onto the music scene, bringing with it a fusion of arty, dancy, punk that brings to mind a hybrid of Franz Ferdinand, The Libertines, and The Killers. They have all the punky guitar lines and solid chord work of the two former bands interspersed with the spacey synth lines and strong vocals of the latter.

The album opens up with "Like Eating Glass," one of the weaker tracks on the album, but it's followed up with greats such as "Helicopter," "Pioneers," "Banquet," and "Luno;" there are also lighter, slower tracks such as "This Modern Love" and "Blue Light."

Silent Alarm makes good use of some stunning studio work - awesome synths, great separation and effects, and an all round tight production - to produce a stunning debut album. Their brand of repeated, long guitar ostinatos interchanging throughout each track with great emotive vocals is a surefire winner. We're sure to see more of them in the future.

[theinfamouspyro]

Music Artist Review
Submitted by Mr Robinson

The Libertines

The Libertines' tumultuous three year history is one highlighted with drama. Known for their seemingly ramshackle touring schedule, chaotic live performances, and a uniquely British take on punk rock, they immediately cemented themselves a place in rock history. This is due mostly to the actions of their frontman, Pete Doherty.

Doherty's rampant drug abuse and bizarre behaviour led to his expulsion from the band, and yet seemed to encapsulate the image the Libertines had created for themselves (perhaps deliberately). Their crunchy, distorted riffs and oblique lyrics put the group in a league of their own; it kept them there until the group officially disbanded at the end of 2004 due to Doherty's increasingly manic and belligerent behaviour. Some of these actions included breaking into bandmate Carl Barat's London and stealing money to finance his drug habit. Doherty is also known for his relationship with supermodel Kate Moss. Doherty is currently producing an album with new band Babyshambles, which should be released this year.

Musically, The Libertines are not unlike many bands of the British garage/art/punk scene of today. Bloc Party, the Futureheads, and, more famously, Franz Ferdinand all employ similar musical techniques - fast riffs played over heavy chords with a focus on a unique vocal style - yet The Libertines were on the forefront of this musical renaissance and at the time were breaking totally new ground.

The band released their first album, Up The Bracket on 14th of October, 2002, to widespread critical acclaim. They followed it up with last year's hit, the self titled The Libertines. Sadly, it was their last production.

[theinfamouspyro]

Game Review
Submitted by Artos

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This month, I review Advent Rising for the Xbox.

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I rarely get psyched over a video game, as it takes a lot to perk this jaded soul. I anticipated Advent Rising; I was singing its praises months before release. Orson Scott Card, my favorite author, was writing the sci-fi plot. Card is the genius behind Ender’s Game— read that if you haven’t. I was able to hear some of the game’s music— amazing. The gameplay sounded excellent: A third-person-shooter with elements of other genres. Character designs were awesome. The CG cinemas were stellar. Everything seemed to be going right for this game. I couldn’t wait for its release date.

I was let down— Advent Rising falls flat on its face in every aspect of gameplay.

This game looks like a bad Xbox launch title. The graphics are muddled and blurry— they lack the polish and sheen that even bad third-party games have nowadays. On top of that, they glitch with almost every movement and action— whether it be character model problems, lag, or pop-ups. On top of that, the CG cinemas were awful. I can’t believe that I was blown away by these months earlier. They look slightly better than the in-game graphics. Also, there is a noticeable frame-rate problem. It is bad enough without any action; the game slows to a standstill in heated combat.

To the game’s credit, the musical score is amazing. It always feels right for the particular event. The voice acting is excellent— the actors are spot-on. They suck you in to the story and rarely let go. The sound effects are truly visceral— you feel the gunshot or plasma as it hits an enemy.

The gameplay, however, is absolutely horrendous. As I previously stated, the graphics glitch. Sadly, it doesn’t stop there. The game itself glitches— sometimes to the point of a necessary reset. (Characters and enemies get stuck in walls or fall into the level. Objectives that are met do not trigger. The game freezes. That sort of thing.) The controls fare even worse. My complaint does not lie with the unresponsive controls— it is with the camera and targeting system. The camera is tied to the right analog stick; move it to move the camera. Standard fare, yes? Well, the targeting system is also tied to the right analog stick— flick it to lock on to an enemy. What this results in is a camera frenzy. You target anything and everything in the room, and the camera moves wildly with each flick. It is maddening. In the end, it is frustrating to even play the game.

The story is hit-and-miss; it is highly engaging, yet cliched. Without revealing too much, the game revolves around Gideon Wyeth, an officer in the military. All appears well until a strange (and impossibly large) alien vessel makes contact with them; they state that they revere humanity as a holy race. They also reveal that they kind of screwed up and alerted a hostile alien presence to them— a race that, within the next few days, will kill every last human. Chaos ensues. Eventually, Gideon transcends humanity and learns “what it means to be truly human.”

I wanted to love this game. It is an engrossing, epic story marred by atrocious gameplay. It’s a bad start for a planned trilogy. I can only hope that everything is worked out come the second chapter.

Advent Rising receives a one out of five.

[theinfamouspyro]

Gaming Insight
Submitted by Ryan

August is the month of Nintendo. No, it isn't the greatest month in their history, but it's still been a great month for the veteran gaming company. With the releases of three highly-anticipated games this month, Nintendo fans will be rocking their controllers for the remainder of summer. Nintendogs (which captured a ton of attention at E3 last May), Mario Super Star Baseball, and Geist hit shelves this month. Gamers will be able to raise three of their own cyber puppies, run the bases, or shoot their way to victory.

This summer is not all about Nintendo, however. Sony recently introduced us to the sexy white PlayStation Portable. So, if black doesn't float your boat, the white PSP is guaranteed to do so.

MGS fans: it's time to party! With Metal Gear Solid 4 (tentative title) confirmed for the PS3, there are already speculations about who the two mystery characters seen in official game art may be.

Football fans also have reason to pick up their controllers this month. With the release of Madden NFL 2006, players drooled at the realism. The environments and textures are extremely realistic in the game; you might feel as if you were on the football field, if your palms would stop making the controller slippery. Madden NFL '06 focuses a lot on the quarterback controls. With the innovative "QB vision area," it really makes you think and react quickly to what's going on this time around. As nice as this added feature is, it does distract you from the game for a few seconds- so you can turn the QB's line of vision. Also, the other players can see you naturally, too, so you can't stop to take in the scenery. All in all, the game is good. While the Superstar Mode is flattering, it takes one or two seasons to build up your character and some people are just too impatient to wait. Trust me, Franchise mod is the way to go.

I leave you with what other gamers on SSD think this month.

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"As the first MGS game on the PS3 I think it will be absolutely amazing. MGS3 had amazing graphics and I can only imagine the look of the graphics on the fourth installment of this series."
- Ronin

"I think black looks a lot better. But it does catch the eye."
- A._Leon

"That looks very good.

Still doesn't make me want to get one though."
- Equinox

"Mark my words, though, it won't be better than A Link to the Past - no Legend of Zelda game yet has trumped that one."
- Mithrandir

"Whats the cheat? I want to see what everyone is talking about."
- Equinox

"Turning into a wolf wrecks it.

I don't care if its fun, it just seems stupid to me."
- Quacker!

[theinfamouspyro]

Artos’ Thoughts

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The news media is our most important source of information. Essentially, it is unbiased; it allows the common man to view the world around him. It is the balance to the government, as it is critical when it needs to be. To ensure it remains as such, the First Amendment was created. It protects free speech and the freedom of the press.

It shocks me to learn that the government is trying to undermine those rights by threatening punishment for confidential sources. It is the duty of the journalist to get the news across, no matter what it is.

“The current scandal began two years ago amid the finger-pointing that followed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which famously failed to turn up the weapons of mass destruction that President Bush had claimed as the main reason for America's preemptive war. Joseph C. Wilson IV, a longtime diplomat and Democrat, accused the Bush administration of deliberately using intelligence that ‘was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.’ Wilson reported that he had personally conducted an investigation on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency and found no evidence to support the president's claim that Saddam Hussein had tried to acquire African uranium to build nuclear weapons.
Administration officials responded by trying to undermine Wilson's story, telling journalists that his fact-finding trip to Africa was a boondoggle arranged by his wife who worked for the CIA. Conservative columnist Robert Novak published the charge and soon a special prosecutor was issuing subpoenas to learn whether the White House had violated federal law by outing the identity of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame.”

This excerpt from the MediaChannel.org article continues to explain the repercussions of this scandal- that Judith Miller, one of the journalists who had protected her sources, is now in serving time in jail while the sources who had given her the information remain free. The kicker? She never wrote the story.

I smell a scapegoat.

The “confidential source” to Miller and a host of other journalists? None other than the President’s top political strategist himself, Karl Rove. The focus on the scandal has now turned to Rove, as he holds one of the highest offices in all of Washington, D.C. Accusations run from simple discredit to full-fledged conspiracy. He is thought to have abused his power in leaking the information and then lying to press and other officials. What this results in is immediate danger to Plame and those she has come into contact with, as her background and actions make for many enemies.


That aside, it is still not the place for a journalist to take the blame for government wrongdoings. Granted, reporters stay silent on these matters in order to be able to receive such information. It, too, seems shady, but it pales in comparison to how the information is given. These reporters are not in control of who gives it to them or how, thus the odds are not in their favor. Most information transactions take place quickly; the data can be incorrectly given. In the end, the journalists take the fall.

And they do.

While the First Amendment protects what they write and how it is published, journalists themselves have few rights outside of it to protect them from these cases.

I ask: how is it their fault that they will not disclose information when, in reality, it would be devastating for them to do so? They are doing their jobs; they often must remain tight-lipped in order to keep them. At the very least, how can someone who did not even publish the information be punished?

I suppose politicians will do anything to stay in power. With leverage like this, they have a legion to take the fall. With such a force, how can it be anything but?

Once again, America takes a few steps back and kicks itself in the ass.

[theinfamouspyro]

...Graphics and Coding


Helpful Graphic Hint No. 4
Submitted by Electra

Blending for Beginners

Most Photoshop beginners are always trying to figure out ways of blending; it isn't all that hard. One of the easiest ways to blend is to use the lasso tool. Get a image you would like to add to a background. Set the feather of the lasso tool to anywhere from 10 to 15 pixels- depending on how big the image is. Trace around the image, when you are done, select the Move Tool (arrow) and drag it over to your background. Then you can set the Hue/Saturation to blend with the background image. I also suggest messing around with the blending modes in the layer pallette such as Overlay, Soft Light, Vivid light, etc. There are many methods to blend images.

[theinfamouspyro]

Styles of Art: Photomanipulation
Submitted by Electra

Photomanipulation- many people have heard of this term. Photomanipulation is one of the most common forms of digital art; it is an art in which a person takes a photograph or any kind of stock or digital image and uses and image-editing program to alter or manipulate the image.

Most of the time, photomanipulation consists of changes such as contrast or coloring. A more evasive photomanipulation may include adding wings to a person or even adding a different head to a body. They could even add tentacles to someone in place of their arms. The possibillities are quite endless.

Photomanipulation makes photography and digital images even more fun.

Just some of the many artists that use photomanipulation are Eternity and Patches

Here is an entry by Patches titled Fairy: Melissa
You can see that he has added wings and some coloring as I have mentioned above.

Here is a basic Photomanipulation tutorial.

Dream Glow Effect

1) Once you have the image that you want to use, open it up in Photoshop. Then go to File > New and make it the size of the image you chose. Then select the background to be transparent. For my image I am going to use a picture of Avril. The size I used is 300 x 298:



2) After you have completed the first step, drag your image on to the transparent background that you just created.

3) Right-click on the layer that has the image that you want to add the effect to and select "Duplicate Layer." Next go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and set it to 1.5. Select your layer mode in the layers palette to "Overlay."

You can see that the picture is looking more like it has that dream glow:



4) Duplicate the layer of the image you just added the blur to. Then go to Image> Adjustments > Levels and set them to this:



After you have done that, you are finished. This is what I have come up with:



Have fun with this!

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Basic Tweening Tutorial: Part 1
Submitted by Assassinator


Program: Adobe Photoshop/Imageready

Animation is big and sought after on the internet; it makes websites come to life where only plain pictures would rule. Of course, Flash animation would be the best thing to use, but if you don't want to spend £500+ (or risk downloading the trial and entering the illegal serial code) and you already have Adobe Photoshop on your machine, then this is the easy way to bring life to your dead websites.

In the first part of this tutorial, I will teach you how to move objects around your canvas. I hope that by the end of it you will be wiser and happier with your animation skills.

Moving objects round the screen

1) Open up Adobe Photoshop and open a new blank document. Allow for its perimeters to be 300 by 300 in size. Fill it with a white background.

HINT: Press D to reset your colours.

2) Now make a a black box of any size- just as long as it isn't bigger than a quarter of the canvas.

3) Click this button (it is at the bottom-left portion of your tools).

4) Now, in Imageready, your screen should look something like this:



If you don't have an animation box then go to:

Window > Animation

5) Now go to:

Layer > Rasterize > Shape

While you have the shape layer selected, duplicate your first animation frame by clicking the small folded page button on the bottom of the animation box.

6) Now comes the fun part (*cough*). Grab the Move tool (situated near the top of the tools column) and with the second animation frame selected, drag the rectangle to another part of your canvas.

I did from here...



...to here.



7) Now to make it move. Next to the Duplicate Frame button there is a button that looks like a ball fading away. Click it and use these settings:



Your box is now moving and this is the result:



With a little more animation you can get this:



Good luck with moving your objects.

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That was part one of the tweening tutorial. Watch for the second part of the tutorial next month. It will be a tutorial on the slightly harder subject of how to merge one image seamlessly into another with animation.

[theinfamouspyro]

Code Review
Submitted by Hechizero

The script being reviewed this month is Live Preview v1 by Peter. I choose to review this script because of the used techniques and the task that they accomplish.

Peter used both DOM methods and innerHTML to modify the document tree, however it was a good decision because of the goal of the script: to create a live preview. He also used Regular Expressions, Objects and Prototype which are powerful tools when creating a code. Also his style is present in every aspect of the code; the variable names, the use of functions, loops, etc.

The code is perfect for community forums where the posts are usually short, specially for new members because that way they can test instantly what the UBBC tags do.

Pros

• Regular Expressions
  
• Use of innerHTML and the great manipulation of strings
  
• Use of "obscure" techniques (Most PB coders don't know about them)

Cons

• None

A great code in my opinion. Try it out.