Technical Requirements for Submissions

Please please please read the rules

http://www.guichamps.com/about.asp
from Stardock Forums

It seems that some people have missed the page with the competition rules and requirements before sending in your first submissions.  This year, we've put some actual technical requirements on what people upload, and I'm doing some spot-checking on what comes through to make sure people are in compliance.  Here are the tech requirements from the rules page:

3. Technical Requirements
The following are the minimum technical requirements for submissions. Failure to meet these basic requirements will result in immediate disqualification of the relevant contest entry.

  • Wallpapers
    • JPEG Files only.  No bitmaps, GIFs or PNGs.
    • All wallpaper submissions should be in a zip file. The zip file must contain copies of the wallpaper in the following screen resolutions:
      • 1024x768
      • 1280x1024
      • 1600x1200
    • Additional resolutions are allowed (such as 16x9), but if included, it must be noted in the description field.
    • Do not submit Bryce or other 3D terrain renders as wallpapers.
    • The contest organizers reserve the right to moderate the wallpaper submissions queue for basic quality. This is to prevent items like Bryce renders and MS Paint drawings from making it into the competition.
  • WindowBlinds
    • Must be created for WindowBlinds 5
    • Submissions must be in .wba format
  • Icons
    • Must be created for IconPackager 3
    • Submissions must be in .ip format
    • Submissions must contain a minimum 55 icons

Any submissions that are found to not meet the requirements will be removed from the site.  However, you are free to correct the error and resubmit.

1,748 views 23 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Sounds like fun.
Question...shouldnt that middle wall resolution be 1280x960?1280x1024 is a non standard resolution and would distort any images originally made at 1600x1200.

Good luck to all the artist(your gonna need it )
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Sounds like fun.
Question...shouldnt that middle wall resolution be 1280x960?1280x1024 is a non standard resolution and would distort any images originally made at 1600x1200.

Good luck to all the artist(your gonna need it )
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

1280x1024, while not the same aspect ratio as the other two, is a fairly often used middle-sized screen resolution.  For example, many LCDs in the 17-19" range list 1280x1024 as their optimal screen resolution.

The listed sizes requires artists to provide images that will work across most types of monitors without distortion.  If you run 1280x960, the 1600x1200 will scale down properly.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
..
Just one question. In the Windowblind section is it possible to update w/blinds after initial upload for the competition? I ask this since I only can test my w/blinds skin on my own pc. Sometimes what look good on my pc might look odd on someone else. This thing happened. So is it possible to update?
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
just wondering if filesize might also be a requirement...uploaded my only submission this morn (twas a might bit heavy) and haven't seen it make the list yet...maybe it wasn't good enough, or maybe it was to big...how will I ever know??? It's a quandry
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

basj - I'm looking into how to update submissions currently, I'll get back to you on that.

Bandit - It's still in the queue, you'll know if it gets rejected.  I'm not the one moderating the queue at the moment so I can't promise how soon it will be for your entry to be processed.

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Zoomba,1600 images when set as desktop background on a 1280x960 desktop dont scale down without distortion(I tried it )so I just included both 1280 resolutions in my upload.(over 4mb )

thanks for your work here
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
Oh my... Um... I didn't read this before I submitted - so I only have a 1280x1024 version in my zip file...

D'oH! *smacks forehead!*

Well that'll teach me to RTFR next time! LOL
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
If you didn't submit a qualifying entry (i.e. you missed a few resolutions) it will be dropped from the queue and you'll have an opportunity to resubmit.
Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top
hi Zoomba ...Just checking...on the rule and regulations mentioned

"You may not obtain permission from other artists to incorporate their work into your own submission. Everything submitted, every element must be entirely the creation of the submitter. "

with this..I am asking about font usage pack together with W/blinds skin. The font belong to others but its confirm a freeware. Will this act be against the rules? Would like to know about this.

Thanks.
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Do not submit Bryce or other 3D terrain renders as wallpapers


so this means that i can't even submit a wall with some abstract objects? i mean, the wall that i did was created a 90% in Corel Draw and the other 10% was created in 3ds max...
Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top
Walls that use 3D elements as a part of the image are acceptable.  That rule is to avoid 100% 3D renders from Bryce or other terrain generators.  The reason for this is that honestly, bryce generates some of the crappiest 3D work I've ever seen, and generally, to come up with an island with a tree on it is a few simple clicks on prebuilt items and then clicking "render"
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
hmmmm...
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
bryce generates some of the crappiest 3D work I've ever seen


mmh, well, thankx for the reply and i understand your point but.., u shouldn't overestimade this tool(lol.., dont get angry please!)..., have you ever check this thread?

Bryce vs. Vue
Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

I'm sure it's capable of wonderful things.  It's just too easy to generate a low-quality 3D render with a few simple clicks, and that's what we tend to get the most of.  A truely inspired Bryce render is often impossible to identify as coming from Bryce.  I'm using this rule to cull the low-quality images.

basj, I thought I had responded to your question about fonts already, but I think the forum ate the post.  Fonts from other sources are allowed so long as you have permission to use them.  The rule is aimed at image assets, so people don't just take images and work from other artists and reassemble it into an entry.

Reply #16 from Stardock Forums Top
okay..thanks
Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top
Sorry repeat qüestion ....my Skin... Size for WB5 is of 15 MB and.. i Can´t Submit...

That I can do? or ¿as I can send it?

Thanks!

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top
Question:
I'm working on a very traditional blind that's 100% original except I'd like to use an MS flag logo I made on the start button. Is this acceptable?
Thanks in advance.
Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top
:: Wallpaper question

In all my wallpapers I will be placing a small copywrite (GUI Championships 2006 © www.guimagic.com) at the bottom. Someone in the comments has mentioned that this is advertising. I assured him that it wasn't. That if it 'was' it would have never been posted. Am I right to think this or are you posting submissions that will be disqualified later?
Since every website has their own idea of what is and what isn't. What is this websites position on it? Better yet, what will the judges position be?
-----------------
After posting this, I reread the rules and it make no mention of advertising. So this might be a moot question.
Reply #20 from Stardock Forums Top

BIODIGITZMAN-

I'll check on the size issue.  What do you have in that .wba file that's taking up so much space?  Chances are you'll be able to trim the size down a lot.

navigatsio-

The Windows flag is a bit of a weird grey area.  If you do use it, don't use any stock images, try and build your own version.

Z71-

The watermark, so long as it isn't obtrusive or otherwise damage the quality of the wallpaper is fine.  It's your work, you should be able to claim it.

 

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top
I do not believe that can reduce a lot but the size of the skin...

Your thinks that almost all the imnagenes are. tga and bmp and this type of images they weigh..

I have cleaned of errors and I have cleaned my skin al maximo and I do not believe that can reduce it but...

In reality di to be reduced some 2 megas but. ... already not serious my skin and not gustaria so much as the original skin ...understand me?

itself not the HALF OF THE SIZE can be reduced

The skin now 15 megas and by their content of animations, wallpaper, Shellstyle.. cannot be reduced but.. there has to be some solucion.. your thinks that today in I gave the good skins for WB5 they should have their weight.. because.. they have to surpass to the Themes of XP..

I have explained me well? sorry for my english I am a Spaniard...


Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
I CAN upload :

. The History
. The Prewiev of the skin and..
. Upload a .txt whit the link of download my skin of another free share server

o what??



Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top
I did make it from scratch so I'll use it....