Customs?

[Repair Bay]

Hey, just curious, is it alright if we add customs to the database if we provide pics, especially since many of us certainly consider them part of our collections?  Just curious, because I have a couple I'd like to upload.

[shmax]

By "custom", do you mean one of those unlicensed toys made by garage shops, or do you mean something like an old Optimus Prime toy that you tore the head off of and replaced it with a potato? If the former, then we'll get to those eventually (the site will be expanding to cover non-Tfs, and the unlicensed stuff will likely be the first to be added) but for now we're just not ready for them. If the latter, then no, probably not in the near future. At some point down the road I may see about letting people supply a single photo for each item in their collection (to replace the "stock" photo), but that will require some serious engineering.

But if you're really willing to help with photos (here it comes, the inevitable mooching), I that there are at least 800 photos from your collection that you can provide:

http://www.shmax.com/contribute_info/1? ... id=157&r=1

Hey, just curious, is it alright if we add customs to the database if we provide pics, especially since many of us certainly consider them part of our collections?  Just curious, because I have a couple I'd like to upload.

[Repair Bay]

Haha, okay, thanks.  Yeah, I meant stuff like, for example, the Activators Bumblebee I got in the two-pack with G1 colors Shockwave is gonna become an Activators Goldbug for my collection, and was curious if I could add that to the database as like a "one-of-a-kind" kinda figure, but I suppose I'll have to wait for what updates you might have in store later.

Also, yeah, I think I can contribute some photos and whatnot.  I'll have to look through that list later, er, today, though, lol

Thanks!

[shmax]

That sounds like a lot of fun--I wish I had some paint, myself. And some time. And some Transformers. And a pony.

Until I get around to allowing collection photos, why not just add the toy as usual and then just mention in the comments (in the collection interface) that you painted him to look like Goldbug?

I look forward to those photos!

Haha, okay, thanks.  Yeah, I meant stuff like, for example, the Activators Bumblebee I got in the two-pack with G1 colors Shockwave is gonna become an Activators Goldbug for my collection, and was curious if I could add that to the database as like a "one-of-a-kind" kinda figure, but I suppose I'll have to wait for what updates you might have in store later.

Also, yeah, I think I can contribute some photos and whatnot.  I'll have to look through that list later, er, today, though, lol

Thanks!

[Repair Bay]

I will certainly do that, thank you very much +D

[Chaotic Descent]

This thread probably belongs in the "suggestions" forum (maybe?), but me and Skullgrin have mentioned this before, that we'd like to have a customs database. (Any update on this?)

Is there a way we could do data entry for it in advance, and be able to merge it with the database later? Will it be able to match entries with the current data from the download options, or will there be conflicts? It'd be nice if it dumped the unique ID#s with that, but I guess that would be a developer-only purpose.

BTW, do you know any data-entry programs that make it easier to enter the same data over and over? It really sucks in a spreadsheet editor when you have to copy&paste many times, rather than just say, "ok, all of these are by one author until I tell you otherwise". It feels so archaic. I tried to do a search for such a thing but I suck at finding things I know little about.

[shmax]

If I were 3 people instead of one, I'd probably start a whole new website just for showcasing customs. As for www.shmax.com, it's difficult for me to imagine how it would work. If it were just a matter of people painting stock toys to look different, I think it could be worked into the mix somehow, but I'm sure that once we had that much working, someone would come along with some Frankenstein's monster that they made out of 9 different Transformers and a Bolivian Micronaut. It would really require a lot of engineering and fancy UI design to to the whole thing justice, and there are just too many other features in the queue ahead of it for me to make any promises. All that said, somewhere way down the road I may see if I can give users the ability to upload photos for specific toys in their collection, which would work well for repaints, as you could simply mention in the comments that you repainted it, or mark a checkbox called "custom", something like that. But that's way down the road--I still have a half dozen major features I need to finish up before I'll feel like I have enough time to start in on something like this.

As for the spreadsheet, I don't really understand. You're saying you want to repeat a row many times, but you don't want to copy and paste? You might look into using templates:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/298324

[Chaotic Descent]

I really should have learned databases years ago...

Right then... I guess I'll just do a table from scratch and hope it's not all redundant work when it comes to an end product.

[shmax]

I guess I still don't quite understand what it is that you have in mind--what is your definition of "custom"? If you're talking about the unlicensed-but-still-manufactured toys, then yes, we'll be adding those eventually. If you're talking about fan-made one-off creations, why do you need a database? How could I possibly merge creations of an arbitrary nature into our database full of trackable known quantities? Can you explain in a bit more detail?

[Chaotic Descent]

I don't understand what "creations of an arbitrary nature" means.
All I know is that often I remember a repaint by the mold it used and character it was repainted into, but not exactly what it looks like or who did it. Not knowing who did it makes it hard for me to find the picture in my files so I can see what it looked like, or upload it to show other people.

Yes, it is important to keep track of more than just repaints, like using parts from other figures.

[shmax]

I'm still confused. When you say "repaint", do you mean a fan-made customization?

[Chaotic Descent]

yes