Need a way to mark/report incomplete materials
Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:06 pm
I posted this in the Maxwell Resources section, but there was a suggestion to post this here as well. Sorry for the resulting double post, but here goes:
First, I think the mxm gallery is an awesome resource and most projects would be almost impossible without it. But too many times I've found a material that looks good, only to download it and find problems. In my current project I thought one material had the perfect scratch bump map, only to find no maps included in the zip file. Then I try downloading another, and the zip won't unzip because it's "invalid." Downloading through Studio doesn't help. I know I'm not the first to encounter this, based on this topic from 2005: http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/view ... 49&t=18123 . So here we are 5 years later and its the same thing.
Now it might be difficult or costly for Maxwell to police every material, and going too far with that might hinder the free exchange of materials. Though it doesn't seem to me like it'd be too hard to run through the new submissions (weekly?) just to make sure the materials are there you can get to SL 1. But assuming that can't happen (or in addition), we need a way to mark/report materials that don't work. That's different from rating it good or bad or a vote. We need some way to inform Maxwell and the author (though some can be emailed directly now, that doesn't seem the best way) that there is a problem so it can be fixed. Then if it isn't fixed, it gets deleted, or at least gets a big red X or something.
I'm thinking just box with a check for "incomplete maps" and "other problem" and a text box to explain. A notice is sent to both maxwell and the author and those comments get displayed until the problem is fixed. After a certain number of reports (3?) a warning is displayed, and after a larger number and some amount of time with no resolution the material gets deleted.
Please?
First, I think the mxm gallery is an awesome resource and most projects would be almost impossible without it. But too many times I've found a material that looks good, only to download it and find problems. In my current project I thought one material had the perfect scratch bump map, only to find no maps included in the zip file. Then I try downloading another, and the zip won't unzip because it's "invalid." Downloading through Studio doesn't help. I know I'm not the first to encounter this, based on this topic from 2005: http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/view ... 49&t=18123 . So here we are 5 years later and its the same thing.
Now it might be difficult or costly for Maxwell to police every material, and going too far with that might hinder the free exchange of materials. Though it doesn't seem to me like it'd be too hard to run through the new submissions (weekly?) just to make sure the materials are there you can get to SL 1. But assuming that can't happen (or in addition), we need a way to mark/report materials that don't work. That's different from rating it good or bad or a vote. We need some way to inform Maxwell and the author (though some can be emailed directly now, that doesn't seem the best way) that there is a problem so it can be fixed. Then if it isn't fixed, it gets deleted, or at least gets a big red X or something.
I'm thinking just box with a check for "incomplete maps" and "other problem" and a text box to explain. A notice is sent to both maxwell and the author and those comments get displayed until the problem is fixed. After a certain number of reports (3?) a warning is displayed, and after a larger number and some amount of time with no resolution the material gets deleted.
Please?