Posts by Janina

Congratulations to the winners!

The jury and public vote picked the same top5 this time.

➤ View the full ranking + stats for this contest HERE

Thank you!
The surgery went well and I am back at home. My eyes will need some more days to recover, but I think in three days I can go back to work.

Tomorrow I will be off to the clinic for a couple of days to get my eye surgery. The plan is to be back in action by the end of the week, but it depends on the healing process. So I'll just say "see you soon" - hopefully with better vision!

1. Unfortunately, realistic texture effects are not possible because the SP-Studio works with vector drawings. Vector art has big advantages for browser games like this, which is why I went for this route in the beginning: The loading time is shorter. It is much easier to recolor the items. And it is possible to resize without quality loss.

It is difficult to immitate the cardboard look (or similar textures) in vector drawings though. In the old Flash version that's why I used pixelated textures for the Prof. Chaos costume. Flash files were able to deal with this, even though the file size for these items got big. But I could not continue to use these textures in the new version of the SP-Studio because they don't work there. So now it isn't even an option anymore.

One thing I always wanted to do is to add a tutorial to the website how you can apply a "cutout paper effect" to your picture afterwards. This is possible with software like Photoshop or Gimp.

2. What David already wrote Moving already is possible.

New functions like these depend on Lars, because he is coding things like these and I cannot help him with it. At the moment there are no plans for it. Resizing was something we talked about in the past, but as David explained it only makes sense for certain items. If there will be more functions I think "changing layers" would be the most useful one and top priority. Because when you can change the order of the layers you can change which items hide other items. This would be a very complicated update though.

The vote has started!

The challenge for this month is to upload a SP-Studio.de look-a-like of a really famous actor or actress (living or dead). “Hollywood Star” means they must be internationally known and not just famous in one country or for small indie films. Think of somebody who would walk the red carpet at the Oscars.

You can show them in character (in a film scene) or not, this is up to you. OCs are not allowed this time, because we want to be able to compare your picture to an existing person. Think of it as a caricature challenge.

After the last topic was not well received I decided to go for something simple everybody can easily relate to. There should be plenty of famous actors to choose from. Remember "Hollywood star" does not mean they must be born in the U.S. - I just needed a short term to describe big film stars of international fame.

Please remember: You are only allowed to use the SP-Studio, so do not edit with additional software (no cutting, drawing or filters). Don’t resize your picture. Of course it must be your own creation.

Rules for uploads: When you upload your picture, please add a TITLE (= the actor) and your NAME! Use the same name for all your uploads. Names like anonymous, idk or me are not allowed. Too many use them.

Jury members are not allowed to talk about what their pictures are before the voting phase is over.

Upload your picture here: https://pollunit.com/en/polls/sp-studio-contest-2024-09

The rules are as always:

1. CREATE a SP-Studio picture about the topic of the month
   
2. UPLOAD your unedited picture until the 20th
   
3. VOTING will start on the 21st (jury votes count x2,5)
   
4. THE WINNERS will be announced at the start of next month

Congratulations to the winners!

Although it seemed to be no popular topic we got a strong Top5 - and even a Top6 this time, because Awlr and NM99 collected the same amount of points.

➤ View the full ranking + stats for this contest HERE

This week I had my appointment in the eye clinic and there are good news: On September 23rd I will get a laser treatment and the doctors are optimistic that this can restore the vision in my left eye. Afterwards I will have to stay in the hospital for at least three days and will have to take a little break from screens. But if it helps it will be worth it! I will write another blog post before I leave.

The vertigo and depression are still an issue, but one step at a time.

Thank you!

It might take time, but I know my mood will get better again.

Don't forget to upload your picturew today! The vote will start tomorrow and there are not many pictures this time.

[this text is also a blog post]

Please take the time ro read this personal post, even though the topic is not a happy one. Although I have been organising the picture contests on a monthly base, there has been no new content for the SP-Studio since the big animal update in March. People keep asking if I ‘forgot’ about the updates. Of course it is not like that. I regret every single day that I am not able to work on this project. That’s why I want to explain what is going on.

I am struggling with health problems. The eye issues I wrote about 3 years ago have got worse. The vision in my left eye is now so bad that I can no longer use it at all (even with new glasses). In addition, since last year I have been suffering from unexplained vertigo attacks while working at the computer. These things might be related, but nobody knows for sure yet.

While these physical symptoms already limit my ability to work on SP-Studio updates, they also have an obvious impact on my mental health. My biggest fear has always been losing my eyesight, and now that’s exactly what’s slowly happening to me. It scares the hell out of me. I often feel helpless and depressed, and I can’t even remember the last time I was able to enjoy being creative. This situation is taking away everything from me that used to fulfill me.

Because of all this, I have to really pull myself together to at least do my regular work properly. Afterwards I’m usually very exhausted. Unfortunately, a lot of other things are on hold, including the SP-Studio. I feel bad about all of you who are waiting for messages from me. You can be asured I never ignore you on purpose if I do not reply. It is just too much for me to handle at the moment.

Why didn’t I write this post earlier? I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. That I would find my way out of this hole soon. I would much rather write about something positive and not openly whine about my problems.

So let’s at least end on a positive note: Later this month I have an appointment at an eye clinic to examine whether laser surgery can restore the vision in my left eye. I am using all the professional help I can get, and even if it takes a lot of small steps I try to stay optimistic. That’s why I’m asking you for a little more patience.

As soon as I am feeling a bit better, I am looking forward to being more active and drawing new items for the SP-Studio again!

And I promise to keep you updated on the eye surgery.

Remember your favorite outdoor activities from your childhood or your first videogame? This contest is about typical games played by kids. It is an open topic, so show your creativity! OCs are allowed this time. But you are also allowed to recreate a character from a game… or to show famous characters from a movie or cartoon playing games. A horror twist might also be possible.

Examples: Hide & Seek, Hopscotch, Marbles, Jumprope, Minecraft, Roblox, Floor is Lava, Truth or Dare, Simon says, Tug of War, Hula Hoop, I packed my bag, Tic-Tac-Toe, Splatoon, Super Mario, Pokémon, the Chutes and Ladders boardgame, Connect Four, Battleship, Tamagotchi, Squid game…

Please remember: You are only allowed to use the SP-Studio, so do not edit with additional software (no cutting, drawing or filters). Don’t resize your picture. Of course it must be your own creation.

Rules for uploads: When you upload your picture, please add a TITLE and your NAME! Use the same name for all your uploads. Names like anonymous, idk or me are not allowed. Too many use them.

Jury members are not allowed to talk about what their pictures are before the voting phase is over.

Upload your picture here: https://pollunit.com/en/polls/sp-studio-contest-2024-08

The rules are as always:

1. CREATE a SP-Studio picture about the topic of the month
   
2. UPLOAD your unedited picture until the 20th
   
3. VOTING will start on the 21st (jury votes count x2,5)
   
4. THE WINNERS will be announced at the start of next month

Congratulations to the winners!

Many people voted this time and there were several strong challengers, but in the end LV3's Gru made it to the top.

➤ View the full ranking + stats for this contest HERE

The vote has started!

STATS:

This time there are 64 pictures in this contest.

From 135 uploads 71 were disqualified:

• 35 were by ONE troll who does not stop uploading random pictures Apart from that...
• 8 were no SP-Studio pictures
• 11 were double entries by the same person
• 17 were disqualified for different reasons - mostly for not matching the topic

One picture (MF Doom) might be disqualified but is still open for debate. You can write a comment about wether you think it fits the rules.

The most popular villain choices:

Of course the Joker (x5) was the most popular choice! He was followed by Cruella De Vil and Harley Quinn (both x3).

This month the challenge is to recreate a fictional "bad guy" (or "bad girl") from a movie, book, tv show, videogame or advertisment. There are many to choose from! This topic was a favorite from the vote earlier this year. Made up characters by fans (OCs) and existing people from history do not count.

Examples: Dracula, Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader, Freddy Krueger, Sadako Yamamura, Cruella De Vil, Maleficent, Professor Moriarty, Captain Hook, the Joker, Harley Quinn, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Thanos, Loki, The Wicked Witch of the West, Bowser, Kefka Palazzo, Light Yagami, Frieza, Cersei Lannister,...

Please remember: You are only allowed to use the SP-Studio, so do not edit with additional software (no cutting, drawing or filters). Don’t resize your picture. Of course it must be your own creation.

Rules for uploads: When you upload your picture, please add a TITLE (= the villain) and your NAME! Use the same name for all your uploads. Names like anonymous, idk or me are not allowed. Too many use them.

Jury members are not allowed to talk about what their pictures are before the voting phase is over.

Upload your picture here: https://pollunit.com/en/polls/sp-studio-contest-2024-07

The rules are as always:

1. CREATE a SP-Studio picture about the topic of the month
   
2. UPLOAD your unedited picture until the 20th
   
3. VOTING will start on the 21st (jury votes count x2,5)
   
4. THE WINNERS will be announced at the start of next month

The amount of uploaded and approved pictures was good, so I don't think it was an unpopular topic. But the amount of votes was surprisingly low.

Maybe this was my fault... I did not put an extra "VOTE NOW!" picture (with previews of some submissions) on the SP-Studio front page this time. I just kept the regular contest announcement and thought it would be good enough.

The chemistry lessons there were a bit strange.

Congratulations to the winners!

It was very close between Alexander and Uxas. While Uxas got the public vote, Alexander won by scoring slightly higher with the jury.

This time there are 71 pictures in this contest.

From 108 uploads 37 were disqualified:

9 were no SP-Studio pictures

21 were double entries by the same person

7 were disqualified for different reasons - mostly for not matching the topic

➤ View the full ranking + stats for this contest HERE

A fact about me connected to Eggys interest in history:

I went to school in the largest (or one of the largest... there is debate about it) preserved castle complex in Germany. The Friedberg castle. Its keep and landmark of my hometown is the "Adolf tower", built in the 14th century with the ransom money from kidnapping Adolf, count of Nassau. My school was located next to it in old buildings inside of the castle walls. So every morning I had to pass the still existing castle moat, which today is a garden.

My school was just a regular high school everbody could visit, but the location felt like a private boarding school from a movie. I liked the castle a lot.

Indeed I stopped watching South Park back in 2019 (season 23). The last season I enjoyed was season 18. After that I was often bored or even disappointed from new episodes. Around that time I also lost interest in drawing fan art, rewatching old seasons, collecting merch and running my German South Park fan page. It felt like I lost touch with the whole fandom.

But I was a huge SP fan for about 15 years, which is a pretty long time. And what a great time it was! Because of my fan page and leading the biggest German fan community SP was an important part of my life. I got to know many good friends and even my husband because of meet ups I organized. I worked on projects related to the show. And after work I spend hours updating my many hobby projects.

I guess at some point there was just too much SP in my life. Or maybe my humor and interests changed. Or maybe the episodes really got worse. It might be a combination of all of it.