Adding Dirt and Grime to 3D Game Animation

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Although most game-animation textures are created externally and wrapped onto objects, most 3D software programs also include a separate set of tools for painting directly on the objects themselves. Using these painting tools, you can add details, such as dirt and grime, to the texture applied to the object after the texture image has already been applied.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">One helpful way to use these paint tools is to add realistic dirt and grime to objects. Adding these layers of dirt to the texture map can be tricky because you're not always sure where the map will match the folds of the skin or the edges and corners of an object where dirt is likely to accumulate. Painting tools are also helpful for defacing nice textures with spray paint to resemble graffiti.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">3D painting tools typically let you select from a selection of brushes that offer different styles. You can also adjust the brushes' size, pressure, and color. In some software, the painting tools work only if the surface has a texture file applied to it.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Follow these steps to use the painting tools:</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 1. Choose the Create --> Polygon Primitives --> Cube menu command.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> A polygon cube is placed in the center of the view.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">2. Select the Lighting/Shading --> Assign New Material --> Lambert menu command to create a new material for the cube object.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The Lambert2 node in the Attribute Editor is opened with the material properties for the assigned material displayed.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">3. Press the 6 key to enable a Texture view.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> In Texture view, you'll be able to see the brush strokes as you paint.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 4. Select the Texturing --> 3D Paint Tool menu command to access the painting tool, and then select the Window --> Settings/Preferences --> Tool Settings menu command to open the Tool Settings panel to the right of the view pane.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">All the settings for the 3D Paint Tool are displayed within the Tool Settings panel. Initially, there isn't a surface to paint on, so you'll need to create one.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can also switch among the Attribute Editor, the Tool Settings, and the Channel Box using the three buttons located at the top right of the interface beneath the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">5. In the File Textures section of the Tool Settings panel, click the Assign/Edit Textures button.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The Assign/Edit File Textures dialog box appears.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 6. Set the SizeX and SizeY values to 256 and click the Assign/Edit Textures button.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> This creates a texture that you can paint on top of that is saved with the scene file.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 7. Set the Brush Scale value to 1.0 and the color to light blue, and drag over the top of the image in the view pane.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> The color is added to the texture image on all the cube faces.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 8. Select the File --> Save Scene As menu command and save the file as Painting tool.mb.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> The ability to paint directly on an object's surface is very helpful as you add materials to objects.</p>

Adding Dirt and Grime to 3D Game Animation

Although most game-animation textures are created externally and wrapped onto objects, most 3D software programs also include a separate...

Read more »

Adding Dirt and Grime to 3D Game Animation

<h1 style="font-size:20px;margin:0.25rem 0px;padding:0px 0px 0.5rem;border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(204,204,204);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"><br></h1> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Although most game-animation textures are created externally and wrapped onto objects, most 3D software programs also include a separate set of tools for painting directly on the objects themselves. Using these painting tools, you can add details, such as dirt and grime, to the texture applied to the object after the texture image has already been applied.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">One helpful way to use these paint tools is to add realistic dirt and grime to objects. Adding these layers of dirt to the texture map can be tricky because you're not always sure where the map will match the folds of the skin or the edges and corners of an object where dirt is likely to accumulate. Painting tools are also helpful for defacing nice textures with spray paint to resemble graffiti.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">3D painting tools typically let you select from a selection of brushes that offer different styles. You can also adjust the brushes' size, pressure, and color. In some software, the painting tools work only if the surface has a texture file applied to it.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">Follow these steps to use the painting tools:</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 1. Choose the Create --> Polygon Primitives --> Cube menu command.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> A polygon cube is placed in the center of the view.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">2. Select the Lighting/Shading --> Assign New Material --> Lambert menu command to create a new material for the cube object.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The Lambert2 node in the Attribute Editor is opened with the material properties for the assigned material displayed.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">3. Press the 6 key to enable a Texture view.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> In Texture view, you'll be able to see the brush strokes as you paint.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 4. Select the Texturing --> 3D Paint Tool menu command to access the painting tool, and then select the Window --> Settings/Preferences --> Tool Settings menu command to open the Tool Settings panel to the right of the view pane.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">All the settings for the 3D Paint Tool are displayed within the Tool Settings panel. Initially, there isn't a surface to paint on, so you'll need to create one.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">You can also switch among the Attribute Editor, the Tool Settings, and the Channel Box using the three buttons located at the top right of the interface beneath the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">5. In the File Textures section of the Tool Settings panel, click the Assign/Edit Textures button.</p> <p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif">The Assign/Edit File Textures dialog box appears.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 6. Set the SizeX and SizeY values to 256 and click the Assign/Edit Textures button.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> This creates a texture that you can paint on top of that is saved with the scene file.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 7. Set the Brush Scale value to 1.0 and the color to light blue, and drag over the top of the image in the view pane.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> The color is added to the texture image on all the cube faces.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> 8. Select the File --> Save Scene As menu command and save the file as Painting tool.mb.</p><p style="margin:0.75em 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:17px;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:24px;font-family:Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> The ability to paint directly on an object's surface is very helpful as you add materials to objects.</p>

Adding Dirt and Grime to 3D Game Animation

Although most game-animation textures are created externally and wrapped onto objects, most 3D software programs also include a separate...

Read more »

Becoming Familiar with the QuarkXPress Interface

You may notice that the QuarkXPress interface bears a strong resemblance to the features used by other Windows and Macintosh programs. If you use other programs, you already know how to use QuarkXPress components such as file folders, document icons, and the set of menus at the top of the document window.<br> <br>You create a document by choosing File --> New --> Document or open an existing document by choosing File --> Open --> Document.<br><br>When you display a document in either Windows or Macintosh, you'll see a few visual elements:<br> <br>The ruler origin box lets you reset and reposition the ruler origin, which is the point at which the side and top rulers are 0 (zero).<br><br>The name of the open document appears on the title bar, located below the menu bar on the Mac and above the menu bar in Windows. You can move the document window around in the screen display area by clicking and dragging the title bar.<br> <br>If you have reduced or enlarged a document, clicking the zoom boxon the Mac or the restore box in Windows, at the top right corner of the document window, returns it to its previous size.<br><br>You can make a document all but disappear by minimizing it (in Windows) or turning it into a window shade (on the Mac). To minimize a document, click the minimize box in the document's title bar. To make a document into a window shade, double-click its title bar or click its WindowShade box on the Mac.<br> <br>The vertical and horizontal rulerson the left and top of the window reflect the measurement system currently in use.<br><br>The pasteboard is a work area around the document page. You can temporarily store text boxes, picture boxes, or lines on the pasteboard. Items on the pasteboard do not print.<br> <br>QuarkXPress displays a shadow effect around the document page. The shadow indicates the edges of the document.<br><br>If you select Automatic Text Box in the New dialog box (which you access by selecting New Document from the File menu), a text box appears on the first page of the new document.<br> <br>Clicking and dragging the size box on the Mac resizes the document window as you move the mouse. In Windows, you can drag any side of the window to resize it.<br><br>The View Percent field shows the magnification level of the page that's currently displayed. To change the magnification level, enter a value between 10 and 800 percent in the field; then press the Return key or click elsewhere on the screen. Press Control+V on the Mac or Ctrl+Alt+V in Windows to highlight the View Percent field.<br> <br>Switch pages using the page pop-up.<br><br>Use the scroll bars, boxes, andarrows to shift the document page around within the document window. If you hold down the Option or Alt key while you drag the scroll box, the view of the document is refreshed as it "moves."<br> <br>Close a document by clicking itsclose box.<br><br>Menus<br><br>The menu bar appears across the top of the document window. To display a menu on a Mac, click the menu title and, if you're using an older version of operating software, hold down the mouse button. (In Windows or Mac OS 9 or later, just click the menu title; you don't need to hold down the mouse button.)<br> <br>From the menu, you can select any of the active menu commands. QuarkXPress displays inactive menu commands with dimmed (grayed-out) letters. When commands are dimmed, it means that these commands are not currently available to you — they're inactive.<br> <br>To select one of the active menu commands, hold down the mouse button as you slide through the menu selections. (As you get used to the program, you can avoid using menus by using the keyboard equivalents for menu selections instead. Keyboard equivalents are displayed to the right of the command names in the menu.)<br> <br>If an arrow appears to the right of a menu command, QuarkXPress displays a second, associated menu when you choose that command. Sometimes this secondary menu appears automatically when you highlight the first menu command; other times, you must continue to hold down the mouse and slide it to the submenu name in order to activate the menu. This may sound a little confusing on paper. But go ahead and try it. You'll find it's no big deal. (Again, in Windows or Mac OS 9 or later, you don't need to hold down the mouse button; just click the arrow to make the submenu appear.)<br> <br>Dialog boxes<br><br>Some menu commands are followed by a series of dots called an ellipsis (. . .). If you choose a menu command whose name is followed by an ellipsis, a dialog box appears.<br><br>Some dialog boxes also contain submenus. If a menu has a submenu associated with it, an arrowhead appears to the right of the menu entry. In addition to submenus, QuarkXPress includes several pop-up menus, which appear when you make certain selections in a dialog box.<br> <br>QuarkXPress uses tabs, a semi-new kind of dialog box that merges several dialog boxes into one. In fact, you'll often see six or seven of these tabs — similar to what you see on a file folder in an office cabinet — in a single dialog box. Like the file folders in an office cabinet, these tabs keep a large amount of stuff organized in one tidy spot. Click the tab, and it comes to the forefront, showing you the options for that tab. You simply work with each tab you want within the dialog box.<br> <br>Keyboard shortcuts<br><br>You can select some QuarkXPress functions through pull-down menus, some through palettes, some through keyboard shortcuts, and some through all three options. Most new users begin by using menus because menus are so readily available and familiar. But as you become more comfortable using the program, you may want to save time by using the other options as well, particularly the keyboard shortcuts.

Becoming Familiar with the QuarkXPress Interface

You may notice that the QuarkXPress interface bears a strong resemblance to the features used by other Windows and Macintosh programs. If yo...

Read more »

Becoming Familiar with the QuarkXPress Interface

You may notice that the QuarkXPress interface bears a strong resemblance to the features used by other Windows and Macintosh programs. If you use other programs, you already know how to use QuarkXPress components such as file folders, document icons, and the set of menus at the top of the document window.<br> <br>You create a document by choosing File --> New --> Document or open an existing document by choosing File --> Open --> Document.<br><br>When you display a document in either Windows or Macintosh, you'll see a few visual elements:<br> <br>The ruler origin box lets you reset and reposition the ruler origin, which is the point at which the side and top rulers are 0 (zero).<br><br>The name of the open document appears on the title bar, located below the menu bar on the Mac and above the menu bar in Windows. You can move the document window around in the screen display area by clicking and dragging the title bar.<br> <br>If you have reduced or enlarged a document, clicking the zoom boxon the Mac or the restore box in Windows, at the top right corner of the document window, returns it to its previous size.<br><br>You can make a document all but disappear by minimizing it (in Windows) or turning it into a window shade (on the Mac). To minimize a document, click the minimize box in the document's title bar. To make a document into a window shade, double-click its title bar or click its WindowShade box on the Mac.<br> <br>The vertical and horizontal rulerson the left and top of the window reflect the measurement system currently in use.<br><br>The pasteboard is a work area around the document page. You can temporarily store text boxes, picture boxes, or lines on the pasteboard. Items on the pasteboard do not print.<br> <br>QuarkXPress displays a shadow effect around the document page. The shadow indicates the edges of the document.<br><br>If you select Automatic Text Box in the New dialog box (which you access by selecting New Document from the File menu), a text box appears on the first page of the new document.<br> <br>Clicking and dragging the size box on the Mac resizes the document window as you move the mouse. In Windows, you can drag any side of the window to resize it.<br><br>The View Percent field shows the magnification level of the page that's currently displayed. To change the magnification level, enter a value between 10 and 800 percent in the field; then press the Return key or click elsewhere on the screen. Press Control+V on the Mac or Ctrl+Alt+V in Windows to highlight the View Percent field.<br> <br>Switch pages using the page pop-up.<br><br>Use the scroll bars, boxes, andarrows to shift the document page around within the document window. If you hold down the Option or Alt key while you drag the scroll box, the view of the document is refreshed as it "moves."<br> <br>Close a document by clicking itsclose box.<br><br>Menus<br><br>The menu bar appears across the top of the document window. To display a menu on a Mac, click the menu title and, if you're using an older version of operating software, hold down the mouse button. (In Windows or Mac OS 9 or later, just click the menu title; you don't need to hold down the mouse button.)<br> <br>From the menu, you can select any of the active menu commands. QuarkXPress displays inactive menu commands with dimmed (grayed-out) letters. When commands are dimmed, it means that these commands are not currently available to you — they're inactive.<br> <br>To select one of the active menu commands, hold down the mouse button as you slide through the menu selections. (As you get used to the program, you can avoid using menus by using the keyboard equivalents for menu selections instead. Keyboard equivalents are displayed to the right of the command names in the menu.)<br> <br>If an arrow appears to the right of a menu command, QuarkXPress displays a second, associated menu when you choose that command. Sometimes this secondary menu appears automatically when you highlight the first menu command; other times, you must continue to hold down the mouse and slide it to the submenu name in order to activate the menu. This may sound a little confusing on paper. But go ahead and try it. You'll find it's no big deal. (Again, in Windows or Mac OS 9 or later, you don't need to hold down the mouse button; just click the arrow to make the submenu appear.)<br> <br>Dialog boxes<br><br>Some menu commands are followed by a series of dots called an ellipsis (. . .). If you choose a menu command whose name is followed by an ellipsis, a dialog box appears.<br><br>Some dialog boxes also contain submenus. If a menu has a submenu associated with it, an arrowhead appears to the right of the menu entry. In addition to submenus, QuarkXPress includes several pop-up menus, which appear when you make certain selections in a dialog box.<br> <br>QuarkXPress uses tabs, a semi-new kind of dialog box that merges several dialog boxes into one. In fact, you'll often see six or seven of these tabs — similar to what you see on a file folder in an office cabinet — in a single dialog box. Like the file folders in an office cabinet, these tabs keep a large amount of stuff organized in one tidy spot. Click the tab, and it comes to the forefront, showing you the options for that tab. You simply work with each tab you want within the dialog box.<br> <br>Keyboard shortcuts<br><br>You can select some QuarkXPress functions through pull-down menus, some through palettes, some through keyboard shortcuts, and some through all three options. Most new users begin by using menus because menus are so readily available and familiar. But as you become more comfortable using the program, you may want to save time by using the other options as well, particularly the keyboard shortcuts.

Becoming Familiar with the QuarkXPress Interface

You may notice that the QuarkXPress interface bears a strong resemblance to the features used by other Windows and Macintosh programs. If yo...

Read more »

Increasing the Display Quality in Manga Studio

By default, Manga Studio has the page display set at a standard quality. However, if you have a strong enough system (and really, you'd need a pretty weak system for this not to work well), you can increase the display quality a bit so that lines don't look quite as jagged as you rotate a page.<br> <br>On the Page tab of the Preferences dialog box, the first option you see is the Display Quality drop-down list. When you click the list, you see three options (Standard, High, and Maximum). Try each of them out and see how your system likes the adjustments.<br> <br>You don't see any major difference in quality when the page is in its normal (zero-degree) position. The only time you see any difference is when you use the Rotate tool to turn the page as you work. The differences are slight, but you might find it more comfortable to work at High or Maximum quality than at Standard.

Increasing the Display Quality in Manga Studio

By default, Manga Studio has the page display set at a standard quality. However, if you have a strong enough system (and really, you'd ...

Read more »

Increasing the Display Quality in Manga Studio

By default, Manga Studio has the page display set at a standard quality. However, if you have a strong enough system (and really, you'd need a pretty weak system for this not to work well), you can increase the display quality a bit so that lines don't look quite as jagged as you rotate a page.<br> <br>On the Page tab of the Preferences dialog box, the first option you see is the Display Quality drop-down list. When you click the list, you see three options (Standard, High, and Maximum). Try each of them out and see how your system likes the adjustments.<br> <br>You don't see any major difference in quality when the page is in its normal (zero-degree) position. The only time you see any difference is when you use the Rotate tool to turn the page as you work. The differences are slight, but you might find it more comfortable to work at High or Maximum quality than at Standard.

Increasing the Display Quality in Manga Studio

By default, Manga Studio has the page display set at a standard quality. However, if you have a strong enough system (and really, you'd ...

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Using Your Own Web Space for Sharing Digital Photos

Whether your ISP provides the space for free or you've enlisted a paid host to provide you space for your own domain, you can use your Web space to store and display photos that you want to share with friends, family, customers, and business associates.<br> <br>Be kind to your Web site visitors: You can save your image recipients' time, hard drive space, and aggravation by creating a single repository for all the images you want to share. You're also making it much easier for yourself to keep an up-to-date selection of images available to all who want to see them, so the Web option is a win-win proposition.<br> <br>Putting the images online requires a series of simple steps:<br><br>1. Prepare your photos for use on the Web by opening them in a photo editing program, such as Photoshop Elements, and saving them in a Web-safe format.<br> <br>Two formats that all Web browsers can deal with are GIF and JPEG. JPEG is best for photos because it supports the multitude of colors and shading within the images.<br><br>2. Set up the Web page where you want to display the images.<br> <br>You can use a variety of graphical tools to design the page (Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive) or you can create a page by writing HTML code. If you're using an ISP's free Web space, the ISP gives you step-by-step procedures for creating a Web page, and the software does most of the work for you.<br> <br>3. Upload the Web page and the images.<br><br>This is typically done with FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software. If you're using AOL or your ISP, it might provide an Upload page that loads both the Web page you set up and the images you want to display.<br> <br>4. Visit the page online to see how it looks.<br><br>You always want to check your page online (using multiple Web browsers, if possible) to see whether it's okay before you send people there to see your images.<br> <br>If you want to make changes, open the Web page file on your computer, make the changes, and upload it again.<br><br>If you check your page online and you see red Xs (in Internet Explorer) or gray icons with a question mark (in Netscape Navigator) where images should be, this means that the browser can't locate the image that's supposed to be there. Check your Web page settings to make sure that you have the right pictures in the right places, and check to see that you've uploaded all the images to your host's Web server.<br> <br>Before you share a batch of photos with the world, check the photos for anything you'd regret sharing with the rest of the population. You probably want to avoid sharing identifying features, such as addresses and people's last names, which may enable strangers to make undesired contact with you. Another thing to check for is embarrassing content. Going over the images with a very discriminating eye before you share them will pay off in the long run.

Using Your Own Web Space for Sharing Digital Photos

Whether your ISP provides the space for free or you've enlisted a paid host to provide you space for your own domain, you can use your W...

Read more »

Using Your Own Web Space for Sharing Digital Photos

Whether your ISP provides the space for free or you've enlisted a paid host to provide you space for your own domain, you can use your Web space to store and display photos that you want to share with friends, family, customers, and business associates.<br> <br>Be kind to your Web site visitors: You can save your image recipients' time, hard drive space, and aggravation by creating a single repository for all the images you want to share. You're also making it much easier for yourself to keep an up-to-date selection of images available to all who want to see them, so the Web option is a win-win proposition.<br> <br>Putting the images online requires a series of simple steps:<br><br>1. Prepare your photos for use on the Web by opening them in a photo editing program, such as Photoshop Elements, and saving them in a Web-safe format.<br> <br>Two formats that all Web browsers can deal with are GIF and JPEG. JPEG is best for photos because it supports the multitude of colors and shading within the images.<br><br>2. Set up the Web page where you want to display the images.<br> <br>You can use a variety of graphical tools to design the page (Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive) or you can create a page by writing HTML code. If you're using an ISP's free Web space, the ISP gives you step-by-step procedures for creating a Web page, and the software does most of the work for you.<br> <br>3. Upload the Web page and the images.<br><br>This is typically done with FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software. If you're using AOL or your ISP, it might provide an Upload page that loads both the Web page you set up and the images you want to display.<br> <br>4. Visit the page online to see how it looks.<br><br>You always want to check your page online (using multiple Web browsers, if possible) to see whether it's okay before you send people there to see your images.<br> <br>If you want to make changes, open the Web page file on your computer, make the changes, and upload it again.<br><br>If you check your page online and you see red Xs (in Internet Explorer) or gray icons with a question mark (in Netscape Navigator) where images should be, this means that the browser can't locate the image that's supposed to be there. Check your Web page settings to make sure that you have the right pictures in the right places, and check to see that you've uploaded all the images to your host's Web server.<br> <br>Before you share a batch of photos with the world, check the photos for anything you'd regret sharing with the rest of the population. You probably want to avoid sharing identifying features, such as addresses and people's last names, which may enable strangers to make undesired contact with you. Another thing to check for is embarrassing content. Going over the images with a very discriminating eye before you share them will pay off in the long run.

Using Your Own Web Space for Sharing Digital Photos

Whether your ISP provides the space for free or you've enlisted a paid host to provide you space for your own domain, you can use your W...

Read more »

How to Add Facebook Comments System in Blogger

<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:24px;font-family:'Trebuchet MS',Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(102,102,102)"><br></h3><div class="post-header" style="line-height:1.6;margin:0px 0px 1.5em;font-size:16px;color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:'Trebuchet MS',Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif"> <div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-7975404644688206278" itemprop="articleBody" style="width:300px;font-size:16px;line-height:20px;color:rgb(102,102,102);font-family:'Trebuchet MS',Trebuchet,Verdana,sans-serif"> <div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="separator" style="clear:both;text-align:center"></div><div class="mblpostthumb"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fKPSFgj92ZfEQ1Kumrh3wa20gfG3nnvTk72WWGUYQt-WCfy3KBoimG3_jqGWrGGIN8KKOzDDhp7OtyfQMQJgibszyjbAaYlyNs6ZRx13seIhRAkB5XTVVpYCoA4JcLm-RXKs-_M5cNuG/s1600/How-to-Add-Facebook-Comments-System-in-Blogger.png" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fKPSFgj92ZfEQ1Kumrh3wa20gfG3nnvTk72WWGUYQt-WCfy3KBoimG3_jqGWrGGIN8KKOzDDhp7OtyfQMQJgibszyjbAaYlyNs6ZRx13seIhRAkB5XTVVpYCoA4JcLm-RXKs-_M5cNuG/s1600/How-to-Add-Facebook-Comments-System-in-Blogger.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); position: relative; padding: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;" width="265px"></a></div> In the past, we have already covered How to Add Google+ Comments, Disqus Commenting system and LiveFyre Commenting system in Blogger. Recently, one of our users asked us how to add Facebook Comments in Blogger? Today in this article, we will show you How to Add Facebook Comments System in Blogger. We will also discuss the Pros and cons of using Facebook Comments on your website, so that you can make an ingenious decision whether to for it or not.<br> <a name="more"></a><br><br><h4 style="margin:0px">Advantages of Facebook Comments in Blogger</h4>Facebook is the most viral social networking site, so it might be the reason why one should always think about making use of all the features that it provides to the publishers and developers. However, I would not push anyone to start using Facebook comments without knowing its advantage. Every site has their own priorities and concerns but for the sake of an ongoing argument, let us first take a look at the following pros of adding Facebook Comments in Blogger.<br> <br>Whenever someone likes or reply to their comment, Facebook sent an automatic notification to user.  The author or other users might also receive the same notification if they are following the topic.<br><br>Unlike Google+ and others, it provides multiple commenting options. For example, if someone is not a Facebook user then he can use his Yahoo, AOL or Outlook id to comment on your website, so your visitor never gets locked out.<br> <br>Whenever a registered user is caught spamming, Facebook automatically treats him with a security code while the rest of the loyal visitors keep on commenting without any worry. If that spammer didn't even stop then, Facebook holds the authority to disable him from commenting.<br> <br><h4 style="margin:0px">Disadvantages of Facebook Comments in Blogger:</h4>You are totally depending upon Facebook. Though it is a reliable brand, but sometime minor glitches happen. What would you do if Facebook suffers some down time. Since, all the scripts you are using is hosted on Facebook, so you never know when the comments get disappear.<br> <br>Nonetheless, it is unlikely to happen because Facebook is a well-known site with quality backup server. However,  you never know what would be the next thing to come.<br><br><h4 style="margin:0px">How to Add Facebook Comments in Blogger: </h4> <b>Step#1: Creating a New Application:</b><br>The First thing you need to do is to create a separate App ID for your application and that can be done easily through Facebook Developer. Login to your Facebook account and go to<a href="https://developers.facebook.com/apps" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)" target="_blank">Facebook Developers</a> website. This places allow Developers to manage their apps hosted at Facebook, click on<b>Create New App</b> button.<br> <div class="separator" style="clear:both;text-align:center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9BuMKU68_ChCNphoL3qYncpCOH9oMM4_4wUG6k2NNKVSoKdehhHKXgwMnwGSwhsm3YRDsJxsEDixfa9H7eF2a9FpQrtziNT4wC_iXFRJGFQUsRj-Qv5EG3_TGxo11TL78mLOp7Dr9G0k/s540/Create-app-facebook.png" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9BuMKU68_ChCNphoL3qYncpCOH9oMM4_4wUG6k2NNKVSoKdehhHKXgwMnwGSwhsm3YRDsJxsEDixfa9H7eF2a9FpQrtziNT4wC_iXFRJGFQUsRj-Qv5EG3_TGxo11TL78mLOp7Dr9G0k/s1600/Create-app-facebook.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); position: relative; padding: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;"></a></div> A Small pop out will appear which would ask you to insert little information about your application. There are two fields, write the App name and press the continue button.<br><div class="separator" style="clear:both;text-align:center"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2okqScIypL15v8x87jRlm6Ymb3TXUrJdVmymygYGstCnWZfWtBcM1psMPiLXQ3mvAy5MHb6yY_RwcKCALPlVyRkSxEi7dNYuUIhzxi-fQI8TZzsBPesJOmaYjRnbztLTxBKP_pXOhHsO/s540/App-facebook.png" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2okqScIypL15v8x87jRlm6Ymb3TXUrJdVmymygYGstCnWZfWtBcM1psMPiLXQ3mvAy5MHb6yY_RwcKCALPlVyRkSxEi7dNYuUIhzxi-fQI8TZzsBPesJOmaYjRnbztLTxBKP_pXOhHsO/s1600/App-facebook.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); position: relative; padding: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear:both;text-align:center"></div></div>Now you will land of a new page which would provide you your application details like App ID, App name and etc. You need to copy these keys and enter them later.<br> <div style="text-align:center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4trnbmwaxpD4pwRkcWnmrNJ0TvrKwmCYw7NKQIKYD2_edCbj6-qsUh6is72PTXnpQVC-O3QWRj1xjGOs3NYJ0nMCZAHH3mXjJ2ESzxLmEmEfQYlz-54pXvMVSFJqfpL7WOausLwevHW41/s540/APP-ID.png" style="color:rgb(136,136,136)"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4trnbmwaxpD4pwRkcWnmrNJ0TvrKwmCYw7NKQIKYD2_edCbj6-qsUh6is72PTXnpQVC-O3QWRj1xjGOs3NYJ0nMCZAHH3mXjJ2ESzxLmEmEfQYlz-54pXvMVSFJqfpL7WOausLwevHW41/s1600/APP-ID.png" style="border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); position: relative; padding: 5px; -webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 100%;"></a><br> <div style="text-align:left"><b><br></b><b>Step#2: Installing Facebook Comments in Blogger:</b></div><div style="text-align:left">The First thing you need to do is to Login into your Blogger account. Now from the dashboard go to Template >> Edit HTML and search for the following highlighted HTML attribution. (Quick Tip: This code is usually present at the first lines of your template's coding).</div> <div style="text-align:left"><br></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align:left"><html ...... xmlns:expr='<a href="http://www.google.com/2005/gml/expr">http://www.google.com/2005/gml/expr</a>'></blockquote> <br><div style="text-align:justify">Now just next to the highlighted code (as shown above) add<b>xmlns:og='<a href="http://ogp.me/ns#">http://ogp.me/ns#</a>'</b>. Once everything is down, it would somewhat look like this. (Quick Tip: Make sure you leave a space between these two codes). </div> <div style="text-align:justify"><br></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align:left"><html xmlns:og='<a href="http://ogp.me/ns#">http://ogp.me/ns#</a>' ...... xmlns:expr='<a href="http://www.google.com/2005/gml/expr">http://www.google.com/2005/gml/expr</a>'></blockquote> <br><div style="text-align:left">Now you need to search for the <b><i><body></i></b>Tag. After finding it, just below it paste the following code. Make sure to replace the <b><i>YOUR_APP_ID</i></b> with your Facebook application id. </div> <div style="text-align:left"><br></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="text-align:left"><div id="fb-root"></div></div><div style="text-align:left"><script></div><div style="text-align:left"> window.fbAsyncInit = function() {</div><div style="text-align:left">FB.init({</div><div style="text-align:left">appId : 'YOUR_APP_ID',</div><div style="text-align:left">status : true, // check login status</div><div style="text-align:left"> cookie : true, // enable cookies to allow the server to access the session</div><div style="text-align:left">xfbml : true // parse XFBML</div><div style="text-align:left">});</div><div style="text-align:left">};</div><div style="text-align:left"> (function() {</div><div style="text-align:left">var e = document.createElement('script');</div><div style="text-align:left">e.src = document.location.protocol + '//<a href="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js">connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js</a>';</div> <div style="text-align:left">e.async = true;</div><div style="text-align:left">document.getElementById('fb-root').appendChild(e);</div><div style="text-align:left">}());</div><div style="text-align:left"></script> </div> </blockquote><br><div style="text-align:left">Now you need to add Facebook Open graph Meta Tags, We have written a detail tutorial on it that can be viewed from here. However, search for <b><i></head></i></b>and just above it paste the following code. Make sure to replace the<b><i>YOUR_APP_ID</i></b> with your Facebook application id. </div> <div style="text-align:left"><br></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align:left"><meta property="fb:app_id" content="YOUR_APP_ID" /></blockquote><br><div style="text-align:left"><b><br></b><b>Step#3: Adding Facebook Comments in Blogger:</b> </div> <div style="text-align:left">Last step is to implement Facebook Comments using the HTML Code. In the template, search for <i><b><b:includable id='comment-form' var='post'></b></i> and just below it paste the following HTML Coding. Incase, you are unable to find <b:includable id='comment-form' var='post'> then you can paste it just below <i style="font-weight:bold"><div class='post-footer-line post-footer-line-1'></div> </i><i>(Make sure you repeat the process because there are more than 1 tags on you theme)</i>. </div> <div style="text-align:left"><b><i><br></i></b></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="text-align:left"><b:if</div><div style="text-align:left">cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'></div><div style="text-align:left">     <div</div><div style="text-align:left">    style='padding:20px 0px 5px 0px; margin:0px 0px 0px 0px;'></div><div style="text-align:left">        <script</div><div style="text-align:left">        src='<a href="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1">http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1</a>'</div> <div style="text-align:left">        /></div><div style="text-align:left">        <div></div><div style="text-align:left">            <fb:comments</div><div style="text-align:left">            colorscheme='light'</div> <div style="text-align:left">            expr:href='data:post.url'</div><div style="text-align:left">            expr:title='data:post.title'</div><div style="text-align:left">            expr:xid='data:<a href="http://post.id">post.id</a>'</div> <div style="text-align:left">            width='550'</div><div style="text-align:left">            /></div><div style="text-align:left">        </div> </div><div style="text-align:left">                </div></div> <div style="text-align:left">                </b:if></div></blockquote><div style="text-align:left"><br></div><div style="text-align:left"><b style="font-style:italic">Note: </b><span style="font-style:italic">You can also customize the widget of the comment box by adjusting </span><b style="font-style:italic">550 </b><span style="font-style:italic">the numbers in the below code.</span></div> <div style="text-align:left"><br></div><div style="text-align:left"><b>Congratulations:</b> You have successfully learned how to add Facebook Comments  in blogger blog. You can also preview your posts to see everything is working in an order or not. </div> <div style="text-align:left"><br></div><div style="text-align:left"></div><div style="text-align:left">We hope this tutorial has helped you in adding Facebook comments in blogger. Are you using Facebook comments in your blog? If yes, then please take few minutes to tell us about your experience in the comments below.</div> </div></div></div>

How to Add Facebook Comments System in Blogger

In the past, we have already covered How to Add Google+ Comments, Disqus Commenting system and LiveFyre Commenting system in Blogger. ...

Read more »