GFX Compos: "For the love of God, please stop zooming!"
category: gfx [glöplog]
Since I started visiting demoscene parties again in 2025, I have noticed that graphics compos are riddled with:
a) “Steps galore”
b) “Zoom in and find out”
Personally, I find this very distracting and not in the interest of the artist who created the competition entry.
An image is made to be enjoyed in a certain way—preferably in its original aspect ratio and at the scale the artist intended, normally around 100%.
If you are keen on knowing how the artist made the image, the work steps can be included in the final release. Please do not show all the steps during the compo. Most of the time, they tell the audience very little without any explanation.
If work steps are required for a competition entry, review them beforehand and then decide whether the image qualifies for the compo.
Please do not constantly zoom into the displayed image. This is practically nonsense when the artist did not intend the image to be viewed as a collection of isolated details.
Show the artwork as the artwork—not as something for the compo operator to explore with an image viewer.
Just some general thoughts about graphics compos.
What are your thoughts?
a) “Steps galore”
b) “Zoom in and find out”
Personally, I find this very distracting and not in the interest of the artist who created the competition entry.
An image is made to be enjoyed in a certain way—preferably in its original aspect ratio and at the scale the artist intended, normally around 100%.
If you are keen on knowing how the artist made the image, the work steps can be included in the final release. Please do not show all the steps during the compo. Most of the time, they tell the audience very little without any explanation.
If work steps are required for a competition entry, review them beforehand and then decide whether the image qualifies for the compo.
Please do not constantly zoom into the displayed image. This is practically nonsense when the artist did not intend the image to be viewed as a collection of isolated details.
Show the artwork as the artwork—not as something for the compo operator to explore with an image viewer.
Just some general thoughts about graphics compos.
What are your thoughts?
100% agree
From the standpoint of a longtime lurker but recent competitor: if you are going to zoom, then please at least show the piece at 100% for longer than five seconds.
In general this is especially annoying when the only time the attendees will be able to view your piece before voting is during those few seconds - because party systems do not let attendees registered in said system download the entries for review, and/or do not require screenshots for prods using a display.
(Arguably doesn't make sense to add these features when the compos and voting fit in a single day - "when are you going to get the time to review anything?")
Even worse when the viewing conditions with the beamer are sub-optimal :(
In general this is especially annoying when the only time the attendees will be able to view your piece before voting is during those few seconds - because party systems do not let attendees registered in said system download the entries for review, and/or do not require screenshots for prods using a display.
(Arguably doesn't make sense to add these features when the compos and voting fit in a single day - "when are you going to get the time to review anything?")
Even worse when the viewing conditions with the beamer are sub-optimal :(
(I think PM recommends you submit a screenshot and exposes downloads? Granola has neither, Wuhu not sure - for the parties I used it at, no idea how customizable they are.)
Zoom and wiggle mouse around for 2 seconds, NEXT IMAGE!
YTHO.
YTHO.
