I’ve just added the “LegwearMaleOuterwear” set to the HeroMachine 3 Alpha, which includes the following items and more:

The idea is that this set contains leg-worn items that do are not fitted around the waist and groin, or which don’t have individual fitted leggings. Things like loin cloths, kilts, armor skirting, pouches, etc.

Let me know in the comments if there are additional items that fit the set you would like to see. Note that I am not done with Legwear yet, this is only those Legwear items that hang loose from the waist, or which are tied around individual bits of the leg. I’ll be doing full pants and such next, but these were easier and I wanted to knock them out.

I tried to make sure that most of the items in Tops-MaleFantasyArmor had something to go with them, hopefully this will help while I work on the complete sets.

Remember, if there’s only a “right” option, just choose “multiples”, add the item again, and use the “Flip” button to put it on the left. You’ll have to drag it over there but it ought to work.

I’ve just published the latest set of items for HeroMachine 3, “Headgear-Modern”. It includes some of the appropriate items from Headgear-Standard and a more or less complete port of updated HeroMachine 2.5 pieces from the same set. Here’s a sample:

Let me know any problems you encounter, or missing items you’d like to see as part of the set, in the comments below.

I’ve just added a “Fonts-Runic” set to HeroMachine 3 for your use in creating various magicky-looking bits. Most of these are just symbols, and only uppercase at that, so you might have to play around a bit to see all the permutations.

You can use these as a nameplate for the image; individual letters as insignia; sized and rotated for runic branding on weapons; individual letters rotated around for spell effects; masked onto skin as tattoos; or any one of a dozen other ways I am sure the creative community can devise.

Have fun!

I am still plowing through HM2 sets that need to be converted to HeroMachine 3. I’ve just posted the new version of the old “Coats-CapeFronts” set, which can now be found in “ShoulderRight-Capes”. Here they are:

Holler in the comments if you either see something wrong, or if there are specific items you’d like to see added. Requests with links to an image of what you want are the most helpful, but please make it specific — if I want to do a Google Image Search for “Capes” or “Cloaks” so I can get twelve dozen pictures I will do so. Limit yourself to no more than three requests, otherwise I’m going to mentally mark it as “spam” and move on.

That sounds harsh. I don’t mean it that way, it’s just that sometimes too much is worse than nothing at all. So only request things you really want, I think I have a pretty solid set already and am not looking for general reference, just specific items likely to be of interest to lots of different people to flesh it out.

With profound thanks to Mark Shute, I’m happy to announce that his ItemRight-Rifles set is now live in HeroMachine 3 and ready for outfitting your various dinosaur marines. Woot! More to come in this set, but we didn’t want to limit you unduly with the contest this week. Please do not make requests for Rifles yet, Mark wants a separate thread for that so he can keep track of it, once he’s all done with the ones he’s already got plans for.

Also, I’ve been working on prizes for past contests and have uploaded several, including the following:

Jack Zegler’s tank commander goggles and helmet from Character Contest 36, in Headgear-Military:

Power Ranger style armor for Aaron’s Caption Contest 76 win, in TopsMaleCoats:

Joshua’s Caption Contest 75 prize, a sci-fi visor in Headgear-Military:

SpiderCow2010 gives us a twofer, a complete muscular (but not Hulk-esque) female body, and then just clenched and tight female abs, both in BodyFemaleStandard:

Phew! In the “pending” category, meaning I have a version of the item out there for approval from the winner, are a generic city skyline for SpiderCow2010; a tiger bear thingie for Meg; big huge Alex Mercer claws for TopHat; and a flaring trench coat and button lapels for Doomed Pixel’s long-ago HeroMachine 2 win.

In the “working actively on it” category are MartianBlue’s dragon helm; Kaldath’s big Friday Night Fights scene; and Imp’s Friday Night Fights runner-up character sketch.

In the “I haven’t started on it yet” category are Rancid’s rose insignia; Lawrence’s Panama skyline; Bloodless Rose’s anime hair; DiCicatriz‘ tiny cherubic hippo; and Cliff’s large flower background.

Finally, there are still an awful lot of people I haven’t heard from yet one way or another on their prize. If you see your name here, please contact me (afdstudios@gmail.com or just leave a comment below) about what you want!

• Cory (Caption Contest 57)
• Fishpants (Caption Contest 58 and Character Contest 12)
• Frankie (Caption Contest 62)
• Bixlord (Caption Contest 63)
• Black Griffin (Caption Contest 77)
• ArtfulDodger (Character Contest 2)
• Violodion (Character Contest 5)
• Drummergirl (Character Contest 18)
• Brons (Character Contest 21 & 23)
• MercWithAMouth (Character Contest 24)
• Vigilante (Character Contest 32)
• Imp (Character Contest 33)
• Doomed Pixel (Character Contest 38)

Everyone up to MercWithAMouth is in danger of having their prize revoked or reassigned, so by all means speak up if you want yours!

I’m open to suggestions as to what to do with these unclaimed prize options, if you have any ideas let ‘em rip.

UGO has just launched updates to all of the previously existing HeroMachine “Editions”. They share a more coherent set of controls and links now, and are all viewable at the larger browser size of the standard UGO layout. That’s the good news. On the downside (depending on your perspective!), they all also now included ads in the upper right section.

I think the original HM Classic actually comes out the best for the revamp:

It has a simplicity that’s still appealing, and which I think gets lost somewhat with the much more complex later iterations. I also still think that the Real Life Edition has the best overall look, the designers (i.e. not me) did a great job on that one. Finally, the changes we discussed here for the 2.5 version are now live as well, I think they look great largely due to your input. Thanks again for that!

Anyway, it was fun strolling down memory lane while doing these, I hope you get the chance at some point to go back through them.

I just wanted to give a quick update as to what all is going on here at HeroMachine World Headquarters in the greater metropolitan Bayfield, Colorado area.

First, I am still finishing up details of updating all the old HeroMachine mini-Editions to the new UGO.com page dimensions and layout. Hopefully they’ll all function in a more similar fashion after this and be easier to work with.

Second, I’m working full tilt on the HeroMachine Mech Edition for the paying client, which you’ve seen a bit of art for in the Pilots preview.

Third, Friend of HeroMachine Mark is working on Rifles. So don’t think all progress on HM3 has stopped just because I am working on a mini-Edition — it hasn’t. He’s doing a great job on them, I’ve seen the first 40 or so items and they are his usual outstanding effort. I think you’ll all be pleased when they’re ready. We’ve got plenty of material for those so no need to post requests or links.

Just for funsies, here’s another Pilot I did the other day.

At PsyckoSama’s request, I have updated the HeroMachine 3 Alpha to show the hex value for a color swatch when moused over. I also made the box selectable, so after you click the color, you can highlight and copy the hex value in the name box, then paste it into the Custom Color hex box as a base for starting your new color. I’m not sure how helpful this is to most people, but it was easy enough to do and might help alleviate the pain for those who find the color swatch box hard to use for whatever reason.

I’ve just posted 30 new items into the “ItemRight-Miscellaneous” set, bringing the total to 84. Here’s a quick peek at most of them:

Not shown are a spray paint can, a Bible, a nasty-looking grimoire, a blank furled flag, a blank open flag, and a round bomb with fuse.

Hope you like ‘em! If there’s something egregious you see wrong or missing, let me know.

Two fairly large non-HM3 projects have come up with UGO, so it may be two weeks or so before I work on new items. I have someone else working on them in the meantime, though, and if he wants I may post a thread for requests.

I had planned to do more on these, but the file’s already the fifth largest out of everything so far, behind only the BodyAlternate, Fonts, Companions, Auras, and Floors, and I am reluctant to balloon this thing up too much. I feel like the major sorts of armor are pretty well represented at this point — lots of plate and leather, and a fair amount of “other”, and while more is better, I think it’s probably enough. I am bored with drawing them, frankly, and I haven’t seen anything in the reference suggestions so far that screamed that it just HAD to go in.

So, barring anything huge you feel like is missing, I’m going to move on starting next week, once I’m all the way moved to Colorado. I’m open to suggestions as to what the next set ought to be. So far “rifles” has gotten a lot of push, so that’s the leader at this point. If you would rather see something else first, by all means pipe up in the comments.

I haven’t been pushing the items very hard for the last month or so, and I apologize for that. Once I’m settled in at the new place, I want to make item generation once again the top priority, and try for another massive, sustained push for a couple of months to really flesh things out.