As just one example of how you can directly impact a real piece of software, I have updated the FaceMaker beta with a suggestion from YahooGroups member Peter Boughton. He pointed me to a grid of good skin tone colors and suggested I create a feature where you can apply the current item's color to anything with skin. I cranked it out this morning and it's now up at http://www.heromachine.com/ugo/facemaker5.htm.
All of the HeroMachine-based apps have improved by orders of magnitude thanks to people like Peter, willing to take the time to share their points of view and making great suggestions. Many thanks to him and to the hundreds of people over the years who have directly contributed to these applets.
I look forward to even more and better suggestions going forward, so if the thought of helping to contribute to a real piece of software appeals to you, get in there and start thinking!
Maybe you could make the “select component” window-thing open by a click of the mouse instead of a hover.
And the “apply color to all skin” could also work for hair.
Great option. So thanks to Peter for the idea and you for implementing it. This will make things a lot easier. Any chance it will also come in the new HM-version? Maybe with a checkbox like the ‘Keep pair matched’ option? (Also a feature that I enjoy very much.)
Can you add a description of what each button does? It could go in the same place where you show the colornames.
Sounds great, Jeff! Just got to play around with Facemaker for the first time (had no idea there was a beta up- I have been out of the loop!). Looks like a lot of fun. Keep up the awesomeness, and if anything comes to mind, believe me, I’ll be there to suggest it!
I’m generally liking this particular program. One thing I might add is that the longer, more flowing hair (usually used for female characters) really needs a back to it in order to cover up the background that shows through. I mean, unless your character got a really short haircut in back and let the front locks just hang long, it just looks bad.
Also seconding Maxx’s suggestion on adding a description of what each button does.