I am anticipating a successful conclusion of the legal agreement between me and the awesome folks at UGO some time today, so in preparation for the change in management I am redesigning the blog. As a result, things might look a bit higgeldy-piggeldy for a bit; please bear with me as I iron out the problems.
Great news!
Good to hear. Btw, that pic is hilarious!
Boom goes the dynamite, baby! A new era of Heromachine awesomeness is thus born!
Took me a second to get my bearings, but as soon as I saw the new banner, I knew that was a good sign. 🙂
Like the new look….
100% agreement with ams. The new look looks GREAT!
Nice. 😉
I like the new layout. So I’m guessing the deal you and UGO are working on is you get the entire site, and not you stay working for them?
Just as long as the program still works….
Awesome (or Awexome! as the kids are saying these days). And I like the new look!
Sounds great.
New year, new look.. two thumbs up.. 🙂
Looks good
Looking good there, Jeff; keep it up. 🙂
How do we get our avatar up?
@Nick Hentschel- 10 points to Gryffindor for the use of Kermit the Frog as your avatar.
Awww yeah. This is a site for sore ey- *is shot*
Awesome news, Jeff. Here’s hoping everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, works out in your favor!
ams: I think they’re automatically pulled from your Gravatar icon if you have one … as to how you do that, I’m honestly not sure. Give me a day or two and I’ll see if I can come up with the answer.
Thanks Jeff. Really like the home page and the animated display of characters!
I was a little taken aback when I first refreshed and saw the new layout, but it looks good!
Gero: That’s correct. The new deal is basically that I get ownership of everything HeroMachine, and they are not involved in it at all any longer. Which also means I no longer will be working for them, meaning that I will be starting a new full-time gig some time in the next week or two for an unrelated company in a non-HeroMachine capacity. However, since I’ll regain ownership of the program it can continue to live on along with the blog stuff, only I’ll be doing it for myself instead of IGN/UGO. I do not anticipate it generating enough revenue to support me full time, thus the need for a full-time gig.
However, I do plan on continuing full support and development of both the community and the apps in more of a hobby-type capacity. If it ends up making a lot more money than I thought, then … well, I still will owe my new employer service through the completion of the project in question, but after that maybe I could go back to HM full time. We’ll see.
I really like the new layout!! Very nice.
Yeap the new look is soo cool i really like it.
Are you going to have all of your Hero Machine for us to use on this site. I do still use the other ones here and there.
I Love the new look of the site and really love the rotating Hall of Fame images! my own nitpick is and its a small one, I don’t like the new comment area and having it broken up into pages, I much prefer a single stream of comments from the first one to the last one instead of having to click a previous or next button.
Kaldath: Thanks for pointing that out, I didn’t realize this is how the new theme would work. I’ll poke around and see if I can change that part back — I agree, I much prefer one long comment thread.
Hammerknight: I believe so, yes, though I can tell I am going to have to do some tweaking to get them working in a WordPress template instead of being standalone. Plus there were some UGO-specific things going on in there I’ll have to swap out. But that’s my goal, to have them all here, definitely.
That’s good news! I’m relieved and happy to read this, and wish vehemently things will work out for the best for you and Hero Machine
Seeing if avatar works?
bummer….
Success!!!
Hey Jeff, I was thinking, Once Heromachine is yours again your should put the Heromachine Logo back in the Background section again like it is/was in HM 2.x
Well, if ams can try this so can I… wonder if it works..
Care to advice the rest of us ams? At least I would like to have a pic, too.
YAY, It DOES work! BTW Jeff, glad things seem to be working out. Man was I shocked when I read the first hiatus post…
Here you go dudes and dudettes, go to this link and follow the directions. Took a little time to kick in afterward, but it work.
https://en.gravatar.com/
@Dionne Jinn: Create an account at gravatar.com that’s all you need (uploading an avatar photo would be nice too) 😉
Dionne Jinn Just go to Gravatar.com sign up for an account, and link an avatar of your choice to your email address and it will be pulled into this site, and any other site the used Gravatar whenever you use that email to post with.
Also note that Gravatar allows you to use Muliple Email addresses and have a different avatar (or the same one if you want ) for each addresses on your account.
I’m just trying it out. Let’s see if it shows up here…
Yeap working the avatars.
Great news!
ok, joining the fun…
OK, a couple of changes in the commenting — all comments should now be on one page without having to go back to older ones or whatnot.
Also, I turned on “nesting” of comments, so if you reply to someone, your reply will show up beneath theirs instead of just in column order. Let me know how that works for it, or if you’d rather turn that off and go back to just one big chronological column.
This is fun!
Liking the little gallery slideshow on the home page. New users can get a good idea of the capabilities of HM3. Or fall in despair before the unattainable awexomeness of the masters! 🙂
Just trying it out…
So if I reply to a reply it should double-nest right? 😉
I kind of like the nesting. Less confusing and I won’t have to @Person(##): anymore.
I just nested in your nest, suckah!
@Jeff, if we’re revamping everything, is there a way (without breaking the site) of bringing back the “preview comment” button? I used to like that a lot….
None shall nest before the Prime Nester!
It looks like it double-nested.
I believe the limit is 5-deep nests.
I’ll check into that, Worf.
OK, done.
Maybe 4 deep?
YAY!!!! Thank you oh Bald Avenger! 😀
It’s good to be the boss!
It’s like the Inception of nesting. Or Something. I’m just giddy right now.
This nesting thing should come handy when we have time to get our next OCD…
And it does.
so its free to use?
I like the nesting thing, it makes it easier to reply(commend)directly to the person that you want to.
this new site looks cooler than UGO.
Free to use for now, yes Aaron. No promises how long that will last.
how do i create a profile? like put a picture next to my name, and stuff?
Thanks FRM! Glad you like it so far.
cool and i will understand if it goes to a payment method we all gotta make a livin somehow
Great to hear, Jeff! And I was especially pleased with the new design because within seconds of opening the page, my two characters went by in the slide show! 🙂
Oh, and I recently did an “update” of Gadget as an older woman, with a more refined costume. She was my favorite of all my HM3 creations. I’ll find the image and give you a look.
Great new look, Jeff. Congratulations to owning all things Heromachine!
Looks like we all(especially Jeff) dodged a big bullet-bullet.
This is great so far! The nesting looks good and seems very useful.
Go to http://en.gravatar.com and make a profile. Just make sure that one of the e-mails you register there is the one you use here.
Bullet-bullet??? Are we back to bulletman jokes? 😉 😀
I really like the new layout, The heading is amazing, and the rest just pops. Glad to hear things are definetly taking steps in the right direction
Sure, why not? HM has been born again. And Jeff DOES love the folks at the House of Bullet.
Nice! My avatar worked. Not my best piece of work from HeroMachine, but the others are on my old computer. Oh, well.
you can always change it later
Sighed a big sigh of relief when I popped onto the site just now. Looks like things are proceeding nicely.
I just made a new character just so I can have a good avatar. I haven’t actually made something in a long time, and now I’m getting back into it. Oh, and it also allowed me to introduce one of my friends to the website. And Jeff, I’m really digging the new look.
Nice nickname, Corran.
If you knew me, you’d understand just how much that avatar makes sense. Thanks.
After inspection, I’d like to second. This new thread structure (allowing DIRECT replies to posts) is much easier to manage than the old one. Navigation is also going well, so far.
thanks, Worf.
Headlessgeneral– could you post the text for your archer dude, which you made with my pose?
Ignore this post, just checking if my Gravatar works…
It does not, guess it’s back to their site for me…
thanks, headlessgeneral. i didnt see that post before.
Oh, wait, now it’s working. Guess it just takes a second to load in…^_^”
I like the nesting, also glad to see both your posts Jeff with the yellow background again as it makes it easier to pick out your comments and that it is once again is a Single continuous comment stream instead of a page format … Good Work!!!
i never took the time to appreciate the awesome HM logo.
Oh, just a thought since you are redesigning the site, is there a way to allow a poster to edit his/her own post ?
Hi guys. Great start to 2012, huh?
Let’s see if my Gravatar works…
Yay! It worked! 🙂
Does this change influence the time difference between UTC and the blog time?
Ready and patient brother….
Dionne Jinn, I don’t think so. That setting is separate from the template. Why, is there an offset problem? I had it set before to my actual location, which is US Mountain Time, and I haven’t changed it as far as I know.
Loving these avatars, folks!
No. I was just curious. I like to know how the blog time relates to the UTC time, or UK time, or Finland time…
I second Kaldath’s suggestion of the editable posts.
if possible?
see what I did there? 🙂
I don’t know how to do that but I will do some poking around and try to figure it out. That would be a nice feature, definitely.
I love the new site. Jeff, Since the forums are currently owned by UGO and will most likely disappear after some time, is there some plan to have an alternate forums for us creators to post our latest works.
This is a test from Jeff as an anonymous user for the new “edit after the fact” plugin. Edited to add: It works!
I actually have a WordPress forum installed and running on a super-secret page, but I’m hesitant to publish it yet until I can talk to the guys at UGO about the fate of the regular forums. I’m a little nervous about having two totally separate forum sites to administer, plus I worry about what will happen to all the content currently on the UGO Forums.
Basically I’m a nervous nellie. But yes, I do have an alternate set up and ready to go if need be, which I started a few months back during the last “the UGO Forums are going away” scare. If it comes to it I’ll publish it and we’ll get going on it. At least it would be under my control on my server …
OK, the new “edit comment” plugin seems to work. You should have five minutes from the time you post your comment to edit it in-line. If you all think we need more time than that, let me know — it’s configurable.
It is nice to have them.
I’m testing out both the edit function and seeing how my avatar looks.
Edit: 1). Edit’s working seamlessly; though, can you see about giving us a bit of a wider berth on the time limit, Jeff? 2). Avatar doesn’t seem to want to work– any help from the HM gang out there?
AWEXOME !!! 🙂
It is great to see everything is going well.
And I love the site’s new style, in fact it is my favorite so far.
The avatar might just need some time. They seem to be lagging.
Yep, it simply took a bit of time for it to kick in. Thanks, Dionne.
Okay, wow, I was so not expecting this when I clocked in. The new site is starting to shape up nicely.
No problem, FRM. Sorry it took so long.
Avatar test
Yeah, the Avatars seems to make things feel more personal for some reason, then the old text only posts did.
Awsome work so far Jeff, glad too hear heromachine is still operational. If the fact come that we cant keep using the old forums id urge everyone to grab the txt from their poses, bodies, backgrounds and items, just incase. That way we can re-post them on the new one if need be.
Yay!! Fun!
is anyone going to answer my challenge about using this pose?:
http://frmartworks.wikispaces.com/Heromachine+Saved+Texts
(it’s the Flying one)
woohoooo new year, new face, new spirit!
gotta check my gravatar >>>
CKnap– what pic is that your using as ur avatar?
Lookin sweet!!! Glad we didn’t lose ya Jeff!!!
What is it Gero? Is it something that you made?
Avatar test, and giving the great changes, I hope you work it out well.
ok it work!
Its the one I created from my Destroyer character, but re-edited it. I cant see it atm so im not sure what it looks like :/
I uploaded an avatar and it seemed to of worked at first but since i changed the image i cant see it anymore.
Nvm just had to change the email now i can see it
er.. what about organizing new character design contest while this blog is under construction?
avatar test
I’m glad things are going well I love HeroMachine. I use it all the time for my characters
We’ll do another one on Monday, alvacascus. One missed week will give folks a chance to catch their breath 🙂
testing my gravatar
===
testing the edit feature
===
swiftly works. good to have you back with the new look Jeff 🙂
That will be wonderful for fixing links!
This is like Christmas Jeff, keep it up!
Test
I am glad to see this! I actually like the new look. Jeff, it may take a while but with the traffic HM generates you should be able to get sponsors fairly easily. It may not be able to support you full time for a while, though.
I am looking forward to the full transition.
This is great news, Jeff! Glad to hear it.
Roger, sir! Can’t wait until monday.. 🙂
Wow, weird. I’d been following the Meta Hiatus updates Jeff and I knew what was going on but I gotta say I wasn’t expecting what I’d see when I came on today. Was a little worried at first that for some reason things had broken down or something until I saw this update. Glad to hear things are going well. Gonna have to get used to the new look, though.
whoa! thing sure look great on the site, love the format changes and cant wait to see what is yet to come. I am so glad things are working out for you Jeff.
I honestly don’t use the application all that often, but I’m glad as hell that the blog is sticking around.
The more I look at this new layout the more I like it. Can’t wait to see what it will look like when everything is ready (if there ever comes such a state as “completely ready” ;))
Nice look on the blog, Jeff. Glad you’re still running the show!
Nah, just a symbol from a book series that I like. When ever I have to make an avatar somewhere I use it…
Edit: Hey, we can edit now!
Hey, just a mildly personal question: I seem to remember that when you worked for UGO you couldn’t do art commissions because of your contract. Will your new job allow you to do that to support your income? Or is the back-and-forth on the quest for perfection too time-consuming to make it worthwhile anyway?
The answer is a qualified “I don’t know yet”. I mean, yes, I can legally now do whatever I like in my own time, so I could do commissions. It’s just that, at the moment, I am sufficiently freaked out over trying to get squared away to think about it too much.
I have to make a decision by tomorrow on whether or not to take the job, which is back in Austin. That means leaving my wife and the critters here in Colorado while I get a cheap-o bachelor pad in Texas. But for that to happen means planning travel, visits, finding a place, furnishing it with the bare minimum a guy needs (i.e. mattress, TV, PlayStation, and cable), getting settled into the new gig, etc.
In other words, I’m at least a few weeks away from being in a place, emotionally and mentally, of being able to decide if I want to do commissions or not. But at least I now have the option!
Ouch. I don’t envy you the decision of chancing longer unemployment vs being separated from your family.
Oh man Jeff, that really sucks. I hope everything works out for you.
Well put, that’s exactly the conundrum.
Thanks Dan, but other than being in Austin, the job itself sounds great. It’s with the guy I worked for just before HM got bought out, and he’s awesome. I’d be learning about doing mobile apps, which is neat, and I do like Austin.
It’s just the being away from my wife and home that I am dreading. I LIKE my wife and our life here! But, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do. I feel incredibly lucky to have an offer, and one with a group I already know I like very much. So in the grand scheme of things it’s all very good.
Hey, *I* live in Austin! ;-(
Well then, maybe I’ll see you there, Nick! I lived there from 1995 to June of 2010, so it’ll be a homecoming. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Has UGO already killed the forum or am I just having difficulties accessing it?
Never mind. It’s still there…
Is there any chance that the png-transparent background feature in export options could be tweaked to include at least some widescreen layouts?
Yes, that’s possible. I think. I’ll look into it.
Wow, see what happens when your away for a few months trying to run a new business. Everything changes. Good luck Jeff.
Hey, it’s MMI, how exciting! Welcome back, sir!