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HeroMachine 2 is back!

Thanks to a program called Ruffle, Flash content can now be shown in browsers again! Head on over to the HeroMachine 2 page and start creating your own character portraits like you did back in the day!

Make Your Own HM2 Character!

How to Use HeroMachine Locally

Hi all, with big thanks to HeroMachiner Eric Bowling, here's how you can use HeroMachine outside of your browser. Adobe has said they're going to be force uninstalling the Flash Player (the standalone player basically) but I don't know that applies to this particular version.

Basically you download a local Flash Player application, then put in the URL for a .swf file (a compiled Flash object, which is what HeroMachine uses) and it plays. I've tried it on my Mac with HM3 and HM2 and it seems to work like a champ. You'll still need an Internet connection but if this goes well I may bundle up the files and make them available online so you could truly run it all locally. We'll just have to see, I don't want to sell people something and then BAM Adobe force uninstalls the Flash Players and it no longer works.

Anyway, the article explaining how to get the Standalone Flash Player Debugger is at https://www.howtogeek.com/438141/how-to-play-adobe-flash-swf-files-outside-your-web-browser/ – install the one relevant to your Operating System.

Once the Flash Player Debugger is installed per the instructions in that article, launch the Flash Player Debugger and go to "File -> Open Location". This is where you type in the URL to a .swf file. Do not download the .swf file to run from your hard drive, that will not work, you must use "Open Location" and put in one of the URLs below! Here are the ones for HeroMachine so you can just copy and paste:

For fun, here are the URLs for some of the hardly-ever-used versions:

CAVEATS: The "Export as an image" function in HM3 will NOT work. Saving as a text file will. 

I think that's pretty much it. Let me know if you run into issues with this, though honestly, there's not a lot I can do since I can't edit the source files any more and I can't control what Adobe does with their players.

Flash End of Life and maybe HeroMachine as well

Update: Check this post for instructions on how to keep using HeroMachine in a local Flash Player Debugger.

Flash has reached its End of Life and HeroMachine no longer works. Thank you for your support over the years and for your interest.

I have paid thousands of dollars and worked for 2+ years for a replacement but alas, it is not yet done. I've investigated replacements for Flash that would allow it to remain operational, but they haven't worked out.

We'll continue to work behind the scenes to see if we can complete the work that's been done so far but clearly, my promises are worth very little right now. I'm devastated and so sorry that we weren't able to bring this thing in for a landing in time.

I'm proud that for 20+ years, this site has enabled people to bring their inner creativity to life. I feel like I've lost a bit of my soul today and I am so, so sorry to have let you all down.

Check back occasionally and / or join the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/HeroMachine/) for any future updates.

All the best, and please keep on creating.

Jeff

The Death of the CDCs

Interest in the CDCs has fallen to a point hat we can only rely on one entry per week. As such the CDCs are being retired effective today.

The Facebook page seems to garner more interest, so perhaps they can find a home there.

I gave it my best shot, but the lack of entries is too disheartening for me to continue

Cheers Machiners

DJuby

Character Design Challenge #– 540 – Home Sweet Home


Your challenge is to create a home fit for a fairy tale

It can be a castle, a cottage, or the underside of a bridge
Just have fun with it.
Rules for posts, contests, and challenges:
• Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games.
• The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way.
• Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited.
• I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning.
• Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
• Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
• No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
• Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
Thia challenge will close at 6 pm on Saturday, JFebruary 1-10. Voting will start then.
Here is what is changing:
• Challenges will start weekly on Sunday at 1pm Eastern
• Challenges will close on Saturday of the same week at 6pm
• After the challenge closes members will vote for a top 3.
• You must assign first, second and third place
• If you vote an entry as First it will receive ten points; a second place finish gets 7 points; third place gets three points.
• The winner each week will receive my version of their entry rendered using HeroMachine 3
• You cannot vote for your own entry
• Voting must be completed by 11am Sunday.
• The winner each week will choose the topic of the next challenge, and cannot enter the challenge .Simply email me your challenge topic to dwjuby@cogeco.ca by 12:30 pm on Sunday.
• Perhaps most importantly, this means that I can enter CDCs again

CDC #539 – Alter Egos ( Hosted by Cody Merrill)

Design an alter ego for one of your characters. That is, a character in civilian clothing (casual or dress, etc) to go along with a hero or villain also of your design. Bonus points for creating new items with masking rather than simply using the causal items that already exist.

Rules for posts, contests, and challenges:
• Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games.
• The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way.
• Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited.
• I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning.
• Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
• Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
• No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
• Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
This challenge will close at 6 pm on Saturday, February 11th . Voting will start then.
Here is what is changing:
• Challenges will start weekly on Sunday at 1pm Eastern
• Challenges will close on Saturday of the same week at 6pm
• After the challenge closes members will vote for a top 3.
• You must assign first, second and third place
• If you vote an entry as First it will receive ten points; a second place finish gets 7 points; third place gets three points.
 - The winner this week will receive my (Cody Merrill) version of their entry rendered using HeroMachine 3
• You cannot vote for your own entry
• Voting must be completed by 11am Sunday.
• The winner each week will choose the topic of the next challenge.

CDC #538 – Fantastic creatures..! (hosted by Scott Weyers)

Let's have you design a character whose powers are based off a fantastical creature (dragon, unicorn, faerie, etc...).
The winner will receive a version of their character re-imagined/re-interpreted by me.
Rules for posts, contests, and challenges:
• Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games.
• The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way.
• Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited.
• I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning.
• Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
• Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
• No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
• Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
Thia challenge will close at 6 pm on Saturday, February 4th . Voting will start then.
Here is what is changing:
• Challenges will start weekly on Sunday at 1pm Eastern
• Challenges will close on Saturday of the same week at 6pm
• After the challenge closes members will vote for a top 3.
• You must assign first, second and third place
• If you vote an entry as First it will receive ten points; a second place finish gets 7 points; third place gets three points.
 - The winner this week will receive my (Scott Weyers) version of their entry rendered using HeroMachine 3
• You cannot vote for your own entry
• Voting must be completed by 11am Sunday.
• The winner each week will choose the topic of the next challenge.

CDC #537 – VOTING – DUKE of DARKNESS (Hosted by Scott Weyers)

Hello!

Slow week for entries with only 2.  So it's a "pick'em" scenario.

AMS

Scott Weyers

 

Voting runs until 11 am tomorrow (Sunday, Jan 29th)

CDC #537 – The Duke of Darkness (hosted by Scott Weyers)

For the next CDC, the challenge will be to re-imagine/modernize "The Duke of Darkness"
His powers include intangibility, flight, super strength, and the ability to perceive & battle ghosts and demons. Even though he's a "ghost," he is able to be knocked out by a bump on the head such as in his first adventure.
Rules for posts, contests, and challenges:
• Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games.
• The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way.
• Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited.
• I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning.
• Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
• Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
• No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
• Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
Thia challenge will close at 6 pm on Saturday, January 29. Voting will start then.
Here is what is changing:
• Challenges will start weekly on Sunday at 1pm Eastern
• Challenges will close on Saturday of the same week at 6pm
• After the challenge closes members will vote for a top 3.
• You must assign first, second and third place
• If you vote an entry as First it will receive ten points; a second place finish gets 7 points; third place gets three points.
 - The winner this week will receive my(Scott Weyers) version of their entry rendered using HeroMachine 3
• You cannot vote for your own entry
• Voting must be completed by 11am Sunday.
• The winner each week will choose the topic of the next challenge.

SIDEKICKS! CDC#536

 

Hey Gang!

Let's see your best pic of a sidekick for one of your created heroes.  Male, Female or animal.  Could be a robot or monster.  Anything you can think of...!

Rules for posts, contests, and challenges:
• Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games.
• The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way.
• Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited.
• I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning.
• Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
• Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
• No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
• Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
Thia challenge will close at 6 pm on Saturday, January 14. Voting will start then.
Here is what is changing:
• Challenges will start weekly on Sunday at 1pm Eastern
• Challenges will close on Saturday of the same week at 6pm
• After the challenge closes members will vote for a top 3.
• You must assign first, second and third place
• If you vote an entry as First it will receive ten points; a second place finish gets 7 points; third place gets three points.
• The winner each week will receive my version of their entry rendered using HeroMachine 3
• You cannot vote for your own entry
• Voting must be completed by 11am Sunday.
• The winner each week will choose the topic of the next challenge, and cannot enter the challenge .Simply email me your challenge topic to dwjuby@cogeco.ca by 12:30 pm on Sunday.

 

Cheers!

Character Design Challenge #– 535 – and he winner is…

raising the HM3 bar once again wih some of his best work ever..

AMS

Next weeks CDC otpic is now up to you

Character Design Challenge #– 535 – chosen by Mad Jack – Let the voting begin

Remember folks you must assign a first (10 pnts) a second (7points) and a third place

Scott Weyers

Christpher Eberle

ams


Gryfendell