9

Is this site only targetting research & development in computer graphics or should it also integrate questions specific to how to use tools like Maya, MotionBuilder, etc?

Proposal: Computer Graphics

4
  • 2
    What was the response to the example question you posted about a specific tool?
    – James Jenkins
    Dec 21, 2014 at 10:11
  • I did not post an example question targeting a specific software so I don't know yet.
    – Korchkidu
    Dec 21, 2014 at 11:08
  • 3
    That was a hint... If you don't have a good example to post then your question here is pointless. If you do have a good example question for the site definition then post it, that is the whole idea of for the definition phase of the proposal.
    – James Jenkins
    Dec 21, 2014 at 11:15
  • 1
    I do not use these tools regularly so I am not the best person to ask relevant questions about these. But thanks for your constructive comments anyway.
    – Korchkidu
    Dec 21, 2014 at 13:46

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
6

I think the Computer Graphics Stack Exchange site should be more oriented towards general Computer Graphics questions.
The Stack Exchange site 3D Modeling and Animation seems much more fitted for the kind of information you are looking for.

2
  • 2
    IMHO, splitting R&D and real-life production tools is a mistake. First of all because it seems that both SE sites do not get enough traction by themselves while they could together. Second because answers for tools-centric questions will benefit to R&D too.
    – Korchkidu
    Dec 26, 2014 at 7:48
  • 3
    For information, this proposal: 89 followers in 4 months. 3D modeling and Animation proposal: 20 followers in 9 months.
    – Korchkidu
    Dec 26, 2014 at 10:28
5

Computer Graphics Stack Exchange needs a variety of experts in relevant fields in order to grow and become established. We welcome questions about computer graphics hardware, software, algorithms, research, and verification of a given approach to a problem.

The site description confirms that software and hardware tools questions are on topic:

Proposed Q&A site for computer graphics researchers and programmers. Includes discussion of image processing, computational geometry and topology, ray tracing technologies, graphics libraries, gpgpu, specific graphics cards questions, and performance related questions.

Some tools questions may be off topic because they are not about computer graphics. For example, an animation question about the physics of moving bodies may be off topic, but a question about how to achieve realistic lighting effects on those bodies would be on topic. This could be a general question about a given lighting effect, or a specific question about achieving the lighting effects using a particular tool (software library/graphics card).

5

Just like it's possible to ask C#, Javascript, or Visual Studio specific questions on StackOverflow, I think it would make sense to ask HLSL, Houdini or Maya specific questions here. Let's be pragmatic.

3
  • 4
    HLSL, sure. But I don't think we should accept questions like "how do I do X in Houdini"; that's got nothing to do with programming, and asks for a different skillset (tech artist) from what is IMO the audience of this site (graphics programmers).
    – Nathan Reed
    Jul 1, 2015 at 5:49
  • 2
    Why subdivide a community that's already narrow? Computer graphics is about achieving a visual result; as a programmer I'm still interested in hearing difficulties and needs met by other people in their own workflow.
    – Julien Guertault
    Jul 1, 2015 at 6:02
  • 1
    I think this is the core of the question here, so whether this will be a tech-only site or also allows for (tech-)art questions related to graphics. A quick look at the example questions shows that there are not many of these and that they are down voted (Example).
    – Nero
    Jul 2, 2015 at 6:26
2

From what I gather, there are two distinct requirements for this site.

The first is a subject relevant to CG in the theoretical or applied sense. The second involves writing code or algorithmic concepts with respect to the topic chosen in the first requirement.

As long as those two are met, I'm pretty sure you're green.

0

I think tool related questions that have unambiguous answers that aren't immediately or obviously available in the documentation, or even answers that tend to have a long life and contain valuable info, should be allowed. E.G. "is Maya's DG pull/push or pull only?", that usually narrows it down to what a lot of people would call "technical".

I would consider fluff anything that can be answered immediately by the documentation or readily available web sources, E.G. where is this button? Does Houdini support GPU compute?.

I would consider totally off limits open ended questions that require a tutorial form . E.G. "How do I start modelling a car?".

As long as the right group of users participates actively and early, for some definition of right, you can shape stack sites pretty well, the beauty of meta moderation. Overflow is a chief example of that, and the one I would like to see this stack largely modelled around.

Bear in mind that directing and shape CAN actually be explicitly encouraged a great deal based on what badges become available too; we should never under estimate the achievement 'ho in any and every one of us.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .