Fembot User Manual

[liliwinnt6]

Suggestion: To check if there're any grammar errors or spelling mistakes, you may paste them into some kind of text processing software. I'm doing this with M$ Word.

[McLane]

You're right, that's a shame there's no more reaction ...and I personnaly feel guilty for that.

I like the way you construct this project and enjoy most part of it. I'm not a big fan of too mechanical manips but your work on the manual is really cool for me. I like the details you put in your texts. I'm not a natural English speaker too (as you can easily see ), and I envy your style ... And your courage to make such long texts in English (don't misunderstand me : I do not think they are too long).
The Ceo's interview is also great for me, but after it I feel like we're missing the Interview of a Cindy "itself"...

I like your concepts so far and I do hope I'm not the only one lurking silently for the next part

[Kube²]

Hey !
Upload the first 10 pages of the manual, including the complete interview

enjoy !

kube

[Kube²]

The Ceo's interview is also great for me, but after it I feel like we're missing the Interview of a Cindy "itself"...

I like your concepts so far and I do hope I'm not the only one lurking silently for the next part

Ok, that's a good idea I will work on "it" interview

[Lithorien]

It could just be that there's not a lot of interest in what you're doing. You have to learn to motivate yourself first, and be able to create just on that. If other people enjoy what you do - great! If not - great!

Relying on others for motivation is a quick way to ruin.

[Kube²]

there's not a lot of interest in what you're doing. You have to learn to motivate yourself first...

All these manips and texts represent enough work on my side to think I already know how to motivate myself first !

I can do it just for myself, and keep it for myself, but because I'm an active member of a community, and because of the time needed to build and realize this project, I think it might be possible to take into account the expectations and the advices of people.

Just get it, I try to do something different and I would like to do it in a different way : by getting people involved in it.
This is why I would appreciate more feedback.
And you give me a feedback about myself, I don't ask for a feedback about myself, I ask for a feedback about the work.

[Grendizer]

Excellent presentation, Kube². You should be proud of your work. It could look good as a website too. When you are finished, I'd like to offer to edit the script (for grammar etc.). If you want to, just PM me the final result.

Keep it up!

[darkbutflashy]

Nice! Nothing more to say. Nice! Nice!

[xBOT]

Hey Kube, awesome work!

I haven't been on FC for a while, but I'm totally blown away by your work!
I second the offer of helping out with some editing. (I used to work for a newspaper as an editor, so I can do editing, and layout)

If there's any other way I could be of help, PM me and let me know!

Keep up the great work!

[Kube²]

thanks to all,

Specially for Grendizer and Xbot, any kind of help is welcome, so if you want to help for grammar or design and editing and so on, it's ok !
If you want to use it for a web site it is also ok.

After, there is some technical details.
I'm using Photshop elements, if you want to help me on this, it will be a lot easier if you can read .psd files.
I can share the .psd files, but they are all around 4 Mo each , this is too much to share on the wiki.

I really wonder if it would be possible (Robotman) to use the send box section (wich is now empty) for sharing these .psd files. Is it possible to level the size limit to 5 Mo for this section ? If not what do you propose ?

[xBOT]

I do have a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 5, which means I can open Photoshop without issue.
However, I find that Adobe Indesign is much better for making the sort of project you're doing...
Indesign is more for publication layouts, so you can make PDF files where you can zoom in and the text will still be very clear.
It's also a lot easier to move things around!

If you want, I can make a temporary space on my server for you to connect and upload your files to. Once you've uploaded the files, I can try do some editing and layout for you.

[gynoneko]

I haven't really said anything before, because I hate to hurt feelings... and by all means keep doing what you do because you enjoy doing it and others here enjoy seeing it, but I can't help but cringe at some of this. Sorry if it sounds rough. I used to do professional image editing and manipulation, and I would love to help, and I know I haven't shown anyone my work here before, but I don't do manips for fun like this. I have thought about it, and I probably could, (maybe someday I will,) but I just don't have the time for that right now. On the other hand, I can give you some advice.

For starters, if you are using Photoshop elements for the manips themselves, stop. It is too limited, WAY too limited. You should use Photoshop (don't bother with the extended edition unless you actually do use it for 3D work, since that is the only difference). You should use Adobe InDesign to do the page layout, since this is exactly what it is designed for. I have used Photoshop for this type of thing in the past, but InDesign is just better. (However, since you have taken it this far, you might want to consider just leaving it as is.) You should pay attention to the posture of the figures also. The one girl you manipulated a lot on page 3 seems to lean forward in an unnatural and uncomfortable way. Her head and neck are just too far forward. Since she has no hair, it only makes it look that much more obvious. Try following an "S" curve in her spine, and make her neck and head balance better between her ankles in a triangle shape. Her left leg is twisted so her knees point the same direction, but her feet point in two different directions... this means she has a broken foot or leg. I can tell you just cloned (or rather copy/pasted) the one leg so it is in there twice, you actually need the legs at 2 different positions for a believable stance. That means 2 legs, (not a flipped version of the same leg either).
Also the electronics need more shading and better attention to perspective so allow it to "integrate" better in the figure.
(Personally, I would take several pictures of the same model from the same photo session with the same lighting and make a new image. You should use tools like liquify, transform warp and skew, and the perspective tool to make the electronics fit the figure's angle and position better. I would also use burn and dodge to darken/lighten things, and add edges, or 'bevels' to the joints between the body and the electronics, in order to add a sense of it being recessed inside the body. Masking and the heal and stamp brushes are excellent tools for manips like this as well.)
Finally, if you want people to see this, you should save it as a JPEG for web viewing, and a PDF as well (which can be viewed on the web, but ask Robotman if this site supports the format). You should never upload or give anyone your PSD unless you expect them to edit your image. The PSD file is only for while you are working on it, you always export to a different format. Professionally, TIFF is the format of choice for images, since it is uncompressed and industry standard. But PDF is the ideal for a document since it is perfect for print. Finally JPEG has become standard for web viewing. Keep your PSD only for yourself to preserve your layers and alpha channels.

Really, I am not trying to upset anyone. I am giving you critical feedback. These are for your benefit, so you can get better, and make something that is more convincing later. As it is, you have done a lot of work, and it shows. It looks good in many aspects, such as the page layout and concept development, but I feel this is your weakest point, so I am giving you this in the hopes you will improve. Really, keep up the good work, and I hope you take my suggestions to heart. I am willing to help if you want, but my time is very limited so I'm not sure how much I can do right now.

[Grendizer]

As a graphic artist myself, I would second most of what gynoneko said, and caution everyone to not take critiques (as opposed to unhelpful criticism) personally. We are trying to help make everything better (because everyone can do better), even if everyone is just doing this for fun. That is a noble thing, and doesn't reflect on anyone personally. Now, I'll add that if this project were more the size of a pamphlet I would actually use Adobe Illustrator, but with the amount of text, gynoneko is right about In Design.

[Kube²]

No problem this is exactly what I was asking for, constructive critisism !

I will try to answer fastly on some aspect

if you are using Photoshop elements for the manips themselves, stop. It is too limited, WAY too limited. You should use Photoshop (don't bother with the extended edition unless you actually do use it for 3D work, since that is the only difference). You should use Adobe InDesign to do the page layout, since this is exactly what it is designed for

I use Photoshop element because I know it, A LOT. It is not so limited, sure there is a lot better, but I don't I have the time to learn a new tool. Using Indesign for the page is something more acceptable because I have no experience on any tools similar. Also I don't want to pay for a tool, I don't want to stole it too.

You should never upload or give anyone your PSD unless you expect them to edit your image.

This is precisely what I am expecting.
The thing you have to understand is that, I want to keep kube² and my real life stricly separated, this mean that I have accepted a long time ago that every thing I do as kube² is "useless" to my real life. I won't never have any direct benefits from this work, so people can edit it, stole it, change it, claims that is their own work, I don't care.

Try following an "S" curve in her spine, and make her neck and head balance better between her ankles in a triangle shape. Her left leg is twisted so her knees point the same direction, but her feet point in two different directions... this means she has a broken foot or leg. I can tell you just cloned (or rather copy/pasted) the one leg so it is in there twice, you actually need the legs at 2 different positions for a believable stance. That means 2 legs, (not a flipped version of the same leg either).

Yeah that's useful because I get use to the manip and I don't see this kind of things anymore. I try to improve page 3, is this better ?

[xBOT]

Hey Kube, I sent you a PM.

[Kube²]

I have differents new ideas about this project :

Last day I take a look at a Sony Aibo user guide, it gives me a lot of new ideas for the manual.
It start with section for total beginner that don't know anything about robots and electronics as "meet Aibo" "getting started" "unapacking". It only get technical at the end.
On the Cindy manual a get technical a lot too fast (page 3)
I think a should write a first chapter focused on the capabilities of the robot without talking about hardware (introduction, Commands, abilities, preparation, first activation, fonctionnement modes and so on). Then a second chapter that is only about hardware, customisation, programming...)

Also, I think It would be a great to add a troubleshooting section near the end, a kind of "is she broken ?" if she take water do this, if she crash this way do this, check this ...
It can be write like a small malfunction/repair story each time.

In conclusion I think I will change the organisation of the manual, page 3 and 4 will be move further in the manual and I will add new pages at the beginning.



Also I think I need differents heads. Until now, I always manip the same girl, but I'm somehow hesitant about that:

-->In one side this is good to have always the same girl, at less at the beginning of the manual. It help to show that the same robot can do a lot of different things.
I think it also help people (potentiel buyer) to see the robot a little more like a real and unique person.
-->On the other side, "Cindy" is not the name of a single robot girl, "Cindy" is a trademark for a line of robot produced by a company, and you can use different faceplate for them.

I think tha the good solution is to start the manual with always the same girl for exemple for section "introduction" "getting started". Then later I will introduce customisation and different faceplate, and I will use them on the next pages.

After the question is what should be the proportion between "always the same girl" or "a different faceplate each time". I really need to know if you like the girl face ? Is she ok for you? pretty enough ? looks robotic enough (blank stare) ?

[dale coba]

When we get there, the ads will be about visualizing and describing ways you would interact with your expensive purchase. Some ads will show people using bots, and others will show people enjoying the illusion that theirs is a real person. Example: "Picture yourself in the arms your very own Cindy". Not the practical, engineering, or even rational part of the sales pitch.

There will be movie premiere tie-ins to the product.
What way could be better, to make people see how they could and might use one?

Finally, the faces will be of beautiful, famous, real celebrities.

Those last two ideas will be irresistible to the Marketing department.
They'll drive you out of the company, if you try to stop them.
(I'm just sayin', that's how the Suits always act.)

- Dale Coba