Prepare for a longer posting. I started a longer iteration with my contour lines
to height_field approach to have the necessary time;-)

First some additional figures to help the decision makers with statistics. Over
all I count 52 different artists (or better nicks, including Juno. If I remember
correctly there was at least one entrant using two different nicks. I have used
my first nick TawnyOwl only here but not at TC). One of them contributed a the
quarter of 84 of all 336 entries exactelly. And there are some very well known
names among them (Sean Day, Bill Pragnell, Clipka just to tell some of them).

Over all 35 contests so far on average 9.6 entries were contributed by 7.4
artists. Maximum count of entries per contest was 20 at November 2008 minimum
was 2 at January 2011. If one calculates a linear regression analysis over the
whole period one sees a loss of 0.05 entries per round which cannot be
differentiated from pure chance statistically (no significance at a probabilty
level of 95%). If one looks only at the last two years (excluding the first and
the actual breakdown (January 2011 and january 2013)) one sees an increase of
0.39 entries per round. Unfortunatelly there is no statistical significance
again, so it may be pure chance again.

My interpretation - despite the missing statistical significance - is that we
just recovered after the breakdown from January 2011 and experienced just a new
one.


But enought statistics now.

>From: Thomas de Groot
>Thanks Michael, for bringing this up.

You are welcome!


>From: Stephen
>On 09/03/2013 6:44 PM, MichaelJF wrote:

>> but I think one has to meet reality someday even within virtual reality.

>Yes, it is good and timely that you brought this up Michael.

>TINA CheP was started in in 2007 by Steve Paget as a temporary stand in
>for the IRTC. It was designed and paid for by Steve who had a passion
>for Pov-Ray. When he died in 2010, I contacted the developer of the site
>and offered to keep it going. Thomas, very kindly, agreed to be one of
>the admins and it is he who does all the work for which I am very grateful.
>We have 155 registered members but as you point out we have only about
>half a dozen regular contributors. And I only submit entries to keep the
>numbers up

As I did in the past sometimes. The one or other unfinished WIP (Triceratops
e.g.) just to have an additional entry. Once I even entered a picture which was
intended for last place just to have an entry which can be beaten by newbies
(The abandoned Track). Doesn't worked.

> as my interest lies more with animations. (This section of
>TINA CheP was closed in 2010 due to lack of interest. In the four years
>it was running there were only 16 entries and on several occasions, I
>was the only one who submitted an entry.)

BTW I can only find 14 entries (there are 5 counted with the first contest but
only 3 at the archives).

>So, is it time to call it a day? The choice lies with the Pov-Ray community.

>Having said that the most prolific member is not a Pover. Out of 35
>contests DrNo has entered 83 images.

>From: Trevor G Quayle
>I have only had the opportunity to submit to the challenge once, RL really has
>hindered my ability to be a more consistent contributor.  I have noticed the
>lack of entries (combined with the prolific entries of DrNo) and have had the
>feeling that it would only be a matter of time before the question arose.

>I am a fan of challenges such as these for several reasons:
>- it helps stir creativity
>- it helps with development of POV skills and concepts: the CGSphere has lent
>well to CSG modelling, while 3DRender has helped me develop some lighting and
>texturing ideas
>- it pits POV against some of the big boys (in some cases I would modestly say
>it does better!)

Yes, a topic can give you inspiration.

>Perhaps there are a few things that can be done to TINACHEP (or a new off-shoot)
>that can help.  It may be that the topic selection is a bit too abstract and,
>especially novice users, may shy away from trying to develop a scene around the
>topic.  Perhaps much simpler topics could help in this matter (see CGSphere).
>Also, more interaction and user feedback could be helpful (ala 3DRender), either
>via a specific newsgroup here (though I know it is not exclusively POVRay), or a
>forum elsewhere.

Yes, with the topics there is a little problem. Most they came as titles from
very old books. And first I believed that I have to depict something from the
books and needed conformation that every association with the title is o.k.

From: Paolo Gibellini
>I'm only a basic user, but I agree with Trevor, pov-contests (I also
>remember scc) are a way to improve own POV skills. And they are anyway a
>POV-Ray showcase: I met the very first time POV-Ray on IRTC web site
>after a google search for 3D code generated images.
>My major problem is the lack of time... I'm plenty of works in progress
>for IRTC and (later) for TC-RTC, but I'm not enough fast to complete the
>work in 2 months.

As I. Yes this is a problem. I ever have to decide if I can afford some time for
an other project or to put it to the competition. For example recently I read an
article how to craft blossoms using L-Systems...

And a last observation. I will not comment on it, but only report this. I posted
this issue some 48 hours ago. There are four responses now. Two of them cannot
be counted really, since Thomas and Stephen are the admins of TC and has to
response to this issue. From all the other POVers only Trevor and Paolo replied.
During a shorter time the topic "Scattering media with a white background"
yielded 11 responses and not only from newbies.

Best regards,
Michael

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