Rocketry picture forum?

[pr_rocket04]

Just want to hear all your feedback on this, who thinks we should have a category specifically for project pictures??? Because I think this is a must! Notice pictures always get posted when there is a question of build or design at stake, but why not just be able to openly post pics throughout the steps of your projects build? I think this could benefit many of us.

 

[brianc]

Originally posted by pr_rocket04
why not just be able to openly post pics throughout the steps of your projects build?

This is done now. For example, here's my FlisKits FarScape thread-
https://rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10425

And here's Stones 1:64 Saturn V- https://rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12890

There are many others in the Scratch Build section and scattered about.

 

[powderburner]

Sorry, I just couldn't resist that one.
I think the existing forums do a fine job of handling pictures --- if people would just post links instead of pictures, for us cave-men who still operate with dial-up.
Anyway, you can turn up a surprising amount of stuff with the current system. Try doing a search using 'pics' or 'pix' or 'pictures' and you will have plenty of links to scan through.

 

[pr_rocket04]

Powderburner, the irony of your subject is that we already have a forum for proposing other forums, it's called The Coffee House!

Anyways, guys, I know this can easily be done the way we currently do it around here, but I feel it would prove much more interesting if there was a forum specifically for project progress.

For instance, someone gets a kit, they post pics of all the components included with it. This would be a great start. Then as the projects are built, we can all be updated on the design techniques and progress.

I realize this happens currently, but the idea would be much more driven if it were a separate category. For instance, I haven't posted any pics of any projects, but if pictures were in a forum of there own, I would have had many pics already posted, for some strange reason. I think most of us can come to that realization.

What do you guys think?

 

[brianc]

Originally posted by pr_rocket04
For instance, someone gets a kit, they post pics of all the components included with it.

But, would you suggest a seperate section for LPR, MPR, and HPR? How about those
projects that are not kits (scratch built)? I think you can see where this is headed...

Read thru some of <a href="https://rocketryforum.com/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=261718&sortby=&sortorder=">these threads</a> in the Forum section and you'll get a sense
of how the mods / admins want to keep this site friendly and easy to use for both
new and experienced users...

 

[brianc]

Originally posted by pr_rocket04
Powderburner, the irony of your subject is that we already have a forum for proposing other forums, it's called The Coffee House!

Actually, that would be the <a href="https://rocketryforum.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=17">forum</a> section.

 

[pr_rocket04]

I stand corrected!

As for answering to that, I don't feel any separation would be needed. It is obvious that in here, low power, mid power, and high power rockets achieve their designation mainly by the category their impulse range puts them in. In all reality, these lines and boundries technically don't exist. And now that I have opened myself to be gunned down by stating that, let me add to that. I could use electronics and complete carbon on my Estes Phoenix, and I fly it on a D. It's low power rocket, right? Now I shove an E in there, and look, it's a mid power rocket. And so on.
But the fact of the matter is, if we were interested in any benefitial advancements to the design of our rocket, we wouldn't think in these 3 categories which we have been psychologically trained to do, we would be interested in the tricks the guy uses on his Estes Mosquito, as well as the ones from the neighbors R class monster, providing the benefit was right. Have I shed any light yet?

I shouldn't have to go so in depth I know, but sometimes you have to be understood correctly.

 

[wickball]

I might be wrong but I have a hunch that there there might be some issues on how much memory the TRF server has available and how much of it pictures might take up. Only the administrators could answer that.

wick

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by powderburner
Sorry, I just couldn't resist that one.
I think the existing forums do a fine job of handling pictures --- if people would just post links instead of pictures, for us cave-men who still operate with dial-up.
Anyway, you can turn up a surprising amount of stuff with the current system. Try doing a search using 'pics' or 'pix' or 'pictures' and you will have plenty of links to scan through.

Powder:
Like you I'm on a dial-up server also. I have no problem with the current forums handling of pictures either.

PR_Rocket04:
If you looks at any number of threads in the vendors and scratch built forums you'll find are all kinds of examples of construction sterp photos. Some better then others but some times simply wonderful as in Silverleafs 1/38th Little Joe model and launcher base consturction. Some in the low power section are also great. If your need a specific view ask, most of the time the builder will already have it or can take one. I like the links idea thou I'm not a good enough computer user to understand where or how that's done to well.
but you guys might also remember, many times we don't take pictures during construction, it's not even given a thought.

Another way around it is to make up a construstion pic page sorta like below, If someone needs a better view, a larger format can be supplied or e-mails to that individual possibly saving some storage space here.

 

[pr_rocket04]

Alright, but I'm still implying a different point. A lot of people don't think to take pictures, exactly like you said. Now when there is a place for these posts to go(instead of feeling I'm cluttering the forum with my projects), the thought might be in your head to take a couple. Many people also don't ask the questions about others designs on here which they are asking themselves, I do this quite a few times everyday, imagine if I posted all those questions.

The other day I mentioned I was getting a Swarm Junior. Someone wanted to see pics. I'm going to post pics when it arrives, but more than likely in the Vendors forum where I was asked to. Now say there are people looking for pics of this kit, they may never find them, simply because of the question of where you would look for pics of a new kit. Searching helps, but it doesn't always get you where you're looking to go. This is just one simple reason the forum could benefit us. As for the ones with dial-up, everyone can post links, but if you want to look at a picture fast, then maybe you shouldn't have dial-up.

The benefits are there and obvious, figure them out.

 

[rstaff3]

I am not the mod of this forum but have raised this as a question for discussion.

But personally, I think a fine way to store build pics about a certain kit would be to put it in the Kit Reviews forum with the kit name and vendor in the title. I don't believe and additional forum is warranted, as previously discussed.

You can always put each pic in a separate response in the thread. I know this would not be quite as convenient and the size is limited.

I am looking forward to your Swarm thread

 

[pr_rocket04]

Well I guess I poked at it enough. Didn't get the reactions I expected, but I did at least realize a few things in here.

Thanks, and I will try to post pics as soon as I can on the Swarm Junior.

 

[rstaff3]

I'll report back on what the amins/other mods say. And don't feel alone, I've made suggestions that weren't implemented too (and some minor ones that were, to be totally fair)

 

[Stymye]

search< is the best tool here

one reason why I complain about cryptic titles... if the thread title is descriptive of the content that makes searches work much better...

for instance "swarm Jr "in the kit review section ... rather than something like "my new rocket" in the coffee house or vendor section

It may take me 2 mos to finish a kit ,but I continue to add any progress to the same thread.. even if it's just a launch pic from the following summer...

Same goes for other subjects, if I have something to say about a vendor , I add it to an existing thread in the vendor forum rather than start annother..
often too many new threads are started over about things that have been posted time and time again.

one section that works well in other forums is a sticky "how to" section..it could be added to the "techniques" forum... and would be good for the common asked questions like How to fill fins, how to get nice filets, how to mount shock cords,how to fill spirals, motor retention ect ...If someone has a new/different technique it can be added to the existing "how to",
right now, if you do a search you get pages upon pages of mixed value because a new thread gets started everytime.or gets started in the middle of annother thread

my personel conclusion,
no need for a special picture forum, just make the title descriptive and add it to the correct forum or thread.so "search" can do it's job..

the kit review section should have the maker and name of the rocket in the title followed by a review with pictures ... right now the top thread is ......"what V2 should I get??"

that topic is not a kit review,,, and not very descriptive and doesn't belong there. there are alot of v2's from micro to megascale...how could someone possibly answer that question?
It's up to the members themselves to make the forum more useable.

 

[pr_rocket04]

You are absolutely correct.

We could improve many things ourselves, but there is sometimes room for improvement on the forum's side. But I have come to realize that the Kit Reviews forum is actually fairly similar to what I'm talking about.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Like Wichball, my biggest concern about pictures on TRF is the amount of storage available. On the Tripoli South Carolina website, we were starting to run out of space, so we spent a little money to increase storge. In our case, it was additional $2 per month for a lot more storage.

I hope TRF has that option to increase storage if needed.

 

[rstaff3]

The admins have reported that db size is becoming an issue. What is best for TRF and the users (at least dial-up), is to host the pics offsite and provide links rather than embed them. I don't want to discourage the build documentation via the TRF attach capability if that's the only option.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by rstaff3
The admins have reported that db size is becoming an issue.

So TRF does not have an option to increase storage or are there other issues?

No one ever talks about what it costs to host this forum and who is paying for it. I don't want to see a true "membership fee" but users should help, I mean we are the ones benefiting for this website.....

 

[rstaff3]

I think it is related to the db size relative to performance and the ability to do back-ups. Not just cheap disk space.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by rstaff3
I think it is related to the db size relative to performance and the ability to do back-ups. Not just cheap disk space.

Well then, an off-site storage is the best answer.......

 

[Austin]

Randy,

We (TRF) actually own the Rocketry Forum Server; space is not rented and hosted from a site, so we don't have to deal with additional cost uplifts if the service provider needs to charge more for storage. However, since the server is physically ours, we are also tasked with keeping an eye on its resources. Although there is still plenty of space available on the server, we have reserved the majority of that for future growth expansion and backup redundancy.

I can tell you know that attached pics are a major source of what gets backed up and do seriously consume our resources. I personally am probably the biggest user of space for pics, due to the amount of build photos I have included in the past. Unlike the pics attached by members though, mine reside in a seperate space, so it does not effect the database size like we experience with member's attachements.

At this time we are still allowing users to attach photos and will continue to do so until it is no longer feasable. Our members can help though by posting smaller pics, or a collage as Micromeister suggested. This will get your point across and we all still get to enjoy the pics of your work, which is one of the things TRF enjoys most...pics.

Carl

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Carl,

If it does not divulge any trade secrets, can you tell us how many GB of pics TRF has now?

 

[Austin]

Not a trade secrets thing at all there Randy...I know I am at near 2gb myself and the rest of the mods and admins are probably another 2gb or so. Mods and Admins have special rights to store pics on the server...kind of a thanks for your services type thing.

However, the DB pics are another matter. I cannot tell you how much space they are taking up unless I was a MySql database administrator and I wrote a query to try and find that answer. Such a thing may not even be possible and I am not a DBA, so we can't answer the question. If I were to guess, I would say maybe 6gb total for pics, plus space consumed for the database, apps and operating system. Add to that reserved space and backup space and you can easily be in the 40-80gb range.

The real issue though comes to performance, which is why we try to keep the hardware up to date , but database growth directly effects this and TRF grows leaps and bounds every day.

Hope this helped,

Carl

 

[pr_rocket04]

Yikes