New GIF Web Presentation Style- Opinions appreciated!

[Deerefan8420]

Hello everyone. I have been looking for a way to present coins in a newer presentation style, web display. I wanted something that really stood out among the normal, generic black backgrounds. I don't know if this has been done before, but I'm thinking it hasn't since I have not seen anything like it posted here on the boards since I've been a member.

 

This is a working model and I am looking for feedback from the community here. The size of the presentation is 600x600 pixels and I think it is large enough to see enough detail in the coin, but small enough that the GIF file loads quickly. The only drawback to the image is the missing reeded edge of the coin. Since most of the coins I image are in either NGC or PCGS holders, taking usable images of the reeded edge is pretty much impossible.

 

Let me know what you think. If there is a good response to this new presentation, I may consider adding it to my Web Presentation services.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

[Lastufka Collection]

I think it's awesome! That must take a bit of work. If you wanted to include the edge maybe you could photograph one similar raw coin and just use that as a default edge? It wouldn't be specific to that coin, but might be better than the flat grey. Other than that I think it's cool (though it did take a little bit to load smoothly for me).

[Walkerfan]

Great detail in the photography!! (thumbs u

 

But I don't like the missing edge and it is rather slow.

 

 

[dadams]

Justin,

 

I really like your gif, but as you mention, the lack of the reeding in the image is to me a very distracting. If it were my coin, I wouldn't want a generic reeded edge displayed. Since you mention this to be for Web Presentation a simple mouseover as below might be easier. All best, Doug

 

 

Create A Rollover Image Effect (change image on mouseover)

 

[brg5658]

I'm going to be honest -- I'm not really into it for the main reason that the file you posted is 36MB and is painfully slow to load. I don't think the animation of an otherwise very good image of each side of the coin is really worth the hassle or the somewhat gimmicky final product.

 

Justin, I think you are a well accomplished numismatic photographer that doesn't need to resort to gimmickry to get the quality of your product across.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Rayman311]

Still really cool! (thumbs u

[brg5658]

Still really cool! (thumbs u

 

It's a cool proof of concept, I just don't see it as being an improvement over still images.

 

I presume it's being done with just one image of each side of the coin still, just rendered in Adobe Photoshop using some of their 3D mapping tools.

 

A 600x600 pixel animated image of a coin requiring nearly 40MB of space and time to load is a deal-breaker IMO.

[Deerefan8420]

Thanks for the opinions so far guys. This is something I have been playing around with for a while and thought it would be nice to have something different.

 

I'm going to be honest -- I'm not really into it for the main reason that the file you posted is 36MB and is painfully slow to load. I don't think the animation of an otherwise very good image of each side of the coin is really worth the hassle or the somewhat gimmicky final product.

 

Justin, I think you are a well accomplished numismatic photographer that doesn't need to resort to gimmickry to get the quality of your product across.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Brandon, I appreciate your opinion as well. And you are right, I guess I didn't put much thought into the actual size of the file once the rendering and all was done. Looking back at it now, it took 244 frames to create an 8 second, continuous loop playback. And not to worry, I wasn't going for gimmickry so much as I was going for something with a "cool factor".

 

Who knows. Maybe instead of using this as a web presentation, it could be better suited for an avatar or something similar that would be a much, much smaller file size.

[brg5658]

Thanks for the opinions so far guys. This is something I have been playing around with for a while and thought it would be nice to have something different.

 

I'm going to be honest -- I'm not really into it for the main reason that the file you posted is 36MB and is painfully slow to load. I don't think the animation of an otherwise very good image of each side of the coin is really worth the hassle or the somewhat gimmicky final product.

 

Justin, I think you are a well accomplished numismatic photographer that doesn't need to resort to gimmickry to get the quality of your product across.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Brandon, I appreciate your opinion as well. And you are right, I guess I didn't put much thought into the actual size of the file once the rendering and all was done. Looking back at it now, it took 244 frames to create an 8 second, continuous loop playback. And not to worry, I wasn't going for gimmickry so much as I was going for something with a "cool factor".

 

Who knows. Maybe instead of using this as a web presentation, it could be better suited for an avatar or something similar that would be a much, much smaller file size.

 

 

Try rendering with 1/4 as many frames (~60), and you may not notice a difference in quality or smoothness that couldn't be sacrificed for a file that loads in less than 2 minutes.

 

 

[Keigwin]

I like it. And this is the way we are headed. Sure, the large file size is cumbersome right now. In five years it won't be.

 

The lack of an edge view is unfortunate but understandable. Do not mock up a fake.

 

It won't be long before we have 360 degree true views.

Lance.

[wdrob]

Once it loads - it is mesmerizing.

 

Maybe something like Macromedia Flash would be a better platform to reduce size and allow user input (use the mouse to rotate 360) ...

 

Still pretty neat! (thumbs u

 

 

 

[greysoldier]

Great Stuff Justin ! Your regular web presentations are already superb...

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and this is certainly something new. Keep up the good work !

[$ilverHawk]

I like it and it is certain that the major auction houses will incorporate some form of this format in future auction viewing. Everyone wants to know what a coin looks like "in hand" and this type of format can render images that show various angles of the subject coin including luster or lack thereof. I had no issues with loading and displaying the file. I would like the file to rotate slower and have the rotation under control of the viewer.

 

The absence of reeding was not a problem for me. I am not aware of any coin grades that are dependent on reeding.

 

Nice job, Justin.

 

Carl

[KeyMan64]

That took a lot of work...and a good result but geez, I could not imagine going through the effort to do that for myself.

[brg5658]

I like it and it is certain that the major auction houses will incorporate some form of this format in future auction viewing. Everyone wants to know what a coin looks like "in hand" and this type of format can render images that show various angles of the subject coin including luster or lack thereof. I had no issues with loading and displaying the file. I would like the file to rotate slower and have the rotation under control of the viewer.

 

The absence of reeding was not a problem for me. I am not aware of any coin grades that are dependent on reeding.

 

Nice job, Justin.

 

Carl

 

I will let Justin correct me if I am wrong, but I am quite confident this animated image is comprised of only one image (view) of each side of the coin. It does not in any way show the "various angles of the subject coin"...other than the artificial shadowing and rendering of the image in a 3D rotating view via the software (Adobe Photoshop).

 

Another thing that sort of bothers me about images like this is that they give the impression that the coin is medal orientation, when in fact the way the coin is rotated around the y-axis (left to right) would show the obverse and reverse flipped from one another. For a normal coin orientation realistic image, it would need to rotate around the x-axis (top to bottom).

 

Just to clarify, I still think it's a cool display of digital capabilities, but I just don't personally think the "moving" aspect of the picture adds anything -- if anything it makes it hard to view a particular part of the coin in detail because the picture is constantly in motion.

 

And, PS Carl -- Heritage already has a 3D view of coins in their auctions for the highlighted high-dollar rarities. So, it's already been done...

 

 

 

[brg5658]

That took a lot of work...and a good result but geez, I could not imagine going through the effort to do that for myself.

 

Adobe Photoshop does all the work. You take 2 pictures (one of obverse, one or reverse), then you use the 3D rendering tools to create the "spinning" effect. All you do is specify the number of frames you want it to render...it could be set up quite easily in Photoshop as a macro so that you simply have to resize the source images to 600x600 pixels each, place the layers on top of one another, and then run a set of stored actions.

 

 

[mumu]

Its very cool and well done but not practical for any function related to selling or even showcasing for a few reasons.

[physics-fan3.14]

, not a fan of this myself. It is huge, took a very long time to load, and the constant spinning is giving me a headache. I can't get a good look at the coin, and it shows me much less than two high-quality stationary pictures show me.

 

I think a video of the coin actually turning in the light, showing moving luster, is FAR more practical, far more useful, and much easier to load.

[bsshog40]

I think its cool. I wouldn't be able to use it as a grading tool for the coin but makes an awesome presentation for it.

[Conder101]

Well it has been several minutes now, I've read the entire thread and am now responding and the file is still loading so I still have no idea what it really looks like.

 

OK it's finished and I have to admit it is interesting but only as one time novelty. If I went to a website using that the slow loading time would be all the excuse I needed to dump the site, back out, and not go back.

 

One of my pet peeve is so many website today are loading themselves down with audio, video, animation files, and tons of images that they take forever to load and operate very slowly if you don't have a super fast internet connection. (Dial up? forget it 10 to 20 minutes to load a page.) And most of those "features" are just there for "appearance" not to make the site better or more useful. Sorry, I may be a troglodyte but I think simple sites are better.

[jpcienkus]

I like it. It loaded instantly for me, so no issues there.

 

If you do something like this, is it possible to add a little more viewer controls? Like Brandon said, when the coin flips, the reverse should be rotated ~ 180 degrees. If the viewer had the controls, he could then rotate the image and view the reverse right side up.

 

Also, if you added images at each of the angles so as the coin turns, we can see actual images of the coin at that angle. It would be more realistic.

 

I agree about the rim. I'd like to see the reeding.

 

My proposals are probably overkill, but if you're going to produce an image that turns, why not go all the way so it represents the as close to seeing it in hand as possible?

[asdfgh]

I don't like the automated turning. I think having the ability to rotate it with the mouse would be better.

If the views were actual views from that angle then you would be able to look at problems easier.

[StrikeOutXXX]

I think it's cool and well done, please don't get me wrong - but I believe most of the negatives have been mentioned above me.

 

I'll add one thing somewhat alluded to, but not spelled out. If the intent of showing something like this was to show the cartwheel luster, then I'm all for it, but... seeing as it's just the same image manipulated at different angles, it doesn't really add anything to the image to me. If there was a way to take dozens of pictures at slightly different angles, then animate them like this to show luster it may have more of a purpose.

 

 

[wdrob]

I think this should be taken into context. From my original PM's with Justin it was my understanding that he wasn't intending on this as being a replacement for static images to grade a coin, but just as a personal option on a presentation piece and not even necessarily on the Internet.

 

I think (as most comments seem to agree) that it is an interesting approach and as Brandon said "proof of concept", describes his work best.

 

Now, if that were smaller (much smaller I might add) and comprised of transparent .gif's (I think that is the format used) that spinning coin would be a really cool part of a web site header banner.

 

Here you go justin, take my banner below and if I send you the reverse of the image, I will pay you to make me a fast loading and slowly spinning coin next to the label.

 

 

 

 

[johnny9434]

Justin,

 

I really like your gif, but as you mention, the lack of the reeding in the image is to me a very distracting. If it were my coin, I wouldn't want a generic reeded edge displayed. Since you mention this to be for Web Presentation a simple mouseover as below might be easier. All best, Doug

 

 

Create A Rollover Image Effect (change image on mouseover)

this is way cool

[Deerefan8420]

I really do appreciate everyone's honest comments. It's apparent that file size is a real issue here as some are waiting for a long time for the file to load. Using a continuous loop playback under 8 seconds would cause the image to rotate too fast and using anything longer than 8 second would cause a slower rotation and would require many more frames added to the playback, creating an even larger file size.

 

I learned how to do something new in Photoshop while creating this GIF, so I think that's a plus. But, as some have mentioned, the practical use would be very limited.

 

I think this should be taken into context. From my original PM's with Justin it was my understanding that he wasn't intending on this as being a replacement for static images to grade a coin, but just as a personal option on a presentation piece and not even necessarily on the Internet.

 

I think (as most comments seem to agree) that it is an interesting approach and as Brandon said "proof of concept", describes his work best.

 

Now, if that were smaller (much smaller I might add) and comprised of transparent .gif's (I think that is the format used) that spinning coin would be a really cool part of a web site header banner.

 

Here you go justin, take my banner below and if I send you the reverse of the image, I will pay you to make me a fast loading and slowly spinning coin next to the label.

 

 

 

 

Bill, you are right. I should have made that a bit clearer in my initial post. I did not plan for the GIF to be a replacement for static images, but like you said, just another way to present a coin for viewing. I'll see what I can do with your banner as well!

[wdrob]

Ill send you the originals of the coin

 

Here it is.

 

 

or you could use this one. It might look equally as well.

 

 

 

[messydesk]

Just opened up this thread now. If the picture is still in the first post, it illustrates one of the problems with the file being so large. Instead of seeing a coin, I see a notification from Photobucket that says, "Look who's popular. Is this your photo? Upgrade to Plus for additional bandwidth."

[brg5658]

Just opened up this thread now. If the picture is still in the first post, it illustrates one of the problems with the file being so large. Instead of seeing a coin, I see a notification from Photobucket that says, "Look who's popular. Is this your photo? Upgrade to Plus for additional bandwidth."

 

Yes, and now all links to photos from photobucket for Justin will be this silly little icon until March 1st rolls over. Unless you are a paying member on photobucket you have a throttled bandwidth for each calendar month. Each "view" of a picture on a forum counts toward your download bandwidth for the timeframe...when you hit the limit, poof -- you get the lovely message.

[Deerefan8420]

Just opened up this thread now. If the picture is still in the first post, it illustrates one of the problems with the file being so large. Instead of seeing a coin, I see a notification from Photobucket that says, "Look who's popular. Is this your photo? Upgrade to Plus for additional bandwidth."

 

Yes, and now all links to photos from photobucket for Justin will be this silly little icon until March 1st rolls over. Unless you are a paying member on photobucket you have a throttled bandwidth for each calendar month. Each "view" of a picture on a forum counts toward your download bandwidth for the timeframe...when you hit the limit, poof -- you get the lovely message.

 

Actually, I need to delete some old images from my photobucket account. Photobucket gives you 10gb of free storage before you have to upgrade. I was actually at 85% after the GIF was uploaded and I guess Photobucket decided to take my other 15% of storage space in hopes of forcing me to give them my money. I will delete those old images tonight.

 

Edited to add- Brandon, you were right. I also received a notification email from Photobucket that said I had reached my bandwith limit as well. I didn't see that email because it went to my Spam folder. But you were correct!