Why is Polycount so dark and green?
polycounter lvl 10
Most of forums I visit frequently are all bright and easy for the eyes. It's sometimes hard on my eyes to go from dark polycount page to somewhere else, especially at night when my lights turned off. Is there a reason why it's the way it is? And can I change it somehow?
Replies
I always assumed that dark is easier for everyones' eyes.
F.lux
It's easier for eyes?
There is F.lux to make using computer at night easy for eyes.
Alternatively I found some browser extentions for inverting colours (so that you can invert just polycount):
chrome
firefox
I even made an alteration of a Unity theme to make their forums look more like Polycount.
Muaha.
I've seen F.lux on someone elses computer and it just looked wrong to me. I'm sure it helps with eye stress but it jacks your colors up, tinting things orange and stuff depending on time of day, yuck.
Just don't use it while doing texture work, or anything else that's color-sensitive.
Still getting use to the color of my moniter now but it seems pretty cool.
Doesn't seem to be true at all, same as white=easier for eyes.
From what I've read it's about contrast and text size, so whatever the background color is the text needs to be a corresponding contrast to decrease the amount of ocular activity required to digest it, somewhere in the 80% range is best.
Same goes for images.
Game artist prefer that polycount is dark for the same reason a good percentage listen to metal, because these are more antisocial traits.
I also don't believe in dark portfolios being better by default, I think it depends on work and style.
These are just dumb opinions based on half assed personal observation and long ago research into the black/white thing. Not meant to offend.
Basically pure white and pure black sites are going to effect the contrast in images people post. Example below.
You'll notice it's much easier to see the detail in the blacks in the top image when it's on a black background when it's on a white background, the contrast from the white causes too much contrast you cannot really read the details in the black of that top image. The second image is there to balance out the top image. If I had a really light screenshot, it would look a bit better on a white BG. But because of how displays work by emitting light, lighter images aren't as poorly effected as darker ones. On print the effect is more much balanced between light and dark.
Another consideration is that many people find white or light websites more professional than dark or black sites, since white is much more standard around the web and in design in general, so some consideration should be taken there.
When I think about my favorite artist portfolios, most of them are light and white, which gives off a much more clean feeling (again, all my opinion.)
Part of my bias is that I hate dark websites with grungy headers. These sites are almost never well done despite being super prevalent, substituting attitude for design , they remind me of a grungy basement - not somewhere I feel comfortable being.
By easier ( especially fer aging eyes ) I think most people who prefer the color scheme do so because of the effect of brightness over time. In the same way loud audio volume may help you here every detail ( easier to decipher every sound ) where that "loudness" after many hours of work becomes oppressive to yer eardrums. ( brightness of white overtime is fatiguing )
Every time I try modding windows to have the same dark scheme I always run into problems overtime ( menus, popdowns etc ) that are hard to track down with some windows updates and I invariably give up and suffer )
On the flipside my aging eyes prefer bright keyboard LEDs to find my "footing" ( still don't know how to type ).
Don't need to argue about this, you just got to experience it. After many years behind the desk I guess I don't have healthy eyes. So when I get sick, like catch flu or something, this negative effect multiplies. And if at this point I work in bright application, my eyes start watering, while if I work with dark themed app, it feels much better.
Thanks guys!
polyzen
HOLY SHITTT!!!
This is so nice. Maybe my eyes won't get red at night now
Please.
As for why it's dark? R13, genius that he is, had the foresight and intuition to know that grey, black, and green is the best color scheme imaginable, and that all haters will slowly assimilate the pleasing evening palette.
I prefer this oldschool polycount color , so bright and nice
http://web.archive.org/web/20050305092211/http://boards.polycount.net/ubbthreads.php?Cat=0
Sick. Let's all upload our custom Quake models now.
Can we do a Quake spec contest? Please.