It would be really nice if people would make their own thumbnails because it's really hard to keep track of what changes.
thumbnails are made within 5 minutes so you don't have to spend alot of time with them but when I do about 15 users myself I'm another hour further with my life, without doing anything else then this.
So please post your thumbs with a comment on this blog. Would greatly increase my motivation to keep this list up.
Thumbnail format (so all looks the same) are here below. You have to make a screenshot and let it fit in there, that's all.
Last update: November 22th 03:09AM (GTM +2)
---------------------------------[ A ]---------------------------------
aero
Anomalous
---------------------------------[ B ]---------------------------------
BelleCantata
---------------------------------[ C ]---------------------------------
Cal
CaptainRiven
Ceray
Cyruz
---------------------------------[ D ]---------------------------------
Darkflash
Davison
De-JaY
Divinecow
djkimmiej
Drybananna
---------------------------------[ E ]---------------------------------
Enoxico
---------------------------------[ F ]---------------------------------
Factor
FiiFO
firefox265
Forever
freedoleen
---------------------------------[ G ]---------------------------------
Geoff
Gr33nhippo
Goldmare
Gundamaster
---------------------------------[ H ]---------------------------------
---------------------------------[ I ]---------------------------------
Izzy2008
---------------------------------[ J ]---------------------------------
Jalal-kun
Jello
Jmwell
---------------------------------[ K ]---------------------------------
---------------------------------[ L ]---------------------------------
LAH-Fragnostic
LoneRanger
---------------------------------[ M ]---------------------------------
Mathes
Melancholy
Moony
---------------------------------[ N ]---------------------------------
---------------------------------[ O ]---------------------------------
ooRin
---------------------------------[ P ]---------------------------------
Pavyisku
PhAzEsHiFt
Pietel
---------------------------------[ Q ]---------------------------------
---------------------------------[ R ]---------------------------------
Rwave
(mangalist is the same)
---------------------------------[ S ]---------------------------------
Sandgolem
Scorpedo
selective_yellow
StarlitRiot
SubaruSumeragi
Sylias
---------------------------------[ T ]---------------------------------
Tainteddonut
Talon
Trineas
---------------------------------[ U ]---------------------------------
Unknowdata
GDL-URAHARA
---------------------------------[ V ]---------------------------------
Viesiu
---------------------------------[ W ]---------------------------------
Wasted_Life
---------------------------------[ X ]---------------------------------
Xjellocross
---------------------------------[ Y ]---------------------------------
Yojiro
---------------------------------[ Z ]---------------------------------
Zealotus
(mangalist is the same)
Zeino
(mangalist is the same)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- those scripts made for copy and paste, so for lazy people.
- Orange text is the script to be copied.
- there are notes between /* and */ wich can be left within the script or be removed, they don't do anything.
- [blue textboxes must be replaced with own values]
- Those are easy and the most common, speak nothing special.
- Never ask me about how to change the black bar above your list, can't touch that!
Headerimages
make your own header images, those images have to be uploaded somewhere on the internet (like imageshack).
.header_title{
display:none;/* let the text disappear above every categorie*/
}
.header_cw{
background-image: url([imageurl currently watching]);
width:[imagewidth]px;
height:[imageheight]px;
}
.header_completed{
background-image: url([imageurl completed]);
width:[imagewidth]px;
height:[imageheight]px;
}
.header_onhold{
background-image: url([imageurl on hold]);
width:[imagewidth]px;
height:[imageheight]px;
}
.header_ptw{
background-image: url([imageurl plan to watch]);
width:[imagewidth]px;
height:[imageheight]px;
}
.header_dropped{
background-image: url([imageurl dropped]);
width:[imagewidth]px;
height:[imageheight]px;
}
change cursor
adding a custom cursor as your list cursor, this cursor must be uploaded on the internet and must be .jpg, .gif or .png
a{
cursor: url([imageurl]) [x] [y], auto;
/* X and Y are the clickpoint of the cursor, default is 0 0 (left top) corner of the image. ,auto is that he changes back to the standard cursor if he can't load the image*/
}
Align the list
Since the list is in a DIV object you can't just say "align:left" or something like that. It's a little more tricky but not that hard to understand.
align to left
#list_surround{
margin-left:[offset]px; /* your offset from the left of your browser*/
margin-right:auto;
width:600px;
}
align to center
#list_surround{
margin: 0 auto;
width:600px;
}
align to right
#list_surround{
margin-right:[offset]px; /* your offset from the right of your browser*/
margin-left:auto;
}
align from center to a side (if you want it not in the exact center because of the wallpaper)
#list_surround{
margin: 0 auto;
position: relative;
left:[offset]px; /* set the amount pixel you want to shift to the left, if you want to go to the right this must be 0 or deleted */
right:[offset]px; /* set the amount pixel you want to shift to the right, if you want to go to the left this must be 0 or deleted */
width:600px;
}
example images will follow.
so please help me with building this up.
I'll start of with some knowlegde for this. Transparent pixels are working with .gif and .png images, not with .jpg images. this is due the structure of how the images are build in pixels.
GIF can have 256 different colors where "transparent" can be one of those colors
JPG has 3 channels (red, green, blue) wich each channel the chose of 256 steps in color (256³ times more colors then gif since they are multiplied). transparent is not added thos these channels. Read more on wikipedia or elsewhere about RGB, I assume you got internet.
PNG had 4 channels, the RGB channels and an aditional Alpha-channel wich all have 256 steps in tone. This Alpha channel makes it posible to define how transparent something is in 256 steps. Zero means no Alpha and no Alpha means you can see though it.
Now we get to a problem wich is caused by Microsoft; the Browser story. I'll cut it short, PNG alpha channel can't be read by IE6 and IE7 has problems when you meddle with css filter:alpha(); and again I suggest you use firefox, opera, safari or anything else except IE to view your list. Seriously, life it too short...
Interesting part:
Enough bla bla, how to make a PNG image with Transparent areas!
Step 1: open Photoshop, make a new document or open the one you where busy with.
Step 2: add something we can make semi transparent
I've used this image of nagisa and Ushio
hmm, those clouds are nice but somehow limited when they crash to our border of the image... let's make something nice out of it. how about a fade out to the top?
Step 3: linking to (semi-)transparent layers
Let make a new fill layer, a gradient one
you'll get a gradient fill option menu
as you can see I see those blocks again we had in the second image. this means this goes from white to transparent.
you can adjust this when you click in this gradient.
else klick okay and you'll get a new layer
put the transparent gradient layer under our Ushio layer go with your mouse between those layers (on this thin line). Hold ALT and your mouse symbol changes, leftclick with your mouse and you link you layers.
wich makes a result that should look like this
Okay we see our block again going over into the Ushio image. This ca be a little bit nicer when we go a little more with our clouds. let's look closer to our Gradient fill layer, it has such a White box....
Step 4: Alpha Masks
yep this box is called Alpha mask.
I'd used the word alpha in my story about PNGs, this is exactly that what I'd mention. I't now completely white wich means the alpha value is 256 and so fully transparent.
let's select this box, take our brush with a soft egde, a black colour and brush over the image. the gradient layer disapears where this layer becomes black: Zero in Alpha.
let's bring the clouds some more to attention by ereasing arount them on the gradient fill layer.
ofcouse you can use this alpha mask on all layers, if a Layer doesn't have it you can click on that grey box with a white hole on it at the bottom of the layer menu.
Step 5: finishing touch
hmm add some text maybe and then save it correctly.
save for web, this is important!
set your settings on the right to PNG-24.
24 means you have 4 8bit channels (RGB+alpha with each 256 steps)
now and then you can upload your png and add it to you list header for example:
here to see the final .png image
here to download the .psd to see it yourself
(I've rendered the text layer because I know you don't have that font I'd used)
hope some people can make something out of this, hope that those layer linkage and alpha masks help many people with their designs, I'm gone >_>'
lately in my comment box: I see,i guessing thats why you know css so well.
I've been learning CSS again and over again since I've joined MAL. Every time I make a new list design I learn CSS as a new code where I just know the basis and in wich direction I should write. I'm good with making CSS stuff but that isn't something I can give CSS the credit for. It's just that I think about my design and then search my crap together (mostly google for "selfhtml css" or go to css3.info) and try to make that what I thought of.
Making ideas, build up a concept and then searching a way to realize this is something I've learned at school and my job. first make an Idea, collect material and at the last step think about how you put it together.
making concepts is the fun part, I mostly don't work out my ideas into something CSS like and it never makes it to a final product wich would meet the public.
Maybe something I can give everyone as an advice:
just think about what you want to make out of your list without knowing an thinking if it's posible or not. After that, use the internet to find a way to make it posible.
It might be hard at the beginning not to do things cross over and you might wanna just check if its posible but that just puts borders around the creativity and your ideas. It Blocks "posible" things away, things you would never think of when you know what is imposible.
hope this helps some people being better with designing their lists.
Good luck with the css-crap and the list designs :D
As I mentioned in the Wallpaper-contest topic, I'll blog about why I didn't want to enter the poll of the contest. But I'll begin from the start.
My Person
Private life keeps me Busy, I'm someone who mearly manages to study Interactive design, work at a good design studio as flash developper and Desktop publisher and alot of traveling to friends and family to keep a litle contact to the people who help me to survive.
On the other hand I waste every other second with being online behind my laptop and PC to watch the communities I'm at (3-4 at total) or at watching anime.
But recently I aren't really satisfied anymore about my online behavior. I got a feeling like people don't like me and then just don't know me just because it's me. I feel avoided and a little bit left out by people who might know me because of serveral things I've done and achieved but don't care much about my personal existence.
I'm aware that I'm not that popular like others but still known as some kind of one of the best within what they can do and with that I'm sort of famous without being known.
Lets move on to the key point of this rant, the contests here and the friendships here on MAL. Now after the last list Design contest I just won.. yes, great, but the joy of winning was quickly over. One of the most disturbing things about the contest was how the Poll went. There is a limit to common sense. What do people see as an Animelist design?
The Animelist Design contest
The contest was full with known famous members of MAL and this was clearly pointed out. It's all about popularity and who is new on MAL doesn't seem to have a chance. My nominations Overfiend and Zanin where somewhat new to the contest but they didn't make it in the final round. Their list where in my eyes more suitable for this contest then anyone else his/her list. I didn't nominate myself, just gave people a chance to look at my list on that moment because I thought I wouldn't be in the contest anyway, it was somehow normal for me not appear in the final round.
Then the Poll at the final round, I didn't see a chance to win but out of a little bit of anger I'd voted for myself, the reason was finely given with my decision within the topic. After this I had the best list in my opinion, so why don't try it?
My reason why I didn't see a chance to win was because of the popularity of the other members. I was really scared that Ranivus would win because he has made lot's of friends and many would choose him because it's Rani, not because he has a nice list. Sorry Rani, I really like the concept of your list but the outcome is horrible to me.
Another thing wich would put on weight is that people don't choose my list design because it's made by me and I already won twice. A negative side effect about being famous by winning much contest and people don't wan't you to win anymore, give others a chance. giving others a chance is nice but people go against they own taste just because a certinal person has made that what they like is lying to yourself.
My hope was a little to the new members who don't know me and the others or are friends with Ranivus. Because they don't know the person who made it makes them as the votes who can't lie to themselves. Even here was a little fear that the new Users first look at the poll and then vote on that wich has the most votes just to have a piece of the cake (wich is a lie).
Somehow it turned around and I won easierly the contest. Very surpising and somehow sad because my nominations would win twice against me. It makes me wonder about how people judge list designs.
There is a very simple way to test it yourself. Just watch the list and think about: do you want to use that list to keep track of your anime?. On my side this question gave Ranivus and Iri's list a fatal headshot because lack of useability and Kanashimi's list was on the egde of dying. It only survived for me because I knew that the problems of the useability where somehow fixable with some ueber advanced css and if Kanashimi asked me how it would be posible, I would had helped her on that (with the risk on it that IE sucks). Krelian's list was fine, simplicity but somehow an old concept. Maybe a little afraid of trying newer things but when he feels at ease to update his list with this design this is completely fine.
Maybe half done, when you want to read further I'm even more thankfull than the thanks for keeping reading until now. I just have alot of things on mind and want to point out the details, sorry for so much informations.
The currently running Best Signature Poll
wtf is my signature there? The same as with my animelist, my nominations didn't get far but this time I don't regret it too much. I'm bothered again by the poll and the entries but signatures is something I can't really judge because I don't focus on them. Still I've heard some things about that contest wich are just going the wrong way.
This makes a simple game about a 350x65 banner and a little bit of honour into something that provokes people to lie to themselves. the outcome of the contest is again demittered by Popularity and not the images themself. That's what I feel when I see the poll. It's the same concept like the animelist just that this time really some people who are within the contest wo easierly win against me. I'll keep watching the contest and I'm not calling names here because the contest is still running and I want to see if I'm correct about this popularity.
Current Mangalist designs Nominations
yea, when I see that tread.. Drac, Drac, Drac.. isn't he famous enough? I'm asking again this question I did at the Animelist Part. Do you want to use this list to keep track of your Manga?
Look around, use the random user button and look at the list design update tread at other users with don't have that big of a name.
De Jay, a dear friend of mine is a total newcomer and full of ideas. Ofcouse his design is a little simular to mine style of designing but he doesn't bother to ask me how to make things he wants to realize. He didn't knew CSS before he came to MAL and learned it in a quick period just with some hinting on my side.
He isn't the only one on MAL wich has just a talent to bring that on screen what he wants to. But just such Talents are supressed by people who have famous names just by winning in the past, being popular at the forum or cool at the IRC channel. It is sad this way..
Ofcouse some older MAL members make stunning stuff but that shouldn't mean newcomers can't keep up to that.
The huge MAL community (conclusion)
I've joined MyAnimeList.net a year ago, made some important changes to the site like the Advanced CSS editor was my idea. In this time the number of user grew 22 times larger and we are at a point where I don't know people at the forum but they seem to know me. Because of that I've never been at big communities, there is no hole between being famous or being ignored. from this point it really does count being famous in a contest and that is just really unfair against those who aren't known. I've been thinking alot about how many people just joined and already got more forum post and profile comments then me. I must be kind of unpopular? Still, I win contests, in some way because of my name and this hurts new members as it hurts me.
This is a point where I decide not to parcepate at a contest anymore. even if it's the Art Jam where I've never won. I will make entries just like always because I like making entries, but I wish not to be listed at the Poll. I have fun by entering the game set up by people at the forum and see if I can manage some time between work, study and anime to share my art to others.
I've won enough prices and I want to give newcomers a chance to show their art by letting me out of the contest.
"Until now I've entered every list contest and won. It seems to me a default option.."
Oh, and one thing. I really wonder how votes end when the entries are completely anonymous and/or we have a rating system like first place 10 points, second 8 points, third 6 points and so on.
thanks for reading, feel free to share your thoughs about my opinions.
for those who wonder about my new profile pic.
the orginal image isn't mine but I had to draw some parts of the image on my own, else it wouldn't fit. I had to add a whole sock XD.
> 
this wallpaper is the one I've edited: