Shipbucket

I'm going to go ahead and say that the current method for posting FD scale drawings sucks (badly).

Let's create a few subforums under this subforum, so it will look like this:

Non-Shipbucket Drawings
-> FD Scale Vehicles
--> FD Scale Air
--> FD Scale Armor
--> FD Scale Vehicles
--> FD Scale Misc

Then each new plane/tank/car type gets its own topic, instead of a stupid 200 page thread being constantly repeated. Benefits are that each plane will be sorted easily in its own thread (and thus available for easy searching). No more digging through 200 pages of bullshit.

Downsides are that a lot of topics will be posted but we currently have unlimited bandwidth and unlimited server space. As long as they are not posted as attachments to the post (but rather hotlinked from an image host), it will be fine.

_________________
USN components, camouflage colors, & reference links (World War II only)

I like this, it's nice, simple, & straight to the point.

_________________
95% of my drawings are destined for NS, 4.9% for fun, & .1% serious.
Worklist:
Space Shuttle
Atlas V
Delta II/III
Project Constellation
Soyuz series

I also vote that FD scale is moved out of the Non-shipbucket section and given its own forum set visible on the main page.

_________________
USN components, camouflage colors, & reference links (World War II only)

My 2 cents:
1) I'm all for moving FD Scale Drawings from being a sub-forum of Non-Shipbucket Drawings to a section on par with it (as well as with Real Designs, Never-Built Designs etc. etc.);
2) Colosseum - there's no way I'd post each drawing/series of drawings in separate threads/topics. I like the way FD Scale Drawings are organized now (because it keeps number of threads/topics down), and if You'll have the reorganization done Your way, then I can already tell You that I'd stick anyway to "200 pages of bullshit" threads like Poilsh Wings or - if necessary Eswube's FD Scale Aircraft etc.

As for apparent problems with finding stuff, then I'd like to point Your attention to the fact, that FD drawings (and not only - also Gunbucket and Carbucket) have been already posted to mainsite.
True, that right now they are bit hard to find (Misc Drawings --> FD Scale 2) and it would be better if they were simply moved more to the forward of the page, but they are (note that using search feature will also cause some problems due to varied ways in which some designations could be written - like Bf-109 or Bf109 or Me-109 or Bf.109 for example, not mentioning typos etc.) and much easier than alphabetically it won't be organized anyway.

I can see merits and possible flaws in Colo's system.

The real problem is searching for drawings, the real cause of this problem is laziness. I always write a little text and a description of what the drawing is regardless of the label on the drawing itself. Most folks instead just post a picture without any accompanying text. Yes the drawing is self-explanatory but that doesn't help the search engine and the result is untraceable artwork. I agree that Colo's idea of separate titled threads would aid searching, but we could just as easily enforce that everyone has to include a searchable name text below every drawing in ALL sections of this forum (because its probably just as serious in the SB sections too). Then we could much easier find what we want without having the hassle and extra work of further breaking up threads and duplicating what the archive is already supposed to do.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

The main draw for me is allowing the drawings to be searchable (I don't really care how they are organized). You can go the route of attempting to force every lazy individual on this forum (there are a lot) to add tags to their posts, but I doubt anyone will do so. Think how difficult it is to get them to put drawings into templates...

The reason I suggested a separate subforum for each FD type and a separate thread for each aircraft is that a lot of work goes into FD scale drawings (arguably as much as an SB drawing in some cases). It's a bit silly that we have to trawl through a 50 page thread of dumb comments to find a single drawing (if you're lucky).

The solutions here as I see them:

1. Force everyone to add tags to their posts. (not likely as it will require all these lazy spergs to go back and add tags into their old posts, which won't happen).

2. Create new subforums and have people post aircraft types as a single thread. I hope you guys didn't think that I meant each drawing variant would get its own thread BTW. I would suggest that "series" of drawings get their own thread.
So instead of you posting 100 aircraft liveries into the FD Scale Aircraft #56 thread, you'd get your very own topic that you can post that series of drawings in. I don't see why this is a bad idea. I'd even go so far as to say there wouldn't be a problem leaving the Polish Wings thread as its own singular thread (no need to break up threads that are already reasonably organized and setup). Your thread gets the right amount of attention whenever you post a drawing instead of instantly being buried under a sheet of 2,000 F-86 liveries from DP.

Let's say I draw the F-111 Aardvark and all its variants. I'd post a thread called "F-111 Aardvark", and then add all the variant pictures as well as a big block of "tags" that would help the board search engine. I would NOT create a new topic for each variant (that would be ridiculous and unnecessary).

We do a similar system for Shipbucket ship drawings - and you guys have been prattling on about how FD scale is just as big as SB, so why is this such a concern all of a sudden? You'd like to stay on the antiquated organization system created by noobs when FD scale was a tiny part of SB? BTW the words about the "main site containing the archive" is false - the archive on the site is not nearly current (mainly due to the impossible task of uploading drawings from a poorly organized and poorly administered part of SB!)
Very typical Shipbucket post - reading offense into something that was 1) not meant to be offensive, and 2) off the cuff. Relax, I wasn't personally insulting anyone. It was directed at the entire group.

_________________
USN components, camouflage colors, & reference links (World War II only)

I know that You didn't mean that if I posted 9 files with Il-86/-96 then I should start 9 topics, one each for every file.

What I meant was that I wouldn't start a topic "Il-86". Be it "Eswube's FD Scale Aircraft", "Airliners" or whatever, but not "Il-86", "F-111" etc.
Besides, even now nothing is preventing me - or anyone else - from starting own thread for FD drawings of own creation. That I'm posting them in "FD Scale Aircraft number-something" is my deliberate choice.

Btw. - if You check my SB scale drawings, then I think You'll find only one (maybe two if there's something I forgot) topic started by me that would contain just one (in this case I believe it was Pr.122 submarine chaser - and even that contained 3 sub-classes) - otherwise I post only in "combined threads" (Coastal Combatants, Landing Ships etc.).

FD Archive on main site is indeed not the most up-to date - actually newest drawings are some 2 or 3 months old. That said, a month ago (22nd september, I believe) I compiled a file with newly-added pictures, put it on box.com and sent the download link to TimothyC and Nighthunter. That the box.com informed me about file being downloaded only two days ago is not my fault.
But then, SB-scale uploads are also periodical, not daily, so what's the problem?

Well I mean the precedent of posting into that single thread was created a long time ago - I have always posted my own meager FD scale work in that thread myself, just because I viewed it as the unfortunately correct place for FD scale aircraft to be posted.
Yes, I am generally not against combined threads. Just as long as they are easily searchable and organized correctly.
I think you're all missing the point - this thread is not at all about main site uploads but rather about organizing the forum so that FD scale drawings are easily found.

Whatever, I can tell when I'm fighting an uphill battle so I'm going to just drop it now.

_________________
USN components, camouflage colors, & reference links (World War II only)

well colo, I think you have an good point about these drawings being hard to find. the same can be said about quite a few of the sb drawings on the forum........
wouldn't it be an better idea just to have more frequent uploads to the main site?
I agree that FD has outgrown the 'non-shipbucket' section, I would even suggest an separate main site for it, affiliated with shipbucket, maybe even an copy of the sb main site, but with FD drawings instead of the ships, and sharing the forums as it does right now.

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

@Colosseum
While I'm generally against Your suggested changes, I'm not saying that You should drop it already - after getting opinions from just 4 members (out of around 100 more-or-less active ones).
I admit You've raised a valid point about searchability, but I guess that having more frequent uploads (possibly at regular intervals? - I'm willing to continue collecting the files for it) and adding a search feature to the main site would be more efficient way of dealing with the issue, instead of forcing the reorganization of the forum.

Besides, I wrote that as for the initiative to elevate FD Scale Drawings from sub-forum of Non Shipbucket Drawings to an equal status, I'm all for it due to it's size.

@Acelanceloet
While the idea to have separate site for FD Drawings is not unreasonable, I'd rather keep it the way it is, mainly for the reasons of what I'd call "social nature".