Thanks for the welcome, Edgar!

I'll work on getting some pics together and looking over the models again. I just didn't want to charge in here, completely unknown, weilding and unwanted opinion. Not a good way to start out on a board. ;>

Would those who purchase the Beta be able to upgrade to the final release version at no additional cost? If so, I'll definately consider registering the beta now. If not, I'll just wait until the full release is out and ready to go.

Down and gone,

Buying the beta gets you to 1.0. Beyond that, there might be add-ons and upgrades that cost extra. Buying the beta doesn't put you at any disadvantage vs. buying 1.0 except not being able to play with it for several months.

I just bought the beta and all i can say is wow if they keep making it better the screensaver is going to be great a few more sharks would be nice in the 1.0 release:)

OK, here goes the list of things I spotted. Please feel free to thwack me upside the head if this comes off as nitpicking.

Angel Shark:
The overall body and head looks very good. They're a wonderful species that's often overlooked, and I'm glad to see them included! The major flaw I see with the model (from the side view provided on the website) is the tail. The caudal fin is much too large, and Angel Sharks are unique in the fact that the lower lobe of the tail is actually slightly larger than the upper. This is an adaptation of bottom-dwelling life.

A couple good pics I Googled: http://www.sergiohanquet.com/tibu/tibu08.htm

Nurse Shark:
Again, the tail is the biggest flaw. Nurse sharks have fairly long tails that lack lower lobes. There is, at best, the tiniest indication of a lower caudal fin. The pectoral fins are a bit pointy but that could be the fact that the model was rendered with the fins out, not hanging straight down. The head looks good. I'd love to see barbles on the snout, if they're an option while keeping the model low-polygon. :>
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...626_shark3.jpg
Barbles: http://www.tobago.hm/sea/seapic/z-nurse-shark1.jpg

Leopard Shark:
Love this guy! His coloring and form are very accurate, as well as his swimming style. He looks just like the ones we have where I volunteer.

Blacktip Reef:
My favorite species. :> He looks good overal, great coloring. He's a little too heafty, though. These guys are pretty lean, as they will jump clear out of the water. Their snouts are also more blunt, and less pointy than the model, with larger eyes. The tail looks good, but the second dorsal and the anal fins could be slightly larger.
http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/sten...ktip_small.jpg

Lemon Shark:
It's the tail on this guy that is really off. The lower lobe is way to long for the species, and the overall shape is off slightly. Requim shark's tails always taper off, and are rarely rounded. the dorsal, second dorsal and anal fin could also stand to be more triangular. The nose in the model is very blunt, a definate characteristic of the species.
http://www.floridamarine.org/images/...emon2_1900.gif

Bull Shark
Again, the tail is too lunate. Bull Sharks have an upper lobe that's far longer than the lower lobe of the caudal fin. The dorsal fin is too swept back, and should be triangular. He's stocky, which is right on for the species. Second dorsal and anal fin could stand to be larger. Also, bulls have small, light-colored (often yellow) eyes with vertically slit pupils.
http://www.magic-lunas-home.de/grundhai.jpg
http://www.floridamarine.org/images/...bull2_1010.gif

Shortfin Mako
Model looks very good. The coloring captured the metallic look of the shark rather well. Makos are also known for showing their ragged teeth in the lower jaw, so if polygons permit, you might want to add those in as well.

Blue Shark
Overall look is good, captured the long, lean aspect of this species. The dorsal fin is actually rounded on the top, and the tail is a lot straighter than what's portrayed here.
http://livingthings.narod.ru/Clt/Ani...Sel/sel017.jpg

Tiger Shark
Tiger shark looks good. Long and lithe, like the real thing, with good markings. Pelvic fins could be more triangular, but that may be the rendered angle and not how it is built on the model.

Great Hammerhead
I had the recent privilage of getting to watch a live juvenile in capitivity this past week! Model looks nice, only issues spotted were the second dorsal and anal fin should be larger, and the first dorsal fin should be a lot taller. Hammerheads have very tall, sickle-shaped dorsal fins with short, broad pectoral fins.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Galler...d/ghammer2.JPG

Great White
Nicely done model. Tail and fins are accurate, and the teeth showing in the lower jaw a great touch! Looks like you added an indication of the caudal keel, as was suggested several posts back.

I had started sketching out the shark species, but stopped when I remembered I have no way of scanning said sketches, or of getting my photos on the computer at the moment (yay, moving). The images included in the post were all Googled.

Down and gone,

Wow, that is a long post. Took you some time, huh? Really nice pictures!!!

Heh, yeah, I have a tendancy to be over-detailed, and long winded. Comes from years of elasmobranch study, and the fact I'm an artist of the realistic style. The long-winded part I get from my father. ;>

The pictures were all found using Google's image search feature. Comes in really handy, especially for references. :>

Down and gone,

all cool.

Glad I haven't offended anyone with my nitpickings so far. I was a bit worried about that. :>

I still have the sketches I started, if anyone wants them, but if not then I'll put them aside and stop trying to set up my scanner. I've run out of room in the area serving as the computer room! ;>

Down and gone,

Don't worry steel, constructive ideas and critique are always welcome. Ideas that are explained and discussed, especially with photos and so on are always welcome. Its people that come in shouting opinions without anything other than an opinion that get people peeved. Keep em coming. :)

Well said Michael. Well said.

Two cents
 

1. A saw-tooth fish swimming at the bottom (If that's what they do normally.

2. I quickly browsed through all the posts in this topic and I read of a carousel effect for the SA. If I understand correctly this will be similar to the GA. How about a roaming view similar to sharvisions?

Since we're looking for sharks that should strike terror into people, here's one that I'd really like to see in a future update -

The Goblin Shark - a very weird shark which has the ability to extend it's jaws outward like a beak or retract them, very creepy.

I dunno, Steve.
Isn't that a deep-sea species?

/Tiny Trieste

That being said, I suppose we should rename the screensaver "Terrors of the not so Deep" then? :p

:)

Or we could lose the "Terror" part altogether and just consider the sharks beautiful and realistic...

Uhhh, now I can't sleep tonight :(

Sorry IXNAY, did the Goblion shark scare you? :eek:

I think it's cool . :D

yeah :D

you not alone ixnay. that goblin shark gave me the creeps too.:eek: i'm not going to buy sharks if they have that character in it. think these sharks should be pg rated....:) unless you want to make sure the kiddies stay away from your computerl... be interesting to know how the cats take to sharks....