I want to see your stage designs!

[kita]

I want to see pics, videos, images from computer software, or whatever you've got. I am curious about how one goes about designing a stage. It is not something that comes naturally to me. Show me your talent! Please?

[Mark R]

I use Google Sketchup for all my stage design work. I have a template that I use to drag and drop props into a bay. Once designed, I export the picture as a JPG and use powerpoint to create my stage WSB.

I used to put my stages in a Sketchup collection in Google Shetchup Warehouse, but I haven't lately. Go to sketchup.google.com or search google for sketchup warehouse and once there search for DVC_MarkR Collections, not models.

I need to update and add a bunch. BTW...Google Skectchup is a free download.

[kita]

I use Google Sketchup for all my stage design work. I have a template that I use to drag and drop props into a bay. Once designed, I export the picture as a JPG and use powerpoint to create my stage WSB.

I used to put my stages in a Sketchup collection in Google Shetchup Warehouse, but I haven't lately. Go to sketchup.google.com or search google for sketchup warehouse and once there search for DVC_MarkR Collections, not models.

I need to update and add a bunch. BTW...Google Skectchup is a free download.

Do you have one you've done that you'd be willing to post here? I'd like to see it.

[38SuperDub]

[Bunchies95]

Here is one of my designs. If you want the 3D model, let me know and I can email it to you. Sketchup is awesome, but still limited. It is difficult to always get the proper view to ensure that there is no shoot through. Every stage I have designed ha needed some sort of tweaking when on the ground. The grid system give a very good reference to get things close though.

[MiniUzi]

I've always been a paper and pencil kind of guy when I design for the most part although I make my living in and around computers. I've never quite found any programs that balance the ability to design with the ease of just a pen on paper. I've played with sketchup and I still find it a bit cumbersome at times although I absolutely love the output of a well designed stage. Perhaps it's just the learning curve.

With that being said. I have an IPAD and for the past couple months I've been using an app called "paper" to design subgun and 3-gun stages. I use a stylus and it's as basic as basic gets... blue squares for barrels, red lines for fault lines, orange lines for walls or barriers. An example course of fire looks like this

That funky mess of chicken scratch translated into this

And then this in first person

http://www.youtube.com/watchh?v=kgY4ABhWgjg

Starting next month I'm going to try some setups with sketchup and see how it goes. One of the cool things you can do with sketchup is import the files into an app called SightSpace which allows you to use "augmented reality" . So you can stand in an empty space like a shooting bay and overlay the sketchup model into the real world to scale.

Regarding talent and stage design. It is most definately something learned . I've become a better shooter from designing stages as it gives me a bit of insight into what other designers may have intended. Take concepts from stages you like and piece them together. As long as it's safe

[kita]

There's a lot of stuff to shoot through one port. Your graphics are pretty cool!

[kita]

I like this one a lot! How do you come up with your ideas?

Here is one of my designs. If you want the 3D model, let me know and I can email it to you. Sketchup is awesome, but still limited. It is difficult to always get the proper view to ensure that there is no shoot through. Every stage I have designed ha needed some sort of tweaking when on the ground. The grid system give a very good reference to get things close though.

[kita]

I've always been a paper and pencil kind of guy when I design for the most part although I make my living in and around computers. I've never quite found any programs that balance the ability to design with the ease of just a pen on paper. I've played with sketchup and I still find it a bit cumbersome at times although I absolutely love the output of a well designed stage. Perhaps it's just the learning curve.

With that being said. I have an IPAD and for the past couple months I've been using an app called "paper" to design subgun and 3-gun stages. I use a stylus and it's as basic as basic gets... blue squares for barrels, red lines for fault lines, orange lines for walls or barriers. An example course of fire looks like this

That funky mess of chicken scratch translated into this

And then this in first person

http://www.youtube.com/watchh?v=kgY4ABhWgjg

Starting next month I'm going to try some setups with sketchup and see how it goes. One of the cool things you can do with sketchup is import the files into an app called SightSpace which allows you to use "augmented reality" . So you can stand in an empty space like a shooting bay and overlay the sketchup model into the real world to scale.

Regarding talent and stage design. It is most definately something learned . I've become a better shooter from designing stages as it gives me a bit of insight into what other designers may have intended. Take concepts from stages you like and piece them together. As long as it's safe

It sounds like you are able to visualize it really well without the help of computerized imaging. I need more help than you do!

[Cy Soto]

A good friend of mine started this web page recently: http://www.stages.im/

[56hawk]

Here is a simple stage I designed in Sketchup for a match that's coming up in a couple weeks. In 3D I can look and see which targets are visable from each of the ports. The idea being that how you shoot it will change depending on when you need to do your reloads. Hopefully I can set it up in real life the way it looks on my computer.

[MiniUzi]

A good friend of mine started this web page recently: http://www.stages.im/

There is nothing there except a signup page.

[EEH]

A good friend of mine started this web page recently: http://www.stages.im/

There is nothing there except a signup page.

I tried it too--nothing

[Cy Soto]

Oops... I forgot. You gotta make an account to access the page.

There are only about a dozen or so stages uploaded but, then again, he only created this page a week or so ago. He thinks (and I agree with him) that, as the page becomes more popular in the next few months/years, it will be a great resource to share stage ideas.

{{Edited to add}}

Here is a screen capture of the page. When you click on the stage, it opens the stage description on a "ready to print" format.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Cy Soto

[38SuperDub]

I had a page up with over 900 stages on it - barely got any activity so I took it down.

I wish him luck!

[Cy Soto]

900 STAGES!!!!!!!!!!! My Search Fu is most certainly weak as I never found your page. There have been many weekends when I have spent countless hours throwing a couple of last-minute stages. I would have loved to stumbled across your page before it was deactivated.

[38SuperDub]

it was www.stageex.com but I took allt he files offline - I still have a zip of all the stages

[kita]

Here is a simple stage I designed in Sketchup for a match that's coming up in a couple weeks. In 3D I can look and see which targets are visable from each of the ports. The idea being that how you shoot it will change depending on when you need to do your reloads. Hopefully I can set it up in real life the way it looks on my computer.

That would suck for production if you can't see any more than three targets from each port. It doesn't allow for any creativity in stage breakdown, either. Is there a way you could add any distant targets visible from multiple points?

[Sarge]

Here is a simple stage I designed in Sketchup for a match that's coming up in a couple weeks. In 3D I can look and see which targets are visable from each of the ports. The idea being that how you shoot it will change depending on when you need to do your reloads. Hopefully I can set it up in real life the way it looks on my computer.

That would suck for production if you can't see any more than three targets from each port. It doesn't allow for any creativity in stage breakdown, either. Is there a way you could add any distant targets visible from multiple points?

Use your imagination. I can see at least one way to reduce by one reload.

[bagdad45]

I design with sketchup as well. I think it is not the easiest to use but the grid and the ability to actually stand at a point and look at the target arrays or determine shoot throughs or see if there are other targets visible makes it great. I usually start with paper and pencil for the concept then move to sketchup. Another option is stage builder, a good assortment of props to design with I do as others capture a screen shot and put that into a word file for the stage description and score sheet. Here is my latest stage.

[56hawk]

That would suck for production if you can't see any more than three targets from each port. It doesn't allow for any creativity in stage breakdown, either. Is there a way you could add any distant targets visible from multiple points?

Other than the three targets on the left, all targets can be engaged from the two ports. Some are only visible at odd angles and longer distances though. I shoot open, but I am curious how the production, single stack and revolver shooters will approach the stage. A creative production shooter should be able to engage all the targets from three positions without any standing reloads.

[ViktorCistic]

this is my stages ...

http://www.hellsquad.eu/images/ech/stages_gp_challenge_2012.pdf

http://2012.extremeeuroopen.eu/media/eeo4_stages.pdf

http://www.hellsquad.eu/index.php/gp-ech-stages/8-download-stages-gp-euro-challenge-2012

and first stages for EEO 2013 here https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/IPSC-Extreme-Euro-Open/383790901631662

Jakub

[Bill Nesbitt]

I use this. http://www.gunracer.com/stagebuilder.htm

[Sarge]

Bill,

That's about as easy as I have seen!

[kita]

I use this. http://www.gunracer....tagebuilder.htm

It's like shopping. I'll take a door, and a drop turner...ooh and some hard cover over here...

That's pretty sweet!