# Custom StackMat Design



## ChrisBird (Sep 25, 2010)

Hey Everybody.
I posted a video somewhat recently on the 5AC channel where I showed the viewers my new mat and asked people if they would be interested in buying one. I got an overwhelmingly positive response, so I am going ahead to design one.

If you want to see it, skip to 4:44 in this video.


Spoiler



[youtubehd]iXRjWpgDv7E[/youtubehd]



So now we can start to design the one that will be mass produced for you guys! (if you want one).

All I need you guys to do is to throw around some ideas that you are interested in seeing on the mat. Colors/Patterns/Pictures only for now, and when we come back and review these we can start to choose words, actual layout etc.

If you are interested in buying a mat (Would be somewhere in the vicinity of $20-$30), I have made a video explaining what is going on, which can be viewed in the next spoiler, and then we can throw around ideas in this thread.




Spoiler



[youtubehd]_ZgCqXSW7w4[/youtubehd]
If this video isn't working yet (errors, etc.) it is still processing. It should be done by the latest early morning 9-25-10



I will be posting updates to this sometime in the near future so we can move ahead with the designing. My thought is that it will end up taking a couple weeks of discussion in order to finalize an idea that you are interested in.

Once you have some ideas of things you would like to see on the mat, head on over to the moderator module on my YouTube channel (Here) and submit your ideas. Also feel free to read through their ideas and thumbs up/down the ones you like/dislike so we can get this whole thing moving.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

~Chris

Edit 1: 9-25-10, 11:00 AM.
Stefan brought up a good idea which I could probably do for you guys.
Please let me know if you would prefer a mousepad size/shape over the normal stackmat size and shape.
The mousepad would be smaller than 10x10 and the stackmat would be 24x14 (same as the normal stackmats except 12 inches shorter).


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## KboyForeverB (Sep 25, 2010)

I would want to get one but my budget disapproves, so does my family, damn this


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## Zyrb (Sep 25, 2010)

a few questions,
1. do you know an estimate time of when they will be out for sale?
2. could someone who wants to buy a mat send you there normal stack mat, and have you use that and then charge us less?
3.will you be making more than one design or could we pay you more for a personal design?


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## ChrisBird (Sep 25, 2010)

Zyrb said:


> a few questions,
> 1. do you know an estimate time of when they will be out for sale?
> 2. could someone who wants to buy a mat send you there normal stack mat, and have you use that and then charge us less?
> 3.will you be making more than one design or could we pay you more for a personal design?


 
I have partnered with a custom mat company. To get a fully custom one is normally around $60, but we are working together to get it to you for around 20-30.
With this being said, no, I cannot take your old mat, as I am not making them.

1. After all of the discussions have been finished it shouldn't be more than a week or so. But the discussions could take up to 2 months (max) depending on what you guys want.

3. I will be making one design, if this goes well and people want another I will see what I can do, no guarantees though.

~Chris


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## Zyrb (Sep 25, 2010)

sounds good! I'm really interested and will be putting up ideas on your channel


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## RyanReese09 (Sep 25, 2010)

could you get a custom name on it? And not just CHris bird? I'd love one then


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## xXzaKerXx (Sep 25, 2010)

He said in his first video if it were to be custom, it would cost 60 dollars.


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## Ranzha (Sep 25, 2010)

Make the original bg image (the cool curve stripe thingy) a mosaic.


Spoiler



Shrink to 25%.
Colorize to 6 cube colours (excluding black in the bg).
Enlarge to 400% without blending.
See if it works.


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## Cyrus C. (Sep 25, 2010)

Could you please put it on a website? I don't know how comfourtable my parents would be buying through Youtube. I'll probably buy a mat, I've wanted one for a while. No Ideas to suggest. I'd really just like Puzzles 2-5, maybe Square-1 or Mega or something.


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## Stefan (Sep 25, 2010)

I suggest calling it "CubeMat" instead of "StackMat". And have you considered making a small one? I'm currently using a mouse pad in which I cut two holes:







Costs only 1 Euro, doesn't need a lot of space, is stable enough to put on my lap when I'm not sitting at a table, is good as mouse pad as well (duh). I do have a large stackmat (this one) but I don't use it, not enough space on my desk or wherever I meet others.

There are also many companies producing custom mouse pads and they're cheap, for example you can get 100 of them for $1.89 each here (that's the first one, 9.25”x7.625”x1/8”):
http://www.custommousepad.com/soft-top-mouse-pads.html
They even offer a free custom sample and material samples:
http://www.custommousepad.com/get-sample.html

Edit: They also have larger ones that are still cheap:
http://www.custommousepad.com/oversize-mouse-pads.html
Don't know about the surface, though, "fabric" (the small pads) sounds nicer than "laminated" (apparently the large ones), but you can ask or test what's available and how it feels. Also, they might be too stiff to roll up and thus inconvenient to take with you if they're also large. Though maybe those 1/32” thick can be rolled. Also, mine is foam, not rubber, maybe that's what makes mine rather stiff.


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## Owen (Sep 25, 2010)

Wow, the mousepads are awesome!


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## Cyrus C. (Sep 25, 2010)

Oooh. I'd much rather want what Stefan is talking about. Perhaps the design is just a scrambled side of a cube, if it's square-ish like his.


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## ChrisBird (Sep 25, 2010)

Ok, edited the main post as well as the moderator module on my channel. Now please go vote for which you would prefer, if you can't do it there, just post it in a comment here.

Stackmat size or mousepad size?

Please let me know.

~Chris


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## Zyrb (Sep 25, 2010)

a size inbetween


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## ThumbsxUpx (Sep 25, 2010)

I was thinking a good design could be like a pyraminx tessalation. Seems pretty sweet to me


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## puzzlemaster (Sep 25, 2010)

I'm all for the mousepad size. Portable and works for pretty much anything.


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## bobso2 (Sep 25, 2010)

In prefer the larger one


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## Stefan (Sep 25, 2010)

For comparison: the original stackmat is 35” X 13” and the mini stackmat is 14” X 6”. And I just made some paper mock-ups for different sizes with puzzles on them to get a better "feeling" for how large they are.

9.25" x 7.75"


Spoiler










15.25" x 10.25"


Spoiler










18" x 12"


Spoiler










24" x 14"


Spoiler











The timer is 11" wide. If these mats/pads can be rolled, 15.25" x 10.25" could be rolled nicely around the timer.


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## RyanReese09 (Sep 25, 2010)

First one should suffice for me. when I'm doing solves for a particular puzzle I'll only have that on the stackmat, the others will sit off to the side. I'll want a custom one of those =D


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## avgdi (Sep 25, 2010)

I really like the look of the 15.25" x 10.25". That's the perfect size.


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## Stefan (Sep 25, 2010)

One more thing to consider if you care about it: Master Magic. It's 12.6" wide. On a 15.25" x 10.25" mat it looks like this:


Spoiler


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## The Puzzler (Sep 25, 2010)

It should be big enough to hold a 11x11 and should show waffle's picture.


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## Stefan (Sep 25, 2010)

Another idea: letter size (8½ by 11 inches). Then it's just as wide as the timer and if you carry a folder for paper, you can put it in there. And it could be shipped in standard envelopes. You can easily try this one yourself (just use a sheet of paper), but here are some pictures anyway:


Spoiler


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## KboyForeverB (Sep 26, 2010)

oh yeah, I was wondering was different to your stackmat, I'd prefer if there was a black or white outline of the whole thing please


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## splinteh (Sep 26, 2010)

Mini size please, and make sure they are thick enought/will last a long time and have the words speedcubing along the top.


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## clarubik (Sep 26, 2010)

That looks awesome you should make one that just has a whole bunch of Pokemon on it and a cube in the middle


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## splinteh (Sep 26, 2010)

Hey Stefan, if you don't mind, how did you punch those holes in the mousepad?


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## Cyrus C. (Sep 26, 2010)

Judging by these comments, it's going to be hard to please everyone. My recommendation is to choose one of the middle sizes, and have the design be very generic and universal, with little to no inside jokes.


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## Chuck (Sep 26, 2010)

I have been using this mousepad for about a year now 



Spoiler











I called it StackPad.


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## Lucas Garron (Sep 26, 2010)

I wanna see this on a Stackmat: http://archive.garron.us/img/2009/cube_background.png


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## ChrisBird (Sep 26, 2010)

Lucas Garron said:


> I wanna see this on a Stackmat: http://archive.garron.us/img/2009/cube_background.png


 
It shouldn't be to hard to convince people of that. =]

Stackmat size, mousepad size or something else?


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## Anthony (Sep 26, 2010)

Lucas Garron said:


> I wanna see this on a Stackmat: http://archive.garron.us/img/2009/cube_background.png


 


ChrisBird said:


> It shouldn't be to hard to convince people of that. =]
> 
> Stackmat size, mousepad size or something else?


 
Mousepad size is nice because it's easy to take around with you.
I just ordered this:


Spoiler


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## Lucas Garron (Sep 26, 2010)

ChrisBird said:


> It shouldn't be to hard to convince people of that. =]
> 
> Stackmat size, mousepad size or something else?


I'll might get myself a Stackmat size some time, since I lost my mat at Nationals.
The image should cover all of it, though (text in white?).


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## Anthony (Sep 26, 2010)

Lucas Garron said:


> The image should cover all of it, though (text in white?).


Woops, I attached the wrong image (the one with my name). Fixed.


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## Stefan (Sep 26, 2010)

splinteh said:


> Hey Stefan, if you don't mind, how did you punch those holes in the mousepad?



I don't have a hole puncher, so I used a sharp knife.



Lucas Garron said:


> I wanna see this on a Stackmat: http://archive.garron.us/img/2009/cube_background.png


 
Ah yes, nice one, though I still prefer the cubes on Chris' youtube background, it's artier. Could you make another version where the cubes don't get so small so quickly? I imagine people want to use these on videos and then the smaller cubes might be hard to see. Also, a version with *opaque* cubes+stickers maybe, solid color stickers might look nicer.


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## TK 421 (Sep 26, 2010)

wut is with the design?
talk about materials that u will use, machinary, etc
make sure it's not so thick and soft to make your cube not damaged if it hits it
a mousepad is nice, but is truly horrible if it is not soft (this is hard and thin)
i think chris should produce 3 size (A4 size,mini mat size, and full stackmat size)
make it pre-punched with holes


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## TK 421 (Sep 26, 2010)

sorry design is a little bit rough


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## Whyusosrs? (Sep 26, 2010)

TK 421 said:


> <picture>
> 
> sorry design is a little bit rough


 
What does this have to do with anything in this thread? 

An apple? 

Also, Chris said the mat can't be customized to have your name on it unless you want to pay $60 for the fully customized mat.


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## Ranzha (Sep 26, 2010)

TK 421 said:


> [lolimage]
> 
> sorry design is a little bit rough


 
Adding on to what Whyusosrs said, the main reason that Chris isn't selling fully customized mats is the fact that they'd be too expensive--a bulk order of one design would be not only considerably less to order from the company, but easier to manage, and easier to sell, considering the reasonable price.
That's why Chris opened this thread: as he said in earlier posts, he's making one and ONLY one design (as of yet) which he will mass-produce. Because it's only one design, he's opening up the design discussion to the public.


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## TK 421 (Sep 26, 2010)

Ranzha V. Emodrach said:


> Adding on to what Whyusosrs said, the main reason that Chris isn't selling fully customized mats is the fact that they'd be too expensive--a bulk order of one design would be not only considerably less to order from the company, but easier to manage, and easier to sell, considering the reasonable price.
> That's why Chris opened this thread: as he said in earlier posts, he's making one and ONLY one design (as of yet) which he will mass-produce. Because it's only one design, he's opening up the design discussion to the public.



:fp

lets consult da vinci for the design, he's master of the arts 

EDIT: Oh, wait a minute. He's DEAD. Hahaha


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## Ranzha (Sep 26, 2010)

TK 421 said:


> :fp:
> 
> lets consult da vinci for the design, he's master of the arts


 
Why facepalm at me? You were the one who obviously didn't read the original post.


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## TK 421 (Sep 26, 2010)

Whyusosrs? said:


> What does this have to do with anything in this thread?
> 
> An apple?
> 
> Also, Chris said the mat can't be customized to have your name on it unless you want to pay $60 for the fully customized mat.


 
Apple changed my life.

$*60*. WTF?!!!!!?!?????!?!!!?!?! SOOOOOO expensive


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## TK 421 (Sep 26, 2010)

Ranzha V. Emodrach said:


> Why facepalm at me? You were the one who obviously didn't read the original post.



no, you didn't get the point. i tought he was producing one for each of us. well, ridiculously expensive...


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## Andrew Ricci (Sep 26, 2010)

TK 421 said:


> no, you didn't get the point. i tought he was producing one for each of us. well, ridiculously expensive...


 
Double facepalm all the way...


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## Lucas Garron (Sep 26, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> Could you make another version where the cubes don't get so small so quickly? I imagine people want to use these on videos and then the smaller cubes might be hard to see. Also, a version with *opaque* cubes+stickers maybe, solid color stickers might look nicer.


 
Hmm, it seems the image hides its tricks well. The scene is not millions of cubes, it's actually a single cube inside a box of perfect mirrors. The "transparency" on the stickers is actually a partial reflection, which adds to the depth of the illusion.

Here's my attempt to tweak it:





It loses the "epic" feel (think "cathedral") and the intricate lines of convergence. The perspective is hard to get right, and even with cheating I'm not sure I can do it right.

Edit: Forgot to mention: I lost the actual source code in a hard drive semi-failure, and I'm not sure I can get it back, so I had to approximate it with other cube code.


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## Stefan (Sep 26, 2010)

Lucas Garron said:


> The scene is not millions of cubes, it's actually a single cube inside a box of perfect mirrors. The "transparency" on the stickers is actually a partial reflection, which adds to the depth of the illusion.



Ouch. I could've seen that. I already did realize that the cubes aren't all oriented the same way :fp



Lucas Garron said:


> It loses the "epic" feel (think "cathedral") and the intricate lines of convergence.


 
Yeah, I also like those lines, and how the center cube stood out. I do like the new version's colors, though, brighter and much more vivid.


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## Cyrus C. (Sep 26, 2010)

I actually liked Anthony's quite a lot.


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## bobso2 (Sep 26, 2010)

I would like to have this on my cubemat:

http://yfrog.com/j5rubikscubep

or this one:

http://yfrog.com/juny5zrdp


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## Stefan (Sep 26, 2010)

Anthony said:


> I just ordered this:
> 
> 
> Spoiler


 
Where did you order it? And did you use it just as it was? I think it looks better with higher brightness and contrast:


Spoiler











I also like how the background color happens to change from bottom-left to top-right, from green/yellow to yellow/red to red/yellow.


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## Stefan (Sep 26, 2010)

Cropping and zoom-blurring Lucas' new version:


Spoiler


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## Zyrb (Sep 26, 2010)

that one gives me a headache, but looks awesome


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## Anthony (Sep 26, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> Where did you order it? And did you use it just as it was? I think it looks better with higher brightness and contrast:
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


 
Actually, I increased the saturation before I submitted it. Here's the image I got in my confirmation email.


Spoiler










I used Vistaprint, btw.


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## dillonbladez (Sep 26, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> Cropping and zoom-blurring Lucas' new version:
> 
> 
> Spoiler


 If I were to order one of the custom stackmats, I'd order this design.


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## maggot (Sep 28, 2010)

FYI: you can order mousepads at walmart.com. upload your image (family friendly) and send it off. it is standard mousepad size ~7x9?. im sure someone could create a template for this (include blackout spots for timer placement/ possibly different color dots on blackout for where to cut out holes) and just drop your CUSTOM design on the template, upload to walmart.com, have your mat shipped to your house in a few days. I believe the pricetag is $8USD ish? 

for chris, i also would like to have a mat that is slightly larger than minimat. I like the width of the original stackmat. i think a buffer of 1-2 inch shorter on the width is fine. i do not like the length of the orginal. it is MUCH too long. its not like we're stacking cups or anything stupid like that. i will pretty much +1 anything that is slightly wider than the timer, but not shorter. i am also concerned with the thickness. i have tried mousepads (1/16, 1/8, 1/4 of rubber) and 1/4 inch is much to thick to fit the timer (the magnet keeping the timer stable). however, i would feel a lot better about slamming down a larger puzzle on something more padded. so finding a good compromise would be nice. i think it would be nice if you were to order a sample packet from custommousepads.com to get a good feel of whats going on with them. if we go with the mousepad, i think these would probably be a good way to go; competitive price, many different options, and seems like they have experience in doing these kind of projects. just browsing their website and reading review, i get the feeling that this type of project would be very easy for them and would come out high quality. 

lastly for design. I WOULD NOT BUY ANYTHING THAT WAS OVERLY COMPLEX! anything with zoom fading or optical illusions, these things i do not want to see as im solving a colored cube. this would be EXTREMELY distracting if you were solving and caught a glance, such as a quick look at the timer. not to mention the optical illusion in general. maybe a cool artwork on the wall, not something i want to have anywhere near my general direction of sight while im trying to do something that is very sight intensive. i would be fine with solid color with a little jazz, much like stackmat's original solid color designs. also, anything cubing related would be cool, but i would not want to over do it because it would become a distraction. uncluttered, simple, but not boring. if i think of a design, i will try to post it. 
thank you for trying to do this for the community. i will probably support you regardless of design or size, but i wanted to give my advice^^;


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## Sa967St (Sep 28, 2010)

bobso2 said:


> I would like to have this on my cubemat:
> 
> http://yfrog.com/j5rubikscubep
> 
> ...


 
The second one used to be Blah's avatar.


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## cannon4747 (Sep 28, 2010)

I'd like something like your's but with the current world record times on it (not with the avenger, the arcanine, or orangina unless they make it (Idk what that is), different pics of people cubing, along with something random like an elephant disguising itself as a tree.


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## Bryan (Sep 28, 2010)

cannon4747 said:


> with the current world record times on it


 
Really? You'd want to put stuff on that could be out of date before you even get the thing?


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## Lucas Garron (Sep 28, 2010)

Bryan said:


> Really? You'd want to put stuff on that could be out of date before you even get the thing?


 
How about a chart of WR times until 2010?


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## radmin (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree with Stephan Pochmann


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## Stefan (Sep 28, 2010)

radmin said:


> Would an 1/8" thick mouse pad work? If so this place is less than $10 each.
> http://www.custommousepad.com/oversize-mouse-pads.html


 
Wow, how did you find that site?


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## radmin (Sep 28, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> Wow, how did you find that site?


 
"Custom mousepads" => Google => the fist non-sponsored result

A custom printed mousepad is a common trade show give-away. Promotional items like this usually have a low price.

Minimum order is 25 but that shouldn't be a problem in this case.


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## Stefan (Sep 28, 2010)

radmin said:


> "Custom mousepads" => Google => the fist non-sponsored result
> 
> A custom printed mousepad is a common trade show give-away. Promotional items like this usually have a low price.



I suggest you read my post on the first page of this thread and the posts following it.


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## radmin (Sep 28, 2010)

StefanPochmann said:


> I suggest you read my post on the first page of this thread and the posts following it.


Wow! THE Stephan Pochmann said something cranky to me. I feel special!


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## Whyusosrs? (Oct 2, 2010)

bumping this for more discussion.


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## Whyusosrs? (Oct 2, 2010)

Personally, my stackmat is way too long to be useful. I think that something slightly bigger then a mousepad would be great.

Also, something with abstract cube art in the background would totally distract me while solving. But I could just flip it over, 'eh?


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## puzzlemaster (Oct 11, 2010)

Any updates?


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## splinteh (Oct 11, 2010)

Chris is there any updates on the situation?? All I know is you got a new car. (YouTube)


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## CubesOfTheWorld (Dec 19, 2010)

Update? *sigh*


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## ~Phoenix Death~ (Dec 19, 2010)

CubesOfTheWorld said:


> Update? *sigh*


 
Yes. He has homework and a girlfriend.


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## thackernerd (Oct 30, 2011)

Did this ever actually happen?


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## thackernerd (Oct 30, 2011)

Sorry for the 10 month old bump.


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## AustinReed (Oct 30, 2011)

thackernerd said:


> Sorry for the 10 month old bump.


 
Listen to his Cubecast episode.



Spoiler



no it didn't


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## theace (Jul 7, 2012)

I'll be making custom mats for SCMU. I came up with something. It's a really rough concept right now and needs a lot of improvement. Suggestions?


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## Stefan (Jul 7, 2012)

theace said:


> *needs a lot of improvement.* Suggestions?



Says who? And did they only say *that *it needs a lot of improvement without saying *what *they see wrong with it? That's useless. Maybe I would have suggestions if I knew what's supposedly wrong with it.


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## theace (Jul 7, 2012)

Flashy colours (someone posted about how the "flashy-ness" might cause distractions), the SCMU logo looks out of place, "Speedcubing" instead of "Speedcubin" (I prefer Speedcubin'), text needs more emphasis.

Here's another design. What do you think?


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## 5BLD (Jul 7, 2012)

That is truly awesome. What material would it be made of?

Also what program did you design that on?


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## Stefan (Jul 7, 2012)

theace said:


> the SCMU logo looks out of place



Indeed, and that's better in your second design. Maybe if you put the logo in the first design in the bottom right corner, it wouldn't stand out like that (because of the similar background, because the cube would be in the corner, and because for some reason I think bottom right looks better than bottom left (maybe because it would be the end of the page if I were reading, rather than at the start of the last line)).


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## theace (Jul 7, 2012)

5BLD said:


> That is truly awesome. What material would it be made of?
> 
> Also what program did you design that on?


The same material that the normal stackmats are made of. I'm not sure what it's called. I designed them in Photoshop.



Stefan said:


> Indeed, and that's better in your second design. Maybe if you put the logo in the first design in the bottom right corner, it wouldn't stand out like that (because of the similar background, because the cube would be in the corner, and because for some reason I think bottom right looks better than bottom left (maybe because it would be the end of the page if I were reading, rather than at the start of the last line)).


Thanks. I'll shift the logo. I want to make these personalized as well. Let's see how the Name + WCA ID looks once it's added.


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## applemobile (Jul 7, 2012)

Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash ^.^


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## theace (Jul 7, 2012)

Added Shubhayan's name and WCA ID.


Another concept. Personally, I didn't really like it a lot...


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## GLgamer10 (Feb 22, 2014)

theace said:


> Added Shubhayan's name and WCA ID.
> View attachment 2233
> 
> Another concept. Personally, I didn't really like it a lot...
> View attachment 2234



This is a really old post but I wanted to get a custom stack mat. Do you think you could do a melting Rubik's cube? Like the ones in Google images.


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