International symbolic (ABCDE) Help
- Content:
- How should i use the website?
- How can i find a distinct color?
- Where can i find the search?
- Why do some colors have such strange names?
- Must i register?
- How do I add another color?
- Which format should the images have?
- How do I make good photos of a rabbit?
- For what does the site use cookies?
- How many pictures do I need for a new entry?
- How should I shoot a rabbit?
- How should i use the website?
The first thing you should decide is, whether you want to see the site with international or european gencodes. You can toggle it in the top right. This preverence is also reflecting in the Web address (.../int/... or .../eu/...), so you can refer directly to the right page, for example, when sending links.
On the start page you see the newest entries. Underneath following the colorgroups.
Just below the page header you will find a color legend. These markings you find again on the images in the color lists.
From each category you can choose one colorgroup. The categories always resemble one or several genes. If javascript is activated in your browser, the categories become closed to get a better overview.
You can simply select a group to the next or open the desired categories with one click. A click on the group title will take you to the next group selection, a click on the image takes you to a list of all entries that match the selected genes.
Above the color list the higher level colorgroups are displayed. If you have Javascript enabled in your browser, you can hold the mouse over the entry images to see a short view of the entry.
In the top right of the page you can select between the list view and thumbnail view.
In the color list, you can change the sorting (according to genecode, date, author, ...) or only show messages with a specific marker (info, with kit image, ...)
- How can i find a distinct color?
The colors are sorted strictly genetic. With the colorgroups you can select gene by gene, as long as you reached the desired color.
Example: tan --> blue --> chinchilla --> rex = blue marten as rex
If you want to discard an already selected group from your search, click on the little red cross bottom right in each group. So for example tan --> blue --> chinchilla --> rex becomes quickly blue --> chinchilla --> rex.
- Where can i find the search?
Search? Which search?
No, seriously, you do not need a search because you can select throught the colorgroups (almost) any desired gene combination. aber eigentlich soll die Seite unter anderem auch dazu dienen, den Besuchern die Genetik der Farben nahezubringen und was lernt man besser als etwas, dass zu benutzen man gezwungen ist? Maybe there will be in the future a search by breed name and, if increased demand, a list of the most common colors. But the site is, among others, made to give the visitors an understanding of color genetics. And what one learns something better than that at one is forced to use?
So use genes = colorgroups to search.
- Why do some colors have such strange names?
The color names under the title of an entry will be generated using the genecode. Therefor the designation is subject to certain constraints (as order of words, always the same term for the same thing). Des weiteren werden, wo immer möglich, rasseunabhängige, beschreibende Farbbezeichnungen verwendet, da Farben auf der gleichen genetischen Grundlage bei verschiedenen Rassen oft unterschiedliche Namen tragen. Furthermore, wherever possible, breed independent, descriptive color names would be used because colors with the same genetic basis in different breeds often have different names. Thus, chocolate becomes brown, opal becomes blue agouti, ... . It was attempted to use this names as uniform as possible.
- Must i register?
No, you don't need to register. Rabbitcolors can also be used as a guest with all functions. When you register, you will have the opportunity to save your favorite settings. It is recommended to register if you'd like adding color entries. Even that is possible without registration, but you can not edit your entry later if you notice an error, for example.
- How do I add another color?
First you need of course one or several photos from the rabbit. They should show the colors as natural as possible (see next question).
Then you should know either the color of the animal or at least of the parents. If there is obscurity in single genes (is it dark or light chin?), you can choose unknown. If there are enough criteria , the genecode can be corrected by the admin later. For the sake of the colorgroups the choosing should not be that difficult, because you do not need to know the symbols and are able to select blue or chinchilla instead.
To use this possibility, you should simply select a group to the next to the desired color. Look for small plus-rabbits
- they bring you to a new entry with preselected genecode. If you want to use more than 3 pictures, it's no problem: Just go to preview and then to edit again. There are always 3 input fields, no matter how many images are already existing.- Which format should the images have?
- The images should be in .jpg format. When you save you can set the quality (85% lasting out). The image should only show the rabbit, nothing else (need to show the color, not a pretty picture). Is the rabbit too small in proportion to the rest of the image not much can be perceived on the thumbnails. Pictures with a side length of 400 pixels are ok, 600 - 800 pixels is optimal. Bigger is not necessary, but it don't hurry since large images would be resized. Note that uploading several some megabytes large files might be quite slow.
- How do I make good photos of a rabbit?
Of course, photos that were not made in this way can be used! But perhaps the one or the other is not satisfied with its results and would like to know how he can do better:
Where shooting?
The safest method for true natural colors is to shot outdoors in daylight. But not in the sun, but on a cloudy day or in the shade under a tree (but not under a tree through which the sun shines). So the rabbit is evenly lit and there are no hard shadows. If you need to use the flash, pay attention to a sufficient distance (rather zoom as be too close with the flash), so that the images are not overftashed. Often it also helps to regulate the exposure a bit down, if that is possible (¹/₃ to 1 f-stop).
Which background?
I recommend white/gray/neutral background color, or at least understated, pale, no flashy colors, since this likely result in color cast. Suitable are, for example, a white cloth or a white wall. The diy-market (at least in germany) have white plastic foam sheet for noise absorption on the floor, which is a sort of slightly transparent and somewhat glossy. This does very well, because it in less favorable light somewath brightened the shadows by reflecting. It is washable and inexpensive (buy per meter, not per roll). Because the transparency use it double layered or with bright cloth underneath). It pulls relatively easy, but you should cut nails anyway sometimes ;-)
A flat surface is better than a billowing cloth, so you can easily see in the feets. Short grass is also possible. If it is possible, it is always beneficial to make a manual white balance on the shot location to a white/gray background or on a sheet of white paper (not all cameras have this function - see How can I trim photos or do image post-processing?).
Correct exposure
With a bright background, the automatic often gets confused and the images are too dark. In this case, you should regulate the exposure a little up, if that is possible (²/₃ to 1 f-stop or even more). Another method is to use the centered or spot metering. Throught the choice of the center (the area to be measured) the brightness can be regulate (more dark animal, more light background - try it out). Auslöser halb drücken und dann erst den gewünschten Bildausschnitt wählen. Press the shutter button halfway and then select the desired image part. In low light conditions, it is sometimes better to consciously make too dark images, (shorter exposure time - less camera shake) and lighten them on the PC.
How can I trim photos or do image post-processing?
A small, fast program to view pictures, cut, convert, save, ... ist Irvanview . There are many extensions, a thumbnail view and several language packs. For cutting pictures drag a box and press Ctrl + y. For more extensive editing, i recommend Heliconfilter. The freeware version can do all important steps: adjust the brightness, removing noise, various retouching options ... even a manual white balance, which can be used in place of the white balance from the camera.
What is white balance?
Quite simply, with the white balance you can define what is white. A white sheet of paper at a sunset looks more orange than white, artificial lighting may have a blue or yellow cast, rabbits on a red cloth look pink, ... . Using the white balance you tell the camera, that this sheet is white, and they can adjusts the colors accordingly. On editing you choose simply an image area, which is white/gray.
- For what does the site use cookies?
Rabbitcolors uses cookies to store different settings. For registered users is thus, for example, the possibility of automatic login. But even if you have cookies turned off for security reasons, you can use Rabbitcolors without problems. Most browsers offer the option to accept cookies only from selected domains.
- How many pictures do I need for a new entry?
At least one - or even more. For example, as kit and adult, from different sides, special details, together with an rabbit of similar color, ... . The number of images per listing is not limited.
- How should I shoot a rabbit?
For the first image best from the side. If possible, shot it also from the front, maybe the belly/back. This is interesting especially for colors with pattern or spotting. You can also make a image of the hairshafts. Blowing into the fur while shoting is quite difficult and the images become blurred. It is better to stroke with a hand against the grain to part the fur and keep it down.