The Generator Guide has been updated. Photoshop-based designs can now be uploaded and processed automatically (read how). Enjoy!

Thanks to everyone who has signed up as a generator designer. There’s a lot of interest in using Photoshop to make generators, so we’ve been working on ways to support Photoshop, GIMP, etc. We have the beginnings of a workflow that we’d be excited to get feedback about. You can read about it here:

• Generator Guide v0.3

There’s a worked example of making this generator for putting pictures on a retro TV, using Photoshop or the GIMP:

(If you are reading this via email or a feed reader, you can see the generator here).

Blender is hard to beat for making animations and complex scenes, but there’s plenty of simple cases that should be easy to do this way. We look forward to seeing what you all come up with!

We hope your new year is an animated one! This year has been a busy one for MakeSweet. From time to time, heavy traffic has forced us to limit generation of animations on our site. In 2010, that should be a thing of the past. For a preview of what is to come, see our New Year 2010 animation generator.

When you add your pictures or words to the animation, you’ll find a new “movie” button. This creates a custom GIF animation that you can save on your computer. So far, so familiar. What is new is that all work is done on your computer, rather than ours. So we can keep this service free for all to use as they like, without bankrupting ourselves. And your photos never leave your computer, so you can be even more sure of your privacy.

And, for distributors of MakeSweet generators, this removes the last requirement for special server support. Now all you need to host a complete, stand-alone generator is a regular webserver. We’ll be updating MakeSweet Live in the new year to reflect the new possibilities.

Happy New Year! (P.S For those that way inclined: our popular Christmas Ornament generator from last year is going strong).

Big tattoos, big billboards, big ornaments - we are happy to announce that high resolution mode is back to MakeSweet and better than ever!

If you know Blender, you can now sign-up at live.makesweet.com to be on call as a designer for people looking for generators. Sign-up is free and requires no commitment. Thanks to those who already signed up before we even advertised this!

MakeSweet Live is a service that converts Blender designs to interactive flash widgets. Think of it as a new medium (and market) for your art. Interested? Sign up here.

Want to make a picture of a nice shiny shrink-wrap box for your software? It is sometimes useful to make even the most abstract of virtual products tangible. There’s lots of programs out there to do it, but MakeSweet lets you do it live and online. Just click the big “plus” button to add your picture to this box (requires Flash 10):

(don’t see anything? go here).

This design is just a simple test of our new Blender to Flash workshop; if you know how to use Blender, you can upload a design and have it converted to a Flash generator automatically.

We are experimenting with a new interface to our generators. Here’s a (slightly out of season) version of our christmas ornament - requires Flash 10:

For maximum fun, click-and-drag on the ornament itself. Enjoy!

Another bundle of user generated generators, nice work you guys!

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals design is a regal-looking screen at a ball game.

Yokohama Cafe

The Yokohama Cafe design by user nobirdnolife is a sheet on a restaurant or cafe table, outdoors, with a drink in the foreground.

Netbook at Meeting

The Netbook at Meeting design by user nobirdnolife is a small netbook computer on a fine office table with an owner talking to someone off-screen.

Glowing Movie

The Glowing Movie design by user elporta is a bright screen in a dark movie theater.

Blue Sky Big Board

The Blue Sky Big Board design by user nobirdnolife is a busy street with a big billboard set against a mall.

Scenic Frame

The Scenic Frame design is a framed message on a white-washed wall.

Cluttered Office

The Cluttered Office design is a guy at his desk talking on a phone while gazing vacantly into space. There is a cute little piggy on his monitor.

A Learning Child

The A Learning Child design by user michisjourdi is a child learning from a book.

Swivel Screen

The Swivel Screen design is a laptop with a tilted screen.

Sold Sign

The Sold Sign design by user Josh is a sign showing a sold property.

Art on Easel

The Art on Easel design is a work of art on display on an easel beside other paintings.

Old Book

The Old Book design is a stylized black and white book, with a custom cover.

Brick Wall Billboard

The Brick Wall Billboard design is a billboard on a brick wall beside a red door.

More generators made by users with the Generator Generator:

Movie Board

The Movie Board design is a board above a movie theater.

Caution Sign

The Caution Sign design is a sign advising caution, for a reason you specify. In small print, there is a less significant warning.

The Mirage

The The Mirage design is a sign for a hotel or restaurant called the mirage.

Blue Bus Stop

The Blue Bus Stop design is a bus stop with a blue bus pulled up alongside it.

Branded Bag

The Branded Bag design is a paper bag with your brand on the side.

Tilted Flat Screen

The Tilted Flat Screen design is a big flat screen TV, tilted a little to the side.

Yet Another TV

The Yet Another TV design by user udagawa is another old-style television. Ah, cathode ray tubes. I miss the warm glow of cathode rays on my face.

Sketch Pad

The Sketch Pad design is a drawing pad ready to hold your message.

Our regular round-up of user-generated generators - thanks you lot!

John Says

The John Says design is a photo of John Lennon holding a poster. Use respectfully, please.

Flag With Backdrop

The Flag With Backdrop design is a flag flying your photo in the breeze over your choice of background.

Yet Another TV

The Yet Another TV design by user udagawa is another old-style television. Ah, cathode ray tubes. I miss the warm glow of cathode rays on my face.

Sketch Pad

The Sketch Pad design is a drawing pad ready to hold your message.

Daily Dish

The Daily Dish design is a view-from-his-window for Andrew Sullivan’s blog - the artwork is from the blog, and belongs to The Atlantic.

Have My Card

The Have My Card design is a hand holding a business card.