smc is an acronym for Speed Modeling Challenge, unlike most acronyms, it has no capitalized letters. This is most likely due to its origins in irc, where most messages are written in pure lower-case.
In a speed modeling challenge, a group of graphics artists use a model editor to each create a
scene. After this, they use a rendering engine to produce an image from the
scene. A winner is chosen by a forum poll, after the voters have seen the entry images. Before an smc starts, the competitors decide on a topic, and a time limit to complete their entry. The goal is to create an image that satisfies the topic while also being showing off the artist's modeling skills, in a limited amount of time.
In addition, there are two variations on smcs, speed animation challenges ("sac"s) and speed material challenges ("s/\/\c"). the "m" in speed material challenge is composed of a forward
slash, a backslash, a forward
slash, and a backslash, to form a large capital "M". Using "sMc"
will most likely result in confusion.
s/\/\cs are identical to smcs, however, a mesh or a
scene is provided to all contestants, and each contestant is only responsible for creating a texture(s) that
will display on the
scene in the final image, the voters then choose a winner based on the quality of the textures.
In an sac, the modelers create a
scene, and then animate the
scene to produce an animation, which is then voted on. sacs are normally longer than an smc of a comparable topic.
The
words "smc" (and "sac" and "s/\/\c") are themselves nouns. The "s" is treated as a vowel in the acronym form but
not the expanded form. Therefore, one says "an smc", not "a smc", and "a speed modeling challenge", not "an speed modeling challenge".
The
words "smc" (and "sac" and "s/\/\c") are usable as verbs, "to smc" is to partake in an smc. All three are regular verbs, so one can say that they have "smced", are "sacing", or
will "s/\/\c".
At the time of this
definition, neither smc, nor sac, nor s/\/\c are used as adjectives or adverbs.
I and
John smced last night, the topic was "boat", and the time limit was 45 minutes, so far I'm winning, 6 votes to 4.
Maria is going to sac with Wanda later.
We
will have an s/\/\c tomorrow, using my boat entry from last night's smc as our mesh.