Frequently Asked Questions:
If you have any questions, you may fill out this question form.
"Test" Submittal
Can we submit a "test" submittal to see how our project is uploaded and seen in the virtual gallery? This would then be followed by "final" submittal before the deadline. We are sorry that this is not feasible. To set up test pages for individual projects would involve too much duplicate work. You can get a general idea how the projects are displayed with the sample display of the Virtual Junior Achievement Center.
We will try to accommodate the specifics of a project as much as possible. If you have any specific information that you would like to pass along to the webmaster setting up the project files (e.g. image sequence), you're welcome to state those in a separate small text file.
Text file
"Project Descriptive Information Form"
What is the type of Information that should be included in the Project Description? In general, we encourage precise and short text. One should be aware of the fact that the jury has to look at many projects within a limited time.
Some projects might need some more explanatory text. In this case it is best to include two variations of the text: a shorter and a longer version. We put up an example for the Virtual Junior Achievement Center.
Multiple Entries
Are multiple entries in all categories including the student category permitted? Yes
Interactive Formats
Are interactive formats allowed? We encourage interactive formats in the "conventional" and the "digital" categories. The file size has to be reasonable for the web and the file format should be accessible for most users.
Slides versus Digital Images
How can a digital image that is 640 x 480 illustrate the details of a drawing? In previous years the AIA PF awards accepted 35mm slides. There is not difference now, that we are accepting digital images. Digital images are graphic representations of the projects. The goal of the submittal is to clearly and succinctly illustrate the project in a way that the jury can understand. The fact that it is a digital image versus a slide should not be a factor in the submittal process. It boils down to a graphical exercise and a communication exercise. The same issues of how to communicate the design intent of a project on a 35mm slide applies.

We would suggest that the submittals take into account that all the judging will take place on a computer screen or a projector connected to a computer. A typical computer screen or projector can show 1024 pixels wide x 768 pixels. There are variations in computer screen sizes from 800x600 on up to 1600 wide and above. It is good to keep this in mind when submitting. For photographs of buildings and renderings it is not as much of an issue. Hardline drawings and CAD work on the other hand have limitations when reduced down to a smaller format. This is the case if it is reduced from 24x36 drawing to a letter size sheet or from a 24x36 drawing to a 1024x768 pixel image. You must keep the intent of the graphic in mind and reduce or zoom in accordingly. Text on a 24x36 drawing dropped down to a smaller size will not be legible. In many cases the text on a floor plan will not be as important as the overall graphic presentation and the accompanying text to explain the project. Keep in mind that the judges will spend about 15 minute per submittal. Dividing this among the total images and text and you only have one minute per image to communicate the intent of the project.
Multiple Resolution Images
Can we submit multiple resolution images to communicate the design intent? Relating to the previous question, the images that will be posted on the website will be the ones that fit on a standard computer screen. We can include larger size images, but this is up the person submitting. If a larger image, at 1200 pixels wide, it may be more legible, but only part of it will show up on a screen at a time. The rest of the image can be viewed by scrolling, but this will be up to the judges and how much time or detail they are willing to look at. Our suggestion is to keep the photographs and most of the graphics at a low resolution to fit on the screen and maybe put one or two images of floor plans, or other graphics at a higher pixel resolution to show more detail. Another tactic is to zoom in on a floor plan to the key areas. Imagine a 24 x 36 sheet, there is a border and a lot of white space around the floor plan. Taking the entire 36 inch width and making the resolution 1200 pixels will result in a view of the entire sheet, white space border and all. It may be more effective to zoom in and crop down to the floor plan or a section of the floor plan, say about 20 inches wide and make that the 1200 pixel width format. Again this is a graphical problem that each submittal needs to consider. See the related question about pixels and image size.
What is a pixel?
What is a pixel and how does this relate to my 24 x 36 wide sheet? Think of pixels as a grid paper. A typical computer screen has 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. Computer screens vary, so this my range from below that number to a higher number. Considering a grid paper of 1024 pixels wide on a computer screen, each point in the grid will be used to represent a graphic image. If an image is submitted that is 1200 pixels wide only about 75% of it will show.
Names of Image Files
Can we give the image files a more descriptive to make it clear what their content is or do we have to name them "image_01", "image_02", etc.? You may give the images a more descriptive name e.g.:
"ID#_secondFloorPlan_01.jpg"
"ID#_sectionNW_02.jpg"
"ID#_viewSouth_03.jpg"
(Replace "ID#" with your Project ID#)
Please keep the file # incremental and
please don't use spaces or special characters in the file names.

The "File Naming Convention" helps us to keep the workload reasonable. No projects are disqualified if they don't adhere to this convention.
Image Format
According to the "Acceptable File Formats", the files can be a maximum of 1200 x 1200 pixel and a recommended minimum of 640 pixels in either direction. Does this mean that they have to be square in format? No - those are only the maximum and recommended minimum dimensions. They will be displayed in the format and shape submitted.
File Upload

Our files are more than the maximum size of 18Mb. How can we upload them? You can make two or more separate archives and upload them in different sessions.
Entry Form
Do we have to send the check together with the Entry Form? We suggest that you send it together with the entry form. However, you may also send it at a later date. The material needed to submit the project will only be send out AFTER the Chapter Office receives the check.