We are proud to announce that the Noa of Arc website is officially online and that it will be replacing both the forums and rounds of our Tina Chep TC-RTC rendering challenges.

tc-rtc.ideasintoreality.co.uk//

Ten years ago, Steve Paget took the initiative to launch the TC-RTC as a *temporary* replacement for the IRTC, after a vivid discussion by concerned participants to the legendary defunct competition. During those ten years, we have witnessed the much regretted and untimely death of Steve in 2010, but also a succession of successful competitions, or challenges as Steve preferred to call them, yielding some of the most striking examples of computer graphics generated images.

When Stephen and I took over in 2010, we did not expect to be still here, ten years after the first competition. We have seen some fluctuations in the enthusiasm and readiness to contribute new work to the challenges. Indeed, the concept introduced by Steve for using book titles as competition headers has often been met with some confusion. Maybe we should have innovated at some time but we were keen to continue Steve's work and in his spirit.

However, after seven years of running the TC-RTC site, Stephen and I have come to the decision that we do not want to continue indefinitely. So we have decided to call it a day and to close down the site in the course of 2017. The times have changed and we do not expect that anyone is ready to take over our job and instil new life in the TC-RTC but if anybody feels the urge to do just that, he or she is welcome to contact us.

There is however, an alternative to the TC-RTC in the making. Normand Brière, aka DrNo, a stalwart member and participant of the TC-RTC, has already launched an alternative forum
[dev.noware.ca/index.php/en-us/forums/tc-rtc ] replacing the troubled TC-RTC one [tinachepforum.forumup.co.uk/]. He is planning to launch a new competition site when the current TC-RTC closes down. More information on that later. The current TC-RTC forum will remain active for the time being to enable comments and questions. However, it will be closed down later this year, and before the TC-RTC site.

The timetable for the remaining challenges in 2017 is as follows:

Challenge 1: After the current challenge, one last challenge will be proposed, running from May till August. *Remember that there are still two months left for the current challenge 'Anniversary'!*

Challenge 2: Three challenges of two months each will be proposed, ending in August.

In September, both challenges will stop. However, the site will remain up till the end of the year at least.

Remains for us to thank you all for your commitment and support.


Thomas and Stephen