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Most Scratch projects can be categorized into one or more project types. Project creation is the main point of Scratch, so their types are important as well. On the Scratch website, the main project types are games,[1] animations,[2] simulations, music,[3] art,[4] and stories.[5]
Main Types
Most projects on the Scratch website fall under the following categories (See here for a full list):
Animations
- Main article: Animation Projects
Animations are a popular type of project made by Scratchers. They consist of a varying number of costumes played back and forth in rapid succession to create a movie or something to that effect. They have been made to represent day-to-day life, fantasy stories, comedies, and much more.
Games
- Main article: Game Projects
Games are the most common project type. Because of Scratch's large field of possibilities, many classics and such have been recreated — from Pacman to Mario, or from racing tracks to scavenger hunts. These also are popular, giving skilled programmers a large group of fans. These projects take up most of the Front Page, and are one of the most viewed.
Simulations
- Main article: Simulation Projects
Simulations are less common than other types[citation needed], vary greatly. Physics, weather, gravity and 3D simulations are some examples, as well as ones relatings to snow, sand, projectiles, bubbles and rotations.
Music
- Main article: Music Projects
The music that Scratch encourages most of all is the type that has been created with only the sound blocks. Scratch allows users to play up to 21 instruments and some drums, which allows users to play notes with theme while adjusting the volume and tempo.
Users can also share their own music they have created.
Another variation of music is simply importing a song and uploading it. This act has had much controversy[6], because it requires little or no skill to do.
Art
- Main article: Art Projects
One of the main purposes of Scratch was for users to create their own games, stories, and interactive art. Most art has been interactive in the past, but a recent trend in non-interactive art projects was noticed by the Scratch Team; though an unexpected trend, such projects have been accepted.[7] Many complicated artworks reach the front page, and their artists many times reach fame and popularity. There is much controversy surrounding art projects in Scratch, a lot of Scratchers complain that they are a waste of space, since they do not contain any actual programming.
There have been controversies regarding the remixing policy, some declaring it as too lenient.
Stories
- Main article: Story Projects
These projects are very rare, as most of them are better classified as animations. The remaining ones are usually interactive, such as an adventure, but not to the extent of becoming a game. Some stories are very different, such as many costumes/backdrops displaying a book.
Other Types
Some other common types that do not have their own category are as follows:
Tutorials
- Main article: Tutorial Projects
Tutorial Projects teach how to do something. Common tutorials teach coding, art tips, using an online service, recipes, and much more. The Scratch Design Studio released a studio encouraging Scratchers to create tutorials.
Remix
- Main article: Remix
A Scratch remix is a project that starts with a different project. It is then edited, and then shared. Remixes can be made from anything — there are even projects created for other people to remix (such as a platforming base or meme). All projects on the website can be remixed.
Remix Chains
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- Main article: Remix#Remix Chains
Remix chains are formed when one Scratcher remixes a project that is also a remix of another project. Usually, the initial project is designed for this.
Operating Systems
- Main article: Operating System
A Scratch Operating System is usually a fake mockup operating system with an interface. Some have the ability to import apps and data, as well as the ability to create, save, and delete files of different types, stored in lists.
The quality recently started varying greatly, some Scratchers now creating true operating systems that use a custom programming language to load apps, and even a real Linux virtual machine.
Programming Languages
- Main article: Programming Language (project type)
Some Scratchers create their own programming languages within Scratch. They are often simplistic as advanced interpreters need Recursion to be efficient.
There are also some parsers that interpret code from real-life programming languages, such as XML parsers.
Additionally, some real operating systems that use a programming language to load apps have been created.
Advertisements
Some projects are used as advertisements for other projects, studios, users, forum related issues and non-Scratch related items. Special advertisements called teasers advertise an upcoming project to build up excitement for them. They usually include sample gameplay or screenshots.
Spam
Spam projects are projects that are of no use whatsoever, and are deliberately designed to either be inappropriate or useless and space-wasting. They can also include commercial spam.
Clutter
- Main article: Clutter
Clutter projects are designed to integrate with other projects. For example, multiple projects could hold multiple levels, and the player must accomplish older levels before being directed to newer, harder ones.
Three Dimensional Projects
- Main article: Three-Dimensional Projects
Three-dimensional projects, otherwise known as 3D, is a challenge to make in Scratch, since Scratch does not actually provide 3D tools. However, an impressive number of 3D projects, ranging from wireframes to filled objects have been created with Scratch. The introduction of the "run without screen refresh" custom blocks' option has allowed 3D rendering to perform faster. Almost always, they are drawn with the pen.
Sprite Packs
- Main article: Sprite#Sprite Pack
A Sprite Pack is a type of project that contains many sprites or costumes. They can be from clipped video games, created with paint editors like GIMP, or hand drawn, and are sometimes animated. They are useful for game-makers who are not very good at art.
Sprite packs often have a theme, for example, a user might make a "Space" sprite pack with spaceships, planets, and aliens as the sprites.
Creative Characters Camp encouraged users to create sprite packs.
Who's That Scratcher?
Who's That Scratcher projects are games, usually part of a series, where a Scratcher described in the project must be guessed using comments. They are generally based upon a famous Scratcher. These projects became popular around June 2011.[citation needed] They usually have a unique name from others. There have been multiple variations.
Screamer
- Main article: Screamer
A Screamer is a project which shows an animation, then suddenly breaks off and shows a sudden, sometimes scary picture to surprise a viewer or make the viewer laugh. These are generally fun, but sometimes the picture is very gross, distressing, or otherwise not appropriate for the website. If this is the case, the project should be reported.
Script Poem
A Script Poem is a story or message told with a script consisting of existing blocks and often custom blocks made by editing Scratch 1.4's Squeak source.
Slideshows
- Main article: Slideshows
Slideshows are projects that display a series of slides one after the other, commonly changing slides on a certain key press. Slideshows are usually used to explain a subject the creator wants to talk about, or a skill the creator wants to teach.
Petitions
Some users have created petitions in order to make something true and encourage users to remix and sign it. Examples included to stop SOPA and PIPA[8] or bullying.[9]
Some petitions may result in flaming and drama due to some controversial topics they may support.
100% Pen
- Main article: Pen Games
A 100% Pen project is a project that uses only one sprite as the pen. The pen then has to draw everything which sometimes includes the background too. 100% Pen projects can be games, drawings, simulations, and more. These are often praised by the community for being very advanced, often involving trigonometry.
Extensions
Extensions are scripts meant to be put in other projects to extend Scratch's functionality. Extensions could simulate an audio effects program, for example adding a siren effect, or a speaker tuning program, which would use volume and pan left-right.
Photo Dump
Photo Dumps are projects in which numerous photos are placed. The photos are usually placed here because they have no other place to go or they do not fit the content of their other projects. The images are often taken by the creator of the project.[citation needed]
Art Dump
An art dump is a project in which numerous illustrations are placed. The images are typically drawn by the creator of the project, commonly because the art has no place in the user's other projects. It can also be created to show their art, or to compile it in one project.[citation needed]
Parallax
- Main article: Parallax
A parallax is an art project in which multiple items of a scene or illustration move slowly in different directions based on the movement and/or position of the mouse pointer.
Interviews
Interview projects are projects where one Scratcher asks another Scratcher questions. The questions shown on the screen are usually controlled by using left or right arrow keys.