📷

DPC Vote Helper

A browser sidebar extension for streamlined voting on DPChallenge.com

Chrome & Edge Manifest V3 v2.2 Point B Web
01

Overview

DPC Vote Helper is a browser sidebar that sits alongside the DPChallenge.com website while you vote. Instead of juggling numbers in your head or keeping scratch notes, the extension lets you rate each criterion, add notes per category, and automatically compile everything into a formatted comment — ready to copy and paste directly into the DPC comment field.

Auto-calc Score

Averages your sub-scores into an Overall score in real time.

Per-criterion Notes

Type a comment for each of the five judging categories.

Weighted Scoring

Assign a 1–10 weight to each criterion so categories you care more about influence the overall score proportionally.

Challenge Disable

Collapse the Challenge row for Free Study challenges — excluded from all calculations, noted in the compiled output.

Compiled Output

One click combines scores and notes into a formatted block of text.

Frequent Comments

Save up to 7 reusable phrases that persist across browser sessions.

Clipboard Copy

One-click copy of the compiled output — no selecting needed.

Scratchpad

Free-form text area for comparing photos or jotting thoughts.

02

Opening the Sidebar

The extension appears as a toolbar icon in your browser. It works as a toggle — click once to open, click again to close.

1
Navigate to www.dpchallenge.com and open a voting page.
2
Click the DPC Vote Helper icon (📷) in the browser toolbar. If you don't see it, click the puzzle-piece Extensions icon and pin DPC Vote Helper from the list.
3
The sidebar opens on the right side of the browser window. Drag the left edge to resize it.
4
Click the icon again at any time to close the sidebar. In-progress ratings are not saved when the sidebar closes.
💡
TipOpen the sidebar before you start reviewing a photo so the panel is ready when you need it.
03

Interface at a Glance

The sidebar is organized top to bottom into the following sections. Hover each row to highlight it.

📷 Header / Score Badge Shows the current auto-calculated score at a glance always visible
⚙️ Preferences Auto-calc, Ratings in comment, Use Weights toggles · Set Weights button · Disclaimer field persists
⭐ Ratings & Notes Five criteria rows (Composition → Challenge) plus Overall · weight sub-rows toggle · Challenge Disable checkbox clears on reset
✏️ Final Note + Quick Buttons Closing remark field and 7 shortcut phrase buttons (1–5, 10, R) clears on reset
▶ Actions Compile Ratings & Comments button and Clear button
📋 Compiled Output The formatted text block ready to copy to DPC clears on reset
💬 Frequently Used Comments Editable labels for the 7 quick-insert buttons persists
🗒 Scratchpad Free-form notepad — not included in compiled output session only
04

Rating a Photo

4.1 — Set Your Preferences

Auto-calc Score (default: on) — When enabled, the Overall score is automatically calculated as the rounded average of your five sub-scores. The indicator in the Overall row updates live. Turn this off only if you want to set a weighted or subjective Overall score manually.

Include Ratings in Comment (default: on) — Each criterion's numeric score appears in the compiled comment (e.g. Composition: 8 - Great use of thirds). Turn off for comment-only output with no numbers.

Disclaimer — Text typed here is automatically appended to every compiled comment in italic brackets: [i]Note: your text[/i]. Leave blank to skip.

4.2 — Rate Each Criterion

Click a number (1–10) in each criterion row. Each label has a tooltip — hover over it for a description of what it measures.

Composition
Subject placement, cropping, background, rule of thirds, leading lines
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Technical
Focus, exposure, lighting quality, post-processing
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Creativity
Originality of concept, uniqueness, creative vision
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Appeal
Is it interesting, motivating, or emotionally impactful?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Challenge
How well the image meets the specific challenge requirements
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

After selecting a rating, type a note in the field directly below that criterion row. Notes are optional — you can rate without commenting, or comment without rating.

💡
TipThe Score Badge in the header updates live as you rate. You can check your running average at any time without scrolling.

4.3 — Overall Score

Auto-calc on: The Overall row is read-only. Once all five criteria are scored, the calculated average is automatically highlighted in green. No action needed.

Auto-calc off: The Overall row becomes clickable. Select your own weighted score independently. The compiled output will note (weighted — NOT a calculated average) to flag this for readers.

4.4 — Final Note (Optional)

The Final Note field adds a closing paragraph to your compiled comment — a good place for an overall impression or encouragement. It appears after all criterion lines, separated by a blank line.

Quick Buttons (1–5, 10, R): These instantly paste a saved phrase into the Final Note field. See Section 8 to configure your saved phrases.

05

Weighted Scoring

Weighted scoring lets you tell the extension which criteria matter most to you. Instead of treating all five categories equally, you assign each one a weight from 1–10. Criteria with higher weights pull the Overall score up or down more strongly than lower-weighted ones.

5.1 — The Math

The weighted average formula is: Overall = Σ(score × weight) / Σ(weights)

For example, if Composition has a weight of 10 and Challenge has a weight of 3, a great composition score has more than three times the influence on the Overall than a great challenge score. Equal weights of any value produce the same result as a plain average.

5.2 — Setting Weights

1
Check the Use Weights checkbox in the Preferences bar to enable weighted scoring mode. The Score Badge turns gold when active.
2
Click Set Weights. A gold-tinted weight row expands under each criterion.
3
Click a number (1–10) in each weight row to set that criterion's influence. The Overall score recalculates instantly.
4
Click Hide Weights to collapse the weight rows when done. Your weights remain active as long as Use Weights is checked.
💡
TipWeights are saved to Chrome sync storage and carry over between sessions. You only need to set them once — they'll be waiting for you next time.

5.3 — Resetting Weights

Click Reset Weights to Default (visible at the bottom of the ratings section while the weight panel is open) to set all weights back to 1, which produces the same result as a plain average.

5.4 — In the Compiled Output

When weighted scoring is active and "Ratings in comment" is on, each criterion line shows its weight in brackets, and the overall line is clearly labelled:

Composition: 8 - Strong leading lines [w:10] Technical: 6 - Slightly underexposed [w:7] Creativity: 9 - Very original concept [w:8] Appeal: 8 - Immediately draws the eye [w:9] Challenge: 9 - Perfectly meets the brief [w:5] Overall Weighted Average Score: 8
06

Challenge Disable (Free Study)

Free Study challenges on DPChallenge.com have no specific theme or subject requirement, which means the Challenge criterion is not applicable. The Disable checkbox on the Challenge row handles this cleanly.

6.1 — How to Disable Challenge

1
Find the Challenge row in the Ratings & Notes section.
2
Check the small Disable checkbox at the far right of the Challenge header row.
3
The score buttons, weight row, and note field collapse. A red ⊘ Excluded · Free Study pill appears in their place.

6.2 — What Changes

AreaBehaviour when Challenge is disabled
Score calculationOverall is computed from the remaining 4 criteria only (Composition, Technical, Creativity, Appeal)
Weighted averageSame — Challenge weight is also excluded, so the 4-criteria weighted formula applies
Overall label tooltipUpdates to note "Simple average of 4 sub-scores (Challenge excluded)"
Compiled outputOutputs Challenge: N/A (Free Study) so readers know it was intentionally skipped
Overall output labelShows Overall Calculated Average Score (4 categories): X for transparency
⊘
Free Study example outputWhen Challenge is disabled, a compiled comment looks like this:

Composition: 8 - Great framing Technical: 7 - Sharp and well-exposed Creativity: 9 - Unique angle Appeal: 8 - Very striking image Challenge: N/A (Free Study) Overall Calculated Average Score (4 categories): 8

6.3 — Session Behaviour

The Disable checkbox is session-only — it resets to enabled each time you open the sidebar. This is intentional: most challenges do have a theme, so the default is always on.

Importantly, Clear does not reset the Disable checkbox. If you're voting through an entire Free Study challenge, you can click Clear between photos without having to re-disable Challenge each time.

💡
TipDisable Challenge at the start of a Free Study session and leave it — Clear won't touch it until you close the sidebar.
07

Compiling & Copying

7.1 — Compile

When you've finished rating and adding notes, click Compile Ratings & Comments. The extension assembles all your input into a single block of formatted text and places it in the Compiled Output area.

Composition: 8 - Excellent use of leading lines Technical: 6 - Slightly underexposed in shadows Creativity: 9 - Very original concept Appeal: 8 - Immediately draws the eye Challenge: 9 - Perfectly meets the brief Overall Calculated Average Score: 8 Great work — one of my favorites this round!

7.2 — Copy and Paste to DPC

1
Click Copy to Clipboard. A green "✓ Copied!" confirmation appears briefly in the sidebar.
2
Switch to the DPChallenge voting page.
3
Click inside the Comments text area on the DPC voting form.
4
Paste with Ctrl + V (Windows/Linux) or ⌘ + V (Mac).
5
Select your numeric score on the DPC form and click the Vote button.
⚠️
ImportantThe compiled text is a helper — you still need to click the correct score and submit your vote on DPChallenge.com. The extension does not interact with the DPC website directly.

7.3 — Clear for the Next Photo

Click the Clear button to reset all radio selections, notes, and the output area. Frequently Used Comments, Preferences, and Weights are not cleared. The Challenge Disable checkbox is also not cleared within a session — see Section 6.

08

Frequently Used Comments

The Frequently Used Comments section lets you save up to 7 reusable phrases for remarks you type repeatedly across many votes.

ButtonDefault / Purpose
1 – 5General-purpose slots — save any phrase you reuse often
10Pre-filled: "Top 10 for this challenge!" — fully customizable
RPre-filled: "**RIBBON PREDICTED!**" — fully customizable

Setting Up Your Phrases

1
Scroll to the Frequently Used Comments section at the bottom of the sidebar.
2
Click in any field (labeled 1–5, 10, R) and type your phrase.
3
Changes are saved automatically — no Save button needed. They persist across browser restarts.
4
While voting, click a numbered quick button above the Final Note field to instantly load that phrase.
☁️
Chrome SyncYour Frequently Used Comments and Preferences sync across all Chrome/Edge browsers where you're signed in with the same Google account.
09

Scratchpad

The Scratchpad is a free-form text area at the bottom of the sidebar. It is not included in the compiled output — it exists purely for your own notes.

Common uses:

  • Jot a quick impression before you've settled on scores
  • Paste image titles or entry numbers to compare across multiple photos
  • Keep a running shortlist of entries to revisit
  • Store a comment template to copy from
⚠️
NoteScratchpad content is not saved. It clears when the sidebar is closed or the browser is restarted.
10

Tips & Workflow

Suggested Voting Workflow

1
Open the DPC voting page and click the toolbar icon to open the sidebar.
2
If it's a Free Study challenge, check the Disable checkbox on the Challenge row now — before you start voting.
3
Study the photo carefully before touching the sidebar.
4
Rate each applicable criterion from top to bottom.
5
Add a brief note in the text field under any criterion that stands out.
6
Load a Final Note phrase with a quick button, or type a custom closing remark.
7
Click Compile, then Copy to Clipboard.
8
Paste into DPC, verify the score, and submit your vote.
9
Click Clear and move to the next photo.

Other Tips

  • Rate first, comment second. Set all numeric scores before typing notes. This ensures the auto-calc overall is settled before you start writing.
  • Set weights once, use them always. Your weights persist across sessions — configure them to match your judging philosophy and forget about them.
  • Disable Challenge at session start for Free Study. Clear won't reset it, so you only need to check it once per voting session.
  • Hover the criterion labels. Each label has a tooltip describing what it measures — useful if you're new to DPC judging standards.
  • Use the Disclaimer field for repeated caveats. If you always append a note about your judging style, put it in the Disclaimer box once and it auto-appends forever.
  • The Scratchpad is great for shortlisting. Paste photo IDs or titles while browsing to build a comparison list before voting.
  • Resize the sidebar as needed. Drag the left edge to give more room to the DPC page or the extension panel.
11

Troubleshooting

Sidebar icon doesn't appear in the toolbar
Click the puzzle-piece Extensions icon in Chrome and pin DPC Vote Helper from the list.
Sidebar opens but is very narrow
Drag the left edge of the sidebar panel to the left to widen it.
Compiled output area is empty after clicking Compile
Make sure at least one criterion is rated or one note field has text. If all fields are blank, there's nothing to compile.
Frequently Used Comments aren't saving between sessions
Check that Chrome sync is enabled: Settings → You and Google → Sync and Google services.
Overall score isn't auto-updating as I rate
Check that the Auto-calc Score checkbox is checked in the Preferences section at the top of the sidebar.
The Overall radio buttons look greyed out
When Auto-calc is on, the Overall row is intentionally read-only. The highlighted number is your auto-calculated score. To manually pick, uncheck Auto-calc Score.
Copy button doesn't seem to do anything
Click Compile Ratings & Comments first to populate the output area, then Copy.
Weight rows aren't appearing under the criteria
Click the Set Weights button to toggle the weight rows open. They're hidden by default to keep the UI compact.
Score badge is gold instead of blue — is something wrong?
Gold means Use Weights is checked and the score is a weighted average. Blue means plain average. Both are correct — the color just tells you which mode is active.
Overall shows "(4 categories)" in the compiled output
The Challenge row is disabled (Free Study mode). The overall is correctly averaged across the 4 remaining criteria. Uncheck Disable on the Challenge row to return to 5-category scoring.
I disabled Challenge but the score didn't change
If you hadn't rated Challenge before disabling it, the score won't change since it wasn't part of the calc. If you had rated it, the previous Challenge score is cleared on disable and the overall recalculates automatically.
12

Disclaimer

★ Independent Tool Notice This extension is an independent tool created to assist with the DPChallenge.com voting process. It is NOT part of, affiliated with, nor officially endorsed by the DPChallenge website or its staff. Use it at your own discretion.

The extension does not transmit any data to any server. All information entered remains in your browser. Frequently Used Comments and Preferences are stored locally in Chrome's sync storage and are accessible only to you.

Point B Web  ·  DPC Vote Helper v2.2  ·  Chrome / Edge Manifest V3