21 replies to this topic

[Lobotomy]

Hey everyone!

Beeing in the scene a few years on and off, even trying to understand the complexity of table making (and giving up) I have finally (??) found my call in the virtual pinball world to finally be able to give something back!

I want to.... be a dB2S designer! *yay*, or atleast i think so

But.... there is one problem, i don't know where to start
Don't get me wrong here, but some of the dB2S backglasses are "horrible", they work fine, but the graphics makes my OCD twist and turn in pain.
I have worked with photoshop/illustrator 10+ years before i changed my working career so i got skills in that area, but i haven't been into coding since the AMOS days on the Amiga (don't even want to count how many years ago that is )

Where do I start? Are there any tutorials out there? or do i have to learn the hard way?
Or are there "mod" possibilities? I was thinking if I ask the maker of the backglass to get permission to mod it with better graphics when "programming" bit is over .

So many questions, so little time.

Gimme some pointers where/how to start, and i'll try to learn something =)

Thanks!
 

[tttttwii]

Just use the help function in the B2S designer. It is excellent and it uses an example where a backglass is designed from scratch. With this tutorial and your photoshop skills it should be no problem.

[Lobotomy]

Just use the help function in the B2S designer. It is excellent and it uses an example where a backglass is designed from scratch. With this tutorial and your photoshop skills it should be no problem.

Thanks! I never use F1 in any programs , wasn't aware how in depth this designer is, been reading a few minutes now and i just want to put the kids to bed right away (3 hous left)!!.
Will start my first project tonight!

Thanks again tttttwii! =)

[Piggei]

Hi. the best way to learn how to create B2S is read the manual of the editor, is done well, and try to import other B2S to understand how they were made.

 

Many times the problem is that the backglasses were photographed, so they may appear annoying flashes or lights. I'm not a graphic designer, so I can not improve these images. Many times I am looking for and use the best one.

 

Another problem is finding the correct placement of lights and flashes, if you want to create an authentic backglass. Manuals often do not help you, you need to find pictures of pinball disassembled or search on youtube.

 

To make a B2S usually these are the steps:

• Create the project
• Add images
• Add reels if needed
• Add GI
• Add flashes
• Test, test, and test again!

Good work!

[Lobotomy]

Hey Piggei!

Yeah i know the resources are tough to get without annoying lighteffects and so on :/, Thats why i was thinking that maybe i can repaint some of them to get a cleaner look of them.
I tried to import your Rocky and Bullwinkle to the designer now, and it worked , i thought they were like compiled or something, now i can read the manual AND try to figure out how it's made...
Oooh, and R&B has a cool backglass with moving object(s), thats what im looking for, not just to add lights behind an image, but a bit of a challenge too, maybe i'll play around with that one
(I will ofcourse not release anything that isn't mine from the beginning)

Thanks for the pointers to the right direction =)

[Lobotomy]

Don't know where to post this, so i guess i'll just keep using this thread

I've been messing Dozer316 and we have decided to try and work together on a few dB2S backglasses, but now i need some help, on a design i'm working on.
Like i mentioned it's Rocky And bullwinkle (and a lot of their friends) backglass i wanted to try to make a little better.
Don't know if you guys seen the "real" backglass, but its a glass, and then the mechanics is behind the glass (with a cutout).
Anyway, i want to try to make the backglasses as good looking as i can, but now i'm caught between good looking, and realism
Here, two screenshots from my new glass art im working on;
https://www.dropbox....ass_plastic.png <-- "realism", with a plastic glass (a little scratched and worn, too bad this backglass is not in mint condition )

And the other, without the plastic infront of it:
https://www.dropbox....s_noplastic.png

Those are the ones with the drapes brightened by the lamps, otherwise when the hat is not pulled it will look like theese:

https://www.dropbox....lastic_dark.png
https://www.dropbox....lastic_dark.png

ARGH!
Perhaps i should just let it go
Gimme feedback! (Good or bad)

[gStAv]

Nice work Lobotomy! I'd say that the realismtic plastic window is better.

Thinks it's a bit too crispy with the windows removed.

Also like the scrated worn look of it, (just like my face)  Keep it up pal!

[tttttwii]

Good work! I like the version without the window more. You can watch better the hat trick and are not distracted by a blurry window with scatches. Nice job.

[Lobotomy]

I have done a version without scratches on the plastic too before i added the scratches...
The scratches add a little more to the depth feeling, and i feel that the gfx might be too crisp without it , oohwell maybe a dropdown like fantasy/original to add remobe the glass .
I'll talk to Dozer when he gets back home after new year on how to solve it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Herweh]

Both samples are looking awesome. Maybe do both versions in a one backglass ("Dual backglass" in the settings) with the Authentic/Fantasy option.

[zany]

Lobotomy......looks awesome....keep up the good work man!

[mfuegemann]

Hi Lobotomy,

 

this is awesome! The sources availiable were so thin, I did not expect a backglass of this quality. I am also torn between the two varieties. Please release both of them or one that changes with every launch or so...

 

Regards

Michael

[Dozer316]

I think we'll run with Herweh's suggestion of incorporating them into a dual mode backglass.  Great work Lobotomy, it's going to be nice to update this one with nicer graphics.   As Michael said, it was hard to do and the source art for R&B was very thin.

[Lobotomy]

Glad you guys like it, I myself is loving that i finally can give atleast something back, and i KNOW the resources to this table are rare, but i managed to skew some pictures and retraced them to be somewhat straight (even took a few screenshot from a youtube video to get the sizes right, hehe).
Dual mode will be cool!, and i think the fact that the rest of the backglass is unlit makes a big differance too, the focus is on the hat-trick area at the moment since the rest of the picture is kinda "lifeless", but it will be fun to see the results when the lamps do their magic!

*now back to PS and try to fix that last animal, the bunny*

[R-DuB]

I have no problem giving you a helping hand if you decide to make this with the animation working.

I have made a few and am familiar with what you will need to do, but looking for what triggers that animation is key to getting this working.   

[faralos]

backglass sites:

https://www.mediafir...v40/backglasses

http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl

at the ipdb type in the pin name you want chances are they'll most likely have an image of a back glass or two

 also 'googling' backglasses for a particular pin may turn up pics of them too

[32assassin]

do you still need a back-glass image  to practice with

 

you can update this UVP file with a not so good quality image

 Empire Strikes Back (Hankin 1980).jpg   135.93KB   7 downloads

 

 

I download the png file from the future pinball backglass video

http://www.vpforums....s&showfile=8057

 

and rebuilt the image, I made it more authentic with the company logo and copyright letters at the bottom

 Empire Strikes Back, The (Hankin).png   454.28KB   7 downloads

 

 

I have the PSD file,  most of the elements are in layers for illumination snippits

 Empire Strikes Back (Hankin 1980).f4v_snapshot_00.03_2013.12.31_02.36.jpg   79.51KB   8 downloads

Edited by 32assassin, 02 January 2014 - 08:16 AM.

[dboyrecords]

I've got 150+ static DB2S that I'll be uploading soon with permission (and hope) that others will mod.


Francisco666 already gave me permission to use ESB and a few others, fyi...

[arngrim]

150 

[dboyrecords]

Yeah, got a little obsessed last month rotating tables etc... couldn't stand all those vpm tables sitting around not being playable (as a 2 screener in my cab)

They're nothing fancy but nicer than what I had, which was none

Will share soon!!!