61 replies to this topic

[billlpa]

Works for me. Hopefully we can find a better image to trace off of

[wtiger]

I've got some nice images of a stripped playfield for Strange Science. I'd be more than happy to post them. There are three images (top, middle, bottom) each 1600 x 1200 that make up the full playfield. If you are interested, do you want the individual images so you can play around with Photoshop and Photomerge or try to piece them together a different way? I can also provide you a complete playfield image that needs to be perspective corrected, or a final corrected image (I actually already made it and it comes out to 1687 x 3600). Let me know.

Here's a blackglass image for you 1574 x 1467:

Attached Files

•  StrangeScienceBackbox.jpg   303.69KB   28 downloads

Edited by wtiger, 18 April 2009 - 07:59 PM.

[ynneBBenny]

I've got some nice images of a stripped playfield for Strange Science.

Ha...is there any images you dont have ?!
That would be great Tiger.

Incidentally, do you upload your pictures to the pinball database?

[sikarkades]

I don't want to sound dumb, but is there a specific resolution we should be shooting for on the backglass for a final size? I just want the aspect ratio to be correct. What file extension works best? Jpeg? Psd? Do we want to do 320 dpi? Or higher? Just wondering so we are all on the same page.

Thanks
Rich

[sikarkades]

Here is a version of the backglass I have fixed the skewing on, the upper left hand corner will just need the black extended all the way to the edge. Figured someone could use it as well.

Attached Files

•  StrangeScienceBackbox_straight.jpg   1020.1KB   36 downloads

[wtiger]

Ha...is there any images you dont have ?!
That would be great Tiger.

Incidentally, do you upload your pictures to the pinball database?

So, for your playfield image, I zipped up the original three images, the photomerged one, and the perspective corrected one. Download from here (4mb):

http://www.savefile.com/files/2081675

There are quite a few machines I don't have good pictures for. I am at the mercy of what other people post on the internet. None of the pictures are my own (other than those that I've used Photoshop to photomerge together and fix, or straighten). As for the pinball database, I've only posted a few a long time ago. If you'd like to post any of the ones I've uploaded here, you are more than welcome to. I do not want or need any credit for them.

[wtiger]

Here is a version of the backglass I have fixed the skewing on, the upper left hand corner will just need the black extended all the way to the edge. Figured someone could use it as well.

There is also a nasty camera flash in the "E" of SCIENCE, and an orange something in the upper left above Bally Midway.

[StevOz]

Calling StevOz! StevOz are you in the building?

Gidday, yes I'm here, though I really don't think I can help a lot with the recreation of a vpinmame machine, never delved into VPM scripting much and don't have the graphics skills to do any of them justice. Also it's just got no appeal to me, I just don't see the point in recreating the wheel, when it's already been done with near on all 80's pinballs already very well recreated, we would be hard pressed to make any improvements on many of them.

If any are interested in an original table, then I can help, I can show you how to script stuff, use the editor and various other VP techniques, like animated spot targets, pop bumpers and stuff like that. Also how to gather resources for a table, extracting sounds from various other sources using M1 (MAME based sound extraction tool), MFME (Multiple Fruit Machine Emulator), Winamp + SNES plugin + LAME MP3 Writer plugin. As well as some graphics techniques to force VP to render stuff with greater clarity and using the VP editor to create graphics layers without the need of advanced graphics skills.

So if you need help to create an original table, then I'd say I can help, first tip when you start creating your layout delete everything, the default table layout is not really very good.

[unclewilly]

Gidday, yes I'm here, though I really don't think I can help a lot with the recreation of a vpinmame machine, never delved into VPM scripting much and don't have the graphics skills to do any of them justice. Also it's just got no appeal to me, I just don't see the point in recreating the wheel, when it's already been done with near on all 80's pinballs already very well recreated, we would be hard pressed to make any improvements on many of them.

If any are interested in an original table, then I can help, I can show you how to script stuff, use the editor and various other VP techniques, like animated spot targets, pop bumpers and stuff like that. Also how to gather resources for a table, extracting sounds from various other sources using M1 (MAME based sound extraction tool), MFME (Multiple Fruit Machine Emulator), Winamp + SNES plugin + LAME MP3 Writer plugin. As well as some graphics techniques to force VP to render stuff with greater clarity and using the VP editor to create graphics layers without the need of advanced graphics skills.

So if you need help to create an original table, then I'd say I can help, first tip when you start creating your layout delete everything, the default table layout is not really very good.

I'd really like to know how to do the animated spot targets
And the drop wall bumper rings if you know how that is done?

[StevOz]

I'd really like to know how to do the animated spot targets
And the drop wall bumper rings if you know how that is done?

OK, I know how to do those, so I'll start a thread on the building of these and have a go at explaining how it works and is scripted.

[unclewilly]

thanks Steve

[ynneBBenny]

Here is another tutorial made by our favorite Mr Scapino http://www.scapinosv...anupScapino.avi

[Clean Richards]

Hmmm, perhaps there should be another workshop for original tables. This doesn't seem like an 80's table workshop anymore. If all the 80's tables are recreated already then I guess there's not much point in learning how to build them. My thinking has been that there always seems to be an author who comes along and improves tables somehow. Maybe with the VP program development near the end of the line there's no way to improve the tables already done? I guess my question would be: are there still very many tables that haven't been recreated yet and from which era are they from? Maybe this format with breaking down learning groups in era's is not the way to go? It also seems that some of the mentors don't know how to make VPM tables. Noah, did you talk to these guys before you made them mentors?

[Noah Fentz]

Of course. The sign up topic was for either students or mentors.

There are PLENTY of 80's tables that need work. If Steve isn't interested in heading up this workshop, I can. I can set him up with an original workshop, instead.

Steve?

[wtiger]

Was the indent of these workshops (this one and the others) to improve on existing tables? I thought it was to help other members learn to build a VPM table. My feeling is that it doesn't matter if there is already a VPM table for "X" pinball machine, the idea is to help and show others how the process is done. Hopefully this will then lead to some of the ones that haven't been created to be created (provided there are adequate resources of pictures).

[Noah Fentz]

The intent is to teach, most definitely, but the consensus I was sensing was, "Why do a table that needs it?"

Everything should be done from the ground up, though. Not a simple mod job.

I thought this was a good direction to go.

[Clean Richards]

OK that sounds good. No disrespect to Steve or anything, I think it's great that he is willing to step up and teach his techniques on creating original tables. I have some interest in making some of those as well. On a side note, I'm in the process of moving so I may have a period of down time from the Internet sometime in the near future. Hopefully it won't be very long but I wanted to let people know so they don't think I just disappeared.

[BadBoyBill]

Hi I just joined this group, I feel that even if we create a table thats already been done, it can still be a good learning experience, it can be a good chance to put some good artwork guru's like billpa and myself to work for improved graphics, and it might be nice to even have a reference to techniques used on the existing table for educational purposes. Can't wait to get started, and Im glad wtiger is willing to go and get higher quality closeups of the tables.

Edited by BadBoyBill, 20 April 2009 - 12:07 PM.

[billlpa]

Been quiet here for awhile. I have been working on the BB when I have had some free time. It's still really rough...right now what you see (on the left) is a combination of hand drawn in Illustrator and auto-tracing in Vector Magic. Some of the Vector Magic stuff works, a lot doesn't. So I have to retrace the stuff that doesn't work. Some of my priorities right now are to start/finish the 3D effect in Science, finish the scoreboard, remove some of the banding and replace with smooth gradients, and go around and redraw smaller parts like the light bulbs, the high voltage sign, etc. I also included the original image on the right for comparison.

[destruk]

To learn how to build a table, if it's a recreation, most of the time you might not want to do one that hasn't been done before. Some stuff can be quite frustrating and time consuming to figure out. If you want to do one that hasn't been done, there are some easy ones left to do - like 301/BullsEye - there are manuals and schematics and pictures on ipdb.org which is about all you'd need to do it with if you want to do something fresh. The number of 'yet to be done' easy starter tables is quite small. With a game that has been done already you at least have some base of reference to jump off a bridge from.