21 replies to this topic

[bigraceusa]

Hi all,

there are many nice tables, but there was a problem too - without very good photos you can't make great textures for your pinball.
One of my favorite is Safari Bally 1968 - this here: http://www.pinsimdb....bles/199-safari

It is a great table, but when you look near, you see, that the textures are not so good. And I see it
That's why I test something to clean up. I don't like the "JPG-artefacts" - tga is my file. Will try jpg too, but only with 100% quality.

But you can clean up, what's not in the original - realy? I can try it. For this I buy me a A4 (here in Germany it is a sheet of paper size) Wacom Intuos 2 graphic tablet.
With GIMP and this tablet I make this in some hours, it's only one part but it's my first try out with the wacom and I find it awesome. What do you think? And the most importend thing - can I upload the cleanup image on imageshack and all they want can download and reimport it in Future Pinball? Or is that forbidden without the OK of the table author?

Here is the piece I work since some hours now - it is finished for me:

Edited by bigraceusa, 06 January 2011 - 01:07 AM.

[Rawd]

Wow. I think it looks great! I think oooPlayer1ooo also uses some sort of a tablet for his re-draws. I am not sure about the rules on that, but I think it should be fine to upload texture packs for tables (Can anyone clarify?). It might be better to get permission from the author, and then maybe he will update it with your new textures. Nice work.

[bigraceusa]

Wow. I think it looks great! I think oooPlayer1ooo also uses some sort of a tablet for his re-draws. I am not sure about the rules on that, but I think it should be fine to upload texture packs for tables (Can anyone clarify?). It might be better to get permission from the author, and then maybe he will update it with your new textures. Nice work.

@Rawd,
I'm big about your friendly words. That is a great thing to clean the second part the "tiger" on the right side of the table.


I never was good in drawing at school. My little daughter become a cheap wacom with a litle game - that was the key for me. I try it out with a mouse, but I think you only have with a graphic tablet is you can paint like real painting tools.

It is only one part, when it is complete finished I will contact the table author of course, because I have realy big respect of her work.
I only ask this question, because it is only a part of a table, the second point is - what can I do, when I
-don't become a answer
-don't become permission...

I don't want to do bad thinks, I only want to do the same as the table author do:
Give my work to all they want to use it. I can't think other things - because I'm a Linux, GIMP etc. user - for this great people I realy like to make some donate with PayPal
"by the way I work enough last time (x-mas, new year (night) etc. - must give some of my money after so many tables I download from FPRelease - It is time"

EDIT:
For only this table Leon Spalding is the table author - he is member of http://www.irpinball.org/
Popotte is it too - and I realy love popotte's tables. I will try to write a e-mail at this early stage.

The e-mail is on the way. Hope some of the IR-Pinball user read this or the e-mail and can answer it.

Edited by bigraceusa, 06 January 2011 - 01:48 AM.

[faralos]

we can't and won't take any money from any peers for any work we do in the vp editors. after all this is a hobby NOT a paid profession! and much of it is copyrighted material. to accept any sort of payment is breaking copyright laws (we can use copyrighted materials only if we try not to make any kind of profit from it) so if you want to make a donation give to this site. join up as a gold member! buy something from the online store, but never make offers of payment as we will just refuse anyways...
as for asking permission you must give one month on a post to look for any table authors, try over at PN too since many people there do NOT visit here and vise versa. (Pn is Pinball Nirvana.com)

[Rawd]

we can't and won't take any money from any peers for any work we do in the vp editors. after all this is a hobby NOT a paid profession! and much of it is copyrighted material. to accept any sort of payment is breaking copyright laws (we can use copyrighted materials only if we try not to make any kind of profit from it) so if you want to make a donation give to this site. join up as a gold member! buy something from the online store, but never make offers of payment as we will just refuse anyways...
as for asking permission you must give one month on a post to look for any table authors, try over at PN too since many people there do NOT visit here and vise versa. (Pn is Pinball Nirvana.com)

Donations are fine Faralos. I have made donations to a few authors in the past.

Edited by Rawd, 06 January 2011 - 02:55 AM.

[bodydump]

Yep, wacom's are awesome. I have an intuos 4 and the addition of the touch ring is awesome. Tablets make things go way faster and feel more natural (read: less carpel tunnel). Of course mine's not as sweet as Player1's Cintiq...that thing is the sh!t.

[bigraceusa]

we can't and won't take any money from any peers for any work we do in the vp editors. after all this is a hobby NOT a paid profession! and much of it is copyrighted material. to accept any sort of payment is breaking copyright laws (we can use copyrighted materials only if we try not to make any kind of profit from it) so if you want to make a donation give to this site. join up as a gold member! buy something from the online store, but never make offers of payment as we will just refuse anyways...
as for asking permission you must give one month on a post to look for any table authors, try over at PN too since many people there do NOT visit here and vise versa. (Pn is Pinball Nirvana.com)

I think we want to say the same.

When I say "donations" I mean - be a gold member here - be a "gold member" in Hyperpin-Forum - make a donation for server costs to fprelease etc.
In the last time I make donations for:
-the gimp
-ubuntu
-RAWtherapie
-openoffice
-FuturePinball

The next is fprelease.org "You can help us with server hosting" - that's what I want to do - not more...
I think now is clear, what I want to say. Give money to great projects...

Pinball-Nirvana - yes, I know this site - I don´ t want to be a new member there too. Be in hyperpin-forum a little bit and have my home for pinball here - be not here any day - only (of course) when I find a new thing like for example my try outs with the wacom tablett.
I'm more a "player" as a table author - the cleaning up images, make it for me possible to play tables that I don't use before (I have sort it - tables with good and bad grafics), because I don't like some of the textures.
Not all can make 5-stars tables... without very good photos it's a hard thing.
The wacom is the way for me to make a 2-star table (for me) to a 5-star table.

That's what I want - and of course make my work for all possible to use it (make it just for fun)

[EalaDubhSidhe]

I'm still using the same Intuos 2 held together with duct tape that I bought in 2003, it still works and still gets the job done.

[BibleTalker]

Here is the piece I work since some hours now - it is finished for me:


Way Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BT

[faralos]

ok maybe it's just a personal thing then, but I would never accept any sort of payment for what i consider an unpaid hobby! as high as my bills are and as much as I need money now (am out of work on workers comp again at 60% of my pay!) I won't ever accept money for a table or for helping anyone here. If by chance anyone ever did pay me, I would feel bad and would donate it to this site anyhow. VP is a hobby for me, nothing more, my friends and cousins all suggested (when I first told then I built tables) that I should try to sell them! I told them that as much as some of us may want to, we can't since the vp editor is open source and is a freeware product. anything made with it cannot be sold EVER! So, for me I just plod along making them for free...accepting nothing but friendly 'comments' about my table coding expertise (or lack thereof!!)

Edited by faralos, 06 January 2011 - 02:50 PM.

[Popotte]

...
It is a great table, but when you look near, you see, that the textures are not so good. And I see it
That's why I test something to clean up. I don't like the "JPG-artefacts" - tga is my file. Will try jpg too, but only with 100% quality.

If you redraw all the table with a big size and resize it in high quality .jpg, you don't have artefacts.

But you can clean up, what's not in the original - realy? I can try it. For this I buy me a A4 (here in Germany it is a sheet of paper size) Wacom Intuos 2 graphic tablet.

You make me a jalous guy...

With GIMP and this tablet I make this in some hours, it's only one part but it's my first try out with the wacom and I find it awesome. What do you think? And the most importend thing - can I upload the cleanup image on imageshack and all they want can download and reimport it in Future Pinball? Or is that forbidden without the OK of the table author?

For me, it's not the good way. If you use a pre existing redraw, you have to ask for permission. If you use personnal pics to redraw a PF, plastics, ... you don't have... But, unfortunately, if you redraw a PF with your pics you have 99% of chance it don't feet the table you want to "customize"... When I start a table, I built 3-4 start PF with the same pics and the result is really not the same... Then, I choose the better (for me) and I redraw all.
For your information, you really make the plastic better in one way, but in an other way, it's not the real plastic as you correct an pic with artefact, so you loose some details.
The best solution: go in all the show you can, try to know collectors, and take a lot of pics... My first tables were made with only IPDB pics... Now, I take pics only in show or at collectors's home or some nice guys send me pics of their pinballs.
Now, I think I have to reply to your PM...

[bigraceusa]

I have only the "internet" for resources.
It is not possible for me, to go on a show or other things.

No problem at all - I will build to a finish - show it here and ask one time the author of the table.
Don't want a "bigraceusa" table-mod - I only want to clean up grafics. Not more...
I resize every table in the FP-editor before I say "it's playable" - I show it here: http://www.vpforums....?showtopic=6639

I think I will do the same with the "WACOM-mod" - we will see.
- show here only what is possible
- to say "hey people" you have the chance to play with more fun
- with only some easy changes and a little bit time.

The only thing, you must do it by yourself.

Edited by bigraceusa, 07 January 2011 - 10:08 PM.

[bigraceusa]

Question is it allowed for all?

It is our policy that all MODs require permission from the original author or authorized maintainer.

Without such permission, no MOD is permitted, but graphic packs containing only images that can be imported by the users themselves is allowed.

I only want to do this - only upload the the redrawed images.

Is it allowed for me or do I need the OK from the table author?
and
the 2. question - can I post a link here in this threat when it is finshed?

Edited by bigraceusa, 08 January 2011 - 02:50 PM.

[Rawd]

Question is it allowed for all?

It is our policy that all MODs require permission from the original author or authorized maintainer.

Without such permission, no MOD is permitted, but graphic packs containing only images that can be imported by the users themselves is allowed.

I only want to do this - only upload the the redrawed images.

Is it allowed for me or do I need the OK from the table author?
and
the 2. question - can I post a link here in this threat when it is finshed?

If that is a post from Noah, then it looks like that is fine.

Still, I would try to get the authors approval, so that your textures might be added in an official update. It's up to you.

[bigraceusa]

A little update:


It takes 3 hours do this and it not finished

And a little video what I do in detail, watch it highest window size -
Try this with your mouse
Why I don't use a wacom before this year? It is so much easier to work with grafic programms like GIMP.

[Bob5453]

It takes 3 hours do this and it not finished

Cool, I have a Wacom Intuos3, but I don't have the patience to spend 3 hours on a such a small section of art. They are great for graphic work, I don't think I would ever want to use a mouse again. Mine is 8 x 6 inches. Perfect for VP.

[EDIT] I just watched your video, I have an old version of PhotoShop6, I would zoom in to about 600% and could paint that area in a fraction of the time you are doing it in. I'm still not that patient to do a whole playfield.

Edited by Bob5453, 11 January 2011 - 02:25 AM.

[oooPLAYER1ooo]

Ya wacom's are the best !
I am lucky cause I own a 21" Cintiq,
it is the nicest thing I have ever used for artwork but did come at a price

[kruge99]

A little update:

It takes 3 hours do this and it not finished

And a little video what I do in detail, watch it highest window size -
Try this with your mouse
Why I don't use a wacom before this year? It is so much easier to work with grafic programms like GIMP.

Here's a couple tips:

-instead of editing the image directly, save your work to a .PSD photoshop file which allows you to use layers. GIMP can make a photoshop compatible file in case you decide to upgrade in the future.
-make a new layer above the bitmap and draw your changes on the new layer
-use the "lasso" tool to draw a selection box around the area you intend to paint over, this way your paint stokes stay inside the selection "box" and you don't paint in areas that you don't want to. (side benefit is if you make a mistake it's a lot easier to undo the mistake.)
-once you are done your editing, use the "Save As..." command and choose to export the image to a bitmap @ 24bit color (if prompted, make sure to combine the layers too because the .bmp file format does not support layers.)


Best Regards,
Todd.

Edited by kruge99, 11 January 2011 - 01:48 PM.

[settingsons]

Anyone know what happened to BigRaceUSA? He was doing a great clean up on some EM tables, but I didn't see anymore after this. Also his Youtube videos have all been deleted.

[faralos]

no offense, but i can do the same thing also with Gimp2 with my mouse in under an hour! three huh? why so many" just paint the outer area a lighter color (like the purple you used) then dodge it highlighting at around 20-30% with 'Fade' and 'Jitter" (at 40 or so), it'll come out the same way!
with Gimp when saving, it will ask you, choose 'export' then 'merge' then 'save' you must choose at the bottom, too which format you want otherwise it will default it to a 'PNG' file.

Edited by faralos, 09 March 2011 - 10:40 PM.