Games

[icycalm]

I picked the third one, thanks. Glad you gave priority to the new stuff instead of the touching up.

[ronan]

Okay, it seems I have found an option in Gimp that allows, after having edited a JPG, to save it using the same compression than in the original file. It should allow me in most cases to edit your JPGs without degrading the image quality when I save the file:

Concerning image quality and compression, I think there is some confusion. It is not very useful anymore, but you may read my comments if you like.

Oh and by the way, the header I make has the same quality as the original -- I didn't lower the quality at all.

If I compare the original Brik artwork and your header, I can see that the original was rotated and downscaled. It must therefore have a lower quality. Moreover, there must have been some further degradation when you saved the image as a JPG.

Finally, as far as I know none of these headers have been compressed. I at least didn't compress them -- I can't remember if you did, but I don't think so...

I only had decreased the file size of the Crysis header by saving it as a JPG. That is to say that I compressed it further. But you also saved the headers as JPGs, so that I do not know what you mean exactly.

All common image formats use some kind of compression. When you want to see or edit an image, the file is decompressed, and when you save the image, it is compressed again. The compression can be lossy (JPG) or lossless (PNG). One should be careful in the case of lossy compression, because the image quality usually decreases each time one saves the file.

[ronan]

[icycalm]

What I meant... was that when I mess around with a wallpaper in Microsoft Office Picture Manager, I do not press a "compress" button anywhere. I load the JPG wallpaper, mess around with it and turn it into a header, then click "save" and it automatically saves it in the same format as the original -- and, I am assuming, the same compression. So as far as I know, the headers I make with MS Office Picture Manager (i.e. most of the headers I make) have not been compressed beyond the compression of the original wallpaper.

At any rate, that really is the only program I know how to use that allows me to rotate by degress (Pixlr, for example, doesn't), and has the most accurate pixel-by-pixel cropping feature (which again Pixlr lacks), so that's all I can use. But I think that, even if I do indeed lose quality somewhere, it is not noticeable...

So I've uploaded all the new efforts, which look just great -- thank you. I think the collection is becoming respectable now... I've found a few more good wallpaper sites, so expect to see more soon.

[ronan]

Okay, I understand, now. In any case, all that matters is that you are able to make nice headers with this software.

Here are the two remaining requested modifications:

[icycalm]

Great, thank you. I made a few more today, and will be making a bunch more throughout the weekend probably.

[ronan]

I am trying to make some header as well, but it is not so easy to find proper material. Here is an attempt from a Strider Hiryu 2 artwork:

[icycalm]

Not good enough for the frontpage, I am afraid. Can you link the image you made it from? Perhaps I could suggest changes that would improve it.

This would be perfect:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/stri ... rider1.jpg

But unfortunately I can't seem to find it in appropriate resolution.

Or these:

http://media.photobucket.com/image/stri ... rider1.jpg
http://img2.ruliweb.com/img/img_link6/142/141072_7.jpg
http://www.gagagames.com.br/wp-content/ ... 02/fim.png

or best of all, perhaps, this (which actually is in a decent resolution, so perhaps you could do something with it):

http://www.demonslayer.com/wp-content/g ... ider14.jpg

[JoshF]

http://www.kawaiidream.net

This site is essential for high quality video game artwork. I think it'll give you more than enough header material. You will have to sign up to view the images though, which is why I can't link to anything specific.

[icycalm]

Well, I got an account, and after about twenty minutes of searching, I still haven't found anything. They have a lot of stuff to be sure, but it's mostly either character artwork or mid-resolution stuff, neither of which is useful. I don't doubt that there must be some useful material in there, but it will require a lot of searching to find it, so if you already know of some suitable pieces, or if you come across them in the future, link them here. And you can always download something and upload it with the forum's attachment function if all else fails.

[JoshF]

Alright, I'll try to upload a decent collection tomorrow.

[Recap]

http://ettugamer.com/gallery3/index.php/

[ronan]

Thanks for your suggestions. The original artwork was taken from this site.

Here are three more attempts:

[icycalm]

I will try the first and third one. As for the second one, be aware that symmetrical headers do not work, especially on the frontpage, so I can't use it.

[icycalm]

Okay, I am using them now, and at least the first one I am going to keep (perhaps also the third one, but I need to leave it on for a few days to make up my mind). If you could move the second one off center, perhaps I could use that too. Also, try making one as well out of the artwork I linked, if you find the time... I think it could be rather good.

[ronan]

Sure. Could you please help me by choosing your favorite among the following drafts?

[icycalm]

Tough choice. Let's go with the second one.

[icycalm]

My second choice would be the last one...

[ronan]

[icycalm]

I tried that a couple of times, but it didn't quite work, and I think it's because of the brownish background you used instead of the black with the red lines of the original. If you can just clear the text from the first two drafts you showed me, I'll try them on and tell you if we can use them.

Another thing I'd like to ask you, is to clear the Dualshock text from the Videogame Art image again (and the date stamp). You've already done this once, but for the header, not for the source image, so if you can take of that too that's be great.

I am kind of in a hurry for this last one, so if you can spare the time soon, I'd appreciate it...

[ronan]

My computer just died, so here is what I could do with Pixlr. I also removed the 2-pixel-high white line at the top.

And the same after a little denoising:

Let me know if you want another modification.

[icycalm]

What happened? Hard disk failure? Power supply? I have so much unbacked up precious stuff on my laptop right now that if it died I'd die with it.

Thanks for the clean up. I might need a little more touch up later, but I am not 100% sure yet, so I'll let you know when I make up my mind.

[ronan]

I do not know what happened. It starts normally but then after some seconds it forces me to restart. Well, it might be repairable, but since it is an old damaged laptop with a recent backup, I think I will just live and buy a new and better one.

Anyway, I am using my wife's laptop in the meantime, and I am installing Gimp right now. So just tell me if you wish some more touch up. I could clean the nails and the reflections on the buttons, for instance.

[icycalm]

I'll wait for the guy who's making the cover to get back to me with a draft, and then I'll let you know. I am only using half of the image anyway, and since it's such a low resolution, rough image, I am not too worried about imperfections. All my initial covers are going to be just decent, I am afraid, because I am not willing to invest a lot of time and money into them before the books have taken off and are paying for themselves. And then at some later time I'll release new editions that will be awesome in every way.

[icycalm]

Here's some more touch-up work, if you are up for it:

This is 336 pixels high instead of 335, so I need one pixel taken out of the top. And once that is done, you'll notice in the top left corner, exactly at the corner, a few greyish pixels that need to be removed. And, finally, the hand, which might be a little difficult...

And this needs the cropped text removed from the top (those two sets of black circles and the two red vertical lines). And also, to the right of the red vertical lines, exactly in the middle of the top edge of the image, there's a little grey thingy that needs to be deleted.