Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Lord ReDhAwK on March 01, 2009, 11:52:36 AM
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How to make squad nose-art…A Theory.
You are going to need 2 pieces of Software to complete this exercise. A raster graphic manipulation program (I use Photoshop) and an outside rastering indexer (I use Bright.) Some people will say this method has too many steps. Well, do it their way then :devil
The only things common between all nose-art submitted to HTC for approval are the size (64 x 64 pixels) and the transparent color (176-176-176.) Other people have had success using other colors as their background transparency layer. However, HTC says 176 is the transparency, so that is what we will be using in this example.
I will be starting the graphic at 256x256 pixels and then reduce it to the final output size of 64x64 at the end. So, lets begin…
In Photoshop, start a new graphic (size 256x256) on a white background. Go into your color picker and change the RGB values of the background color to 176-176-176 (yellow box in graphic.)
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/176screenshot.png)
You have now set your transparency layer. Everything else will be built on top of this layer.
Add a new layer. Start building your squad nose-art. I am going to make the nose-art for the AmazinHunks in this example. Use all the real estate you can in the graphic. Go to the very edges of the boundaries.
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/LayerScreenshot.png)
You can make your logo as complex or as simple as you like. But remember these few guidelines as a developer.
1. Use no more than 3 colors in your logo. Absolutely no more than 4 colors. Such a small output size (64x64) will not blend multiple colors well due to the pixelization.
2. A wider (or bold) font will reduce size better than a skinny font. Example would be that Arial Black looks far better at 64x64 than Arial plain (most of the time…YMMV.)
3. A 64x64 graphic will never look as good or crisp as a 256x256 graphic. Don’t even fool yourself otherwise. Understand when you’re done or you will go insane.
OK, you should now have a brand new, 256x256 graphic that will become your squad’s nose-art and it is on a 176-176-176 background.. Now lets get that puppy reduced. This is where you start finessing the graphic. Reduce the graphic size by ½. In Photoshop, click on Image/Image Size and type in 128x128, click OK.
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/128x128.png)
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/LayerScreenshot.png)
You will now see the graphic at ½ the size you started out at. If you are happy with the way it looks, then repeat the process but resize it to 64x64 (again, we reduce by ½ to maintain crispness.) If you are happy at this point, then you have a correctly sized graphic on HTCs allotted transparency. All we would need to do is index it. However, I have never had one reduce that simple…so lets troubleshoot the most common problems I run into.
1. Graphic is not crisp OR my Dog looks like a Bear :confused:
Sometimes when you reduce, you start losing crisp features. You can combat this (sometimes) by blurring your graphic in the step right before you reduce the size. In Photoshop, prior to reducing the size, click on Filter/Blur/Blur (adjust the blur in this menu to where you just start to fuzz the graphic a bit.)
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/128blurred.png)
Now reduce the graphic and see if it looks better.
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/64done.png)
If it does, then Eureka! If not, play with the settings in blur some more. Remember what I said about keeping your graphics simple. Now you see why.
2. I can’t read my lettering on my nose-art OR where’d my words go!?!
Remember when we talked about wider fonts reducing better than plain Jane ones? Exotic fonts, skinny fonts, ect. All reduce less effectively than a wider font will. That only makes sense really if you think about it. If your font “blows out”, try resizing the font to a larger size before reducing the overall graphic size. If this doesn’t work, try a wider font. I know you want your lettering completely legible for all to see in the game. However, Why? Look at the majority of the squad logos in the Squads folder in HTC's directory and few of the logos are “really” legible. Most sit right on the fringe of legible and your mind finishes the picture because you know who that squad is. So, get as close as you can but be prepared to accept less if needed. It’s a process.
Alright! Graphic is completed and we have what we want to make the noseart. Lets put this puppy in a format that HTC's engine will recognize. An 8bit, Indexed bitmap!
Most people just index right out of their rastering program. Not me though. I’m different! Honestly, most of the nose-art I help fix is because the native program the person originally used slightly changes the color output during indexing. If I use my own, external indexer, I never run into that problem. Do as you like, but this is my tutorial after all :cool:
Remember to save your original work in whatever format it is you are working in. In Photoshop, this will be a .PSD file. Once saved, you will now do a File/Save As and select Bitmap from the drop down list. Save using the default selections it gives you. Also, save it to a location you can find easily.
Now, Open up your second program, Bright. You can find a download for this program at www.simmerspaintshop.net (or .com or .org..whatever it is.) Once you have this folder open (it is really just an overworked batch file, not really a software program.) drop your new bitmap inside this folder. Once inside the folder, double-click the MS Dos Batch File (circled in yellow.)
(http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo93/lordredhawk/Bright.png)
This will automatically start the 8 bit conversion for your bitmap. Once the Batch has stopped working (a few seconds) you now have a properly formatted, 8bit indexed graphic to be used in the game. Rename the bitmap to the Commanders call-sign (redhawk.bmp) and that it!
Hope this helps you gents and ladies out. Here end'eth the lesson :aok
ReDhAwK
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Great work :aok
I'll just add that there is a new version of Bright (Brighter) with a GUI.
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Bah! Newfangled GUI technologies <hikes up pants>.
Thats the problem with the yung'ins today. Back when I was young, we had to press that clicker 5 times to get what we wanted. Nowadays, they just press it 2 times. They dont appreciate the clickers like we did in my day :D
Thanky Sir. I didnt know a new version was out.
ReDhAwK
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Wtg Red. Very nice, very nice!! Thanks for taking the time to enlighten us non-enlightened ones. :aok :aok
STICKY
:salute
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Great work RedHawk! :aok
Skuzzy could you please sticky this thread, ty.
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Worked to the 'T'! I used a different converter program to get it to 8bit though.
Thanks RedHawk!!!
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Outstanding Mathis. Glad it got ya there Sir =)
Thnky gents.
ReDhAwK
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Bump for sticky. :aok
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This needs stickied!
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Sticky + 1
awesome tutorial and thanks for the help
:salute
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GIMP allows you to do both tasks (image creation and indexing) in one software package, and its free.
May be worth a try for some of you that don't want to invest in Photoshop.
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GIMP allows you to do both tasks (image creation and indexing) in one software package, and its free.
"Most people just index right out of their rastering program. Not me though. I’m different! Honestly, most of the nose-art I help fix is because the native program the person originally used slightly changes the color output during indexing. If I use my own, external indexer, I never run into that problem"
ReDhAwK
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One Question ReD...
Can the Background be a transparent layer, or bring the opacity down, so that you do no see the grey color?
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Negative Mathis. Any manipulation of the gray color (dropping opacity and such) will change the 176 product. By default, a .bmp cannot have transparency, so a transparent background is a no-go. When saved as a .bmp it will auto-assign a white background in the conversion process. This is one of the reasons HTC assigned 176 as a transparent color.
ReDhAwK
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so what hes saying is by maintaining the 176 background color, when it gets in the game the game servers will see the 176 color and make it appear transparent in the game.
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so what hes saying is by maintaining the 176 background color, when it gets in the game the game servers will see the 176 color and make it appear transparent in the game.
I thought that too. So I went array somewhere then... I see the Grey Background in game :(
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Make sure you use 176,176,176 in the color.
You can also use 255, 255, 255 which is all white.
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I thought that too. So I went array somewhere then... I see the Grey Background in game :(
That where the trouble comes in. When you convert the picture down to 256 colors it will tweak it a bit off and it is no longer 176.
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Mathis. Use Bright to index. :furious
ReDhAwK
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Mathis. Use Bright to index. :furious
ReDhAwK
I used the search feature for the link you left, but couldn't find Bright...... Can someone get me a link to that please? I'll use that instead of the lame one I got
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Sent it to you via PM Mathis.
ReDhAwK
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Bump to Sticky :aok
Desiring opaque properties for nose art, I accidently saved a transparent file from gimp and to my amazement :O it worked when I checked it in online mode (manually changed the CO.bmp file in my squad folder). I believe that as stated in the tutorial, when submitted to HTC the grey frame would return and all the transparent properties would be lost.
I only mention this because my test for my nose art is usually to view it in online mode. :uhoh So, to ask the million dollar question, "Can any level of opacity be achieved in the current noseart?"
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Heya Chilli,
Unless Superfly or someone comes on and says otherwise, then to my knowledge, no opacity within the graphic itself other than the transparent (176,176,176) background color. The reason I say this is because native transparency (or alpha transparency) cannot be written within a bitmap format. There are formats that do support it (.gif, .png) but not bitmap. Bitmap extensions automatically assign white to any portion of a graphic you would have (alpha'd) transparent.
So in a nutshell. IMO, unless HTC accepted .gifs or .pngs, no opacity changes in the graphic can be reflected in the game. Thats why HTC gave us 176 in the beginning.
ReDhAwK
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Agreed. I discovered the opaque appearance by mistake. I am certain that when submitted it would not retain either the transparency or opacity.
So, another reason for this thread to be a sticky. Unless the proper file properties and colors are submitted, the results may be unexpected.
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Their servers recently crashed and they lost some stuff. That may be why bright is no longer available there.
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Where do you get photosho p do you download it from the iternet or buy it in a store?? :confused:
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You buy it. Keep in mind that any layering art program will work. I just happened to write the tutorial using Photoshop.
ReDhAwK
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The Bright plug-in is also available for
Paintshop Pro - a much cheaper program
than Photoshop.
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If you don't want to pay anything for a decent photo editor program - Gimp http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/ (http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/)
Plugins, addons, tutorials...all for free.
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for those less fortunate and low on funds......you can also use
Paint.net
it is similar to photoshop and paintshop pro and MS paint combined..........
it is freeware but it uses the .net framework that some people do not like ( search for posts by Skuzzy regarding some of the reasons )
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and Yes..... these should be a sticky Thread......very informative
Great job, RedReDhAwK :aok
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OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't there a way to do this with out all the techie crude. My word techies spend so much time trying to impress everyone with how smart they are! Just put it in English :x!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sorry it didnt meet your required level of comprehension Utah. I'll try to overlook the personal swipe you took at me "techies spend so much time trying to impress everyone with how smart they are." Never mind the hours of writing and graphic work I did to offer guidance on a question that basically came up every week in this forum. Write one up for us so it will be easier for us to follow :aok Maybe someone in the community is waiting for your insight on how to make troublefree noseart?
ReDhAwK
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Yea. What the heck is wrong with you Redhawk? :rolleyes:
We all appreciate your contribution to this community bro. :salute
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Sorry it didnt meet your required level of comprehension Utah. I'll try to overlook the personal swipe you took at me "techies spend so much time trying to impress everyone with how smart they are." Never mind the hours of writing and graphic work I did to offer guidance on a question that basically came up every week in this forum. Write one up for us so it will be easier for us to follow :aok Maybe someone in the community is waiting for your insight on how to make troublefree noseart?
ReDhAwK
WGUtah will have to spend some time "trying" to figure out how its done BEFORE he can do a simpler write up. I hope people can muddle through with yours until then ReDhAwK :D
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I cannot get Bright or another rasterizing program... My CS4 will not save the dang .BMP file in 8 depth!!! :headscratch:
Anyone got a link for Bright or something similar?
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GIMP?
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GIMP?
Can't stand that dang program for some reason... I suppose I could download, import and rasterize only. :(
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Can't stand that dang program for some reason... I suppose I could download, import and rasterize only. :(
I've never used PS or any of the other for-profit programs, but it has a ton of functionality. Ignorance could be bliss as far as that goes. It may be a little difficult to navigate through at times, but I love it, having figured out how to make it work for me.
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WHY DOES MY NOSE ART have a hole in it?