From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 27605 invoked by alias); 7 Aug 2004 19:07:39 -0000 Mailing-List: contact xconq7-help@sources.redhat.com; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Subscribe: List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: , Sender: xconq7-owner@sources.redhat.com Received: (qmail 27591 invoked from network); 7 Aug 2004 19:07:38 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO sccrmhc11.comcast.net) (204.127.202.55) by sourceware.org with SMTP; 7 Aug 2004 19:07:38 -0000 Received: from [192.168.181.128] (c-67-172-156-222.client.comcast.net[67.172.156.222]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc11) with ESMTP id <20040807190738011008jjsue>; Sat, 7 Aug 2004 19:07:38 +0000 Message-ID: <41152877.7020300@phy.cmich.edu> Date: Sat, 07 Aug 2004 22:15:00 -0000 From: Eric McDonald User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 0.7.1 (Windows/20040626) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: xconq7 Subject: Miniatures and Figurines as a Source for Xconq Images Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-SW-Source: 2004/txt/msg00847.txt.bz2 Hello Xconq Game Designers, I have been experimenting with the usage of casted, painted miniatures as a source for Xconq images. I have found that many of the Web sites hawking such wares will display decent images of them. Using GIMP (or probably any other decent image editor), one can trim out the backgrounds (which are typically either white, a display cloth, or a gaming scenario terrain or structure) and adjust the lighting contrasts. (GIMP has an intelligent scissors tool, which works pretty well if you give it enough points along the outer hull of the region of interest). I am still experimenting with color reductions, to make sure that too much detail doesn't get lost. I have just checked in an example, Braveheart, which came from an image of a figurine being sold by the Wee Tartan Shop. It looks okay at 64x64, but it seems too fuzzy to me at smaller scales. I think that if the image is posterized, has a more intelligent color reduction, or is further sharped, the details might stand out better. I do think that, at 64x64, most people should be able to tell that he has a targe on his left arm, and is in the process of whipping out a claymore from behind his back. The new GIF is 'images/wrekcreation.gif' and the IMF for it is 'lib/wreckreation.imf'. Anyway, I just thought I would mention this as some possibly useful information. Eric P.S. I am not sure what intellectual property law thinks about such derivative works, as the case may be. Probably it is best to attribute the original source in the IMF 'notes' property (something I have not yet done).