Graphic Communications Project #1

As you may recall from a previous post, I'm taking a class called Graphic Communications at school.  It's similar to Multimedia from last year but somehow different.  I've completed my first project.  The assignment was to make a CD cover for your favorite band.

Of course, I don't have a band or have ever purchased any music CDs so I got to make up my own.  I chose a fictional cover the Music Soundtrack for the new EXE game.  It might never happen but that's why people are creative, right?

There are a few things I'd like to change about it but wasn't allowed in the assignment.  First, 300x300 is too small for something like this.  I would have liked to work on a higher resolution or even vector-based like InDesign.  That's what they really use, I think.  Maybe I couldn't get the effects the way I'd want them to but it would be more multi-purpose.  But this works to get ideas out.  And I'm satisfied with my final product.

New hacking sub-guide

I've finished writing a new sub-guide for BN6 hacking.  I've been meaning to get it done because the information wasn't clear.  The guide is about creating your own custom cutscenes.  It shouldn't surprise you that it's all so fake.  The result is believable because I've been using it in The New Crisis all this time and I still have people thinking it's a permanent game-hack.

You can see the guide in TREZ's Sub Guides section.  You should be able to see it by simply registering.
See the guide!

I made a neat vector NDS cartridge using my resources.  For the example, I made up a cover for Megaman Star Force 3.

It's proportionally accurate to the real NDS cart and can be used for almost anything.  Of course, if you do'nt want that image and want to customize it, I have a template SVG you can download.

Download NDS Vector Template

Small TNC update

I just thought I should bring this up.  I'm making a small graphical change this time.  I'm using a new OK button.  Here is what the new one looks like:

It doesn't look like much but it's slightly based off the OK button used in the new EXE game.  It's probably going to be the only graphical influence I'll get.
But while I'm posting this, I think I never posted the full illustration of WaveMan's new look

I drew it on paper first.  After several drafts, I decided to use the one I'm posting.  There isn't much detail outside the region I used for the mugshot, but that was the point.

The detail below is terrible in my opinion but like I said, it's not important.  I have no reason to use this anymore, actually.

I had even made his icon in vector.

That's all I have.  Please be patient with the final episode.  I want to get started, too but I can't without the map editor.  I require it too early in.  I may record the first scene this week if there isn't enough progress on the program.

Finally, Fall TV

This is really the first time I've come to anticipate the fall TV season.  Before, I used to be all about mindless re-runs.  But now, I can finally enjoy watching TV like many other people.  I have my eyes on CBS this time.  These are the shows I'm looking forward to this week in the order that they appear.

Two and Half Men
CSI: Miami
CSI: New York
The Mentalist
CSI:
Cold Case

There may be more, but I'm enjoying those shows the most.  That's new to most people that know me.

I saw a lot of interesting things today

I think this is worth bringing up for once.  I usually go look at stuff at a local swap meet, but this time had more interesting stuff.

Aside from the attempted selling of family albums and books from the 1800s, one treasure caught my eye.  I saw a (faked) Confederate 500 dollar bill.  It looked really authentic.  It would have been the oldest piece there if it were real.  Also in the pile, school books from 1918.  I don't know how people sell that stuff.

In another pile, I saw a game cart for Sonic The Hedgehog.  It was the old carts for the Sega Genesis.  "16-bit high-definition graphics".  Doesn't sound much different from the claims made today.  What made it more interesting was that it said "Not for resale" on the cart.  I'm not the only one with it obviously.
This is the cartridge I saw.

I didn't get it because I don't have the system.  But it was an interesting find.
I also found another not for resale cart.  It was not for resale version of The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask.  This is the one I saw.

There is a rare silver version.  I wish I would have bought that one if I saw it.  It could be worth lots of money.  And on the topic of rare carts, another time I saw a probable pirate version of the Megaman Battle Network 6 game.  The title was there on the sticker, but the background was blue and it had a picture of Megaman on it.  I wonder if it was just a repacking.  Maybe I'll find more interesting things later.

And I did say I saw a lot of interesting things today.  When I got home, the largest branch on a tree near my house fell off.  And just suddenly.  Out of nowhere, half the tree is gone.  I took a picture as soon as I heard the loud cracking sound.

This is what it used to look like.  It's a picture taken by Google for use in Google Maps' street view.

Megaman Battle Network logo

Well I thought that since I was logo-happy recently, I should try to make a vector version of the Megaman Battle Network logo.  Logos for any game of the series is quite rare.  The TREZ Gallery has a nice collection of them.  What I have is an upscaled and editable version of the Battle Network 6 logo.  I liked the style more on that one.

This is the final product. (click for a bigger version)



And in case you don't want the 6 there, I exported a plain version, too.



I think it's so well made that I might use it or make something out of it someday.  Better than the outdated BN1 logo everybody keeps taking just because it's a sprite.  Speaking of which, here is a sprite version if for whatever reason you'd want one like that.



If you want to edit the logo directly, I've uploaded the SVG file for it.  Isn't it amazing?  I wish I had this option in the past.
Download Inkscape SVG file

Background Eraser Tool is awesome!

I've finally figured out how to use the background eraser tool in Photoshop.  I always ignored it but I was trying things out and I could finally do what I wanted: Cut out the ultra-high-res Megaman Star Force 3 logo from the background.  It works and it looks awesome.  I'm posting the high-res ones.  More reasonably-sized versions will be posted in the TREZ Gallery soon.

I can use these for a neat vector project I was working on.

Apparently the largest size can't be uploaded here.  I've packed these in their original resolution in a .7z file.  It's 30 MB.  I can hardly imagine anyone having any use for it but they are in good quality.

Download the high-res logos.

New Crisis spoilers

The final episode will be BIG!  There are lots of changes and surprising coming.  The first one I'd like to spoil is WaveMan's new form.  Somewhere along the script, he will change.  I might make the part come sooner.  Here is the new mugshot and overworld sprite I did today.

  

Tough stuff but I like how it came out.  Stick around for more updates.  I wish the map editor wasn't taking so long.  I could have started by now.

School Agendas

Earlier this week, all the students at school payed for their school agendas. From what I heard, not a lot of people like the design on the cover.

When I saw it, I decided to make my own version of it. I showed it to some students and got positive responses. It's too late to use it on the cover but I'll still paste it on my agenda.  There is my version of the Anaheim High School 09-10 Agenda.

Here is the old, current version. I mean, it had an interesting concept.  I would have done that, too if I had the images but I didn't.  The main problem with this, graphically is that the images are low quality and poorly cut.  I don't mind too much about the title at the top but it could have been better.  But what bothered people the most was that the school banner (which could have easily been made on a computer instead of taking a picture of words) can't be fully read..  The fountain, which looks terribly cut, stands out as odd in terms of scale compared to the rest of the images.  Plus, the fountain doesn't even looks like that anymore.  And one last thing is the mock announcement banner in the middle.  It could have looked better if they used a sans-serif font like Helvetica (because the real one uses it) with a black color.  More real-looking and less - fake.

Mine is readable, more eye-appealing and looks more professional.  I hope I can present my graphics to the school in other ways in the future.

Beach Day 2

I never said anything about the first beach day but the second time was really different. It's the labor day weekend and as expected, the streets were PACKED! No parking anywhere for over an hour! Finally at around 4, we found parking and stayed for about an hour. I went to Huntington Beach, the local beach of my county. I liked this time more because the water was better. I thought it would be really cold but it was actually nice and warm.

During the trip, I enjoyed the sights. I even took some pictures. The streets and views of Huntington Beach.

New Crisis Script finished

As of now, I have finished writing the script for the final episode of The New Crisis. It's coming along well and it seems like it will be a very long episode with very elaborate scenes. Custom maps WILL be in this episode no matter what. Contest winners will get their Navis featured in the episode and a Navi from a past contest will make a surprise return.

I'm don't want to spoil too much but two things: Doors get a mugshot, and look back at the contest banner. I hid something there.
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My first Inkscape tutorial

I've finally written down my technique with Inkscape in the form of a tutorial. It covers how to make anime-styled cel-shaded effects. I wish I could post it here but it would require too many code conversions to show here and I rely on the sizable image tag used in Zetaboards. Check out the tutorial at TREZ. If you can't see it, register an account and you're ready to go!

See tutorial.

Also, I made a mock battle card with it.