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Mental2k
October 3rd, 2004, 06:36
Some of the more observant forumites, may have noticed that there has been a shift in the homebrew scene, a shift to be more grown up. The Scene is evolving, into Dreamcast Independant Software. We even have our own ratings board now. So what we need is a logo and a template for covers. *Post thine ideas here.

DCDayDreamer
October 3rd, 2004, 06:47
Just changed the topic title a little and made this sticky.

As Mental2k stated - we need a cover template!.

We'd like to have a standard cover template that would be used throughout the DC community for promoting all the independant software out there.

A logo for the cover is also requested, replacing the current ones used (which are licenced by SEGA), so please no 'SEGA' and no swirl on the cover template, although we could come up with an alternative swirl design I'm sure ;).

Good Luck!

Mental2k
October 3rd, 2004, 09:16
Here's a little idea I had, for the DIS logo.

quzar
October 3rd, 2004, 10:29
I think an interesting logo would have a D that is similar to the Dreamcast font that was used for Dreamcast on the main logo, the I should be a lower case i like a DC swirl for a dot, and the S a sega styled font. I ain't good with that stuff, but if anyone can do it, i think it might look spiffy =)

Eric
October 3rd, 2004, 11:48
I wouldnt use copyrighted material though i think its quite neat when people can make there own creations for the dreamcast and it doesnt use copyrighted material just shows how creative that person is

VampiricS
October 3rd, 2004, 14:50
I think an interesting logo would have a D that is similar to the Dreamcast font that was used for Dreamcast on the main logo, the I should be a lower case i like a DC swirl for a dot, and the S a sega styled font. I ain't good with that stuff, but if anyone can do it, i think it might look spiffy =)

Well doing that idea will still have the problem of using the dc swirl, even if it's for a dot on the 'i', and using the SEGA font is still like using their copyright probably. Not that i care about it that much, since everyone is using copyrighted material since the start anyway, beats of rage and mods are one of the best exemple of it, and not many are complaining about it.

Another thing is that personally, i could agree with the copyright stuff if it'sonly about 'homebrew' or 'Independant' software that are being sold, n that case yeah having all original stuff might be needed, but for freeware stuff we shouldn't care that much. i could talk about that matter even more but it will probably turn in the usual flame war, so i end it right here.

DCDayDreamer
October 3rd, 2004, 15:22
I agree totally with what you're saying VampiricS, if you look at a post I made within another topic you'll see 'does it matter' in there, but this is a chance for a non coder to contribute something. If people don't want to use the template that's the choice they have, it would be nice to have a 'homebrew template' though.

Don't worry, if the flame war begins, I've got a huge extinguisher at the ready ;).

Mental2k
October 3rd, 2004, 16:40
yeah the reason i chose that font was cause it was reminiscent of the Sega font, while being nothin like it. I think we could use a similar font to the DC one, but I think one of the great things about the DIS is that we're sort of distancing ourselves from the official. So something reminiscent, without actually being the same. If you get what I mean.

Meta your idea sounds good!

curt_grymala
October 3rd, 2004, 16:41
Yeah - I agree about the logos, etc. It shouldn't be too difficult to come up with a logo that's similar to the DC swirl, but that's not ripping it off. After all - the GP32 used an incredibly similar logo. ;D

Mental2k
October 3rd, 2004, 16:41
WTF what happened to the last few posts?

MetaFox
October 3rd, 2004, 16:43
This isn't a "change it or else" type of thing. We're not forcing people to not use copyrighted graphics. If they want to do that, we are not going to stop them (well, except for the contest of course. :P).

I just felt like there was a need for a change. We've been doing the same thing since 2000, and now that the community is getting larger, and more of the media's attention are on us (and it's only going to grow), we have to start the ball rolling for more a professional appearance.

curt_grymala
October 3rd, 2004, 16:45
I was wondering the same thing. I just edited my post, because I thought I had gone crazy. I was responding to something MetaFox said, and then when I submitted my post, Meta's post was gone. :-/

DCDayDreamer
October 3rd, 2004, 16:53
This isn't a "change it or else" type of thing. We're not forcing people to not use copyrighted graphics.

Really? - you mean those thugs that just battered down my door and demanded I use 'something else' weren't sent by you? ;D


WTF what happened to the last few posts?

It's those damn gremlins again! :P.

Mental2k
October 3rd, 2004, 16:57
It'd be nice to have a sort of indie label though, that most use.

MetaFox
October 3rd, 2004, 17:06
I was wondering the same thing. I just edited my post, because I thought I had gone crazy. I was responding to something MetaFox said, and then when I submitted my post, Meta's post was gone. :-/Odd. I had the same thing happen when I replied to IM's post in my first topic about this. I submitted my post and Ian's post was gone.

Screwiness on the forums happened all the time with YaBB on Consolevision. The forum would mysteriously write over some of the posts. It was only a matter of time before the screwiness started over here. That's why I switched to phpBB on CV - YaBB forums can't be trusted for reliability.

quzar
October 3rd, 2004, 19:04
Well doing that idea will still have the problem of using the dc swirl, even if it's for a dot on the 'i', and using the SEGA font is still like using their copyright probably. Not that i care about it that much, since everyone is using copyrighted material since the start anyway, beats of rage and mods are one of the best exemple of it, and not many are complaining about it.

Another thing is that personally, i could agree with the copyright stuff if it'sonly about 'homebrew' or 'Independant' software that are being sold, n that case yeah having all original stuff might be needed, but for freeware stuff we shouldn't care that much. i could talk about that matter even more but it will probably turn in the usual flame war, so i end it right here.

that is why i said sega styled font and dreamcast like font, not the real ones, just things that look similar. and the swirl could be one like in the logo for this site, a binary string, to represent individual coding =P.

MetaFox
October 3rd, 2004, 22:19
yeah the reason i chose that font was cause it was reminiscent of the Sega font, while being nothin like it. I think we could use a similar font to the DC one, but I think one of the great things about the DIS is that we're sort of distancing ourselves from the official. So something reminiscent, without actually being the same. If you get what I mean.

Meta your idea sounds good!
We could probably get away with using the SEGA font, other companies do. ;)

http://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/sentinel.gif

Though we probably shouldn't, as our products are directly related to Sega, unlike Sentinel's - who's logo I found on a box of cotton swabs. ;)

Mental2k
October 4th, 2004, 13:02
Yeah somethin original like this meta

Cereal
October 15th, 2004, 21:22
This isn't a "change it or else" type of thing. *We're not forcing people to not use copyrighted graphics. *If they want to do that, we are not going to stop them (well, except for the contest of course. :P).

I just felt like there was a need for a change. *We've been doing the same thing since 2000, and now that the community is getting larger, and more of the media's attention are on us (and it's only going to grow), we have to start the ball rolling for more a professional appearance.Why can't we just write a leter to Sega asking for premision to use there Case template legally. I think the DC Japanese case is the best case template i've ever seen in my life.

VampiricS
October 21st, 2004, 13:23
Another thing that i don't understand is that even if you guys wants to start to sell 'independant' dc software,you could and 'should' get a publisher that has the right already to release stuff on Dreamcast using SEGAlogosand cd cover template. the best exemple is the game Alien Hominid on PS2, it's made by an independant team, and is getting published by O3, a publisher made of ex-capcom staff. So it still uses the PS2 cover template and logos. And in all honesty, from what i noticed, people don't really buy games or software that don't have the 'official case look' most of the time it makes them look like cheap bargain bins on release things. (And i am not telling that it makes the sold product suck, just that it doesn't reallyis a good marketing thing from my eye.)

Anyway, change of subject,Was there any other suggestions about covers andlogos or something? Ididn't noticed any in this thread at least.

kujo29
October 22nd, 2004, 01:13
http://kujo.jalexp.com/dis.jpg

http://kujo.jalexp.com/qdd2.jpg

Hope quzar doesnt mind me 'borrowing' his DD2 Button from his Site to make the 'Cover'.
as can be seen my Graphic's skills arent very good..but you get the general idea...i hope :-/

curt_grymala
October 22nd, 2004, 12:47
I do get the idea. The one thing I see in there that I really think is a great idea is the DIS logo. I really liked the idea of using a DC swirl-type thing from the beginning, and I think turning it into a triangle is really a cool idea. I mean, the DC had the circle, the GP32 used the square, so what basic shape is left? A triangle of course. Nice work on that.

quzar
October 22nd, 2004, 13:04
I don't mind, and I'm sure Impetus (who put together the button) and jj martinez ( who did the original graphics) dont mind either.

I like it to except the colors of the triangle.

kujo29
October 22nd, 2004, 13:41
colors isnt a problem they can easily be changed *;)
I went for green cos over here in the UK the swirl is blue and every where else its orange seein' as orange is only a stones throw away from yellow i mixed them..and we all know what blue and yellow make ;D

DCDayDreamer
October 22nd, 2004, 15:09
I thought this topic had died the death, nice to see someone contributing.


as can be seen my Graphic's skills arent very good..but you get the general idea...i hope

There's nothing wrong with your graphic skills, even the greatest artists started somewhere!, in fact, that's better than most covers the DC scene has produced purely because it's original.

The triangle idea is excellent, you've kept the line pattern produced as a swirl with the commercial logo and produced the same effect - that alone shows a creative talent.

I'm not sure about the green colour, but it is unique - maybe just try it with green lines alone?.

VampiricS
October 22nd, 2004, 17:26
Ok since it seems my first exemple got lost somewhere, i re-edited one, prety much the same, anyway here it is:

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/6135/homebrew_DC_Cover_template_2.gif

toastman
October 22nd, 2004, 19:34
Ok since it seems my first exemple got lost somewhere, i re-edited one, prety much the same, anyway here it is:

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/6135/homebrew_DC_Cover_template_2.gif

I like it except for the overall color. Maybe something in the blue/green family. I dunno, copper just doesn't do it for me.

curt_grymala
October 22nd, 2004, 20:39
I like your cover, VampiricS, but I think it would look even cooler if you found some way to incorporate the triangle logo that kujo29 came up with (maybe change the color, though), instead of the DIS logo that's on there now.

MetaFox
October 22nd, 2004, 23:12
I love the Green Triangle idea! :)

We can do the familiar layouts for Dreamcast games - I actually think it's a good idea to do so. It leaves the covers familiar enough to know what system they're for, but different enough to know it's not official software. ;)

http://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/covers/laserfront.png

All that leaves is legal mumbo jumbo about Dreamcast being copyright Sega, and the name is not used with permission on the back cover.

I'll work on some neat looking peripheral images that are familiar but different as well for the back. :)

VampiricS
October 22nd, 2004, 23:29
As stated earlier, i did as an exemple,personally i don't like the triangle logo, mainly because it looks way too much like the logo of another company called Amazing Studios, they're doing stuff for PC. You guys are free to edit or take it to start something new, as for colors, most know you can edit the colors easily hehe. Might as well have a color based categories, i don't know, same template but different colors for each categories of stuff for dc as well. Just trying to give some ideas to have some talented people doing it.

About that triangle logo...maybe trying to turn it upside down, and orangemight make it look ok to me, like a mix of the power ON led of the DC and a swirl. And that way it will look less like the Amazing Studios logo i talked about.

http://img66.exs.cx/img66/7532/DC_homebrew_sample_3.png

MetaFox
October 23rd, 2004, 01:28
http://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/covers/logo.jpghttp://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/covers/triangle.png

I really don't think we have anything to worry about here - other than both of them being triangle swirl logos, they look nothing alike.

But I really do like the way your cover looks.

And thanks for pointing out Marfitude - I love Frequency and Amplitude, and I never knew there was a PD alternative. :)

kujo29
October 23rd, 2004, 06:37
WOW Vamp',Meta' they both look kool..
one thing tho having the triangle swirl between the D and S kinda makes it look like DVS Independant to me... ;)

Mental2k
October 23rd, 2004, 08:04
Well might as well throw in my 2 cents as well.

kujo29
October 23rd, 2004, 08:17
gj on the cover Mental2k ;D

Eric
October 23rd, 2004, 08:36
damn straight kujo thats a nice one Mental

Mental2k
October 23rd, 2004, 08:46
I might add the snake 3d bit was nicked off someone else, i got it on dcevo, but the rest is mine. (jus so i dont seem to be nicking other people's stuff and get killed/attacked by reaper)

kujo29
October 23rd, 2004, 09:01
I personally think the Triangle (which ever way up it is and what ever color it is) is the best option.... now its upto you guys with the Graphics skills to come up with a good looking triangle swirl ;)

Cap'n 1time
October 23rd, 2004, 09:49
I made a little stupid trangle.

kujo29
October 23rd, 2004, 09:55
that aint stupid the more ideas that are available for the graphic 'whizz kids' the better is what i say ;) i dont mean to sound as tho im belittling anyone tho ... just ive seen what some of the work that ppl can do and it all looks really good ;D

VampiricS
October 23rd, 2004, 10:01
Metafox said,

And thanks for pointing out Marfitude - I love Frequency and Amplitude, and I never knew there was a PD alternative. Smiley

Yeah i thought it was a good idea to show that one to some coders that could be willing to port Marfitude, which originally was a lot like Frequency and Ampiltude, and it's in SDL. I played on that one a lot since a while. and i modded the graphics to look even more like Amplitude. It has support for MOD files, so you can play on whatever songs you want etc.

Anyway i am getting offtopic with that.

Cap'n 1time
October 23rd, 2004, 11:50
I used x-paint... trust me its stupid ;D

kujo29
October 24th, 2004, 01:01
believe it or not the one i did was thrown together in mspaint with a lil' help from Xara 3 (for the lettering) and Paint Shop Pro 7

Christuserloeser
October 24th, 2004, 02:23
Ok since it seems my first exemple got lost somewhere, i re-edited one, prety much the same, anyway here it is:

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/6135/homebrew_DC_Cover_template_2.gif



As stated earlier, i did as an exemple,personally i don't like the triangle logo, mainly because it looks way too much like the logo of another company called Amazing Studios, they're doing stuff for PC. You guys are free to edit or take it to start something new, as for colors, most know you can edit *the colors easily hehe. Might as well have a color based categories, i don't know, same template but different colors for each categories of stuff for dc as well. Just trying to give some ideas to have some talented people doing it.

About that triangle logo...maybe trying to turn it upside down, and orangemight make it look ok to me, like a mix of the power ON led of the DC and a swirl. And that way it will look less like the Amazing Studios logo i talked about.

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/9263/DC_homebrew_sample_3.gif

:o Those look great! Especially the 2nd one. Now get rid of that "homebrew" and IMO it's perfect.


Chris

VampiricS
October 24th, 2004, 07:02
Christuserloeser wrote:

Shocked Those look great! Especially the 2nd one. Now get rid of that "homebrew" and IMO it's perfect.


Chris

Well i replaced the pic of the second one just now, just replaced the 'For Homebrew' for 'SUITABLE FOR ALL'. But since i still don't know what will be the official rating like, i guess it's still has to be see just like an exemple anyway.

kujo29
October 24th, 2004, 07:30
http://kujo.jalexp.com/sry.jpg

Cap'n 1time
October 24th, 2004, 08:44
believe it or not the one i did was thrown together in mspaint with a lil' help from Xara 3 (for the lettering) and Paint Shop Pro 7

Actually, last time I drew somthing in mspaint for concept art of the DC gba emulator by gpf. They actually liked it and used the idea.

kujo29
October 24th, 2004, 10:30
Kool ;D

Eric
October 24th, 2004, 11:02
yeah it does look interesting and i do agree that the logo looks like it says DVS. Yo kujo you get new internet or somethin buddy?

Mental2k
October 24th, 2004, 14:44
Yeah it looks like DVS, also why the repitioin of what DIS stands for u have independant 3 times on the cover(assuming the triangle swirl is also symbolising i). I'd leave where it actually says "dreamcast independant software" and just have the triangle swirl underneath, then its perfection in a cover. Also could u post up a non gif image?

curt_grymala
October 24th, 2004, 19:16
Personally, I like VampiricS' version of the triangle best. I don't care what color it is (actually, maybe we should have different colors for different things. Maybe orange for games, blue for apps, yellow for emus, etc. or something like that). But I really like the rough, 3D look of the triangle, and I think his idea of making it look like the power LED is kind of neat.

Keep up the great work guys. There are some really cool ideas coming out of this topic.

EDIT - What if we were to take VampiricS' idea a step further. I was thinking about a nice template, but I don't have the artistic talent to pull it off. It would be kind of like a top-down image of the Dreamcast itself. The power LED would be replaced by the logo VampiricS came up with. The game images would go where the circular DC cover is. The DIRB rating could go where the "open" button is, and something else could go where the "power" button is. It would be an original cover template, but it would still be obvious that it's software for the DC.

curt_grymala
October 24th, 2004, 19:34
My idea would look something like this, only a lot better, and with VampiricS' logo.

VampiricS
October 25th, 2004, 06:29
Oh god, thanks Curtiss Grymala, finally someone actualy trying to improve and and/or come up with neat ideas, like i always said, mine is just an exemple, you guys can try to take mine and just add your ideas, i have not much free time and no real talent into cd case covers really. I'm only trying to come up with some stuff. About the DVS matter, i did noticed that fact, but it's the only way that i found it 'a little ' cooler to look at that way. Colors as usual are there too as exemples,i just did it blue/green last time because someone hinted me that they wanted something in those colors.

Anyway on all that, i guess you guys will get something cool, if everyone is trying to try to add or change stuff to what there is so far. See ya!

souLLy
October 25th, 2004, 08:51
i've just noticed this topic... very interesting idea. i've worked on a template, i'll upload it when i get home from work tonight.

souLLy
October 25th, 2004, 12:18
http://www.ben-hosier.com/images/dis.jpg

i used some graphics from one of darksaviours covers, but the bottom area is my basic idea for a template, the DIS logo and the pixelated console... any thoughts on this work in progress?

VampiricS
October 25th, 2004, 12:26
I did a quicky of Curtis idea:

http://img76.exs.cx/img76/6062/DIS_Exemple_4.png

The logo if everuse will have to be retraced in vectors to be sure to have something cleaner tho. I do think maybe having only the circle in the middle could be weird too.

Oh and i dunno why but the one from Soully doesn't display here.

curt_grymala
October 25th, 2004, 12:28
I came up with these ideas for the look of the DIRB Rating. I don't know if anyone's looking for these types of things anymore or not, but I thought I would throw these together.

curt_grymala
October 25th, 2004, 12:30
I like souLLy's cover, but I think there's just not quite enough. Maybe it would look differently if I actually printed it and put in a case. As it looks on the screen, though, it seems like most people would completely overlook the DIS stuff.

VampiricS - I really like the way you put that together. That looks a hell of a lot better than my example, and it is almost exactly what I was thinking when I came up with that concept.

Mental2k
October 25th, 2004, 12:42
Much as I like souLLy's i agree. Curt/vamp combo is the best.

Curt, IMO the top left rating is the best lookin one.

Darksaviour69
October 26th, 2004, 04:42
souLLy: u dug up an old one there, ah memories....

i'm not sure, i like souLLy's because is nice a simple, and a can be easly add to the huge amount of covers we have....but i also like the dc shell one... but it would be harder to update old covers to use it...... hard one

btw whats amplitude DC?

Eric
October 26th, 2004, 06:52
I am sorry i do agree with Dark on souLLy's cover. But Curts and Vamps images are completely amazing and that should be used no words about it kept for sure lol.

Eric

VampiricS
October 26th, 2004, 07:09
souLLy: u dug up an old one there, ah memories....

i'm not sure, i like souLLy's because is nice a simple, and a can be easly add to the huge amount of covers we have....but i also like the dc shell one... but it would be harder to update old covers to use it...... hard one

btw whats amplitude DC?

Well Amplitude is what could be a cool game if someone could port Marfitude a cool SDL game that i modded the graphics to look a little more like the PS2 Amplitude musical game.

curt_grymala
October 26th, 2004, 09:57
i'm not sure, i like souLLy's because is nice a simple, and a can be easly add to the huge amount of covers we have....but i also like the dc shell one... but it would be harder to update old covers to use it...... hard one

Actually - it should be really easy to add the one that VampiricS made up. You simply create the DCShell thing with the center being made up of a transparency, then paste it as a new layer over top of the old cover images. Voila - it's ready to go.

Let me see if I can play with something to give you an example.

Darksaviour69
October 26th, 2004, 10:08
but a lot of the title name would be the whole width of the cover , not in the center

curt_grymala
October 26th, 2004, 10:24
Well - here is a quick and dirty example without messing with the original cover at all. You are correct - the title name gets cut off slightly, but it shouldn't be a tremendous amount of work to correct that.

In order to use the other template, you have to modify things anyway. On all of the DCEvo covers, you would have to cut out the half-moon thing on the left side of the cover in order to make it look right with the template.

Either way - old covers would have to be slightly modified.

Mental2k
November 3rd, 2004, 11:29
That was my main reason for preferin your's too curt.

toastman
December 9th, 2004, 22:56
Poking around in the DCGP2004 board I stumbled across this post and thought, "Wow, now that's just what I was thinking of for the cover when I suggested the color change."
I was wondering if you could change the "Homebrew" to "Independent" and remove the DIRB logo altogether, it would be perfect for a template.
So if you could do that, I would be entirely grateful.


Well i was reading this thread today and i thought maybe people would want to see how a completely different cover could be, so i did a quick template:

here's the template:
http://img29.exs.cx/img29/5753/DC_Homebrew_cover.jpg

Here's an exemple using the neogeocd emu for that purpose:
http://img3.exs.cx/img3/7535/DC_Homebrew_cover2.jpg

Oh i added the DIRB thingy but i don't know if it was serious or not about it, so i just added it to see how it could look.

MetaFox
January 28th, 2005, 07:10
I've done my best to make one without the original template.

http://dreamon.cyberdogcastle.com/DC_Homebrew_cover.jpg

WHurricane16
January 28th, 2005, 12:32
/me takes a look at thread born date, thread length, time between Metafox & Mental2k's posts and thinks....

Where the hell have I been? I never saw this before.

ShoShoKid
June 6th, 2006, 06:01
Curts idea with the whole top being transparent and then the game image being inside of it, is pretty awesome. I also think making a cover for the scene is a great idea, as it makes it look more professional.

Christuserloeser
June 25th, 2006, 22:55
Well, Curt and souLLy's idea has been evolved and they became the standard templates for DCEvolution releases...

Here's what it currently looks like:
http://www.dcevolution.net/dsdevelopment/large/QuakeDCEvo/Front.png
http://www.dcevolution.net/dsdevelopment/large/QuakeDCEvo/Back.png

I am pretty sure we'll make them available to the public soon, but we haven't discussed any details with the staff yet.

ShoShoKid
June 28th, 2006, 02:34
Looks pretty tight, I like the bottom of the Dreamcast being the back of the cover.

ßüboni¢ $oñic
September 10th, 2006, 08:13
if we are still discussing the i I'd like to see a ball with a virtual look over a triangle shaped bar. the DHS could be in two different fonts. That old german kindu see on sum news paper an S as something else and an H just spray painted over both.

ßüboni¢ $oñic
September 10th, 2006, 13:02
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ef/DHS_logo.JPG
it could use work but im goin g for simplisting. Another good image woud be say a single vmu or dc controler or dc on one of those old fashion weighting things with a bunch of other consoles to the right and the DC waying it down to the left. the image could be crude artistically.