Preserved Topic: Pixel People Project

Right I'l close down the old thread and we can have a shiney new one to discuss how this project should be handled and our overall strategy for this.

The old thread is here:
www.ozoneasylum.com/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20030109-1-005828.html

and there is some discussion going on involving the graphics here:
www.ozoneasylum.com/Archives/Archive-000004/HTML/20030521-3-002917.html

more in a mo...............

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

I am in for graphics, accessories, cloths, eyes, ears, nose .

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

guys .. let me work on the 3 different sizes in body .. before any clothes or shoes .. etc etc are done .. so that you all can work around the body types

InI: That seems one approach but I'm not holding my breath - it was a commercial piece of software and I can't see them just giving it away (esp. while it is still very popular and in demand) but we won't know until we try

Do you want to contact them or should we see if the Doc would do it?

If they are willing to hand this over then that is cool and you are the man for the job

However, I'm not sure how everyone feels but I also think while we have fire in our bellies that we should aim for something more Open Source that people can play with and adapt themselves.

What does everyone think about pursuing the Java and working on a parallel project as proposed? Until we reach what some people might call a consensus I'll keep driving the parallel project forward while we have the momentum (if they eventually get back to us and say no we are back at square one with people a little less interested and if we produce a parallel project and they yes then we are doubley blessed).

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

Yea but InI, you have to understand something here. I think I speak for everyone when I say that making our own troopers is a great Asylum project and we enjoy our individuality. Making our own troopers defines our individuality and makes it a fun and interesting thing to do for all of us. And we can expand on the trooper idea, we can make it better. <stuart smally>Because we are talented enough, we're smart enough, and doggonit, people like us</stuart smally>. Changing dimensions and adding more really opens new doors for us and I for one would love to see this project a reality. Ramm has done a great job mimicing the troopers original design, and I am sure the new templates with height and width will be great too.

So I am game for this

edit: emps posted as I did, ha.... the above goes for you too!

[This message has been edited by InSiDeR (edited 11-04-2002).]

hey .. I did change the storTroopers original design .. hands are out and the knee cap is different .. can I get some love .. hehe

~Bugs plants a big wet kiss on RammStein~

We should have all the body parts and apparel properly categorized and stored in a database.

If we're doing this with dhtml I think we should be making transparent gifs so that we can overlay all the items easily.

ahhhhh .. I feel the love now .. I've got a bug kiss .. LMAO .. no pun intended

RammStein: As I said in the graphics thread there are some great ideas coming out but what we need now is a battle plan. In the Asylum projects can go off the boil due to a lack of input but I don't want to see this torn apart by everyone's (understandable) enthusiasm

Basically I propose:

1. That we work up a male template and then create a similar female one - that really has to be the focus of the graphics forum for the moment. This will give us the basic model to work from.

2. We then need to create a set of features, clothes and accessories - not too many but enough for us to test the interface and backend.

3. We can now commence work on the interface - although I am in favour of making things modular so we could have a Flash or a DHTML interface (or both so people can pick the flavour that suits them) we should probably concentrate on just one type for now to make it easier for the backend coding (although if people are really fired up to produce both I think we can deal with it).

4. Now we can work on passing the information from the interface to the backend where it can be processed. I also see a modular backend which could accomodate various image creation modules and eventually different scripting languages if people want to port it to their weapon of choice but for now we'll concentrate on PHP and the image module we have available (if it is here then it will be GD if we base things in the GN then netpbm for now).

5. We should now be at a stage where we can test the whole thing, refine the interface and backend and add in more features, clothes and accessories.

We should then be in a position to slap a Pixel People v.1 sticker on it and make it availble for others to use and play with adapting the various elements to suit their needs and setup.

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Then we can move on to the next stage which is making the templates our own - ideas have been proposed about different heights and builds (as well as pears) and that all sounds great but it will require more work adapting the basic templates and the code so we should wait until we have a working model before going too far down this road - although granted it is the most fun and it will be where we really show what we are made of

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So basically what is everyone's thoughts on this? As far as I'm concerned iit should be an interesting and fun (hopefully) project which will eventually provide something really great to the wider online community and give us plenty to play with. However it will need your input/ideas/thoughts and we will need to pull in the same direction to get things rolling along nicely. If what I've outlined above doesn't suit most of you then say so and we can hammer out a different plan - it works nicely in my head but people might see it a little differently.

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There have been plenty of offers of help in all the 4 main areas I outlined above but, of course, we always need more so drop your name in with ideas and thoughts if you fancy volunteering.

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

InSiDeR: Thanks for the input neither idea is mutually incompatible and I'm in favour of pursuing them both and seeing where things go.

Bugs: Cool. I mentioned png because I was wondering if it might be a good idea to store the graphics as png even if the DHTML uses gifs (I'm not sure how practical this is so I'd welcome some input from people more experienced with the image creation modules).

About storing things in a DB - I spoke to TP who is interested in providing his coding might to the backend effort and I suggested that to make things more user-friendly we could make it so that the graphics are uploaded to their folders:

quote:

---

graphics >
clothing>
bottom half
top half
hats
features>
hair
eyes
lips
nose

---

etc. and then we can use PHP to suck up all the details from there (it also creates a structure which should make preparing an XML file of the graphics for Flash pretty straightforward ).

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

(This could go in either of the threads but since it has ideas for the project overall I'm posting it here.)

Ok, I don't want to sound like a nag but here it goes:

I think (agreeing with Izzay and Michael in the other thread) that this new yearbook should take an entirely new approach, especially in the look and feel. I am not worried about remaking my person/trooper/charecter, In fact I think it would be fun.

We would rename the current yearbook something like Asylum Yearbook 2001-2002 and then produce the 2003 version. I think changing the style up each year would be cool. You could see how the inmates change over the years. We would also see how the asylum changes over the years- who's joined, who's not around anymore. It would truly be a yearbook(Hell, with the dribble we could all sign it).

I also think it would be a waste to duplicate the StorTroopers with the level of creativity in this bunch. One of the ideas I keep visualizing, after others mentioned the characters could have more depth, is something similar to Ultrashock's moderaters page(I cant link you to it directly because its flash- go to the site and click the moderators link on the homepage).

Also it makes me a little uncomfortable to duplicate their app(whether its done in flash, Java or DHTML) and graphics with only slight changes after they've taken it down(if they gave InI permission that would be cool). The "paper doll" concept was not invented by Stor, but using those graphics combined with that style of app is a little too close. Its already been done and I think we can make a much cooler version anyway.

As for functionallity I'm not as worried about exporting the graphic. A screen shot works fine for me because I'll end up taking it in to PS anyway.

I just wanted to get that out before Ram got too vested in the template work. I think creating a new yearbook is a great idea. I would just like to create something better rather than replacing the old one.

Anyhoo thems my two bits,

--tiki

edit -(ps. I don't mind making graphics for whatever version we do make. I also made one of these for bridal dresses in Flash about a year and half ago(I cant post it now because I can't access the servers at work from home). This is essentially the same app just more artwork.)

[This message has been edited by tikigod (edited 11-04-2002).]

I was thinking about the best format to use and I think gif is the awnser. We could make all the palettes reserve a color index for tranparent and one for custom. The custom one would be editable via the applet. That was when we make a shirt we can use a 254 colors for the logo and design and set the rest of the shirt too the custom color which, throught RGB sliders, can be customized with out needing to use Photoshop.

Good Idea?

tikigod: You aren't being a nag What you say mirrors my own thoughts and concerns. From a number of different perspectives I wouldn't want to see us producing a stortrooper clone. Legal aspects aside (and has been said above and in the FAQ) we have so much talent here (in all the areas that need addressing) that it would be selling ourselves short if we just made something that looked and worked like the stortroopers model - it is our chance to produce better graphics and a better interface with much better functionality.

We are using the stortrooper concept as a common point of reference as it was one of the most popular of the dressing up applications out there. The graphic RammStein is similarish but this is only the first shot to get things started and I would certainly like to see it tweaked, adapted, etc. into something we can use. That is the first priority and without a basic male template (from which we can make the female one) then there is nothing for the clothing people to work with so there is nothing for the interface people to play with , etc. so the whole process grinds to a halt at the first step (so what is everyone still doing reading this - get over to graphics and sort this out ).

We can discuss idea for the interface(s) once the graphics ball starts rolling again.

tikigod: It also sounds like that wedding dress work makes you an ideal man for helping with the making of the Flash interface

SB: That sounds good to - the important thing is that we have a strict set of standards for the various aspects so we don't go making graphics that are incompatible with others. If other graphics experts agree will go with this idea.

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

Well, if we are going to upgrade the functionality then we will need a good write up of all the things we want done. In the mean time I don't suppose a prototype here or there would hurt.

quote:

---

I wouldn't want to see us producing a stortrooper clone.

---

Oh yeah...sure. Thats what you told The Republic and we all know how that turned out.

Of course you you did try battle droids first.

Bugs: I suspect we should mock up something and then finalise the features. What would people want to see? I was thinking that we could have the different items in different panels rather than having to go to shoes and look through them and drag some on and the find some trousers you could skim through them and see what is avialble and what could work (although I'll go for the black option). We could have the panels collpasing/expanding so we could have open only the ones we were interested in.

tikigod: I believe you have me confused with another Emperor

Now where did I leave Fett's DNA?

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

I've just had a quick chat with TP and it may be possible to have some kind of colorMap() function which would change, e.g., a T-shirts base colour leaving the shaiding and outline intact. Its still a little up in the air but if it were possible would people want something like this? You could select a basic garment and then spin a colour wheel to select the colour required.

Any other ideas? Feel free to throw them in and we'll see if they are possible (and desirable of course ).

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

That sounds awesome especially if it works with shading. It could be applied to skin/hair/eye color etc. as well I bet.

I think bottom half and top hald are absolutely redundant. But I do think a full body suit section is needed for vp and his bondage .

Actually I don't think the props should be sectioned off like that at all. If we have a top half layer and a bottom half layer for instance and the top half is on top (z-index speak) of the bottom layer then everyone's shirts will always be untucked. But if we allow props to be put on in any order at all we can have tucked in shirts, not tucked in shirts, boxers showing above low jeans, or 2 or 3 shirts on the same person etc. I think its important that the code allow for as much variation as possible. Perhaps we should even go as far as seperating decals from clothing. What I mean by that is I can put a plain white T-shirt on my guy, change its color to black using the RGB slider and then pick a rolling stones logo overlay to make a black rolling stones tee. Someone else could use a sweatshirt, change the color to blue and use the same rolling stones overlay for a completely different looking shirt. Same thing could be done with hat logos.

Another idea that would be pretty cool would be an import tool. People could type in the URL for an image online and use it as a decal for a shirt. And what about a text input decal. We could use sigmund to generate user inputted text right onto shirts as well.

Maybe I'm goin' overboard, just kinda exited that all

Not at all, keep the ideas flowing. We need to get all the ideas out and up front so we can get more specific on how we need to code it up.

SB: Great ideas - I've pondering similar things but that has certainly crystalised matters. As things like logos, etc. will be essentially sprites (with no ant-aliasing) then we can just lay them over the relevant item of clothing.

The same thing goes with the idea of lettering - we could offer a range of pixel fonts.

I do think we still need to keep the bottom/top half split if only for the purposes of grouping items of clothing. I suspect we could assign the zindex dynamically depending on which item was dropped on to template first so you could play around with that kind of thing.

You certainly haven't gone too far - it is features like this that will make this project bigger and better than the stortroopers idea (or any of the other 'dressing up' applications out there).

I should say that I'm not sure about this colour changing thing and we'd have to see if it is feasible before rely on it s a feature but it would great to have a set of clothes which could be dragged into some kind of 'colouration device'. We'll see

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

And a bump here........

So thoughts on features and remember we could do with the template so we can move ahead with clothes and code

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

There appear to be a few netpbm functions that might be useful for swapping colours:

ppmchange
http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/ppmchange.html

change all of one color to another in PPM image

---

pnmremap
http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/pnmremap.html

Replace colors in an image with those from a color map

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

Just keeping this bumped while we are waiting for a finalised template - add any thoughts, features, etc.

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

bump

deviant . admin
filthcentral[dot]net

Good call Deviant

I have noticed a number of people have been visiting here obviously looking for some kind of replacement so I do think keeping this baby rolling is a great idea

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

yeah i hadn't noticed that site had gone down till I came across this post sad to see it go but would sure love to help anyways I could. also this link doesn't work anymore http://www.wapod.com/~ini/stor can you repost the info?

deviant . admin
filthcentral[dot]net

some work being done down in this thread.... http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum3/HTML/002917.html

might wanna check that out if yer lookin' to join the fray.



FAQs n' Bits: Michael

Just bumping this one up...

OK where we at?

Right we have come up with some dieas:
www.ozoneasylum.com/Archives/Archive-000004/HTML/20030521-3-002917.html

and voted on things:
www.ozoneasylum.com/Archives/Archive-000004/HTML/20030521-3-003081.html

and then we were working on the lady version? Hmmmmmmm I need to keep digging.......

[edit: OK and then we got a little bogged down producing a female version of the male we had decided on:
www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum3/HTML/003087.html

so I'll bump that thread].

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

OK I have now updated the FAQ:

:FAQ: Pixel People Project

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

we have a model already right? .. is that Downloadable for use on making clothes, hats, etc etc


.::. cEll .::. 513

RammStein: No because we haven't finalised the female figure. I have suggested we make them similarish so that we only need to make one set of clothes and to keep the code simple.

Once we have the prototype we can make it available to other people to do what they want and we can then work on creating a more flexible application for use here.

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

which one was the voted guy model? .. there were so many done .. lol

RammStein: If you look at the current thread in the PS forum on this it is the one on the right (the one on the left is the woman)

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

well #8 won the vote so isnt that our male prototype? or does it need refinement yet?

EzRa-D: Nope #8 will be fine for now.

The current aim is to get a male and female prototype so we can pass this on to the coders so we can produce a basic working model. Once that is done we can then put some work in on making the prototypes fancier, etc.

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Emps

FAQs: Emperor

rgr that Emps .. will get to it once my week ends .. what a hell of a week it has been


.::. cEll .::. 513