Topic: Adding names and registry numbers  (Read 972 times)

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jkorosi

  • Guest
Adding names and registry numbers
« on: February 18, 2004, 04:39:52 pm »
I'm just starting working on adding my own names and registry numbers for the Fed ships.  I manage, but it's a very time-consuming process.  I was simply wondering if anybody's figured out a way to make it easier than the pixel-by-pixel painting I'm doing.  

Dizzy

  • Guest
Re: Adding names and registry numbers
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2004, 05:03:44 pm »
You can do a search for fonts on the net for Star Trek Federation and star trek bold and ST wide...

There are a couple more. Use a paint program that has layers. Add one letter at a time and arrange it so its evenly follows the circular  saucer (assuming you are doing fed ) lines.

Even that takes a while, but it sounds faster than what your doing...

Captain Ron

  • Guest
Re: Adding names and registry numbers
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2004, 06:13:15 pm »
If you have a blank texture available then it is easy, if not you will have to make the texture yourself or blank it. I will not explain those to you now, or later either blanking them can take time to get a seamless fit.

About how to do it in PSP 7+ in PhotoShop it is different but simular.

There are a few ways to do this but I will do the simplist here you can expand on it later.

First:
Set you foreground to a dark red and the Back ground to Black, write the numbers down once you are happy with the colours they come out with for future usage. Remember that the red will get lighter on curves and non-straight lines, which is why I said Dark red how light or dark is by your preference.

Second:
Click on the pen tool and the curve segment (point to point) under segment type. Check to see if your colours are the same as they will change to ones you used last. Then check  the transparent on the Black one the background/fill. Depending on the orientation of the texture do the following arcs as VECTORS <----Important!!! Make one for the Large numbers about a 1/3 to 1/2 way and an another one above or blow it of the name text. So draw a line right click on the end node and select curve before. arc it to the shape you need. (if the letters come out backwards draw the arc the other way).

Third:
Turn the Black background/fill back to normal none transparent. Use Starfleet BdEx BT for the numbers I usually use about 38 for my textures 32-36 should work in most cases. The apply the text by moving the cursor to the Arc you drew earlier once the curved line appears under the A click the left mouse button and add your text. Next Turn the red transparent and select impact or other type of text you like (impact turns out clear text at small sizes) select size of about 18 or so and test the sizes for fit. if it looks right use it if not try a different size or more until they look right to you. So now you should have the Numbers in black with a red outline, the ships name in Black with no outline, and the 2 red arcs that you don't want.

Fourth:
Remove those red arcs, and this is why I told you to use Vectors! Click on the object selection tool or O on the keyboard. Click on the arc, zoom in to help you out and then the property Icon will light up. Click on that Icon to bring up the Vector properties editor, along the bottom you will see 2 selection boxes one for visible the other for Anti-Liaising. Unselect Visible and the arc will become transparent, do it to both arcs.

Fifth:
Save the texture once as a PSP to be edited if you need to, and as a other file you need for the game .bmp, .tga etc and test them

yeaterk

  • Guest
Re: Adding names and registry numbers
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2004, 04:03:07 pm »
I use microsofts picture it to curve it once i get it where i want it. Only probelm is that it is in 2028 x 2048 res. I then us photoshop 5 to lower the res down to 1024 x 1024 and color inside of the font black. Some pics of it are on my page below.

http://www.geocities.com/kandc_railroad/index.html