[SOLVED] [Request] [NSW] TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection (Box - 3D)

[k_rollo]

Hey guys,

Full disclosure, I have an open request at Reddit, but didn't quite get the desired outcome. The request filler may not be experienced just yet, but the effort is appreciated.

Happy if someone can pick it up here as my previous request fillers in the forums have done excellent work. Will definitely mark as solved; whichever thread gets filled first. Thank you for your time.

Cheers!

 

 

 

Edited January 14 by k_rollo

[damageinc86]

Someone on the forums here posted a link to their google drive with a template and an instructional video.  Might want to check that out. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1KFvFeplMFgk3fQ-dM9yWvhfRt3s-jEan

[k_rollo]

Hi @damageinc86

First, thank you for the gdrive as it is very helpful for total beginners. I've had time to spend today, so I thought I'd give it a go. I don't have Photoshop and my last experience was way back CS2 in highschool. 😅

Fortunately, I managed to find the needed options in GIMP, which I also have no experience on until today. I've gotten this far following the video tutorial (and sheer determination):

The only thing left to do is the SPINE TEXT, which I am unable to modify. Did some research and it appears the layer is no longer an "editable" text layer, but a regular bitmap/image layer (if I understood that right). I've attached the XCF for GIMP if anyone is able to make the spine text layer editable to type in the game titles easily or if I'm just missing something. 😅

TMNT The Cowabunga Collection.xcf

Tagging also our graphics gurus @MadK9 @rodrigodn if it's something you can nudge me to the right direction with. This specific cover has been filled in Reddit, but I actually found making the 3D boxes fun and would be happy to do this for myself in the future. Your help is much appreciated. Cheers!

[damageinc86]

I think you might have to use photoshop to get to the editable spine text.  I tried it, and it opened up the editable text layer in it's own window, a .psb window.  I could then edit the text, click save, close that window, and the changes were there on the spine.  I just had to move the text down a bit.

It showed this message first:

I followed the tutorial and it worked great.  I did notice however, that the red part of the spine wasn't actually all the way beneath the overlay, so there was a very small blank gap.  I stretched that layer a bit to fix it.  I've attached the template here for ya with the cowabunga collection finished within

Switch Box Template.psd

[k_rollo]

Hi @damageinc86

Thank you for the fix and explanation. Really appreciate it.

Upon more digging, I found this comment from the GIMP Team:

Opening the PSD in GIMP rasterises the text layer and disposes the text information, making it uneditable. I have 2 options:

1. Open in Photoshop.
2. Create a new text layer in GIMP.

As someone who won't really go pro with photo editing, I'm unlikely to pay for an Adobe CC subcription for basic PSD edits. I notice you are using CS6. Is that old version free to use on Win11?

Edited January 12 by k_rollo

[rexryan]

Just create a new text layer if you now the font that is used and rotate it and position it and then turn his layer off and save

 

[k_rollo]

It's not exactly a direct 90-degree rotation or it wouldn't look natural to the angle of the spine. Another is I don't know the font though I can use a different one.

Learning to do the text layer in GIMP is in the bucket. Pretty pleased with how far I got with GIMP in a day, using a tutorial for Photoshop, considering I virtually have no experience in either. Just need something quick for now.

Edited January 12 by k_rollo

[damageinc86]

5 hours ago, k_rollo said:

Hi @damageinc86

Thank you for the fix and explanation. Really appreciate it.

Upon more digging, I found this comment from the GIMP Team:

Opening the PSD in GIMP rasterises the text layer and disposes the text information, making it uneditable. I have 2 options:

1. Open in Photoshop.
2. Create a new text layer in GIMP.

As someone who won't really go pro with photo editing, I'm unlikely to pay for an Adobe CC subcription for basic PSD edits. I notice you are using CS6. Is that old version free to use on Win11?

Yeah dang, that's too bad that gimp rasterizes it. No, it is just an old version because I have never bothered to upgrade lol.

I also noticed the text isn't just straight up and down.  There is some distortion to it so that it looks correct for the angle.

Edited January 12 by damageinc86

[k_rollo]

@damageinc86 That's actually pretty smart. CS6 was the last version before they went with the subscription model.

Would you be able to identify the specific font and effects used in the layer with CS6? Just so I know what to google for in tutorials when I attempt it in GIMP. 🙂

[damageinc86]

Font is MarkPro Bold.  I just found a website tutorial that showed how to skew text perspective like this and still have an editable text layer.  It has to be converted to a smart object.  then you can use the edit->transform->perspective tool to adjust the top and bottom right corners of the 90 degree rotated text to move the perspective to look like it's following the same perspective as the 3D spine of the case.  I just tried it myself and was able to replicate it by typing the same text and adjusting it until it matched the original text layer.  But I still had to make it a smart object.  Which means that in order to edit the text, I have to double click it for the new window to open, edit the text there, save it, close, and see the reflected changes just like the original template has.

Looks like gimp hasn't yet become compatible with photoshop's smart objects.  Is there any way you can just skew the perspective of the text in gimp?  The alternative to making a smart object in photoshop was to just rasterize the text layer, and then you could skew the perspective.  It just wouldn't be able to be edited ever again, and you'd have to make a new and unique text layer for each image you wanted to make. 

If you are doing a bunch of these and just want to get your covers in there, I could do the text layer for you and export them for ya. 

[k_rollo]

@damageinc86 Thanks, I got the font. It looks like my main keywords would be "skew" and "perspective". Did a quick search on YouTube and I already see some tutorials available for GIMP. Your hints about adjusting the top-right/bottom-right corners should be useful in my attempt.

I must say, your resources and clues have been tremendously helpful and motivating. Thank you. As a programmer, photo editing felt intimidating to me. I should have enough information to give it a try. Didn't think modifying text would actually be the tricky part. 😅

If I'm successful, happy to contribute an easily editable XCF in the Game Media Dowloads as a free alternative to non-Photoshop users. Otherwise, I'll be happy to take you up on your offer. Will keep you posted. 🙂

[rodrigodn]

[damageinc86]

On 1/12/2024 at 2:56 AM, k_rollo said:

@damageinc86 Thanks, I got the font. It looks like my main keywords would be "skew" and "perspective". Did a quick search on YouTube and I already see some tutorials available for GIMP. Your hints about adjusting the top-right/bottom-right corners should be useful in my attempt.

I must say, your resources and clues have been tremendously helpful and motivating. Thank you. As a programmer, photo editing felt intimidating to me. I should have enough information to give it a try. Didn't think modifying text would actually be the tricky part. 😅

If I'm successful, happy to contribute an easily editable XCF in the Game Media Dowloads as a free alternative to non-Photoshop users. Otherwise, I'll be happy to take you up on your offer. Will keep you posted. 🙂

It's amazing what little things can end up being difficult lol.  I've just embarked on a journey to make Sega Master System Boxes, and I've already been tripped up by several things.  And they are pretty simplistic in design. 

You should be able to get there with GIMP eventually.  It will just be a matter of getting the text corner pulled out a bit on the top right and bottom right so it looks like it's following the "3-dness" of the spine.  You could probably get really close just "eyeballing" it too.

[k_rollo]

On 1/13/2024 at 2:34 PM, rodrigodn said:

Amazing work as always, bud. Will also upload this to GamesDB.

 

6 hours ago, damageinc86 said:

It's amazing what little things can end up being difficult lol.  I've just embarked on a journey to make Sega Master System Boxes, and I've already been tripped up by several things.  And they are pretty simplistic in design. 

You should be able to get there with GIMP eventually.  It will just be a matter of getting the text corner pulled out a bit on the top right and bottom right so it looks like it's following the "3-dness" of the spine.  You could probably get really close just "eyeballing" it too.

I was able to learn DaVinci Resolve 18 a while back to create video tutorials for emulation in my YouTube channel. Nothing too fancy, but does the job of spreading the info I wanted to share. I hope to do the same with GIMP. Being a programmer suprisingly had benefits like correlating features from app1 to app2. Photoshop and GIMP are applications after all. 😄

I'll be marking this thread solved as the request was actually filled. If I need the text layers exported for the other games, I'll open a new thread. Thanks both!

[k_rollo]

@damageinc86 Hey bud, just letting you know I managed to do the skew in GIMP. The flat 2D however was more readable when in front of the TV. 😅

I've uploaded the XCF template to the Downloads section. Thanks again for all your help and looking forward to your Sega Master System project. Cheers!

[damageinc86]

5 minutes ago, k_rollo said:

@damageinc86 Hey bud, just letting you know I managed to do the skew in GIMP. The flat 2D however was more readable when in front of the TV. 😅

I've uploaded the XCF template to the Downloads section. Thanks again for all your help and looking forward to your Sega Master System project. Cheers!

Yeah, I prefer 2D for boxes.  I have a few 3D cartridge sets.  I like it for that.  But glad you got something figured out in any event.  Something happened at least right!? lol.  I'm working my way backwards from Z.  I'm almost done with W.  Definitely have a long, tedious road ahead.  A few box fronts a day at least. Take care! feel free to message anytime.

[k_rollo]

1 hour ago, damageinc86 said:

Yeah, I prefer 2D for boxes.  I have a few 3D cartridge sets.  I like it for that.  But glad you got something figured out in any event.  Something happened at least right!? lol.  I'm working my way backwards from Z.  I'm almost done with W.  Definitely have a long, tedious road ahead.  A few box fronts a day at least. Take care! feel free to message anytime.

I only kept the spine text 2D (90-degree rotation only) for readability, but kept the 3D boxart. Sacrficed a bit of form for function. Now I can make 3D boxes for any game I like, at least for Switch. 😄

I can only imagine the amount of time and dedication for complete boxart sets. Will drop you a message if there's anything (or just bugger you with my photo editing journey 😂). Take care too.

[damageinc86]

41 minutes ago, k_rollo said:

I only kept the spine text 2D (90-degree rotation only) for readability, but kept the 3D boxart. Sacrficed a bit of form for function. Now I can make 3D boxes for any game I like, at least for Switch. 😄

I can only imagine the amount of time and dedication for complete boxart sets. Will drop you a message if there's anything (or just bugger you with my photo editing journey 😂). Take care too.

Ohh I understand what you meant now.  Yeah, sometimes you just have to make that decision and go with it.  If it works better for you, then that's what you do!  Even if technically it doesn't match up.  Sounds good! see ya round.