Demo DVD Impressions

bippym · 15 June 2004, 20:04

Attached are some images from the Flashback: Demos1

I Would like some feedback please

15 June 2004, 20:08

Nice. Is the text as readable in motion as it is in screenshots or are these still images?

bippym · 15 June 2004, 20:10

These are still menu images

Basically from the main menu you come here, then there are 3 selectable buttons on the pages (The Demo Group Logo - Goes to a slideshow of their logo's) the others are self explanatory.

15 June 2004, 20:24

Perhaps that gigantic -green amiga alien's watch demo button- could be simpler.

Akira · 15 June 2004, 20:27

I don't think the text would be readable in a TV. It's too small! It would blend all over the place, depending on how you got your DVD deck connected to the tely.
And it's got like too many colors, can lead to more unreadability (and annoyingness of the eyeballs

)

RCK · 16 June 2004, 11:31

If you still want to use those presentation texts, write your text in a square colored background on 1/4 of the screen

bippym · 16 June 2004, 20:45

Quote:

I don't think the text would be readable in a TV. It's too small! It would blend all over the place, depending on how you got your DVD deck connected to the tely.
And it's got like too many colors, can lead to more unreadability (and annoyingness of the eyeballs )

Looks fine on my TV, I have written a test to DVD to check but....

Quote:

If you still want to use those presentation texts, write your text in a square colored background on 1/4 of the screen

Okay I'll use a semi-transparant colour background for the boxes, and then I'll use the same colour for the text.

How about the following? Which looks better?

16 June 2004, 20:48

Second one but be careful while aligning the left side. The simpler the better. And I'm serious about the radioactive watch demo text

bippym · 16 June 2004, 20:50

Attach the txt you mean Burseg..

The allignment was fixed as soon as I posted, it is now alligned, actually I'll replace the image

look again in 2 mins

Akira · 16 June 2004, 20:59

watch out with the colors. And the "Watch Demo" button looks horrible with its radioactive green glow

I would notch up the font size a bit, to the expense of maybe using a medium-type typeface instead of a bold-type typeface. Having the semi-transparent background is cool.

I noticed in some of the upper text you used a "negative" or "addition" or "substraction" layer or something. This looks bad. If you need to make text not blending with the BG you better: 1) relocate it or 2) add a black outline to it. I'd chose 2

bippym · 16 June 2004, 21:22

Akira points taken on board, the reason the font is small is to fit more comments on, and it is perfectly readable on my 28" tv and my monitor, though I'll try something else..

As for the Watch Demo.. I will change it shortly!

I have attached 2 more pics, I have removed the bold typface and increased the size by 1 point (Not much, bot it is noticable)

Also do I have it left alligned or centred?

Akira · 16 June 2004, 22:54

Tell you what, post here a mockup screenie of the BIGGEST comment you have, let's see how much space you need and how much you have to compromise font size to make it balanced between readable/content

About the border, I didn't mean that you add a smeary shadow, I actually was thinking about a 1 point thick black border around it with no blending. Want me to give this a go?

Another idea... This DVD is about ye olde Amiga demos, which have big pixels and all... why is the background picture resampled then? it looks smeary as well

bippym · 17 June 2004, 08:47

The TXT can't be read on a portable tv, it just blurs and blends, so I will need a bigger font

The biggest comment varies (as I am waiting for some comments from users on here!) all the comments I have atm I took form A.D.A, I am thinking of having a separate comments page for each demo, will have to see!

Quote:

Another idea... This DVD is about ye olde Amiga demos, which have big pixels and all... why is the background picture resampled then? it looks smeary as well

The image looks blurry because they have been taken from the actual mpeg2 movies, these are obviously blurred when processed, in the finished article all the images will be crisp and taken from the demos themselves

I also thought about having part of the demo (say 60 seconds worth) actually be running instead of a still image, I can provide an avi of this if you wish to see what I mean

edit: The avi of what I mean is in the zone, its less than 1mb in size.. comments please

Akira · 17 June 2004, 09:59

I don't think having a small AVI would be good, I mean, I think it would be a waste of time. If you want to watch it, watch it, why do you have the demos otherwise?

I don't know if you should give much space to comments, most times they will be biased comments that mean pish all to the viewer. do you really need them? I can say "X demo is SHIT! and Y demo is R0X!" and it would mean fuck all, because maybe you think X rocks and Y blows! so if you need to remove all that text just to make it viewable in ANY TV, it would be A-OK with me.

I think I'll have a very quick go at this to show you what I mean, it would be easier

If you will include these comments, try to have them all occupying the same text box. In the last pic the textbox from above is narrower than the one below.

I'll try and post a piccy .

bippym · 17 June 2004, 10:04

Okay, just look at the avi I uploaded to see what I mean, Oh and it uses XVID codec, the resultant mpg is only a few mb so it isn't that much hassle, trust me

Akira · 17 June 2004, 11:22

Checking now, I'm on bandwidth, I don't give a rat's arse

Akira · 17 June 2004, 12:29

That looks great but it's just that demo! What if all the otehrs don't have such a suitable animation? Obviously if they all have, do use it, for it's cool

bippym · 17 June 2004, 12:41

Okay basically for the background I will use 10-30 secs or whatever from each demo, I am sure I can find something..

If not then.. well I'll figure something out

Creating those menus is difficult in some respects because I have to have the entire menu created first BEFORE I put the animations in, then I have to render the new motion-menu which then replaces the existing menu..

Once done it looks really good, I just have to have something to fill those gaps, hence the comments

I really am open to suggestions here, I can upload any example images etc for somebody to try their own ideas etc..

Akira · 17 June 2004, 12:52

I knw it's hard to create this shit, we've been recently strugglimg with DVD Studio Pro 2 on the Mac and it's a bitch! so pickY! I thought it was easier to author DVDs

I'll give it a go this weekend or something. OK? no time rigt now , unfortunately

bippym · 17 June 2004, 13:15

Cheers Akira.. I will try and beaver on with what I have, if you require any of the gfx gimme a pm and I'll sort it for you

bippym · 24 June 2004, 19:49

Just an updated image of one of the menus (arte by Sanity)

As you can see I have now separated the person from his comments, the demo developer logo is present and when selected takes you to a slideshow of their logos.

These demos where possible will be animated

Akira · 24 June 2004, 20:14

I havent got any time to give a go at this bippy ;/

I still see some stuff here.
-You are still using the text above as a negative or additive layer or something
-the background color for the comments is not quite nice. How about just a black box at 50% transparency?
- What's the deal with the names? I mean, who cares? Nobody knows Akira or Burseg except us

24 June 2004, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

- What's the deal with the names? I mean, who cares? Nobody knows Akira or Burseg except us

This is what they said to Elvis.

bippym · 25 June 2004, 18:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akira

I havent got any time to give a go at this bippy ;/

I still see some stuff here.
-You are still using the text above as a negative or additive layer or something
-the background color for the comments is not quite nice. How about just a black box at 50% transparency?
- What's the deal with the names? I mean, who cares? Nobody knows Akira or Burseg except us

Txt above will be fixed as solid white or whatever colour

I want the other colour behind the comments to separate it from the name, reason, I don't like all black, I'll play with other colours but personally I like it, anybody else got any thoughts on this?

I am using names because it gives mare validity to the comments, makes them seem more real and less likely I made them up !!!

Akira · 25 June 2004, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by bippym

I am using names because it gives mare validity to the comments, makes them seem more real and less likely I made them up !!!

I would understand you if you were using names like "Jay Miner"or "Michael Jackson", but these nicknames can be made up babble, actualy, if you dont get enough comments,I suggest you to make them up yourself

bippym · 25 June 2004, 20:23

well I'll put a link to the website that hosts the comments :P

Medvind · 26 June 2004, 15:16

I think the colors are ok bippym. But you do as you want. Could work with transparent black also, considering the backgrounds contain colors.

bippym · 27 June 2004, 22:23

Okay another couple of pics..

Reactions please

bippym · 02 July 2004, 15:35

I need some opinions on the following pic

Currently the menus have gone with the blue box look (The 2nd set of comments in the pic)

I have been playing around though and personally like the look of the white/pink glow of the comments

What do you guys think?

02 July 2004, 16:05

Well I can't say you're into radical improvements. Main things to keep in mind are readability and color compatibility. Here are different colors with different hues and they all are too saturated. May I suggest using a single hue for everything except the image on the background? A monochrome, although not necessarily black&white text will do better than this. Or for example, just use #364CA1 for text background as you did, #EFFDC8 for informational titles and white for all the text and remove all the glows. Additionally I can't categorize rloaderro's opinion with heetach's. rloaderro's part looks like it's more relevant with the part above it because it's so different in style than the heetach's part.

02 July 2004, 16:10

This is the best part and this style can develop into the whole interface.And I only just noticed the main menu link bottom right. Well place the elements first, define their relevance to each other in your mind and set their sizes and colors accordingly. "Watch Demo" is important, but not 20 times important than the "main menu" likewise only a little difference between the two would be ambigious so, just make the two the same size. That's just an example solution but a tip on how you can think about interface desgn.

Medvind · 03 July 2004, 02:23

I would say that burseg knows what he's talking about. There are lots and lots of logical stuff regarding graphics. I don't know them all precisely, but I know OF them. Font sizes and colors are improtant when it all comes around. So put time into this, and this will be one great DVD.

KombatSanta · 03 July 2004, 03:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by bl4desinger/IND

I would say that burseg knows what he's talking about. There are lots and lots of logical stuff regarding graphics. I don't know them all precisely, but I know OF them. Font sizes and colors are improtant when it all comes around. So put time into this, and this will be one great DVD.

Burseg always knows what he is talking about when it comes to graphics ( no matter how irretating it can be, but he's focking always right that sod!

)

Akira · 03 July 2004, 21:56

We're the gfx nitpicking duo Burseg ;D

04 July 2004, 05:44

Akira suck my ba.....ha? Ook you didn't disagree then

Akira · 04 July 2004, 22:31

When did I?

bippym · 06 July 2004, 17:19

Right, I have taken on board the comments posted by Akira and Burseg and attached is another draft.

Lemme know what I can do to improve this please

KombatSanta · 06 July 2004, 18:28

looks good! "thats... thats what I tink!"

Medvind · 07 July 2004, 00:59

bippym.... this looks awsome!

bippym · 07 July 2004, 14:12

Come on guys, I am eager to get the rest of the menus changed and get this thing finished

The main menu's are now finished, just the sub menu's and a couple other bits n pieces

15 June 2004, 20:04	#1
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Demo DVD Impressions Attached are some images from the Flashback: Demos1 I Would like some feedback please Attached Thumbnails

16 June 2004, 21:22	#11
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Akira points taken on board, the reason the font is small is to fit more comments on, and it is perfectly readable on my 28" tv and my monitor, though I'll try something else.. As for the Watch Demo.. I will change it shortly! I have attached 2 more pics, I have removed the bold typface and increased the size by 1 point (Not much, bot it is noticable) Also do I have it left alligned or centred? Attached Thumbnails

24 June 2004, 19:49	#21
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Just an updated image of one of the menus (arte by Sanity) As you can see I have now separated the person from his comments, the demo developer logo is present and when selected takes you to a slideshow of their logos. These demos where possible will be animated Attached Thumbnails

27 June 2004, 22:23	#28
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Okay another couple of pics.. Reactions please Attached Thumbnails

02 July 2004, 15:35	#29
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	I need some opinions on the following pic Currently the menus have gone with the blue box look (The 2nd set of comments in the pic) I have been playing around though and personally like the look of the white/pink glow of the comments What do you guys think? Attached Thumbnails

15 June 2004, 20:08	#2
oldpx Posts: n/a	Nice. Is the text as readable in motion as it is in screenshots or are these still images?

15 June 2004, 20:10	#3
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	These are still menu images Basically from the main menu you come here, then there are 3 selectable buttons on the pages (The Demo Group Logo - Goes to a slideshow of their logo's) the others are self explanatory.

15 June 2004, 20:24	#4
oldpx Posts: n/a	Perhaps that gigantic -green amiga alien's watch demo button- could be simpler.

15 June 2004, 20:27	#5
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	I don't think the text would be readable in a TV. It's too small! It would blend all over the place, depending on how you got your DVD deck connected to the tely. And it's got like too many colors, can lead to more unreadability (and annoyingness of the eyeballs )

16 June 2004, 11:31	#6
RCK Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Paris / France Age: 34 Posts: 2,541	If you still want to use those presentation texts, write your text in a square colored background on 1/4 of the screen

16 June 2004, 20:48	#8
oldpx Posts: n/a	Second one but be careful while aligning the left side. The simpler the better. And I'm serious about the radioactive watch demo text

16 June 2004, 20:50	#9
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Attach the txt you mean Burseg.. The allignment was fixed as soon as I posted, it is now alligned, actually I'll replace the image look again in 2 mins

16 June 2004, 20:59	#10
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	watch out with the colors. And the "Watch Demo" button looks horrible with its radioactive green glow I would notch up the font size a bit, to the expense of maybe using a medium-type typeface instead of a bold-type typeface. Having the semi-transparent background is cool. I noticed in some of the upper text you used a "negative" or "addition" or "substraction" layer or something. This looks bad. If you need to make text not blending with the BG you better: 1) relocate it or 2) add a black outline to it. I'd chose 2

16 June 2004, 22:54	#12
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	Tell you what, post here a mockup screenie of the BIGGEST comment you have, let's see how much space you need and how much you have to compromise font size to make it balanced between readable/content About the border, I didn't mean that you add a smeary shadow, I actually was thinking about a 1 point thick black border around it with no blending. Want me to give this a go? Another idea... This DVD is about ye olde Amiga demos, which have big pixels and all... why is the background picture resampled then? it looks smeary as well

17 June 2004, 09:59	#14
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	I don't think having a small AVI would be good, I mean, I think it would be a waste of time. If you want to watch it, watch it, why do you have the demos otherwise? I don't know if you should give much space to comments, most times they will be biased comments that mean pish all to the viewer. do you really need them? I can say "X demo is SHIT! and Y demo is R0X!" and it would mean fuck all, because maybe you think X rocks and Y blows! so if you need to remove all that text just to make it viewable in ANY TV, it would be A-OK with me. I think I'll have a very quick go at this to show you what I mean, it would be easier If you will include these comments, try to have them all occupying the same text box. In the last pic the textbox from above is narrower than the one below. I'll try and post a piccy .

17 June 2004, 10:04	#15
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Okay, just look at the avi I uploaded to see what I mean, Oh and it uses XVID codec, the resultant mpg is only a few mb so it isn't that much hassle, trust me

17 June 2004, 11:22	#16
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	Checking now, I'm on bandwidth, I don't give a rat's arse

17 June 2004, 12:29	#17
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	That looks great but it's just that demo! What if all the otehrs don't have such a suitable animation? Obviously if they all have, do use it, for it's cool

17 June 2004, 12:41	#18
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Okay basically for the background I will use 10-30 secs or whatever from each demo, I am sure I can find something.. If not then.. well I'll figure something out Creating those menus is difficult in some respects because I have to have the entire menu created first BEFORE I put the animations in, then I have to render the new motion-menu which then replaces the existing menu.. Once done it looks really good, I just have to have something to fill those gaps, hence the comments I really am open to suggestions here, I can upload any example images etc for somebody to try their own ideas etc..

17 June 2004, 12:52	#19
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	I knw it's hard to create this shit, we've been recently strugglimg with DVD Studio Pro 2 on the Mac and it's a bitch! so pickY! I thought it was easier to author DVDs I'll give it a go this weekend or something. OK? no time rigt now , unfortunately

17 June 2004, 13:15	#20
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Cheers Akira.. I will try and beaver on with what I have, if you require any of the gfx gimme a pm and I'll sort it for you

24 June 2004, 20:14	#22
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	I havent got any time to give a go at this bippy ;/ I still see some stuff here. -You are still using the text above as a negative or additive layer or something -the background color for the comments is not quite nice. How about just a black box at 50% transparency? - What's the deal with the names? I mean, who cares? Nobody knows Akira or Burseg except us

25 June 2004, 20:23	#26
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	well I'll put a link to the website that hosts the comments :P

26 June 2004, 15:16	#27
Medvind Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sweden Age: 34 Posts: 145	I think the colors are ok bippym. But you do as you want. Could work with transparent black also, considering the backgrounds contain colors.

02 July 2004, 16:05	#30
oldpx Posts: n/a	Well I can't say you're into radical improvements. Main things to keep in mind are readability and color compatibility. Here are different colors with different hues and they all are too saturated. May I suggest using a single hue for everything except the image on the background? A monochrome, although not necessarily black&white text will do better than this. Or for example, just use #364CA1 for text background as you did, #EFFDC8 for informational titles and white for all the text and remove all the glows. Additionally I can't categorize rloaderro's opinion with heetach's. rloaderro's part looks like it's more relevant with the part above it because it's so different in style than the heetach's part. Last edited by oldpx; 02 July 2004 at 16:11.

02 July 2004, 16:10	#31
oldpx Posts: n/a	This is the best part and this style can develop into the whole interface.And I only just noticed the main menu link bottom right. Well place the elements first, define their relevance to each other in your mind and set their sizes and colors accordingly. "Watch Demo" is important, but not 20 times important than the "main menu" likewise only a little difference between the two would be ambigious so, just make the two the same size. That's just an example solution but a tip on how you can think about interface desgn. Attached Thumbnails

03 July 2004, 02:23	#32
Medvind Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sweden Age: 34 Posts: 145	I would say that burseg knows what he's talking about. There are lots and lots of logical stuff regarding graphics. I don't know them all precisely, but I know OF them. Font sizes and colors are improtant when it all comes around. So put time into this, and this will be one great DVD.

03 July 2004, 21:56	#34
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	We're the gfx nitpicking duo Burseg ;D

04 July 2004, 05:44	#35
oldpx Posts: n/a	Akira suck my ba.....ha? Ook you didn't disagree then

04 July 2004, 22:31	#36
Akira Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: # Posts: 12,584	When did I?

06 July 2004, 17:19	#37
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Right, I have taken on board the comments posted by Akira and Burseg and attached is another draft. Lemme know what I can do to improve this please Attached Thumbnails

06 July 2004, 18:28	#38
KombatSanta Pipboy approved Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Karlstad, Sweden Age: 37 Posts: 448	looks good! "thats... thats what I tink!" __________________ KombatSanta a.k.a the slutmunger

07 July 2004, 00:59	#39
Medvind Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sweden Age: 34 Posts: 145	bippym.... this looks awsome!

07 July 2004, 14:12	#40
bippym Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 37 Posts: 8,132	Come on guys, I am eager to get the rest of the menus changed and get this thing finished The main menu's are now finished, just the sub menu's and a couple other bits n pieces

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