Hacking Skin Feedback

[DrHectic]

Godot: Your skin is looking pretty solid, it seems you have fixed up all the little gripes with it. Although, if I may mention one thing that may/may not ruin your whole skin - and this applies to most skins of your kind using one image over the two screens: you have to remember that there is an 'invisible' pixel gap between the screens. What I mean is, looking at it on the ds, it will seem as if an extra 90 pixels (roughly) worth of image are hidden between the sceens. If you can - just try and cut out about 90 (i'm pretty sure it's about 90 - 91 to be exact if my memory serves me correctly) pixels from the middle of the original image for use on top and bottom screens. For example, look at this graphic rip from GS3:

The image looks ugly there, but on screen it looks normal. Now, this is a good lead in to my own skin:

Everything was hand drawn by me, with the coffee stains added in with photoshop - please don't steal my pictures! Feedback is welcome. And could someone please test it - everything is either a 16bit or 8bit bmp (because I scanned in monochrome)

Test it please

 

[Cablephish]

Godot: Your skin is looking pretty solid, it seems you have fixed up all the little gripes with it. Although, if I may mention one thing that may/may not ruin your whole skin - and this applies to most skins of your kind using one image over the two screens: you have to remember that there is an 'invisible' pixel gap between the screens. What I mean is, looking at it on the ds, it will seem as if an extra 90 pixels (roughly) worth of image are hidden between the sceens. If you can - just try and cut out about 90 (i'm pretty sure it's about 90 - 91 to be exact if my memory serves me correctly) pixels from the middle of the original image for use on top and bottom screens. For example, look at this graphic rip from GS3:

The image looks ugly there, but on screen it looks normal. Now, this is a good lead in to my own skin:

Everything was hand drawn by me, with the coffee stains added in with photoshop - please don't steal my pictures! Feedback is welcome. And could someone please test it - everything is either a 16bit or 8bit bmp (because I scanned in monochrome)

Test it please

The thing is I already used the whole length of the picture, now it's just two split images.

 

[seedvt]

I just noticed this thread.

My skin is based off EarthBound, and focuses primarily on black and white contrasts. It's almost completely redone from my R4 version, which can be found on NDSthemes.

Here is a preview:

Download
PSI Rockin' Omega at NDSthemes

 

[Raestloz]

I've taken in all of your comments and finally came up with something more pleasing to the eye!

I bet you want this skin, huh

Enjoy!

See, *Godot*? I told you to edit tha transparency abit, now compare what you've got with your previous skin with those polygonal things, looks awfully better!

and I think DR heretic is right, that Godot image from PW3 looks natural compared to cheesy images from PW1, but since you've make it that way....

@seedvt: Your skin looks perfect to me, I don't have to put it to my EDGE to test it, black and white proves to be an easily crusahble ant before 16 bit color, since your BG is greay, black text fits perfectly, I don't thin you can improve it anymore, except if you wanna come up with something original with the cheat icons, everything seems to be in harmony

@Dr Heretic:IDK, actually I'm not a fan of fanart, you see, I'm one of those "graphic lover" so I don't really like your images. But still, I can't deny your determination. But problem is: Your is just that: black and white and simple, I can't say anything about it, since I can't improve it in any possible way without changing the concept

@DocL16, I kinda like your images, but what happened to the menu icons? Why did you leave it that way? And some original cheat icons won't hurt

 

[Amici]

@Raestloz

What do you mean with the menu icons? Do they look too ordinary? Hmm...I think I'm gonna work on that a bit. The cheat icons, I'm kinda running out of ideas lol. But thanks for the comments, much appreciated

 

[Raestloz]

Um.. no, they're good, what I meant was, usually there's different icon for "highlighted" state and "normal" state

Look at *godot*'s skin for example, Y icon for games changed to E when it's not selected, as you can see, it adds flavour to the skin, even if it's just as simple as the NDS closing and opening it's lid(like mine, see page 1 Blue Stream for what I mean)

By the way... I forgot to add something: I didn't test your skin on the real EDGE, that's for sure. SO I'll go and save all of you guys' screenshot in 16 bit .bmp to test them out (only for richly colored ones) to give you some impressions of what it should look like

1st: DocL16, maybe you should tone down your image abit, while the bright sphere is OK, the dark sphere on the left side of the top image clearly shows bad gradation

, the colors of 16 bit is not enough

2nd:*godot* be happy

, your image looks perfect on 16 bit, it looks like they don't use as much colr as I think, what you see now is what you'll see on the DS

 

[Egonny]

@Doc16: I don't know, but i think your bottom background is to white. I like the sphere idea but you should make that background more like the top background.

Any comments on mine(or test it on a real EDGE cart?)

Download it !

 

[Raestloz]

I have to say, should EDGE accept png files, I'm impressed with your skin, unfortunately, EDGE is picky, what I fear from these kind of skins is the fact that they used too much colors for gradation and effects like glow.

Your doesn't use any glows, yes but the gradation... it looks pretty clear in an EDGE, the top image is not that clear, but te bottom image, the one you should be looking at, shows clear bad gradation

save that screenshot of yours in 16 bit .bmp format to see what I mean

 

[Egonny]

I have to say, should EDGE accept png files, I'm impressed with your skin, unfortunately, EDGE is picky, what I fear from these kind of skins is the fact that they used too much colors for gradation and effects like glow.

Your doesn't use any glows, yes but the gradation... it looks pretty clear in an EDGE, the top image is not that clear, but te bottom image, the one you should be looking at, shows clear bad gradation

save that screenshot of yours in 16 bit .bmp format to see what I mean

Well, my theme isn't encoded in png, it's in bmp.
Can you please explain the problem a little bit clearer with the 16 bit bmp, 'cause i don't see so much quality loss.

 

[Amici]

Thanks guys, noted

Don't really have my NDSL now to test, but I'm sure to keep that in mind before I release my final version. Thanks again!

 

[seedvt]

Raestloz: Thanks for the input!

I think I'll get started on the customized cheat icons.

EDIT: Added some new EarthBound/Mother 3 sprites as the cheat icons, as well as a scrollbar!

Download

 

[Issac]

Raestloz: Thanks for the input!

I think I'll get started on the customized cheat icons.

EDIT: Added some new EarthBound/Mother 3 sprites as the cheat icons, as well as a scrollbar!

Spoiler

Download

I think the cheat icons are a little hard to see which is checked or not, an open box = an open square = not checked? or is the closed box = un-opened = not checked? and the same with the hair... First thought is "light hair = checked" but then again, it can be the oposite...
Apart from that it looks AMAZING!

I really dig the background images and the start menu icons looks, and fits, really well!

Now here's mine, can someone check and see if there's any problem with it (I had no idea it was a 16 bit limit on the images, so I used 24... if someone could check i'd be greatful! (my computer is really slow right now, downloading (leagally) MatLab and having 512 MB ram + 7 Gig free HDD isn't optimal for loading photoshop

)

Link to skin

Link to image

I hope you'll like it

 

[seedvt]

Raestloz: Thanks for the input!

I think I'll get started on the customized cheat icons.

EDIT: Added some new EarthBound/Mother 3 sprites as the cheat icons, as well as a scrollbar!

Spoiler

Download

I think the cheat icons are a little hard to see which is checked or not, an open box = an open square = not checked? or is the closed box = un-opened = not checked? and the same with the hair... First thought is "light hair = checked" but then again, it can be the oposite...
Apart from that it looks AMAZING!

I really dig the background images and the start menu icons looks, and fits, really well!

Now here's mine, can someone check and see if there's any problem with it (I had no idea it was a 16 bit limit on the images, so I used 24... if someone could check i'd be greatful! (my computer is really slow right now, downloading (leagally) MatLab and having 512 MB ram + 7 Gig free HDD isn't optimal for loading photoshop

)

Spoiler

Link to skin

Link to image

I hope you'll like it

Ah, you're right.

I should choose more obvious selected/unselected icons..

Your skin looks nice, and I just tried saving your image as 16-bit bmp; You can hardly tell the difference.

I think your scrollbar could be a different colour, to match the bottom background.

 

[twede86]

Download Link

Suggestions, Comments?

 

[seedvt]

I took the feedback of the cheat icons into consideration and changed it slightly.

I made it more apparent if the cheat is on or off, as I made the 'off' cheats a dark shade while the 'on' cheats a very light shade.

Download

 

[Cablephish]

It's a bit too late for me to be editing the 2 pictures. I can get around to it at a later time, but not within the time to the deadline for the competition. I really want to perfect it though, so I'll work on it on the weekend after the competition deadline.

Also if I do redo it, someone's face is bound to get cut out of the picture, I guess I just wanted to preserve it with the most
visuals possible.

Also, thanks a lot Raestloz, for testing the skin on your Edge, much appreciated.

 

[spinal_cord]

no comments on my skin? nobody like/hate it?

 

[DrHectic]

twede86: your skin is very nice, the only bad comment i can give is your scrollbar, it's doesn't fit with the rest of the theme. It looks like you drew it in paint!

seedvt: your skin is also very nice...I don't think you need to do anything more with it. Maybe swap the present icons with the gem icons? I think that seems more fitting for a drop down menu.

spinal_cord: I've never been a fan of donkey kong so not really into your skin. All your icons and buttons match with the theme so i guess there really isn't anything fundamentally wrong with it. Personally, if I had to put any skin on any flashcart I don't like the name of the cart emblazoned in giant letters on the top screen - but that's just me and it is an EDGE contest after all.

 

[seedvt]

seedvt: your skin is also very nice...I don't think you need to do anything more with it. Maybe swap the present icons with the gem icons? I think that seems more fitting for a drop down menu.

Now that you mention it... Giftboxes being the 'cheat group' would make more sense!

Thanks for looking over that.

Spoiler

Download

twede86: I like your skin, but it seems like there's quite a few hand-drawn type of skins out there now.

I agree about the scroll bar, I think it should be hand drawn or made so it looks more hand drawn.

 

[Rebellion]

I posted this on the other topic, but I'd like some crit here too!

Download!
twede86, your skin is awesome!