4k verical Bezel (ArsInvictus and OrionsAngel Style)

[Briball]

Thanks Arsinvictus, I tried that, but never got it to work, I thought it would but not sure how the png store the transparency or retroarch interperatres, as when it’s shadows it seems to work but when color images it doesn’t. i tried on a space invader mame overlay conversion but it just didn’t show any transparency. it was driving me nuts.Also on the boot hill I tried.

So if someone knows more please inform us.

If Hyperspacemadness was wanting this, I am glad to have done it, as it’s a small way to give something back to all his hard work!!

[ArsInvictus]

Thanks @Briball for the info!

@hunterk, can you provide any guidance on the overlay opacity question here? It seems odd that RetroArch would only interpret 100% opacity correctly and ignore color information for partial transparencies. Is that by design?

[HyperspaceMadness]

Thanks, it’s looking great!

@Briball @ArsInvictus

About the transparency issue, Semi transparent bezels should work fine, and they used to when I was using them. I think that to really get the background image to display properly with the game you would need to have a shader to do it or use the new layouts feature in Retroarch, which I think only runs in gl :(.

The only way I think you could sort of do it with an overlay would be to convert all brightness shading into transparency and have the actual pixel colors be the colors with no darkness, this has the partial effect of a sort of additive blend. This is what I was doing with the bezel highlights in the mega bezel before the bezel was autogenerated.

If you are interested I can add an option in the mega bezel for applying the game image overtop of the backdrop additively which I think is probably what’s needed here.

Also if you can give me a version with the background (Blue buildings) and mid ground (Black with red lines) separate I can do some tests with this…

[Briball]

I’ll get them to you tomorrow.

[Dreamstate]

I used your cpo in place of the original one I was using and it looks great. Do you plan on uploading a higher res version so the detail is crisp and the instructions are legible? I tweaked all the lighting In the rest of the pieces to give it a black light glow and repositioned the bezels and got rid of some stuff in the way. Painted the mask to match the actual cab. I think it looks pretty good. Thoughts?

[Briball]

I didn’t know you had made one already, the marquee looks good, I think i saw this one, but had issues, although yours looks touched up(so if you could share that I can replace). there are a few things with the bezel. the back drop is back lit in the cab by white light so I wouldn’t use the black light effect there and the red inner bezel is also lit from the top with a white fluorescent light. I was copying the stand up cab which i noticed didn’t use the extra green grid graphics (which I personally found distracting and a bit to much and almost doesn’t fit in with the cpo graphics to me.) I will do a touch up round on the CPO.

[Dreamstate]

Yep, it’s the environmental artwork not the upright. The environmental cab inner red bezel is lit by a black light not a florescent bulb.

When I took a look at the backdrop it looked to me like the original looked much as I altered it to look. Like a black light painting. I would bet that the original looked like this and that it changed when it was made translucent so it could be lit from behind with a white bulb. Then you scan it and it ends up looking pretty drab. So, I altered it and I think it looks pretty cool. I’ve lowered the brightness on the green outer bezel since it’s not lit up in the cab. Thanks for the suggestion on that. Cool. I await the high res version.

[Briball]

yep your right the inner is blacklight. but there is a strong fall off on these which is really noticable on the red bezel giving that orange to red. don’t see it that much UV effect on the backplate. that light is also controlled by the game to come on. (which would be cool as I think mame might be able to trigger that)

[Dreamstate]

Yep, what i’m saying is though I didn’t go ultra realistic to what the cabs looked like regarding the background. I think before It was made translucent and then scanned it looked much as I modified It to look. I saturated the colors, deepened the black levels. I left all the buildings intact and didn’t do a massive crop and darken them to the point they disappeared. I didn’t put in a hot spot where the bulb went either. I think it looks cool and I’m actually tempted to do an alternate view where it’s modified to look exactly as it does in the real cabs. Your background differs from the one I have. Mine has a blacked out area where the bottom of the playfield is. I also had to modify the dot mask under where the game discs appear outside that box since they would appear see through If I didn’t darken the background image where they appear.

The orange color you’re seeing is probably room light coming in the cab directly being thrown on the bezel. In a dark arcade you probably wouldn’t see this color shift.

[Dreamstate]

So I scrapped the low res marquee and used the one from Arcade Artwork. Still not the greatest but it’s an improvement in resolution and it’s an actual scan. I messed around with the mask and arrived at something that lets the artwork show through and gives the playfield contrast so it doesn’t look see through. Adjusted the brightness on the bezels. I also removed the playfield grey floor that I’ve always hated. Simple adjustments in MAME contrast to 2.0 and reduction in brightness to 0.72 made is disappear.

Can you post a screenshot of your art during gameplay? i’m super curious to see what yours looks like. Man, this game has held up pretty well for it’s age. It’s still really, really fun to play and I’m still impressed with everything about it. Sounds, graphics and i think the cabs are a masterpiece. I played this in the environmental cab In the mid 80’s. I remember it all like it was yesterday. The feeling I got when i was in that cab. The bright colors from the black lighting, the strobing and flashing of the multitude of other lights in the cab. The surround sound. Really hope I can play in one someday again. I wasn’t too bad at It either. I think I could easily get to level 10 every time I played. Seemed like I could get a good half hur out of one credit.

[Briball]

I see what you’re doing, and I noticed my background was missing the black floor shadow thing, but wanted to see how this looked. As i saw on a video the back of the inlay and it looked like there was a black piece stuck on to make the shadow from behind. I see that I do need to add that in.

Anyway here’s a phonecam shot but it gets over exposed the second shot shows it better and how it is in my pin cab.

[Dreamstate]

So I can’t leave this one alone. I love the artwork way too much. Every time I start It up I see something I want to modify. I added highlights to the cpo, pasted instructions on and moved it down some so I could add speakers. I changed up the game screen some more. I added your marquee surround and inserted the scan I found. Whole bunch of other small things here and there. I might do a bit more on the cpo lol. Such a beauty of a cab.

[Briball]

OK, thanks @Dreamstate for those pointers, some good suggestions there. I hope this version puts it to some rest for a while. (I mean we could do 3d CPO and speakergrill hahahaha). Also took some feedback from @ArsInvictus on board and some great source material. But if there is something really bugging you then let me know and I will see what I can do for you.

you can find the overlay in the link above.

here’s the jpg for preview:

And @HyperspaceMadness can’t wait to see that shader update and see it running properly in retroarch.

[PapaShine]

Wow @Briball, this really looks amazing - it’s fair to say this is a very complex cab to tackle and I think you’ve done it true justice - really impressive!!

I did start a 3D control for this a while ago so if that’s something you feel that’s needed I’d be happy to drop it into my todo list but this is a truly beautiful piece of art as it stands.

[ArsInvictus]

Amazing job @briball! Really a gorgeous representation of this cab, and I agree with @papashine, you have truly done it justice!

[Dreamstate]

Puts It to rest? Perish the thought sir. There’s no such phrase when It comes to this stuff. Where’s the fun in that? Look at how many versions of the same cab keep coming our way from Ars. Were It not for updates we would not see all the improvements In these cabs. There’s always room for improvement and I see a few things I’m going to alter already. If you think this is the, end all be all… just wait till you see what’s possible with a proper 3D render. We can only hope for that to dazzle us.

Cutting off the top of the bezel was a good move as it adds a sense of depth to that area like the real cab. Toning down the black light and making it more purple was going to be my next move and revamping the brightness of the striping on the cpo etc. But this photo Is much better. Big improvement.

I really like the way the buttons glow in the sample picture I posted. They’re next. Yes, no?

[Briball]

I can do, wasn’t sure if those were original, I’ve seen all sorts of buttons in ref.

[PapaShine]

I used to own a Disks Of Tron back in the late 90’s and the whole thing was legit - the buttons didnt have any internal light sorce as that picture seems to show - they where a sort of semi translucent soft white/light green, almost glow in the dark that refelcted the black light from above the CP - in that mock up it has a green ring of light as if its emiting from the button its-self? nice effect for sure! - but it would def be more of a light reflection across the dip of the button and just under the surface and not a glowing ring. still, these things are open to interpritation and whos to say they woudn’t have added that if they could!

[Dreamstate]

You lucky bastard… omg .Yeah the buttons don’t look stock at all. But on that machine, they look amazing. I’ve almost got them done up. Just adding some ahadow In front of them to solidify them. I don’t get the impression that the buttons are lit from the inside, only illuminated by the black light so I’m guessing, UV reactive translucent buttons. Whatever they are I’m keeping them on my cpo. They remind me of the buttons on some of the williams cabs like Joust. Just not the UV variety.

[PapaShine]

Sickingly the cab only cost me $125 (though they didn’t have allot of value back then) and was in near perfect condition - it was wrecked in storage along with a 4player guantlet in a small flood in the early 00’s - wish I still had them!