N64 game case project - live!

I dont mind doing some photoshop work...some of you might remember my Dreamcast DVD Covers.

I'm happy to make this into a Photoshop Action for easier use.
 
[quote name='Backlash']So is the ratio for the MediaShelving cases the same as the original box? That is, did you just have to scale your scan or did you have to do any cropping to get the ratio correct?[/quote]

Yes, the ratio is just a tiny bit different. The mediashelving cases are a tiny bit wider than the boxes. But barely.


I can help do some of the Photoshop work (as far as scaling, cropping, etc - nothing like new custom art) when people start uploading their scans.
Click to expand...
Hopefully a lot of those people will be able to do a lot of that themselves, like the GBA project (people resized and fitted their covers with the spine logo and uploaded them). However, a place to upload raw scans is a good idea.

When will SnowCone be ready to accept scans? Can we have two sections on his site - raw scans and ready-to-print art (for people who can't/don't do their own image editing)?
Click to expand...

Right now we have a temporary upload site:

http://www.snackbar-games.com/uploadcovers.php

Same as the GBA upload site, except now there's a dropdown option for "N64".
I'm going to try printing out my cover and seeing if it fits properly and take a few photos for everyone to see.
 
[quote name='nate1749']Check out the site below for a similar project involving neo geo carts. They of course use PDF's and take everything to kinko's to be printed on "Glossy Tabloid, Heavy Stock". [/QUOTE]

Anyone try this stuff on the GBA covers? I've heard that just plain paper is fine, but would this be super snazzy or overkill?
 
Thanks slash - I can't wait to get the official measurements and instructions out there so we can start making these cases!

Maybe we can use SnowCone's site for just the finished products, and use nate1749 and/or ryan838's web space for the raw scans that need to be edited (if there are any).
 
[quote name='evilmax17']Anyone try this stuff on the GBA covers? I've heard that just plain paper is fine, but would this be super snazzy or overkill?[/QUOTE]

I'm sure plain paper will suffice just fine, but if you did a side-by-side comparision you'd instantly notice a difference. I also assume that over an extended period of time the professional paper would hold up much better than plain paper. I plan on initially using plain paper for all of this, then once we have everything figured out going and giving it a shot at Kinko's. It's an additional cost that some will be interested in, others won't.

Nate
 
OK everyone!


I finished tweaking the cover image size down to the pixel, and I believe it is as perfectly sized as it needs to be. I printed one out according to my final pixel by pixel size, and I think it's a perfect, snug fit. I would post a photo, but I do not have my digital camera on hand.

So, I have 3 important pieces of information to share:

1) Here is the first official, properly sized N64 case cover:

Goldeneye N64 Case Cover


Feel free to print it out, cut it, and insert it into your case as you like! Remember it'll only fit on legal-size paper!


2) The final dimensions! They are (in pixels at 300 DPI):

Front, Back:
1536 wide, 2100 tall

Spine:
294 wide, 2100 tall

Total:
3366 wide, 2100 tall

Red N64 Spine Logo:
294 wide, 384 tall

boxart spine image without logo:
294 wide, 1716 tall


3) The official spine logo:




That's it! Start scanning, sizing, and uploading your N64 case covers here:
http://www.snackbar-games.com/uploadcovers.php


As for raw scans, I think using Nate's/Ryan's space for that is an excellent idea. How about it, Nate or Ryan? Otherwise, we'd have to have a Request thread like SnackBar's, or use this one, and people would have to email us raw scans individually like they do for the GBA project...


Lastly, I am still in mid-process of moving to a new apartment, and will be out of an internet connection again. I'll try to scan the covers I have and size+upload them when I get the opportunity. But everyone else, have at it!


:)
 
Looks great Slash. I'll definitely try and see if I can get my hands on more boxes so we can get this thing rolling.
 
Hey --

Important update:


I've been creating these case covers for the project, and I've noticed something very useful.


If you crop the top and bottom of the scanned spine box-art just a tad, then when you resize it to the pixel dimensions of the case covers they come out at the right proportion. Check this out:

The original spine art:
spine18fa.jpg


The original idea was to crop the spine art like this:
spine23ir.jpg


The result was that when resized for the case spine's dimensions, it squeezed it inwards a little bit.

However, if you crop the spine art just a little bit more inward to the art, you can resize it to fit the spines and the result is the spine art is the right ratio. Crop like this:

spine30fg.jpg



And you get good-looking spines. Check out the covers I've posted links to in my posts above to see what I mean. They are all slightly cropped for proper-looking spine art.
 
OK so I had posted an ftp site to upload files to, but then I found out a gallery option for my host & I think this is a better way to go. There's no limits of any kind on what pictures are uploaded and the user below can only add pictures (not delete). I made 2 albums, a Raw Scans and then a Finished album. I already uploaded the 4 finished ones in there.

This seems like an easy way to do this. That way if someone just uploads an image to the raw scan directory anyone can download it, fix it, and upload it to the finished.

http://ukbeats.com/n64

login: n64covers
pass: n64covers

You don't need a login to view any images, only to upload. My host seems fast enough too as I was downloading at 500k a second.

Nate
 
Awesome! Thanks for all the work slash and the space nate. I edited the OP with a ton of info, mostly a copy of your last few posts, slash. Let me know if anything is missing or if there's a better way. (I'm thinking maybe a wishlist of games we don't have yet may be nice later, though with so few right now that list would be massive).
 
[quote name='Backlash']Awesome! Thanks for all the work slash and the space nate. I edited the OP with a ton of info, mostly a copy of your last few posts, slash. Let me know if anything is missing or if there's a better way. (I'm thinking maybe a wishlist of games we don't have yet may be nice later, though with so few right now that list would be massive).[/QUOTE]

Sorry, but can you change the OP with the new info (see bottom of page 3)? I was hoping that I edited my post before anyone saw it, but unfortunately I was wrong.

I was thinking same thing about the list.

FYI - the ftp site still works, I just think the album is a much better solution.

Nate
 
Just one quick FYI:


The URLs to the cases I posted might be temporary URLs, because the upload page at SnowCone's site puts uploaded files into a temporary directory on his webserver until he gets a chance to make thumbnails out of them and post them in the official online collection on the project page.

I PM'd him to ask him what he'll do once we've uploaded the covers to that directory, but for now the URLs to those few covers will work (until he moves the image files).

Anyway, that's just a heads up in case those links suddenly stop working ;).

========


Also, on the OP, the image of the N64 spine logo should be a link to the full-size version.


You should either fix the link (like my post) or just post this image, the properly-sized one:

n64spinelogo9lu.jpg
 
Duly noted about the links. I figured he would have to add some sort of N64 section or something eventually.

I tried to fix the logo image (I didn't realize I had accidentally just posted the thumbnail - doh!). It's just a link rght now - how do you get that automatic thumbnail with the image size and all that? I used [ img ] tags with the url of the fullsize jpg and it just gave me the text link.
 
Just finished doing these covers:

Banjo Kazooie
Diddy Kong Racing
Turok 2 Seeds of Evil


I'll upload them tomorrow when I get a chance. :)
 
i've got n64 games, but no boxes!! I'll have to buy more games off ebay w/boxes to scan some in. I'll put together a list tomorrow to supplement the OP (especially since that post may get really really long).

Nate
 
Just printed out my first two - they look great. Slash, when you're putting them in the cases, did you crease the covers where the spine part is?
 
I've just started my N64 collection a few weeks ago, so I need to amass a few games before I order any cases. How are you guys adhering the printouts to the cases? Do you have an official glue+laminate method yet?
 
[quote name='Backlash']Just printed out my first two - they look great. Slash, when you're putting them in the cases, did you crease the covers where the spine part is?[/QUOTE]

Crease the covers? What do you mean? I just slide the paper covers into place the same way I do with DVD covers or the GBA covers. Then I fold it closed. I'd like to take some pictures but I can only use the 'net when I can get the chance. The spine-art should go a tiny bit to the right and left of the center of the corners of the cases. Personally, I'm a bit of a perfectionist about lining up the spines, so I makes sure they're perfectly centered when I slip them into the sleeve.


I've just started my N64 collection a few weeks ago, so I need to amass a few games before I order any cases. How are you guys adhering the printouts to the cases? Do you have an official glue+laminate method yet?
Click to expand...

Like BackLash said, we don't need to do that -- the covers come with clear sleeves to slide the printed covers into. :)



And now I have a couple of more covers to share:

Banjo Kazooie


Diddy Kong Racing


Ready 2 Rumble Boxing


Turok 2 Seeds of Evil
 
[quote name='slash000']I just slide the paper covers into place the same way I do with DVD covers or the GBA covers. Then I fold it closed. [/QUOTE]

I had the same question so thanks for answering it. I wasn't sure if you were pre-folding them before you inserted them in the cover or what, didn't even think of just putting them in there and closing it (which makes much more sense).

Nate
 
[quote name='Backlash']
Upload raw scans here:
http://ukbeats.com/n64 - this is a sort of photo album thing

login: n64covers
pass: n64covers

You don't need a login to view any images, only to upload. You must login (link in upper right) to upload new images.


[/QUOTE]

I'm having problems uploading raw scans to the above link.

I've scanned Perfect Dark, Super Mario 64, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, and Pokemon Snap.

I'll be away until Sunday afternoon, hopefully I can get it to work then.
 
Strange, what's the problem? You have to allow pop-ups (not because of actual pop-ups, but the upload form comes up as a pop-up).

I'll try to keep this excel spreadsheet updated (saved as a html so anyone can view it) of what we have/need to get.

http://www.ukbeats.com/n64list.htm
 
[quote name='kdunn77']I'm having problems uploading raw scans to the above link.

I've scanned Perfect Dark, Super Mario 64, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, and Pokemon Snap.

I'll be away until Sunday afternoon, hopefully I can get it to work then.[/QUOTE]

You have to login first (the link is in the upper right corner). Once you login, click the name of the album to go to the album, and then you should see a link to upload pics.
 
Just uploaded the covers:

Bomberman 64

Mortal Kombat 4




Also, I took a few photos of some of my printed covers, so everyone can see how it looks:

spines0fm.jpg


covers28rq.jpg


insidec2fh.jpg



I think it looks great. I just finished scanning and uploading all the boxes I have; I'll start covering the raw scans if there are any. I should have a decent internet connection in a day or two.

Oh, btw, it's hard to tell by the pic, but the manuals do fit in the cases. They bend a fraction of a degree, but they do not crease or fold when you fit them into the closed cases.
 
[quote name='Backlash']These must be printed on legal size (11x17) paper[/QUOTE]

Legal is actually 8.5x14; 11x17 is a sheet that is two pages of 8.5x11 side-by-side.
 
[quote name='heyyoeddie']Legal is actually 8.5x14; 11x17 is a sheet that is two pages of 8.5x11 side-by-side.[/QUOTE]

Are most printers equipped to print legal paper? I imagine its more about messing with the settings.
 
[quote name='chargeup45']Are most printers equipped to print legal paper? I imagine its more about messing with the settings.[/QUOTE]

The only setting you have to change is the paper size, which is found under Page Setup. I've never heard of a printer not being able to handle legal paper (8.5 x 14). However, if you have to buy a whole ream of it, you may be better of going to kinko's and having them print your dozen (or whatever) labels on nicer paper.
 
Now that you mention it, it might be a good idea. This stuff is gonna be a beast to my ink supply, coupled with the GBA cover project. I can't believe I only found that project a couple of weeks ago. What are the prices like at Kinkos for this stuff?
 
[quote name='heyyoeddie']Legal is actually 8.5x14; 11x17 is a sheet that is two pages of 8.5x11 side-by-side.[/QUOTE]

Oops sorry about that. I'll fix the OP.
 
AussieBen from The Snackbar thread uploaded these covers:

Paper Mario

TetriSphere

Jet Force Gemini

He did a great job. He contributed a ton of covers to the GBA project, and he has a lot of boxes, so he'll be a great asset for this project.

Also, Snowcone's out for a week. He said he's going to use the GBA project page as a template for other similar casing projects, but I guess he'll get to that after a week at least.

[quote name='chargeup45']Now that you mention it, it might be a good idea. This stuff is gonna be a beast to my ink supply, coupled with the GBA cover project. I can't believe I only found that project a couple of weeks ago. What are the prices like at Kinkos for this stuff?[/QUOTE]

A lot of people have used Kinko's, so I can't imagine it costs too much.
 
I created a Mario 64 cover from the raw scan someone uploaded, however my current internet connection (that I'll be using all summer) won't let me upload.. anything... for some reason. Which means I'll be uploading these large cover files from my university campus. Which I'll do tomorrow, or later tonight (the Mario64 one, that is).
 
[quote name='nate1749']is that mario one high enough quality? It seemed a bit small...[/QUOTE]

Well, after you click the thumbnail, you click the image after that, and it brings you to the highest resolution image. So yes, actually, the hi-res images are good enough for the cover. Heh, I asked myself the same question when I first saw the images, until I clicked on them. It's very resolute.
 
[quote name='slash000']I created a Mario 64 cover from the raw scan someone uploaded, however my current internet connection (that I'll be using all summer) won't let me upload.. anything... for some reason. Which means I'll be uploading these large cover files from my university campus. Which I'll do tomorrow, or later tonight (the Mario64 one, that is).[/QUOTE]

Thanks! Sucks about your internet connection, but at least you have a workaround. Were you able to clean up the pen line (or whatever that was) on the Super Mario 64 cover?
 
[quote name='Backlash']Thanks! Sucks about your internet connection, but at least you have a workaround. Were you able to clean up the pen line (or whatever that was) on the Super Mario 64 cover?[/QUOTE]


Yeah, I try to edit out any defects in the covers that I put together, so I managed to get rid of what appear to be hairs on the Mario 64 scans.


Someone also posted scans of Pokemon Stadium, but the back is pretty heavily scratched so I put that one off. I guess I can try photoshopping out the huge gash in the box but it'll take a good amount of work.


As for my internet connection is.. well.. it's a weird situation, so I'll upload the covers I put together whenever I'm on my college campus. So it'll be fine, I just won't be able to upload as soon as I finish them.


Keep the covers and/or raw scans coming! We've got a lot to go!
 
I wouldn't waste your time fixing them if the scan is bad or if the box is in poor condition. Eventually someone will scan in a good one. Plus you're already doing a bunch for this project, I don't want anyone to get burned out and quit! I just put a post over at digitpress.com so hopefully we'll get some more help.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62758

Nate
 
Yeah I feel a bit useless right now, since I don't have any boxes to scan. Hopefully some ppl will start submitting new scans.
 
I uploaded some raw scans of the 2 boxes I still had left. I wish my mom didn't make me throw them out when I was younger. The conkers box is in sort of bad shape but maybe someone can touch it up. Also if someone has an extra 9 cases to sell please send me a pm.
 
Cool thanks. The Conkers box shouldn't be too too tough to touch up, since the messed up parts are on solid-colored sections (black and red) rather than some sort of background graphic or lettering.
 
Some new covers have been submitted.

These were submitted by Aussie Ben from Snackbar Forums:

Superman 64 PAL version

Banjo-Tooie



I created these from the raw scans:

Super Mario 64

All Star Baseball 2000

Conker's Bad Fur Day

Pokemon Stadium 2

I managed to fix the creases in Pokemon Stadium 2. The others only needed minor touch-ups. I will create a red-spine version of Superman when I get back to my PC. Then everyone'll have the option of the red spine to match the other games, or the blackspine to match the original box art.
 
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