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Raistlin
Registered: Mar 2007
Posts: 680 |
C64GFXDb
I'd like to announce C64GFXDb (name is subject to change).
In the simplest terms, I plan for this to be something similar to HVSC but for graphics. Primarily, a ZIP file download of as much C64 scene and non-scene graphics as can be collected - but also backed up by a website presentation.
v0.05 download is here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rk8lhbt5lsaolfc836ql6/C64GFXDb-v..
And a WIP website is here: https://c64graphicsdb.netlify.app/
There's a lot to do to get it all into nice shape .. my todo list is quite long already.. for example:-
Collection (ZIP etc)
====================
- sort something out for sceners who used multiple handles .. these aren't handled well right now .. plus I seem to have a bug in my database code that pushes older names into "unsorted"...
- ensure that duplicates are removed
- favour a single palette for all, and a better compressed image format (eg. GIF) .. it's then easy to convert these to different palettes later
- ensure all images are a consistent size (multi-screeners can be different in size in the direction of scroll of course)
The Website
===========
- I don't have a main page as yet, just a nasty horrible, massive list of artist names ... this will of course improve at some point...
- for scrolling images I want to actually scroll them within their grid entry... so they'd be almost like animated GIFs (except animated GIFs are a bad idea, I've found, since they don't cleverly compress scroll animation (and so end up HUGE)
Questions
=========
For image dimensions I've been aiming for the same as CSDb - 384x272. This means we could lose pixels, though, as of course C64 screen can go up to 408px wide... any preferences here? I want most pictures to match so that I can setup the grid nicely without images being scaled oddly.
For such as interlace images my eventual plan was to use animated GIFs and to simply flip frames at 50fps (however many frames there are). Check out Leon's folder for a single example. Do you think this is better - or should interlace pics be given in a different form? Many of the screenshots on CSDb seem misleading to me...
Some images are animated .. where it makes sense I've added these as animated GIFs. Check out my own folder (the Turn Disk image) and Talent's folder for examples... do you think this is a good way to go?
Please, please let me know your thoughts, whether you like or hate it .. what can be done to make it better, more useful, etc etc.
Cheers! |
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Genius
Registered: Jun 2003
Posts: 25 |
This is really fantastic! Thank you very much! |
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Flotsam
Registered: Jan 2004
Posts: 84 |
At work and too busy to read through with thought, but I would stay away from GIFs. Timing varies wildly between different environments. I would much rather use png's and animate with javascript. That also gives much more flexibility.
Didn't get the image size problem really, but why not go with the biggest possible and mask with html/css according to needs? No need to lose information because of the webpage layout.
PS. check requestAnimationFrame for animating PNG. |
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Raistlin
Registered: Mar 2007
Posts: 680 |
Quote: At work and too busy to read through with thought, but I would stay away from GIFs. Timing varies wildly between different environments. I would much rather use png's and animate with javascript. That also gives much more flexibility.
Didn't get the image size problem really, but why not go with the biggest possible and mask with html/css according to needs? No need to lose information because of the webpage layout.
PS. check requestAnimationFrame for animating PNG.
Good points!
I went with 384x272 at first because that’s the recommended and most often used size on CSDb. And I started the database with a scrape of CSDb screenshots - with the plan to fix these up over time…
I add borders where I can in my Windows tool (coded in C++) so I could extend that to 408x272. Everything coming from CSDb would need changing over time regardless (which means a LOT of image updates)…. |
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CreaMD
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 3057 |
Good for easy browsing and comfortable for enjoying art author by author. I like it this way.
As far as animated gif for interlace is concerned, it doesn't look very good IMO. Some kind of different approach is probably necessary if you want to alternate the frames (can it be simulated in browser using js and be more synchronized to framerate smoother using gpu accelaration? If yes do it and alternate between two gifs instead of using gif animation.)
Some way of automatic updating (Something like "sid happens" would be nice so one would have incentive to visit the page often). Last but not least, compo plattform with drag and drop upload of entries, easy voting (reorder images in order of your preference) and easy setup of new compos by anyone interested would add extra good reason to bookmark and use the site.
This or that, good luck with your efforts.
r |
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Carrion
Registered: Feb 2009
Posts: 317 |
Are you going to put the wired pic to this database?
Do we need to provide workstages?
;)
On serious note:
This kind of database is hell of a work
you just mentioned interlace, but what about scrolled multiscreen images + many more issues... and most difficult thing who will keep it updated?
There was Artcity. There was c64pixels.com - not active
+ probably few more.
Right now a good reference could be the Toms Retro Gallery at:
https://tomseditor.com/gallery/browse&lang=en?lang=en&platform=.. |
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CreaMD
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 3057 |
Quote: Good points!
I went with 384x272 at first because that’s the recommended and most often used size on CSDb. And I started the database with a scrape of CSDb screenshots - with the plan to fix these up over time…
I add borders where I can in my Windows tool (coded in C++) so I could extend that to 408x272. Everything coming from CSDb would need changing over time regardless (which means a LOT of image updates)….
CSDB started by scrapping my BOPC (best of party compos database/gallery) back in times (2001), so it's a kind of poetic justice that somebody is starting their project scrapping CSDB. This or that, as far as I remember* they started with finished usable beta release. Your is also usable (for me it's perfect simple interface for enjoying of gfx, I wouldn't make much changes ;-), but as you say, it's not finished. So, work your ass off and come back with something that might be called beta as soon as possible. ;-)
*well, I do. They used c64.sk to annouynce the launch of beta on 28. december 2001 ;-)
Quote:The C-64 Scene Database (CSDb) is now open to public beta testing. Check it out at: http://noname.c64.org/csdb
Kilroy/No Name |
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CreaMD
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 3057 |
Quote: Are you going to put the wired pic to this database?
Do we need to provide workstages?
;)
On serious note:
This kind of database is hell of a work
you just mentioned interlace, but what about scrolled multiscreen images + many more issues... and most difficult thing who will keep it updated?
There was Artcity. There was c64pixels.com - not active
+ probably few more.
Right now a good reference could be the Toms Retro Gallery at:
https://tomseditor.com/gallery/browse&lang=en?lang=en&platform=..
Carrion, I totally agree (and that's what I suggest in my first comment)
1. Daily update frequency is the key for keeping the audience returning. Hence the need for something like "sid happens" for quick upload of entries (that will be maybe sorted later) or some kind of sync with CSDB.
2. Building userbase, ideally through some kind of interaction, like having compo plattform would make it a solid service worth support.
Additional notes: Worse kind of interaction would be setting up it's own voting, I don't think that is necessary for a gallery. Filtering pics by compo results, or better said, brosing by years and compos and sorted by results would be of course totally awesome. Same goes for gfx type. And last but not least, tagging (content type, composition, whatever) that could be used for filtering. Actually tagging as general filtering mechanism seems (to me) as best approach for categorising the content in general. Everything can be tag in the end (year, compo, country, nickname, gfx type...) |
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CreaMD
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 3057 |
I have just realized that your goal is to produce the downloadable zip of all files. Well, I don't think it's needed, because it's just representation of the actual releases, not the C64 files itself as is with GB64 or HVSC, so .... But having a site I have described in previous comments for GFX, that would be a bliss. Same goes for SIDs btw, I should probably ask JCH make a compo subplattform at deepsid along the same ideas ;-) |
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Acidchild
Registered: Jan 2002
Posts: 476 |
Quoting Carrion
Right now a good reference could be the Toms Retro Gallery at:
https://tomseditor.com/gallery/browse&lang=en?lang=en&platform=..
unfortunately this one is also not active anymore, otherwise i would have added some more diskcovers :(
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Carrion
Registered: Feb 2009
Posts: 317 |
@Acidchild.
TBH I dont know if it's active or not. There are some latest pics in it so I assuem it's running. But I may be wrong. Anyway ot looks and work very well IMO.
@CreaMD
if it's going to be a zip file then... well there Assembly64 already. maybe just a small feature in Assembly will do the trick. |
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