OT: Nextel Cup

Kdawg · **Joined:** Mon Mar 13, 2000 2:01 pm **Posts:** 360

Greetings race fans... This is something I wanted to do last year, but never got around to it.. For the chase for the cup, I wanted to create a desktop theme and update it each week to track progress of the last 10 races. Here's what I came up with:

If you wanna use it its 1024x 768 and you can get it here:

http://www.geocities.com/squeeky622/Image29.jpg

I'll be at Loudon for the first race... Hopefully I can get some better pics.

Kdawg · **Joined:** Mon Mar 13, 2000 2:01 pm **Posts:** 360

Interesting race

Had great seats right near the opening of pit row. Could see the whole track w/o turning head much. Definately one of the more exciting Loudon races I've been to. Haven't missed one in a few years.
Anyone have any ideas how I could improve the desktops?

Phineus · **Joined:** Tue Feb 02, 1999 7:00 pm **Posts:** 23

Sounds like a good time. As for the desktop, the only thing I see is the names aren't as legible as they might be. Kinda blurry or something. Might just be the jpg but I don't know.

Alpine · **Posted:** Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:13 am

How could I contribute?!

Oh I know how... I can make use of Xara X1 !

for instance:
http://iw.net/~alpine13/gzaheader2.png

I'd recently shared the results of an experiment with Xara X1 vs Photoshop on this post that tells just how mind-blowingly powerful this program is!

http://mtm2.com/~bbs/messages/12269.html

Other recent findings include its ability to crop edges down to fractions of a pixel, and the edge of the crop can be adjusted after the fact in real time. Try cutting a detailed object out of a background with something else and you'll be pulling your hair out trying to get it even close to perfect

So how many races left? Gimme a hollar if u wanna collaborate on something <img src=http://www.xs4all.nl/~olie/fok/smilies/Smilies/still_proosten.gif>

Kdawg · **Joined:** Mon Mar 13, 2000 2:01 pm **Posts:** 360

Hey Alp,

That looks amazing! I missed the last update. Schedule has been too busy. There's actually 8 races left, tomorrow is the next one. I'll probably update it sunday night/monday after that race.

What I've been doing is adding a picture of the winner of the race. I really don't like how its been done in the last ones, but can't fnd a way to do it different. If you know a better way to do it, or want to improve upon anything else I've done go for it. I'm sure there's a way to make the standings look better.

Alpine · **Posted:** Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:33 pm

if this comes out, and Im sure it will, it will probably be the tightest thing ever. The idea is to do the NASCAR logo, in all its original color, all in 3D Plexiglass on a reflective surface. Here's the 1st and 2nd practice sessions I've done. I knew the know-how would come in handy but had no idea what I would do with it but now I do!

First one:

Second one:

After creating the text in white for the 2nd, I selected it and clicked a color and the whole thing just tinted yellow perfectly. So if u can imagine the NASCAR logo design as a big plexiglass trophy ornament or somethin... yeah - thats what Im gonna try to do!

*checks your 1st post*
Oh wow! The background is the same color fade idea, and there is room lower right for the plexiglass! The cut-out where the drivers are is rough on the corners but I can fix that up. I'll pack up a new super-high res background done just like it and u can update the driver stuff. I'd like to do a really special final one with all the cars and driver pics or whatever. Getting all the cars at the same angle tho - might have to look in a videogame for that. I can get them all off the game background no prob.

Alpine · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:13 am

this is the small sample to post here, the others are I think 2000pix wide. One with car, one without.

http://iw.net/~alpine13/backgroundtemplate.png

http://iw.net/~alpine13/backgroundtemplate2.png

Now for a lil short break, then its plexiglass time.

Alpine · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:36 am

hehe not OUR problem, just my own odd desire to show step-by-step progress images LOL

I was tinkering with the settings and came up with this. Very interesting that it removed the text from the insides but not the top. Its a much more believeable peice now. Im pretty impressed with the results except for the barriers between the color changes on the text section. Although its concievable that a plexiglass peice such as this might actually have those barriers...

http://iw.net/~alpine13/notquite.png

Oh If u need any individual section of this, I could save it without a background for use elsewhere, or for modification.

Alpine · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:47 am

After crashing the program, I loaded the saved file, and this is where I was before fiddling.. pretty much what I was shooting for, but side by side comparison says it all.

large version:
http://iw.net/~alpine13/plexiversion.png

Hope u like... one or the other heheh
ok folks, alp has left the building.

Kdawg · **Joined:** Mon Mar 13, 2000 2:01 pm **Posts:** 360

Wow! Is that plexi idea something that comes with xara? or is it something that could be done without it? What I'm thinking is do the car number similar to that. I may try the car idea like you said, but I've never really liked the nascar games since EA got the rights.

Also, is there a way you can make the logo a stand alone image so that I can change the background? Something I can put in a layer so that I can just move it in that layer without affecting the rest?

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2005 4:22 pm

heheh man u gotta tell me what instant message program u use.

Right now I only got MSN active: groundzero_13@hotmail.com

um... No, probably, not a problem, I can find them, yes, not a problem, yes, and yes, but I can go one better than that.

heheh

I found a xara x tutorial to learn that plexi look, but someone could probably do it PS or PSP. I can find the cars I think, do 10 numbers, and get the logo seperate, but I'll go one better and recreate it from scratch so you'll have a super hi-res version

Wait til u see this sucker... I tell ya nothing owns in graphics like vector stuff

Alpine · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:11 pm

as I looked around to get as close to the authentic logos, I noticed a few things.
The old NASCAR logo has orange, and I made an error on recreating the inaugural chase logo, and now I found a new logo that is quite different. So...

the 1st logo I found had black background http://www.speedtv.com/_assets/library/ ... k.logo.jpg

this logo shows a gap
http://us.mms.com/us/news/promotions/ne ... e_logo.gif

Anyway, I have to work from this image of the new logo:

but this should come in handy.

Its up to you if u want to run with the one I provided, I'll be hard at work trying to recreate a hi-res of the more authentic logo. Man, after all the time I spent on this, which as you see has the orange in the NASCAR logo [uhoh]

http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/6695 ... ies7nx.png

Alpine · **Posted:** Mon Oct 03, 2005 11:10 pm

LOL I know, I tend to get several posts in before someone can reply. Thats why I like instant message programs [(-:]

muahaha. not too shabby considering I cant make out what the logo version of the trophy looks like. Im not a cartoonist so I cant imagine the procedure for converting the real thing into a 2-color outline. so I just use an image of the real thing. When u shrink it down to use on a wallpaper, it should look pretty close to the regular logo.

Anywho, that trophy kinda ruined my evening LOL Im gonna call it a night.

MTM2.com

OT: Nextel Cup

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