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One Busy Weekend...

1/23/2011

10 Comments

 
We've got several things to cover this week, so let's get started...


Well...it has been a busy weekend...for the site anyway. I have spent a good portion of both yesterday and today working on it. The first thing I have done is move all of the printables to a new website so that they are all together.
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Now, when you open the Home page, you will see this banner. When you click on it, you will be taken to a new website, which amazingly enough, looks just like this one. It just seemed like an easier way to keep the printables organized and together. At the bottom of the page is a link back to the SSCC, the average Joe won't even know they left our site. As we add new printables, they will be added to the new site.

Next, a new photo essay feature has been added to the home page - BATTLE OF FRANCE. This is a teaser for the spring shoot.
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The teaser includes pictures that Hammer Six, Panzer Commander and I shot a couple of weeks back as well as pictures of the new Panzer II tanks that were taken at the meeting. They have all been clipped and new backgrounds added to make them a little more interesting in typical Point Man fashion, so I hope you will enjoy them.
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What do I mean by "Clipping". Clipping is a process that involves tracing around the edges of the image that you want to keep with a pen tool to create what is called a "Clipping Path". There are some excellent technical reasons for doing this, rather than erasing the background, one of which is file size. Anyway, once a picture has been clipped, the image looks something like this;
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What you are looking at here is just the clipped portion of the photograph. Actually, I save the image in such a way that the original background information is still there in case I should need it for some reason. In Photoshop I can utilize the picture either way. Clipping a picture like this usually takes 45 minutes to about an hour to do, but it is much easier than trying to erase the image of the background.

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This is one of the backgrounds that I used for the shoot. It is actually two different photographs with a portion of one duplicated to create a transition point. Some of the backgrounds in the shoots have as many as 10 layers in them. The trick is to make them look like they don't. This is kind of a simplified explanation of the process, but hopefully it makes it a little clearer about why putting out these sort of images takes so much time.

Next on the billet for tonight is a look at Okimbored's sd.kfz 222 armored car project. He probably can shed a lot more light on what we are looking at here, but I just want to say that this vehicle is looking nothing short of amazing. I really can't wait to see the final product, but even at this stage of assembly, it looks great. In the pictures you will get to see the interior details that he is working on, including the main gun (flak) and all the other interior components. Plus you get a little peak at the outside of the hull.

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As is the nature of any armored vehicle, the amount of interior detail that can actually be seen is usually pretty slim, but as you can see, Okimbored has done a beautiful job of making sure that there is detail to be seen none- the-less. It looks really slick buddy. I am telling you what, if Dragon is going to make another armored vehicle next year...this is the one that I would vote for. This baby is a beauty.

Finally, I mentioned to several folks that I was trying to upgrade some 21st Century Afrika Korps figures that I had. I have five of them. I have basically kept the uniforms and scrapped everything else. So far I have 3 of the 5 figures "done", so I took a few quick pictures. I am sure that there is a lot more that could be done to them, but already they look better than they did. Would like to hear what you think.
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Actually, now that I see the pictures, they really aren't very good. I think I made them too small and killed what little detail I had. The pants, tunic, hats and boots are all 21st Century. The rest of the gear is pretty much all Dragon except for the gas mask canisters, which are also 21st Century. The figures are all Dragon. Not that you can really tell too much about it from these pictures, but the Eagle, collar tabs and cuff titles are all done in Indesign and printed on fabric paper. The straps on the canisters were replace with strapping material from GOOD STUFF TO GO.






Well, that is about all for this time around. A lot of changes here, hopefully I gave you all plenty of stuff to chew on for the new week. Check out the new page for the Printables, the new feature "Battle of France on the home page and take the time to let Okimbored how cool you think is 222 looks. There will be more changes coming to the website as I have time to get in and get them done, so until next time,
...have a good one!
            Point Man

10 Comments
Hammer Six
1/23/2011 08:22:08 pm

Potstanding job there PM:

The printable change make a lot of sense.

The Battle for France is shaping up nicely.........love the medival town in the one back ground and the stone arched bridge in the other.

Can't wait to see Oimbored's completed 222; it's really shaping up to be a very nice scratchbuilt.

Your DAK troops are looking great........hard to belive those are old 21c figures.

Keep up the good work Brother.

Reply
Point Man
1/23/2011 11:38:19 pm

Thanks Hammer Six. I thought the Battle of France pictures did turn out pretty good, especially considering how I took the pictures of the tanks. I threw a lot away.

The Afrika Korps guys are not going to look as good as what MADDOG CPL. has done. He has some outstanding figures, but they are whole lot better looking than they were.

Reply
okimbored
1/24/2011 05:22:00 am

PM your work on the France pics looks great, I was kinda supprised when you mentioned the amount of time it takes you compared to me, but on closer examination your pics have much cleaner lines then mine do, you must be working on a much larger pixel count then I do.

the DAK figures look much better then the three I have. I guess a little work makes a lot of difference

Reply
Point Man
1/24/2011 07:58:08 am

Thanks OK. I appreciate it. I wish I had thought to have you make pattern of the 222 while it was all still in pieces, it looks great!

Reply
okimbored
1/24/2011 08:37:50 am

I thought about making an extra one for myself just in case I messed something up beyond repair, I bet alot of people did make copies although Panzerjaun probably didn't like it. Honestly though I would bet Hammer has less invested in his Taowan 222. I could have cut the cost alot if I had only bought the Panzerwerk wheels and skipped all the bells and whistles for the exterior instead of buying mower wheels and nearly everything else available. IIRC the only thing I didn't buy from Mike Stannard was the prototype side storage bin.

Reply
MadDogCPL
1/24/2011 10:00:26 am

Point Man-
The web site looks real nice and the Battle of France teaser looks great!

You did a nice job updating the DAK figures from 21st figures.

okimbored-
Your 222 looks outstanding!
I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Point Man-
Once again you did a real nice job on the update.

MadDogCPL

Reply
Panzer Commander (HOH)
1/25/2011 07:21:12 am

Great stuff Mike! The work on the website and the Battle of France teaser is FANTASTIC! Nicely done!

I like the page for the printables - makes it easy for everyone to see all the printables available at one time. Also - say someone missed a printables release but catches an announcement for a new set - then they'll have access to all of them on one page - and they'll know about any that they've missed. Great idea!

The Battle of France teaser photos turned out really well! I like the backgrounds! (Particularly the one for the Kübel/motorcycle photos! It all turned out really well!

Speaking of things that turned out really well - both Chris' 222 and you're DAK figures!

Chris - your Sd.Kfz. 222 is looking better and better every day! I like the interior details you've added as well as the work on the gun. I think it's going to look GREAT when it is finished. Glad you stuck with it!

Mike - the DAK figures look really good! You've done a fantastic job upgrading them!

Two suggestions though:

1. The officer's hat seems to have been rarely worn in North Africa (except by Rommel) In fact - there isn't a standard issue DAK version as most officers wore the Pith Helmet (initially at least), or the M-38 officer's side cap, the M-40 officer's tropical cap, or an M-35/M-40 helmet. You might want to consider that.

Also - the hat you used looks like it is from the 21st C carded Field Marshal. If that's the case the gold piping needs to be painted white for infantry or pink for Panzergrenadiers and not gold - denoting a General.

2. You should paint the center of the epaulette in a DAK tan color to match the uniforms. 21st C got the color wrong (surprise...).

All around good stuff guys! Mike – again – GREAT work on the site!

Fred

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