Spiral gyro finished splash

gyroscope

Hi guys; just finalized the design for my splash screen and thought you might be interested in seeing it. i have been working on the game as well ;-)

As usual, any comments/constructive crits, etc welcome, thanks.

gyroscope

uptimistik said:
wow, looks like a huge gaming outfit... nicely done!

Ha, excellent, glad it comes across like that! (just little ol' me in the company, as you know)

Well spotted about the speed of rotation compared with the right to left movement; I'll get on to adjust that, thank you. :-)

Mrshoestore

your sfx are... I can't think of the phrase, so I'll say... poppy. Basically you can clearly hear where the first sfx ends and the next one begins. the sfx of nature noise sort of "pops" on. You should crossfade these audio clips so that you don't notice that Pop.

gyroscope

Well listened, Mrshoestore, thanks also. I've not heard that before as I've become so accustomed to the sounds; definitely worth checking out. (Although I've a horrible feeling that the popping noises are actually within the s/fx; although even then I might be able to filter them out, I'll give it a go). Thanks again.

:-)

DrGlickert

Yes, I agree with most here. The "gyro" should stop rotating when it stops moving. Unless, as it turns at the far left, it raises the "spiralgyroapps" sign. that'd be a cool effect.

JeffreyShimane

My only criticism (other than the ones already mentioned) is that the lighting on the spinning gyro is not consistent. Unless the lighting is spinning around to keep up with the spinning gyro, it makes it look like a flat cut-out graphic rotating.

I assume this is a splash screen running real-time in GS so there's no actual 3D going on (like lighting, texture mapping, etc.). If so, you could get around the lighting issue by rendering the spinning gyro in a 3D program and outputting a PNG animation of the gyro spinning into GS as an actor animation. The lighting would be consistent and look more 3D.

- Jeff

gyroscope

DrGlickert said:
Yes, I agree with most here. The "gyro" should stop rotating when it stops moving. Unless, as it turns at the far left, it raises the "spiralgyroapps" sign. that'd be a cool effect.

Also perhaps, stops for a short while, then spins back to nothing, just leaving the name? I'll see how that works out. Raising the sign is a good idea, though perhaps it could just fade; I'll try both. Thanks, Dr. G.

:-)

JeffreyShimane said:
My only criticism (other than the ones already mentioned) is that the lighting on the spinning gyro is not consistent. Unless the lighting is spinning around to keep up with the spinning gyro, it makes it look like a flat cut-out graphic rotating.

I assume this is a splash screen running real-time in GS so there's no actual 3D going on (like lighting, texture mapping, etc.). If so, you could get around the lighting issue by rendering the spinning gyro in a 3D program and outputting a PNG animation of the gyro spinning into GS as an actor animation. The lighting would be consistent and look more 3D.

- Jeff

Good thinking Jeff; it's unfortunate though that the graphic is a bought graphic, and although it's a photoshop file, there's no layers to adjust lighting. But it's worth thinking about, and definitely worth doing somehow if I can; thanks.

:-)

RH

Looks nice! Whats with the fly noise?

gyroscope

RH said:
Looks nice! Whats with the fly noise?

Hi RH, I was wondering when someone would mention that! I love anything surreal, so it's just that really, to make you think: "What's with the fly noise?"! Small correction, it's a bumblebee (or a wasp) and birds; the bird sounds are cut off a bit quick though, I'll reinstate them, I think. Glad you like it, thanks!

DreamLab

@gyroscope

I have been meaning to ask you this. How come you were gone for so long? well a couple months. And recently you have been back. Which is great! Just curious! haha. I just remember when I was new you used to answer all my questions then disappeared.

gyroscope

DreamLab said:
... I just remember when I was new you used to answer all my questions then disappeared.

Nice to know I helped you out, Dreamlab! We all try our best helping, I know.

DreamLab said:
@gyroscope

I have been meaning to ask you this. How come you were gone for so long? well a couple months. And recently you have been back. Which is great! Just curious! haha.

No worries; apart from GS, I'm also a graphic designer by trade and had a few jobs fly my way over that period; and as well, I count myself as a writer (though unpublished); I had a respected literary agent in the 80's, for interest. I've written two novels and working on a third; I decided to go through my first two for a final edit (despite the last time I did this being many years ago - whoops, showing my age there perhaps ;-) I've a writing blog if you'd like to check it out, although I seem to have been neglecting it for a while:

http://davidgjourney.blogspot.com/

So basically, I had too much on my plate as it were, so GS was put to the side for a while. Thanks for asking!
:-)

DreamLab

gyroscope said:
Nice to know I helped you out, Dreamlab! We all try our best helping, I know.

No worries; apart from GS, I'm also a graphic designer by trade and had a few jobs fly my way over that period; and as well, I count myself as a writer (though unpublished); I had a respected literary agent in the 80's, for interest. I've written two novels and working on a third; I decided to go through my first two for a final edit (despite the last time I did this being many years ago - whoops, showing my age there perhaps ;-) I've a writing blog if you'd like to check it out, although I seem to have been neglecting it for a while:

http://davidgjourney.blogspot.com/

So basically, I had too much on my plate as it were, so GS was put to the side for a while. Thanks for asking!
:-)

Nice to know:) will check it out!

Stormtrix

Nice.. i like it.. very good job..
Is this basically the first scene to your game? and the 1 pic file on the advanced tab when publishing is just a black image?

mangaroo

ok in the beginning - you know when it zooms in and then locks to a certain size before it rolls - at the moment it locks you have a pretty good sound effect for a splash screen but i would strongly recommend adding sparks to ignite from different areas of the circular graphic (like you have later on or even more sparky (longer length) ;0)) and the camera to shake slightly as well - so it has locked into place as it were.

the sound effect starts slightly too late, id speed up the zooming of the image as the pace is a bit too slow as well (4+seconds to lock then 2 seconds to reveal the rest of the splash..)

{edit: or if the shake is unsettling, perhaps a 0.15 second interpolated zoom into the center of the screen at the moment of 'impact' as it were (gs mind...lol)}

TJMNUT

that's really cool.

AppsRacK

It's nice but i notice that the wheel is still spinning even though its not moving anymore. Maybe you could try to spot the spin when it reach its position.x (you could maybe add a sfx as well) and see if the result looks better. Just a suggestion though.

gyroscope

Hi guys, thanks for your comments.

Stormtrix, it's the screen for my company that I'll use as the generic splash for my apps.

mangaroo, well spotted about timings, sound effects in particular, I've amended that. I see what you mean about more sparks but decided to keep it as it is; although took up your good suggestion of the screen shaking. :-)

TJMNUT - glad you like it!

drahc: good point about the wheel still spinning when it reaches it's destination; I've amended that too.

Thanks all again; much appreciated. :-)

Here's the finished spiral gyro apps splash now:

mangaroo

sick one! looks, sounds and generally feels much more polished and effective congrats - work paid off imho :0)

last point i'd fade in the bee sound? so its less sudden and abrupt - as of now no correlation to anything on screen when it plays quite loudly

gyroscope

Thanks, mangaroo; that gives me confidence! (Just got to make sure my games are up to the same standard... ;-)

mangaroo

no worries, just had a thought..it maybe over the top but id wonder how it would look if the graphic's edge stayed still or rotated slower than the inside, sort of like a complex object working and in a similar style to those cool spinning wheels you see on cars. you would just need to separate the graphic from its "shell" so two pieces and move them at same pace, one with(out/slower) rotation - as it moved from right to left that is

gyroscope

Hey mangaroo, I really like that idea, thanks very much! It'll certainly add extra visual interest. I'll get onto that tomorrow. :-)

AppsRacK

like this one better. Last thing you think you could adjust the speed rotation a bit so when it stop the dents on the wheel will be perpendicular (or straight) like on your first video. Sorry if you maybe think its to much but i cant help it, maybe because of my profession.

gyroscope

drahc said:
like this one better. Last thing you think you could adjust the speed rotation a bit so when it stop the dents on the wheel will be perpendicular (or straight) like on your first video.

Nice fine-tuning, drahc, thanks. I'll get onto that when I've got the graphic as two spinning wheels.

drahc said:
Sorry if you maybe think its to much but i cant help it, maybe because of my profession.

No apology needed; I appreciate your help (as I do everyone's). You're a graphic designer, I'm guessing?

gyroscope

Mangaroo, as excellent as is your idea about spinning wheel within a wheel, I've decided to keep it as it is because I think it'll distract users from reading the name; there'll be too much going on. Thanks again anyway.

So I'm going to make sure that the wheel stops at a more "balanced" point; then possibly get it rotating as it initially grows in size, then that'll be that.

Some people might be getting a bit bored with this thread now ;-) Still, I'll put up the final vid some time today (UK time) "just for the record".

:-)

mangaroo

now worries gyroscope that makes sense - just wanted to mention about the buzzing sound - try it again with ur speakers quite high u will see it kicks in slightly abruptly, as drahc said a small touch but may add up

gyroscope

Hi again mangaroo, yes, sorted the end sound effect at the end; I think it's OK now! Cheers for pointing that out again.

I've done a bit of editing on the graphic to get rid of the strong shadow on one side, put a subtle glow around it to act as shadow, and made it revolve while enlarging. Tried to get it straight when stopping too, but it seemed to change everytime I run it... I'll just live with that.

Huge thanks to you guys for your perceptive crits, they helped enormously.

So all finished now. (I think...) Here's the final version:

AppsRacK

gyroscope said:
Nice fine-tuning, drahc, thanks. I'll get onto that when I've got the graphic as two spinning wheels.

No apology needed; I appreciate your help (as I do everyone's). You're a graphic designer, I'm guessing?

Not really, I wish i were though so i wont have any trouble doing my own graphics. Im an architect actually so my tolerance for something perpendicular is by millimeter. But i only notice it to other people, i guess thats how it usually works. Anyway it's getting better and better and good luck with your project.

PhilipNewzealand

Love the final video... Not to sure on the buzzing bees. The SFX could be a bit cleaner and fresher but apart from that its top notch stuff!

JeffreyShimane

Looks much better, Gyro!

The only thing I'm not too sure of is the particles now. Why are they coming out of the middle? Are the particles supposed to be the bees making the buzzing sound?

- Jeff

gyroscope

Thanks Philip and Jeff; I'm on the right track! I've added another sound effect now which adds to the oddness of it; that's why I've stars coming out of the middle and bee/bird sounds at the end! "Bit weird, but cool" is the sort of reaction I'm after as well as the user, hopefully, remembering my company name...

The revised (again) version I'll show in another thread; I thought you and others might be interested in my puzzle game I'm working on. I've been working soley on this for a week or so now, no other distractions, and hopefully that'll stay like that until I finish this first app.

For your interest, you can see the start of the game as well as the final splash in the thread called "My puzzle game work-in-progress...

Thank you for your comments and interest. :-)