New Celestia 1.7.0 icon vote

[FarGetaNik]

Wow it really seems one needs to know quite a bit about graphic design. I agree, the results seem to confirm it, great job! But for my taste there is too much of a color gradient... can we keep at least a bit of the original details?

And how to do the anti-aliasing properly? I guessed it will get irelevant when scaling the original image down by several orders of magnitude, which obviolsy didn't work. But similar methods are used in high-end games...

I see you blurred tha alpha-channel there, maybe this will help my icon as well? But why did you include several layers with different quality?

[Alexell]

Fenerit, The reduced size your icon looks good! Maybe need to return the dark night side of Saturn. In this icon is lost the original appearance of Saturn. Perhaps you can solve this problem.

Added after 6 hours 11 minutes:
These are my icons created by combining FarGetaNik and Fenerit icons.

Screenshot_1.png (13.77 KiB) Viewed 8894 times

Screenshot_2.png (44.67 KiB) Viewed 8894 times

[Fenerit]

Your icon set looks good, expecially c6_a1 and c6_a3; metal shading seems good against my abstract wallpapers. The planet can be split from the main layer (lazo->make a cut layer) to hold the original dark side, but in my workaround the antialiasing wasn't as good as now.

FarGetaNik: first I worked upon the big layer within a scaled up new canvas to add a bit of blur to the borders, then I did scale down to 256px and applied another shot of blurring on borders and a gradient with blend multiplied propriety. The combining procedure faded out the aliases. Different icon resolutions and sizes are those of the icon converters default; it take into account also the no longer used 16bit OSes. Indeed they can be avoided, of course.

[Alexell]

Fenerit, in C6_a3 icon, dark night side of Saturn is visible. But I think, can be ring "C" to save such as I made them, but the Saturn to do better? To make it more on Saturn looked like ...

[Fenerit]

Well, I think yes, but by splitting it from the ring. I can post just an intermediate frame for your aim, sorry, the others are further elaborated. Note that this frame is not the final icon.

c5aa_first_work.png (68.15 KiB) Viewed 8880 times

[Alexell]

Fenerit, maybe this?

C7_alexell.png (102.07 KiB) Viewed 8878 times

Added after 2 minutes 13 seconds:
But in my opinion in C6_a3 icon the rings looked better.

[Fenerit]

That's not bad. Note anyhow, that in the original image, being transparent, the Cassini division makes a "step" with respect to the "open" ring when the blurring shadow border is applied. It must be recomposed at end by drawing the missing pixels with the pen block - not the spray - both the opacity and transparency. It is easy: 100% pen opacity color picked from close pixel for dark area and some shots at 15% pen opacity for the transparent part. When you do not see anything of your retouch at 256px, you will not see anything at down scales. For this maybe should be better that the planet were spitted from the rest, just to work upon the already done ring.

[Alexell]

Fenerit, Oh no, unfortunately my English is not so good, that I understood all of your instructions on the drawing subject. Just try to make the icon that looks like this or C6_a3 icon. I was still difficult to superimpose two icons, because they made by you and FarGetaNik and have a different shadow. This makes it difficult.

Added after 1 minute 58 seconds:
I will return to forum tomorrow that see your new icon variants.

[Fenerit]

This is c6_a3 with a bit of brightness on Saturn. The icon from it looks good.

C6_a3_bright.png (85.99 KiB) Viewed 8870 times

Otherwise, below there are the ring and planet separated. note that the planet has 2px of horizontal offset toward the right side, because the bright side causes the planet to looks (for me) visually too close to the left side of the ring. You can merge the two and works upon the hue and contrast of the planet only.

C6_a3_bright_planet.png (22.7 KiB) Viewed 8870 times

C6_a3_bright_ring.png (71.28 KiB) Viewed 8870 times

[FarGetaNik]

I can't quite follow all your discussion, but I like how this turns out. I'll try if I can create something similar from scratch, maybe using and actual RGBA compose to avoid unwanted color changes near transparent areas after blurring.

I was still difficult to superimpose two icons, because they made by you and FarGetaNik and have a different shadow. This makes it difficult.

That's probably because I added a black frame around the ring arc for more contrast, this might become irrelevant when using a blurr, but I'll see where it will get from there.

[Fenerit]

That's probably because I added a black frame around the ring arc for more contrast, this might become irrelevant when using a blurr, but I'll see where it will get from there.

Yes. Indeed the sharp black opacity frame does prevent the blend of the blurring translucency because it remain always sharpen. I did remove it through the magic wand, therefore, if possible, do not make it. At least you can rectify the horizontal aperture of the ring - due to "Cassini's division step" - with a far lesser black's opacity lines before to apply the faded border's shadow.

[Alexell]

Fenerit, I really liked your final icon and I am ready to approve it as Celestia 1.7.0 icon. Thanks for the work you've done!
But I'm still a little wait for the final icon by FarGetaNik. Then I will decide.

[Fenerit]

Please Alexell: do not trust my icon, that is just a sketch to show how to get rid of aliases, it is not inteded to be the icon You and FarGetaNik are drawing. The planet's layer has been cut off through lazo, which is not the affordable method in this case. Moreover I've added a further, extended, border shadow that can be avoided following a more rigorous set-up of the layers (the planet rendered apart in seat of start).

[FarGetaNik]

But I'm still a little wait for the final icon by FarGetaNik. Then I will decide.

Thank yo for yor patience. As I said, I restarted from scratch and tried to work in Fenerit's tricks for his sketch. Color gradient wasn't difficult, but comparing it now with Fenerit's icon, it doesn't look that plastic. The blurring was a challenge. At small sizes, the blurr is still somewhat visible, but I'm not sure if it is still too pixelated.

Celestia-C6.zip

(115.71 KiB) Downloaded 319 times

[Alexell]

Fenerit, do not misunderstand me. I'm not trying to reach a scientific image Saturn with the rings for icon. I hope to do a beautiful icon.

FarGetaNik,
1. Transparent gaps between the rings should not be (see screenshot).
2. Please make shadows more black.
3. Definitely need repeat the color gamut like the Fenerit's icon. In his icon from left to right golden color shimmers in the dark. It looks beautiful and such colors should be in the final icon.

Thus you will make icon the same beautiful as the Fenerit's icon, but without the defects (he talked about). I will wait
But not a lot of time ...

[FarGetaNik]

Transparent gaps between the rings should not be (see screenshot).

Which screenshot exactly? As far as I can see Fenerit also made transparent gaps?

Please make shadows more black.

I hope you are talking about the color gradient. I agree that more contrast probably is a good idea, I'm considering to brighten it up more.

Definitely need repeat the color gamut like the Fenerit's icon. In his icon from left to right golden color shimmers in the dark. It looks beautiful and such colors should be in the final icon.

I also was a bit disappointed that this "glossy" effect didn't occur in my try. I tried to keep my colors natural, or at least close to the Celestia font. But if you really wish I can make it more reddish-golden like Fenerit's.

Added after 2 hours 32 minutes:
I tried to work in your requests, resulting in 2 different versions: For the right one (Celestia-C7b) I used a circular gradient to make it even more "glossy" but for my taste is got to dark and the structures are more consumed by the gradient. If the left version is also ok, I'd prefer it. Give me a brief feedback, then I'll do the icons.

[Alexell]

Which screenshot exactly? As far as I can see Fenerit also made transparent gaps?

Sorry, I forgot to attach a screenshot. In it, I pointed red area that has transparency. Note that the icon Fenerit this area carefully shaded color from left to right #C4AD96 to #110F0D and darker. You can paint over the first one some color as the rest of the ring, then a total gradient to make all the rings.
UPD: While I was writing a message, you have already made a new icon and painted gap of which I spoke. I will write a separate message.

I hope you are talking about the color gradient. I agree that more contrast probably is a good idea, I'm considering to brighten it up more.

I also was a bit disappointed that this "glossy" effect didn't occur in my try. I tried to keep my colors natural, or at least close to the Celestia font. But if you really wish I can make it more reddish-golden like Fenerit's.

Yes. I'm talking about the color gradient. We are doing just the icon, I think is not necessary to preserve the natural colors. We need to make a beautiful icon. By the way, I decided that the icon will not take part in splash, so make it similar in Celestia font color is not required.

Added after 2 minutes 22 seconds:

I tried to work in your requests, resulting in 2 different versions: For the right one (Celestia-C7b) I used a circular gradient to make it even more "glossy" but for my taste is got to dark and the structures are more consumed by the gradient. If the left version is also ok, I'd prefer it. Give me a brief feedback, then I'll do the icons.

Right version I like more. You can add shadows on all sides?

Added after 3 hours 14 minutes:
+ Please correct the unevenness where the end rings.

[FarGetaNik]

I went with a white shading around the rings, if you prefer black than I'll correct that.
The defect where the cassini gap was is because I reused the last try, with already blurred out rings. I will have to restart again...

[Fenerit]

Well... I couldn't resist...

HUD color...

Celestia-C6_hud_1.png (46.27 KiB) Viewed 8788 times

Celestia-C6_hud_3.png (56.92 KiB) Viewed 8788 times

openSUSE color...

Celestia-C6_suse_1.png (49.79 KiB) Viewed 8788 times

Celestia-C6_suse_3.png (61.71 KiB) Viewed 8788 times

[Fenerit]

continue...

Celestia-C6_hud_2.png (53.13 KiB) Viewed 8787 times

Celestia-C6_suse_2.png (58.15 KiB) Viewed 8787 times