Miniatures and Figurines as a Source for Xconq Images

[Eric McDonald <mcdonald at phy dot cmich dot edu>]

Hello Xconq Game Designers,

  I have been experimenting with the usage of casted, painted 
miniatures as a source for Xconq images. I have found that many of the 
Web sites hawking such wares will display decent images of them.
  Using GIMP (or probably any other decent image editor), one can trim 
out the backgrounds (which are typically either white, a display cloth, 
or a gaming scenario terrain or structure) and adjust the lighting 
contrasts. (GIMP has an intelligent scissors tool, which works pretty 
well if you give it enough points along the outer hull of the region of 
interest). I am still experimenting with color reductions, to make sure 
that too much detail doesn't get lost.
  I have just checked in an example, Braveheart, which came from an 
image of a figurine being sold by the Wee Tartan Shop. It looks okay at 
64x64, but it seems too fuzzy to me at smaller scales. I think that if 
the image is posterized, has a more intelligent color reduction, or is 
further sharped, the details might stand out better. I do think that, at 
64x64, most people should be able to tell that he has a targe on his 
left arm, and is in the process of whipping out a claymore from behind 
his back.
  The new GIF is 'images/wrekcreation.gif' and the IMF for it is 
'lib/wreckreation.imf'.

  Anyway, I just thought I would mention this as some possibly useful 
information.

Eric

P.S. I am not sure what intellectual property law thinks about such 
derivative works, as the case may be. Probably it is best to attribute 
the original source in the IMF 'notes' property (something I have not 
yet done).