OMG! I downloaded those 3D models that Morpha linked to, and it was like being a kid in a paint factory! check out the craziness that ensued!
There are a lot of things to get used to, such as the spray projecting through the model onto surfaces you might not want to paint, and not being able to paint on surfaces where they are angled away from the viewpoint - which is why some of the paintwork seems to end in strange places, but if you look closely, it's not on the seams of the model where this happens.
All of the filters work in more or less the same way, but once again, they seem to fade off where the faces of the model get nearer perpendicular to the viewpoint
I also made these two test skins before i found out how to make them hi-res too, which might explain why they're a bit pixelly...
This is exciting stuff - I'm excited
I see a weekend ahead where I photoshop 24/7 and nothing else.
There are a lot of things to get used to, such as the spray projecting through the model onto surfaces you might not want to paint, and not being able to paint on surfaces where they are angled away from the viewpoint - which is why some of the paintwork seems to end in strange places, but if you look closely, it's not on the seams of the model where this happens.
All of the filters work in more or less the same way, but once again, they seem to fade off where the faces of the model get nearer perpendicular to the viewpoint
I also made these two test skins before i found out how to make them hi-res too, which might explain why they're a bit pixelly...
This is exciting stuff - I'm excited
I see a weekend ahead where I photoshop 24/7 and nothing else.Thanks guys, good feedback 
glad you're liking it so far.
5tag - I really like your idea for the metal bands - i might have a play on that tonight.
Rather than a solid wood look as you described, with the rings and all, i might go with the paneled look, sorta like a barrel. We'll see how it goes...
glad you're liking it so far.5tag - I really like your idea for the metal bands - i might have a play on that tonight.
Rather than a solid wood look as you described, with the rings and all, i might go with the paneled look, sorta like a barrel. We'll see how it goes...
Wood car
So I thought I'd see how the FZR would look if it was made from wood and then carved. I used a striping pattern I made for another car for the decoration.
Any and all comments welcome, and if anyone can post links to other wood cars, that'd be mean.
Any and all comments welcome, and if anyone can post links to other wood cars, that'd be mean.
Hah! no preview - you'll just have to risk it. My apologies if this has already been done, but I didn't get time to read the rest of the posts...
It's a Caterham Lotus Super 7 - slightly used/worn.
Oh, and a trick for brushed aluminium - easy - add a decent amount of noise to a (new) gray layer and then run a motion blur filter through it. i like making a random cloud pattern as a selection set, and then have the motion blur going in two different directions by selecting all the white area in the cloud, and then motion blurring the noise, then inverting the selection and filtering again, but with the blur going in a different direction. Then you simply play with the levels until you find the shade of grey you want.
i hope this is useful
It's a Caterham Lotus Super 7 - slightly used/worn.
Oh, and a trick for brushed aluminium - easy - add a decent amount of noise to a (new) gray layer and then run a motion blur filter through it. i like making a random cloud pattern as a selection set, and then have the motion blur going in two different directions by selecting all the white area in the cloud, and then motion blurring the noise, then inverting the selection and filtering again, but with the blur going in a different direction. Then you simply play with the levels until you find the shade of grey you want.
i hope this is useful
...and another - the FZR Utu.
Utu means consequences in Maori. We'll have to wait and see if there are going to be any
Feel free to use, modify or whatever. My personal version of this has sponsors and whatnot all over it, and a slightly worn look to the black panelwork. No preview just yet tho, sry.
No need to re-align anything on this one - I actually spent some time to get it right
hope u like!
Utu means consequences in Maori. We'll have to wait and see if there are going to be any
Feel free to use, modify or whatever. My personal version of this has sponsors and whatnot all over it, and a slightly worn look to the black panelwork. No preview just yet tho, sry.
No need to re-align anything on this one - I actually spent some time to get it right
hope u like!
The FZR 71 Special - please excuse the photoshop in the preview pic - i get bored easily... 
but it does make a nice wallpaper.
If anyone would like to use this skin or alter it in any way, go ahead. You might want to fix the slight misalignment, or you may not.
enjoy!
but it does make a nice wallpaper.If anyone would like to use this skin or alter it in any way, go ahead. You might want to fix the slight misalignment, or you may not.
enjoy!
Daloonie - I like those flames! I was expecting a tutorial though...
Kajdek - jpg attached for your editing pleasure. I'm keen to see what you do with it.
Kajdek - jpg attached for your editing pleasure. I'm keen to see what you do with it.
...meanwhile, beyond the sun...
not irony - i was being facetious - i.e. not meant to be taken seriously or literally
My browser doesn't display the thumbnail for some reason, so i didn't see a preview...
and it wasn't a flame - i gave advice on how to improve the screenshot, so actually it was constructive criticism.
But for what it's worth, the overall quality of screenshots has improved (from what I've seen), and there are some cool skins out there - big ups everyone.
not irony - i was being facetious - i.e. not meant to be taken seriously or literally
My browser doesn't display the thumbnail for some reason, so i didn't see a preview...
and it wasn't a flame - i gave advice on how to improve the screenshot, so actually it was constructive criticism.But for what it's worth, the overall quality of screenshots has improved (from what I've seen), and there are some cool skins out there - big ups everyone.
sorry JazzOn, i wasn't trying to hijack your thread or anything like that, i just got buzzed-out by the numbers
my point ws supposed to be: 5tag's opinion was the skin was mapped at the model in a way that is exactly parallel to one of the three dimensions. absolutely correct. he even italicised the at.
so as well as the obvious distortions that you have solved, there is the added distortion of faces sloping away from the mapping plane. technically, every face would need a varying amount of distortion in order for it not to look stretched.
[delete]
[delete]
[delete]
...and then i almost did it again. another drunken rant, but foiled this time by pizza.
nice work btw JazzOn - a lot of work there. i honestly think you've done a great job of simplifying what can be a frustrating process.
my point ws supposed to be: 5tag's opinion was the skin was mapped at the model in a way that is exactly parallel to one of the three dimensions. absolutely correct. he even italicised the at.
so as well as the obvious distortions that you have solved, there is the added distortion of faces sloping away from the mapping plane. technically, every face would need a varying amount of distortion in order for it not to look stretched.
[delete]
[delete]
[delete]
...and then i almost did it again. another drunken rant, but foiled this time by pizza.
nice work btw JazzOn - a lot of work there. i honestly think you've done a great job of simplifying what can be a frustrating process.
A little quick-trick i use for the FXO and other sedans:
starting with a 2048 sized skin, use guidelines to divide the image up into it's binary sections (halve's quarters, eighths - you'll find that each of these coords is given by adding common binary numbers e.g. 128, 256, 512, 768, 1024, 1536 (1024 + 512).. zoom up on the image to drop the guideline exactly), you'll begin to see the components of the car falling within defined boxes*.
But concentrate on the guideline at 1536, and place one at 0 too. next, make your canvas 512 pixels wider. Lock the image over to the right so that the newly added area is on the left. make sure you have lock to guidelines switched on, and box-select the sides and roof/bonnet section as defined by the 2 vertical guidelines. Then, use edit/transform/scale to pull the left of your selection to the left of the image area. this effevtively makes the roof/hood/side sections a 2048 square image itself.
At this point, you should do your paint thing, apply logos, etc.
Now, you may want to set up a macro or action to save your work as a jpeg, then you need to open that jpg - the guidelines should still be there, use them to select just the stretched-out section, and edit/transform/scale it back to it's original size. finally, crop the image back to 2048 wide. resave. you need to do this repeatedly if you're aligning stripes and logos across different panels, and updating the skin in the LFSviewer regularly.
it's not a 100% system for all of the sedans, at least i assume so - i haven't tested it, but it's an only slightly bigger step to taking each of the pieces defined *at this point, and stretching each component over screen-captures of the orthagonal views from the LFSviewer (top, side, front, back), then, once finished, cutting and pasting it back into it's original space in the grid, using the guidelines to stretch it back to it's exact original aspect ratio. I've used this technique to make an FZR template that works perfectly - but! - only when viewed in an orthagonal view. here's why:
Whenever a panel slopes away from the purely vertical/horizontal it distorts. the more it is sloping away the more it disorts. look at the insides of the front vents to see this happening. this is because of the planar coordinates used to apply the skin to the car model. the use of the word 'skin' is deceiving as it implies a wrapping procedure, but it's actually more like the grain throughout a piece of wood or the lettering inside a stick of Blackpool rock-candy, it's being projected through the mesh.
but yeah, the binary thing is fascinating don't you think? it's a technique used by texture mappers in almost all games, as its easier to programme using set sectors defined by halves, quarters, eighths, and so on, and the tiling positions are all defined by 0.5, 0.25, 0.125 increments. i'm sure it all gets a lot more complex, but that was a eureka moment for me
when i started out as a computer animator we had a seperate texture map for every part of a model, but you couldn't do that for a game - it would get very large, very quickly, and it would be a nightmare trying to find all of the required components for alteration. actually, it was. i'm not an animator any more, btw.
starting with a 2048 sized skin, use guidelines to divide the image up into it's binary sections (halve's quarters, eighths - you'll find that each of these coords is given by adding common binary numbers e.g. 128, 256, 512, 768, 1024, 1536 (1024 + 512).. zoom up on the image to drop the guideline exactly), you'll begin to see the components of the car falling within defined boxes*.
But concentrate on the guideline at 1536, and place one at 0 too. next, make your canvas 512 pixels wider. Lock the image over to the right so that the newly added area is on the left. make sure you have lock to guidelines switched on, and box-select the sides and roof/bonnet section as defined by the 2 vertical guidelines. Then, use edit/transform/scale to pull the left of your selection to the left of the image area. this effevtively makes the roof/hood/side sections a 2048 square image itself.
At this point, you should do your paint thing, apply logos, etc.
Now, you may want to set up a macro or action to save your work as a jpeg, then you need to open that jpg - the guidelines should still be there, use them to select just the stretched-out section, and edit/transform/scale it back to it's original size. finally, crop the image back to 2048 wide. resave. you need to do this repeatedly if you're aligning stripes and logos across different panels, and updating the skin in the LFSviewer regularly.
it's not a 100% system for all of the sedans, at least i assume so - i haven't tested it, but it's an only slightly bigger step to taking each of the pieces defined *at this point, and stretching each component over screen-captures of the orthagonal views from the LFSviewer (top, side, front, back), then, once finished, cutting and pasting it back into it's original space in the grid, using the guidelines to stretch it back to it's exact original aspect ratio. I've used this technique to make an FZR template that works perfectly - but! - only when viewed in an orthagonal view. here's why:
Whenever a panel slopes away from the purely vertical/horizontal it distorts. the more it is sloping away the more it disorts. look at the insides of the front vents to see this happening. this is because of the planar coordinates used to apply the skin to the car model. the use of the word 'skin' is deceiving as it implies a wrapping procedure, but it's actually more like the grain throughout a piece of wood or the lettering inside a stick of Blackpool rock-candy, it's being projected through the mesh.
but yeah, the binary thing is fascinating don't you think? it's a technique used by texture mappers in almost all games, as its easier to programme using set sectors defined by halves, quarters, eighths, and so on, and the tiling positions are all defined by 0.5, 0.25, 0.125 increments. i'm sure it all gets a lot more complex, but that was a eureka moment for me
when i started out as a computer animator we had a seperate texture map for every part of a model, but you couldn't do that for a game - it would get very large, very quickly, and it would be a nightmare trying to find all of the required components for alteration. actually, it was. i'm not an animator any more, btw.
How work progressed
Hi, just thought i'd post a few pics to show how my train of thought works, how one step can inspire another, and so on.
001> My original skin - boring, but works for all of the sedans and coupes, but I felt like I needed more...
002> I was inspired by an aluminium bodykit tutorial i saw somewhere, and decided to try a brushed stainless look by adding noise to the image, and then motion blurring. The decals, i am ashamed to say, are someone elses
apologies to them.
003> A nascar sort-of-look to this one - I may come back to this one someday.
004> ...but this is where it got interesting. I was thinking about adding a galvanised iron look using the crystalize filter when i started on this, but then ran a find edge filter over it, inverted it and made it a layer mask, then applied a glowing layer style to it. presto - glowing cracks. The little logo on the side is my own this time
005> The same technique was used here on a different coloured background and using an emboss layer style. looks like the FF's Thing.
006> Still wasn't happy I had nothing with flames on. so i put flames on the Thing, and some daft looking geometric obects on the back - not sure why...
007> IzgotFlamezon! you might have notices how 'vector' the flames were on the last paint-job. i ran a distortion filter over the flame's layer masks for an organic feel.
008> ...and then thought 'why do the flames have to be yellowy-reddish all the time?' and made the body black, and added a little dancing demon i drew 15 years ago. Finished. Kinda...
someone once said, "true art is never finished, merely abandoned".
There's some bonnet clips and ATL fuel-caps that i've picked up along the way and added in - i cannot for the life of me remember where i got them now, or indeed who they were made by, but they're real cool. so thank you whoever you are. if/when i find out there will be an edit made in your honour.
if anyone would like to have a go at editing any of these for their own use, i'll post skin files for you to edit - just not number 002, although i can take the characters off first i guess...
i hope you find this informative/interesting/amusing. happy racing all!
001> My original skin - boring, but works for all of the sedans and coupes, but I felt like I needed more...
002> I was inspired by an aluminium bodykit tutorial i saw somewhere, and decided to try a brushed stainless look by adding noise to the image, and then motion blurring. The decals, i am ashamed to say, are someone elses
apologies to them.
003> A nascar sort-of-look to this one - I may come back to this one someday.
004> ...but this is where it got interesting. I was thinking about adding a galvanised iron look using the crystalize filter when i started on this, but then ran a find edge filter over it, inverted it and made it a layer mask, then applied a glowing layer style to it. presto - glowing cracks. The little logo on the side is my own this time
005> The same technique was used here on a different coloured background and using an emboss layer style. looks like the FF's Thing.
006> Still wasn't happy I had nothing with flames on. so i put flames on the Thing, and some daft looking geometric obects on the back - not sure why...
007> IzgotFlamezon! you might have notices how 'vector' the flames were on the last paint-job. i ran a distortion filter over the flame's layer masks for an organic feel.
008> ...and then thought 'why do the flames have to be yellowy-reddish all the time?' and made the body black, and added a little dancing demon i drew 15 years ago. Finished. Kinda...
someone once said, "true art is never finished, merely abandoned".
There's some bonnet clips and ATL fuel-caps that i've picked up along the way and added in - i cannot for the life of me remember where i got them now, or indeed who they were made by, but they're real cool. so thank you whoever you are. if/when i find out there will be an edit made in your honour.
if anyone would like to have a go at editing any of these for their own use, i'll post skin files for you to edit - just not number 002, although i can take the characters off first i guess...
i hope you find this informative/interesting/amusing. happy racing all!
'bad' english, forgiven. (not bad at all, really)
BAD SCREENSHOT COMPOSITION: UNFORGIVABLE.
too many people posting huge pictures with their car only taking up 15% of the total image area. Thats 85% of your picture that i'd rather not download.
Zoom in your camera, or crop the image - or both - but please stop wasting internets - it's not an infinite resource like petrol or ozone.
BAD SCREENSHOT COMPOSITION: UNFORGIVABLE.
too many people posting huge pictures with their car only taking up 15% of the total image area. Thats 85% of your picture that i'd rather not download.
Zoom in your camera, or crop the image - or both - but please stop wasting internets - it's not an infinite resource like petrol or ozone.
There was a guy that used to live down the road from me that sellotaped posters onto his car to hide the rust.
He was an extreme wierdo, but I miss him...
He was an extreme wierdo, but I miss him...
It's funny - people avoid hitting me when I use this skin!
Hahaahaa!
I made this and then went and raced on Westhill in a FOX for the first time. No crashes with anything but walls!
I made this and then went and raced on Westhill in a FOX for the first time. No crashes with anything but walls!
That'd be it - thanks
looks like i'll have to get myself a windows 7
Nah - had a look, couldn't find it. Doesn't seem to exist 
Lets assume that I do - is it in the nVidia options, and not in the game?
Is this a mod or something in the game already? Where would I go to set it up? I'd really like to check this out...
I only just realised that I hadn't yet said hi - so - hi!
I love this game! And now a bunch of my friends do too! And I'm gonna tell more, and more! And then we will rise, and take this world for our own! With tarmac ribbons spanning the globe with some nice technical cornery bits also!
...
But i DO like this game! and the community - thanks to all who've made me feel welcome! Thanks specially to Roadrash for making me one of a few noobs with a tricky skin. Thanks to everyone with a demo server! Thanks especially to the devs - wow, GREAT job!
I'm getting my license as soon as the bank stops f***ing around (it's just a card ffs! I'm not applying for credit or anything!).
Good racing everyone! See you on the track!
I love this game! And now a bunch of my friends do too! And I'm gonna tell more, and more! And then we will rise, and take this world for our own! With tarmac ribbons spanning the globe with some nice technical cornery bits also!
...
But i DO like this game!
and the community - thanks to all who've made me feel welcome! Thanks specially to Roadrash for making me one of a few noobs with a tricky skin. Thanks to everyone with a demo server! Thanks especially to the devs - wow, GREAT job!I'm getting my license as soon as the bank stops f***ing around (it's just a card ffs! I'm not applying for credit or anything!
). Good racing everyone! See you on the track!
This thread wasn't started as a means to shame anyone or point fingers. I simply wanted to firstly; raise peoples' awareness of being aware (i'm aware thats sound weird, but i can't think of any other way right now), and secondly; venting.
The point should have been: Racing is about the racing. If you're fast, well and good, but there's more to it than that. You're just driving a car fast, but when you're on a full grid with other drivers, you are racing.
It's a lot harder than some would imagine.
Control under challenging conditions is the true test of how well you drive, both car and mind.
we need to keep in mind of course, that there will always be people who will ask what the blue flag is for.
but that night - dude, it was like driving against the agk.
Sportsmanship! That's the stuff we need right now! And stories of how badly people (no names) fail at it!
The point should have been: Racing is about the racing. If you're fast, well and good, but there's more to it than that. You're just driving a car fast, but when you're on a full grid with other drivers, you are racing.
It's a lot harder than some would imagine.
Control under challenging conditions is the true test of how well you drive, both car and mind.
we need to keep in mind of course, that there will always be people who will ask what the blue flag is for.
but that night - dude, it was like driving against the agk.
Sportsmanship! That's the stuff we need right now! And stories of how badly people (no names) fail at it!
Am I a crasher?
I get accused of crashing ALL THE TIME!
It's never on purpose, and I don't hesitate to say sorry as soon as I can. Even when I've been shunted into someone else. ...I KNOW!
I don't drive incredibly fast, but I am a defensive driver, and I will defend my line. And I have had incredible duels - fun races - with racers making laps faster than I.
But I get accused of crashing a lot more by people who don't know when it's THEM driving badly.
When I've overshot a corner, I know I've overshot the corner. I realise that there is a car in close proximity to me, and likely inside me, and I'll back off a bit and let them through. This might even leave me in a position to get right back on their tail, seeing as they've had to slow to avoid me. Then, because they're driving defensively, I can sometimes get a place back, or I can at least follow them and see where their braking happens and where they leave the kerbs - but i digress... There's the FUN! That's why I do this! BUT:
I don't suddenly swing back to the apex to cover a racing line that is NO LONGER MINE. OK?
Let me make this clear - hitting someone in the side or rear of their car means that you have done it wrong! Take one on the chin and admit your awareness fail. You can't just ram your way back onto the track because you're losing a place.
That is simply not good sportmanship, and if there is no good sportsmanship, then the sport is not good. Am I right?
It's a game - yes I know, and to all those who say 'why not?' you'll be playing something else next year, so I don't care.
Everyone I've ever had a good race against - thanks! It's a f**king great game isn't it?
It was actually a good night's racing... but there you go. Right, drunken rant over, off to the club!
It's never on purpose, and I don't hesitate to say sorry as soon as I can. Even when I've been shunted into someone else. ...I KNOW!
I don't drive incredibly fast, but I am a defensive driver, and I will defend my line. And I have had incredible duels - fun races - with racers making laps faster than I.
But I get accused of crashing a lot more by people who don't know when it's THEM driving badly.
When I've overshot a corner, I know I've overshot the corner. I realise that there is a car in close proximity to me, and likely inside me, and I'll back off a bit and let them through. This might even leave me in a position to get right back on their tail, seeing as they've had to slow to avoid me. Then, because they're driving defensively, I can sometimes get a place back, or I can at least follow them and see where their braking happens and where they leave the kerbs - but i digress... There's the FUN! That's why I do this! BUT:
I don't suddenly swing back to the apex to cover a racing line that is NO LONGER MINE. OK?
Let me make this clear - hitting someone in the side or rear of their car means that you have done it wrong! Take one on the chin and admit your awareness fail. You can't just ram your way back onto the track because you're losing a place.
That is simply not good sportmanship, and if there is no good sportsmanship, then the sport is not good. Am I right?
It's a game - yes I know, and to all those who say 'why not?' you'll be playing something else next year, so I don't care.
Everyone I've ever had a good race against - thanks! It's a f**king great game isn't it?
It was actually a good night's racing... but there you go.
Right, drunken rant over, off to the club! Pukekohe!
Spent a lot of time here as a child.
Actually, what I'd like to see is a stunt-park. might even be as easy as making more props for the carparks... which would need to be bigger...
A Speed Racer style stadium track, or one based on the tracks in Wipeout - there are some epic circuits in those games but without the loops and stuff - actually, I'd like to know if you could loop some of these cars...
Spent a lot of time here as a child.
Actually, what I'd like to see is a stunt-park. might even be as easy as making more props for the carparks... which would need to be bigger...
A Speed Racer style stadium track, or one based on the tracks in Wipeout - there are some epic circuits in those games
but without the loops and stuff - actually, I'd like to know if you could loop some of these cars... Speculating here, and certainly not criticising, but i think LFS mostly uses a simple pitch effect to simulate the engine noise and doppler in relation to your position. There's some spacial effects in there as well for variety, but the car sounds are simplified to a fair degree for file-size reasons or whatever.
OK, now imagine a car revving at 5500rpm on a turntable in front of you, with no reflecting surfaces around (no echos) - as that car rotates on the turntable it's sound changes from a relatively muffled engine noise, to a cracking, ear-splitting noise at the point where the exhaust points directly at you. Pops and snaps that you hear from the back which are less audible at the front or sides.
It's almost two completely different noises.
As a suggested solution, reprogramme the car sounds to be multi-track, basing the track playing on the rotational coordinates of the car in relation to the viewer.
Cars driving toward the viewer would sound as they do now with LFS's current sounds, but as they pass the viewer the bang-track kicks in and blows away their eardrums. Of course, you would hear echos and reflected sound from the rear audio as well while the car comes toward you, but that could get tricky, because that depends on the object/environment the car is driving past; your immediate environment; other objects in the intervening and surrounding space; this could go on a while...
I'm babbling.
OK, now imagine a car revving at 5500rpm on a turntable in front of you, with no reflecting surfaces around (no echos) - as that car rotates on the turntable it's sound changes from a relatively muffled engine noise, to a cracking, ear-splitting noise at the point where the exhaust points directly at you. Pops and snaps that you hear from the back which are less audible at the front or sides.
It's almost two completely different noises.
As a suggested solution, reprogramme the car sounds to be multi-track, basing the track playing on the rotational coordinates of the car in relation to the viewer.
Cars driving toward the viewer would sound as they do now with LFS's current sounds, but as they pass the viewer the bang-track kicks in and blows away their eardrums. Of course, you would hear echos and reflected sound from the rear audio as well while the car comes toward you, but that could get tricky, because that depends on the object/environment the car is driving past; your immediate environment; other objects in the intervening and surrounding space; this could go on a while...
I'm babbling.
So here's the finished result at last:
This is for full public use, and anyone can edit it to their heart's content.
Enjoy!
This is for full public use, and anyone can edit it to their heart's content.
Enjoy!
My two cents would have to be on your logo placement/composition.
Make your logos a little smaller so there's a bit more space around them. Almost all logo usage guidelines specify a minimum amount of clear space around the logo, and it differs from logo to logo.
As a (reeeaaally) rough guide, I use a formula of half height of the logo for rectangles, a quarter for square logos, and varying points on the curve for aspect ratios in between. When I say rectangle and square, by this I mean just the basic width/height ratio. ie, circles are square too!
Try not to get to close to edges with them either - unless that's part of the look.
Someone once said to me, "design is all about CRAP; composition, relationship, alignment, positioning."
Nice going so far - i look forward to seeing how it goes
...or something four-lettered anyway...
Make your logos a little smaller so there's a bit more space around them. Almost all logo usage guidelines specify a minimum amount of clear space around the logo, and it differs from logo to logo.
As a (reeeaaally) rough guide, I use a formula of half height of the logo for rectangles, a quarter for square logos, and varying points on the curve for aspect ratios in between. When I say rectangle and square, by this I mean just the basic width/height ratio. ie, circles are square too!
Try not to get to close to edges with them either - unless that's part of the look.
Someone once said to me, "design is all about CRAP; composition, relationship, alignment, positioning."
Nice going so far - i look forward to seeing how it goes
...or something four-lettered anyway...
FGED GREDG RDFGDR GSFDG