marktrade's work in progress

[marktrade]

I'll be uploading unedited scans of PC Gamer to this link:

https://archive.org/details/PCGamer_Unedited

Issue 09, "The Multimedia Issue," is up.

I've gotten into a workflow where I make two scans of everything, one normally and one "backward" so that both the front and back side scanners get a look at every page. Then afterward I'll look through the first scan and replace any corrupted pages with a scan from the second batch. That should cut down on rescan requests, and what rescan requests there are might be easily satisfied.

[marktrade]

I've uploaded another batch of ten unedited issues of Next Generation to https://archive.org/details/ng_unedited.

More up this week.

[Areala]

Holy good gravy...you're breaking my back (log, that is).

*huggles*
Areala

[parallaxscroll]

Awesome!

I'm hoping NG #27 and #48 are somewhere in this week's batch

[marktrade]

4 more issues of Next Generation:

https://archive.org/details/ng_unedited

7 more issues of GMR:

https://archive.org/details/gmr_unedited

And 13 more issues of PC Accelerator:

https://archive.org/details/pcxl_unedited

Awesome!

I'm hoping NG #27 and #48 are somewhere in this week's batch

Yes, indeed! They are there. It's taking a while for the PDFs to be derived, but all 32 issues from issue #25 to #56 are there now as CBRs.

Also, those PCXL files are rather large at 3300 pixels tall. I've never seen a magazine with text as small as PCXL so I figure as long as they're unedited, might as well be on the safe side.

[KiwiArcader]

Just a note to let you know PCXL issue 22's rar file on Archive.org is corrupt with page 71 not able to be extracted.

UPDATE ... Don't worry. She's all good. Re-downloaded using the same name and twice it errored but a 3rd time with a different name sorted it. Damned Windows caching ....

UPDATE 2 ... GMR issue 04 has been edited and is now available over at OGM ..

[KiwiArcader]

Issue 27 of Next Generation has been edited and is now available over at OGM ...

[marktrade]

I've found a nice deskew utility aptly called "Deskew." While other deskew functions seem text oriented or inseparable from other functions, like PDF optimization, this one is independent and entirely image-based. It works by finding lines in an image through Hough transform and, after taking all the lines into account, making a rotation adjustment.

http://galfar.vevb.net/wp/2012/deskew-tool-updated/

This seems a lot preferable than to just looking for text or relying solely on the paper edge, especially when I don't get a perfect slice from the stack paper cutter.

You'll have to write your own batch file if you want to automate it on multiple images or, if you're on Mac, use Automator with a shell command.

[marktrade]

Oh and I uploaded the first issue of Macworld. Not really for Retromags but some of you might be interested!

https://archive.org/details/Macworld01PremierIssue

[E-Day]

I've found a nice deskew utility aptly called "Deskew." While other deskew functions seem text oriented or inseparable from other functions, like PDF optimization, this one is independent and entirely image-based. It works by finding lines in an image through Hough transform and, after taking all the lines into account, making a rotation adjustment.

http://galfar.vevb.net/wp/2012/deskew-tool-updated/

This seems a lot preferable than to just looking for text or relying solely on the paper edge, especially when I don't get a perfect slice from the stack paper cutter.

You'll have to write your own batch file if you want to automate it on multiple images or, if you're on Mac, use Automator with a shell command.

I am going to give this a whirl. If I don't have to straighten the pages myself, I will save about half the time spent on editing.

I have tried using my scanner's software to do this, and it seemed to work well most of the time, but if it came across an ad that was designed with diagonal text or had diagonal lines, it would complete mess the page up.

[marktrade]

I'll be editing my PCXL scans. There's enough interest now where I think we can complete the entire collection in rather short order.

Here is issue 4.

https://archive.org/details/PCXL04Dec1998

All my PCXL uploads to archive.org will be 3300 px tall at 300 dpi to ensure clear readability of PCXL's small text. This one is a 500 mb cbr. I'll leave it to others to make a size appropriate for their device. As always I'll retain the originals at 600 dpi for when technology accommodates them. For iPad Pro users that might be soon!

Sorry for my hiatus. I burned out for a while and really needed the rest. I also became addicted to Elite: Dangerous for about a month.

I used the deskew utility I mentioned for this issue and it worked alright. I'd say the failure rate was less than five percent, so for less than one page out of twenty I had to manually straighten them.

[marktrade]

I just realized I have the ability to mark unscanned magazines in the database as "acquired." I should really do that pronto.

Be sure to check the other PC Accelerator thread for new links to edited issues. I'll be posting them there.

[marktrade]

I've also updated download links and am marking unedited issues I've uploaded to archive.org as "Editing."

I made sure to report Next Generation 23 as broken since its missing half its pages (see earlier posts in this thread about editing late at night ).

[marktrade]

I edited that issue of PC Gamer I scanned, but there doesn't appear to be a category for PC Gamer in the downloads section here at Retromags. Until then it'll be over at archive.org. I still uploaded the cover for the gallery here, though, and updated the database.

https://archive.org/details/PCGamer09Feb1995

I'll get to work on those other two issues of PCXL I have.

[KiwiArcader]

I edited that issue of PC Gamer I scanned, but there doesn't appear to be a category for PC Gamer in the downloads section here at Retromags. Until then it'll be over at archive.org. I still uploaded the cover for the gallery here, though, and updated the database.

https://archive.org/details/PCGamer09Feb1995

I'll get to work on those other two issues of PCXL I have.

Awesome mate...

I had been looking at that one with a view to editing it so this saves me a whole lot of work

[marktrade]

Awesome mate...

I had been looking at that one with a view to editing it so this saves me a whole lot of work

Based on the number of views my ADO post had for it unedited there's considerable interest in PC Gamer, followed by Computer Gaming World.

I've been meaning to ask you. You've shared your scans of PC Gamer here before and technically you're a Retromags team member. Do you ever consider updating the database here to add links to your download page and marking those issues as "preserved?" Or would you allow someone else like me to do it? As long as it fits in the Retromags rules and you don't object to it.

[KiwiArcader]

I am a Team Member because before I started OGM I scanned a heap of magazine issues for the site.

There was an issue with some former mods here which caused a ruckus, things got really ugly and I got banned, reinstated but at that point I found the site restrictions on what could be made available somewhat untenable so I created my own site. All water under the bridge now and I have no problems with Phillyman and E-Day whatsoever. Phillyman even said I could host Retromags mags over at OGM if I wanted but I actually like the idea of diversity. Different sites contributing different content to the preservation scene each with their own following etc. If you look at Retromags it predominantly hosts USA content .... Nintendo Power, EGM, GamePro etc while OGM is home to the biggest collection of Australian content anywhere thanks to the big three (Jason, Aral Dite and myself) scanners living in this part of the world.

The one problem with that view is IF a site were to shut down overnight you could see whole swathes of magazines simply disappear. Linking a magazine here to a download on my server doesn't solve that issue. It only irritates people coming here when the link doesn't work if OGM shut down for some reason or another so the only logical solution is to host content the locally. That's something I'm not sure Phillyman wants to entertain necessarily for a couple of reasons.

1. I create PDF's for OGM while this site prefers CBR files
2. Currently my site is host to over 2200 files totally over 450GB. That's pretty immense so I am not sure if he has the space or the inclination to want to store all that on his server
3. If he hosts OGM content locally and I host Retromags content will it dilute support of one or another of the sites?

This last point is an issue I grapple with myself when I see my files uploaded all over Archive.org and the asswipes who uploaded them didn't even have the good graces to say where they got them from. It has made me wonder why I bother keeping OGM going when donations to my site over the last two years barely covered the shipping costs to send a scanner to New Zealand and I am personally covering all the costs to run the site while Phillyman has no end of donations and Archive.org ... well ... don't get me started on them.

The ONLY reason OGM exists today is because a group of guys liked what I was doing there rather than Retromags and threw their lot in with me either by providing scans or server space to host files locally (god bless Ali). If they want to contribute to Retromags instead I'll shut the site down and likely stop scanning magazines altogether. It's not a threat at all. It just reflects where my head space is after nearly a decade of scanning magazines. You guys contributing to OGM are all that's keeping me in the game. I'm tired, and old, and old and tired in that order.

[marktrade]

Alright. I feel lucky to be completely oblivious to these past conflicts, so I will not inquire into them. Differing methodologies are great, diversity's great, I'm on board with all that. As far as I'm concerned that's a good enough reason.

I'll keep scanning and keep contributing to whoever will give my work a nice home.

Speaking of which, check the PC Accelerator thread for more scans.

[KiwiArcader]

On the subject of PC Gamer do you have a list or cover page gallery of all the issues released for the USA version, particularly the early years? I thought they released 12 issues a year but by the way you have your latest release listed as issue 09 I am thinking the first few muust have been bi-monthly. That would mean my issue 25 is actually incorrect and should be earlier. Any help much appreciated my friend.....

[marktrade]

On the subject of PC Gamer do you have a list or cover page gallery of all the issues released for the USA version, particularly the early years? I thought they released 12 issues a year but by the way you have your latest release listed as issue 09 I am thinking the first few muust have been bi-monthly. That would mean my issue 25 is actually incorrect and should be earlier. Any help much appreciated my friend.....

I used the database here, which lists the very first issue as "May/June" followed by issue 02 as "July" and monthly from then on.

http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/pc-gamer/

[marktrade]

ISSUE NUMBER ONE OF GMR, BITCHES!

No category in the download section for this magazine, either, but the database has been updated with my ADO download link.

[Phillyman]

ISSUE NUMBER ONE OF GMR, BITCHES!

No category in the download section for this magazine, either, but the database has been updated with my ADO download link.

Added

http://community.retromags.com/files/category/185-gmr/

[marktrade]

Added

http://community.retromags.com/files/category/185-gmr/

Woo! Let's see if I can add an issue a day until GMR is complete. I should even have all the alternate covers.

[Areala]

ISSUE NUMBER ONE OF GMR, BITCHES!

No category in the download section for this magazine, either, but the database has been updated with my ADO download link.

Awwwww yeah! We goin' Sizzler! We goin' Sizzler!

*huggles*

Areala

[KiwiArcader]

Hey mate,

Were you looking for this?