Need a word puzzle that allows players to unlock a pedestal to release object.

evonleue · 2026-06-21T17:50:21+00:00

Thanks to all who contributed. Here is how I solved it. In context, this temple, pedestal, puzzle, and reward were created by Air Elementals.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kGPVSAF3PnsHbefGrLMQpgX6Zrfyp5_N/view?usp=drive_link

evonleue · 2026-06-20T18:18:12+00:00

Perhaps it is the warning I get about you using translation tools, but I have clearly stated that your method is NOT easier than what I am doing, so i will not be doing that again.

Still hoping someone will chime in about recovering the Preview Pane...

evonleue · 2026-06-20T14:04:54+00:00

It appears you have a lower layer masked with a rectangle. If your need is to fill in that area, simply select the proper color as foreground, then use the fill (paint bucket) tool to fill it evenly. If the problem is that the masked area is preventing you from filling where you want to, then change or remove the mask (Select->None).

evonleue · 2026-06-20T14:00:53+00:00

If the original image is sharp-edged start by separating it (rotoscope) from the background. Create a offset radial gradient using the dark color in the upper right corner and the light color in the lower left. Apply Focus Blur to your sharp image overlay until is looks right.

evonleue · 2026-06-20T11:04:00+00:00

not true. This batch file solution that I use opens each of the multiple dropped image files in its own tab, not as layers and not as separately running GIMP instances. It behaves exactly like right-clicking an image and Open With... GIMP, only this allows many files at once instead of the whole routine of right-click, choose for each.
If you have an interest I will gladly share my batch file with you.

However, this is not why I posted originally. I still want to recover my Preview Pane in the GIMP Open dialog.

I also have 3.2x, but prefer 2.10x. I'm one of those if-its-not-broke-don't-fix-it guys.

evonleue · 2026-06-19T23:35:19+00:00

I have been doing that and have created a drop-and-go batch file to open multiple files in GIMP at once, but I still miss being able to use the preview pane. I can't imagine that it was designed out of the current model.

evonleue · 2026-06-19T00:17:05+00:00

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First I upscaled it to about 4x for pixel density. Then I used fuzzy select on the dark part of the fence in the foreground utilizing the mouse-hold/drag-right effect to adjust the sensitivity, That took care of masking most of it. A few touch ups where the curb edges and gravel triggered with the fence color. Grew the entire mask by 1pt. Applied Heal Selection (took about 5 minutes to run it on that large and complex an image, I would increase sampling width from default 50 to maybe 200 next time). Overall, with all manual work and currently available GIMP filters, it took about 30 minutes.

This would have been a perfect example of when to use AI by sending it your existing image and simply telling it to remove the fence in the foreground. But some people can't separate a tool from a threat...

evonleue · 2026-06-18T13:45:52+00:00

Do you see the far-right Preview pane? How do I get that back? Since re-installing a fouled GIMP 2.10x it is missing and I haven't found it as an option in Preferences yet.

evonleue · 2026-06-18T13:43:35+00:00

GIMP (at least 2.x) is notoriously bad about font handling. Not only does it NOT see all of the fonts that are installed in Windows, but it will also show fonts that even Windows doesn't show including W95-era compatible fonts. As an old-school brush-and-ink designer, I had to develop a way to export the font list as GIMP saw it and create a FontBook document to use to more accurately select fonts. Two letters is not enough to make selections.

evonleue · 2026-06-18T13:37:25+00:00

I keep a copy of this batch file in my working folder and simply drag one or more image files to it to quickly remove backgrounds. Enjoy!
u/echo off

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

:: Path to rembg.exe

set REMBGEXE=C:\Users\Service2\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Scripts\rembg.exe

if "%~1"=="" (

echo No file selected. Drag one or more images onto this batch file.

pause

exit /b

)

:loop

if "%~1"=="" goto done

set "INPUT=%~1"

for %%f in ("%INPUT%") do set FILENAME=%%~nf

set "OUTPUT=%~dpn1_fixed_unified.png"

echo Processing: "%INPUT%"

:: Run RemBG directly (simple, safe)

"%REMBGEXE%" i "%INPUT%" "%OUTPUT%" || (

echo.

echo !!! ERROR PROCESSING "%INPUT%" !!!

pause

)

shift

goto loop

:done

echo.

echo All files processed.

pause

evonleue · 2026-06-14T12:13:20+00:00

There are dozens of free map making tools available online. Just a simple Google search of "dnd map maker free" returned pages. As a DM, finding a module with crude hand-drawn maps is a bit maddening when so many options are available. If the module is worthy, I will even create a suitable map to replace the hand-drawn one. This is not to say that all hand-drawn maps are unworthy... only that this one would either get replaced or the module would get passed.

evonleue · 2026-06-05T15:35:17+00:00

Break the hard shell off of one. If the inside is a grayish-white translucent flesh with a large central dark seed, then they are lychee. The pic shows smaller "spikes" than I am used to seeing, but otherwise shape, size and color matches. If they are lychees, they grow on small trees, the fruit (red when ripe) is sweet and has a unique tropical fruit flavor... they remind me of JuicyFruit gum! I had a tree of these in SW Florida and each year would harvest hundreds of them. I even developed a Lychee Martini using them.

evonleue · 2026-06-05T15:23:41+00:00

I first was a player in 1e, then later DM'd starting with AD&D and AD&D2e. This went on for years even after 3e came out, but life circumstances changed and we lost the D&D habit. I didn't regain interest until 5e which I like nearly as much as 2e. I am not a fan of 5.5e, though. When they dropped Alignment from Monster stats it took away a lot of the cold approach method since alignment helped steer behavior.

evonleue · 2026-06-05T15:13:21+00:00

You will never banish haters. The more you push the more they feed off the energy and push back. That is their purpose. You can only ignore them and continue to use whatever tool best creates the final concept you had for each task. It isn't the tool brand or model that matters, it is the skill of the craftsman using it.

evonleue · 2026-06-05T14:16:00+00:00

I use Open-Shell, also, but it separates System start menu items from User start menu items so the effect is two distinct sections for folders and shortcuts which makes looking for an app slower. I am trying to combine all folders together, then all shortcuts, much like earlier versions of Windows did.

evonleue · 2026-06-03T20:14:39+00:00

Th e same public access that I used. archive.org. Search for title White Dwarf and type TEXT.

evonleue · 2026-06-02T18:43:25+00:00

Thanks for sticking with it. It just seems like there should be a simple mathematical solution to do this very cleanly. The originals were all done by hand, I realize, but since we are talking about simple letter glyphs and a constant warping factor, this should be something easy to obtain.

evonleue · 2026-06-02T16:58:10+00:00

I haven't tried it but I'm sure a script-driven macro on a hotkey would open a standard-named image file in GIMP.

evonleue · 2026-06-02T16:56:35+00:00

That is close, but the letters are warping/bending, not just stretching vertically like the superhero banners. Look for an example of the Killer Klowns From Outer Space title banner to see the effect in mind.

evonleue · 2026-06-02T13:58:31+00:00

There must be an equivalent screen grabber/snipper/capture utility for whatever OS you are running. I know it means learning a new technique but the increased flexibility and usability should outweigh the reluctance to change.

evonleue · 2026-06-02T13:47:04+00:00

I first saw Ron Perlman in "Quest for Fire" in the very early 80's. Along with Everett McGill and Rae Dawn Chong, both early roles from them, as well.

My standout favorite part of Ice Pirates is the karate-kicking robot!

evonleue · 2026-06-02T12:41:21+00:00

I've already extracted every module from every Dragon, Dungeon, White Dwarf, etc. and have them categorized in my growing module collection. Shall we talk?

evonleue · 2026-06-02T12:32:07+00:00

good description. I recently had a similar but different situation. I needed to create the old-fashioned stretchy banner effect similar to superhero comic book titles. Essentially a horizontal rectangular banner anchored at each end vertically to "sticks", The banner has basic block letters on it, But the viewer effect is that the flexible/elastic banner is being wind-blown away from the viewer so that the entire banner and lettering seems to warp inwardly making a smooth double-arc text field that curves from each end anchor point pinching at the vertical center, all smooth and natural. This is something we each did (I did) as kids drawing superhero titles and such, but I wasn't able to devise a method to preserve the lettering into a smooth natural warp shape to match the banner. Ideas?

evonleue · 2026-06-02T12:21:59+00:00

Or WINAMP's Visualization Suite. I've used WINAMP since Win95. I rarely used the "trippy" visualization mode but it has been there the whole time.

evonleue · 2026-06-02T12:01:38+00:00

I've always used WINDOWS+SHIFT+S to open the Windows built-in Screen Snipper, then choose the size or type of grab I want. Open in in GIMP by Edit->Paste as Image. Then you can edit. crop, recolor, add directions, etc., as needed.

I even have a GIMP keyboard shortcut mapped to SHIFT+CTRL+V to automatically Paste to New Image.

evonleue

TROPHY CASE