Card picture formats

[Huggybaby]

1) Right now, MWS format is

Crop: "Land.jpg"
Full: "Land.full.jpg"

I added
XLHQ: "Land.jpg"

So why not

Crop: "Land.crop.jpg"
Full: "Land.full.jpg"
XLHQ: "Land.xlhq.jpg"

Then, once again all formats could coexist in one folder, and could be choosable by software.

2) Gatherer names split cards in a way that currently we are not, using two slashes.
They also repeat the name of one side in parenthesis.
Sometimes the first side is put in parenthesis, sometimes the second.
Bound // Determined (Bound)
Turn // Burn (Burn)

Does anyone know why?

3) In Gatherer, Flip cards are not combined with slashes. That seems inconsistent.

[Arch]

1) No comment.

2) Slashes are path-separators for linux/mac. It's usually avoided as a filename for that reason.

The name repeat is due to them not always being presented on one page. You actually have one card for each side for split-cards. http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Searc ... spx?name=+[bound]+[//]+[determined]

3) Yes.

[Huggybaby]

I guess I'd best not use slashes then.

I still don't know why sometimes the first name is repeated in parenthesis, and sometimes the second.

[Arch]

The various types of multicards have never been that consistent. At one point in time some split-cards had one gatherer entry for one side and another for the other side. (This happened for flip cards as well, and they were even more inconsistent.) You'd still have the same image for both but the oracle text was different depending on what side you looked at.

The name in parenthesis was used to indicate what side it was. This is mostly gone by now but the naming convention is still used. If you look around gatherer you will find "Turn // Burn (Turn)" as well, for instance.

[Huggybaby]

It figures. OK then, I'll have to bring some consistency where none exists.

I guess it would be alright to treat split cards and flip cards the same, each with one underscore?
<edit> That seems to be the way GH is doing it, I can't think of an improvement.

[Arch]

I think you should consider doing something to distinguish between the various types. This would matter for rendering in dumb applications. Split-cards should be rendered horizontally while flip-cards should be vertical (and with the potential to "flip"). If the naming can help with this it would make it easier to create richer GUIs without additional data.

[Huggybaby]

Sure, naming can help. I have at least two considerations though. First is that these things can be taken to the extreme, where all the card info is squeezed into the name when it should probably be elsewhere.

Fire_Ice.third release.flip.xlhq.jpg or something else is to be avoided.

Second is it doesn't help to have a new naming convention if nobody will use it, or at least quickly adapt. This release has always been about making it easy for new users to get pics in their games, and if they have to rename and move things around just to get started then it's a fail.

[Huggybaby]

Is there a problem using a hyphen surrounded by spaces for split cards?
Pain - Suffering

It's easy to distinguish that visually from a regular hyphen
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree

That leaves the underscore to be used by flip cards.

Also, should I take this chance to pre-rotate split cards? Currently they're like this:

Apparently no software out there has any trouble with them the way they are, but I spend too much time messing with pics to know.

[Huggybaby]

How can I find a list of every set that includes split or flip or double faced cards? So far I have
Split cards that contain //
APC
BOK
CHK
DGM
DIS
INV
PLC
SOK
TSB
ajani vs nicol bolas
izzet vs golgari
commander
archenemy

Flip cards:
BOK
SOK
CHK
http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Flip_cards

Double-faced cards:
Innistrad
Dark Ascension

[Arch]

Fire_Ice.third release.flip.xlhq.jpg or something else is to be avoided.

Yes, I agree with that.

Is there a problem using a hyphen surrounded by spaces for split cards?
Pain - Suffering

It's easy to distinguish that visually from a regular hyphen
Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree

That leaves the underscore to be used by flip cards.

There doesn't seem to be any cards with names that overlap " - " so should be ok. Do you need a name-delimiter for flip-cards though? Isn't the name for flip-cards just the first name? That way you could use _ for split-cards instead.

Also, should I take this chance to pre-rotate split cards?

No. I think it'd only make it more complex.

How can I find a list of every set that includes split or flip or double faced cards?

You make it yourself. Here's mine.

Code: Select all

double
    Apocalypse
    Archenemy
    Dissension
    Dragon's Maze
    Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas
    Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari
    Invasion
    Magic: The Gathering-Commander
    Planar Chaos
    Planechase
    Time Spiral "Timeshifted"

flip
    Betrayers of Kamigawa
    Champions of Kamigawa
    Dissension
    Magic: The Gathering-Commander
    Saviors of Kamigawa

transform
    Dark Ascension
    Innistrad


Think it's the same except for DIS and commander for flip-cards.
<edit>And no split-cards in Kamigama</edit>

[Huggybaby]

Thanks for the list.

OK, I'll use an underscore for one type and a hyphen with spaces for the other, and double-faced cards need no change.

Thanks again!

[Marek14]

Think it's the same except for DIS and commander for flip-cards.
<edit>And no split-cards in Kamigama</edit>

Wait, what flip cards are in Dissension?

[Arch]

None ... there's a "flip" in Odds//Ends so my data tags it as a flip-card. I'll add an issue for it so it can get fixed.

[silly freak]

Now that's probably not helpful in the usability direction, but my preferred file name would still be simply the multiverse ID. Even different basic lands have different multiverse IDs, and it's about the most consistent thing you'll get.

of course, the usability point basically demands the card name in the file name. I can just say, I wish you good luck...