The Cover Project

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: tylerbgood on May 12, 2017, 09:02:09 AM

Title: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 12, 2017, 09:02:09 AM
Whenever I need a US Sega cover or manual, I have gone to http://www.ratigators.com/ to download what I need. Under each image TSOLFan used to have  link to a 300 dpi version. Now all those links appear to be gone. I know he used to be active here, but it looks like he hasn't contributed to the site in a couple years, and his website seems similarly abandoned. He has a bunch of NES and Genesis games pending upload, but that status hasn't changed in a long time. I didn't know if perhaps other members of TCP have been in contact with him and know the reason for the removal of the download links? Perhaps he had bots hammering his site to download all his scans so he shut them down by removing the links to the full versions? Just guessing though.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: segamer on May 12, 2017, 09:07:32 AM
I noticed that. One of our users asked for a cover for Space Jam for Saturn. I was going to make it but I couldn't download the cover. I don't have an answer for you. Just request covers on the forum. You might get lucky.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: sheep2001 on May 12, 2017, 09:17:20 AM
Whilst I commended his ethos to getting everything scanned, I found the images so badly moired I couldn't really use them for making covers. 

No idea why he took down the links though. 
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 12, 2017, 09:56:47 AM
I noticed that. One of our users asked for a cover for Space Jam for Saturn. I was going to make it but I couldn't download the cover.

The 300 dpi versions are still on the site, they just no longer have links so they're hard to access. You can either edit the link address for the preview image on ratigators.com or use the Wayback Machine to find the link and view the current version.

Whilst I commended his ethos to getting everything scanned, I found the images so badly moired I couldn't really use them for making covers. 

I agree that they are imperfect, but I'd rather make my personal covers with one of his scans than a pixelated image from Google that I have to stretch to twice its size to fit the template. But for making official covers for the main site, you're right, the moire effect is just too pronounced.

And the manual scans are far better than what can be found at replacementdocs, regardless.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: Cjax08 on May 12, 2017, 10:14:40 AM
I noticed that. One of our users asked for a cover for Space Jam for Saturn. I was going to make it but I couldn't download the cover. I don't have an answer for you. Just request covers on the forum. You might get lucky.

Aww man that sucks. Space Jam and Crimewave are the only 2 missing covers I have left. Well regardless I appreciate you making the effort for me man. The other 2 covers you found for me worked out great.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: ShoothimNow on May 12, 2017, 10:42:46 AM
(http://www.quickmeme.com/img/49/498794749f1ab35f1868fc509391c6f875e514ae6857d2382deee16176442a1e.jpg)
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: segamer on May 12, 2017, 10:52:07 AM
I noticed that. One of our users asked for a cover for Space Jam for Saturn. I was going to make it but I couldn't download the cover. I don't have an answer for you. Just request covers on the forum. You might get lucky.

Aww man that sucks. Space Jam and Crimewave are the only 2 missing covers I have left. Well regardless I appreciate you making the effort for me man. The other 2 covers you found for me worked out great.

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you about that. I've been looking for good images to make the covers you requested but I've been unsuccessful. Let me know if you come across good scans and I'll make them for you. 
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 12, 2017, 11:21:42 AM
segamer, here are direct links to the 300 dpi versions from ratigators.com

http://www.ratigators.com/scans/segasaturn/Crime%20Wave%20(USA)/Crime%20Wave%20(USA)%2001.jpg
http://www.ratigators.com/scans/segasaturn/Crime%20Wave%20(USA)/Crime%20Wave%20(USA)%2099.JPG
http://www.ratigators.com/scans/segasaturn/Space%20Jam%20(USA)/Space%20Jam%20(USA)%2001.jpg
http://www.ratigators.com/scans/segasaturn/Space%20Jam%20(USA)/Space%20Jam%20(USA)%2099.jpg
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: segamer on May 12, 2017, 12:22:05 PM
Says Forbidden
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 12, 2017, 01:14:53 PM
Says Forbidden


Copy and paste the links into your browser, then they should show up. Must be set up to disallow hotlinking.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: segamer on May 12, 2017, 02:26:38 PM
Most appreciated!
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: Cjax08 on May 12, 2017, 05:54:30 PM
Most appreciated!

Woohoo. There's hope yet! Nice save Tyler.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 12, 2017, 06:42:35 PM
Happy to help!
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: palmer6strings on May 12, 2017, 06:56:19 PM
I may possibly have both games for Saturn. But if I remember correctly my booklet for space jam is badly yellowed. I can't say I'll get to it right away because it's packed away under a bunch of shit.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: wiggy on May 13, 2017, 05:21:54 AM
Whilst I commended his ethos to getting everything scanned, I found the images so badly moired I couldn't really use them for making covers.  

No idea why he took down the links though.  

Surface blur is your friend.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: sheep2001 on May 13, 2017, 07:22:49 AM
Whilst I commended his ethos to getting everything scanned, I found the images so badly moired I couldn't really use them for making covers.  

No idea why he took down the links though.  

Surface blur is your friend.

Not with the amount of moire on these puppies.  Pretty sure they will print alright (although never tried), but on screen they look toilet.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 13, 2017, 10:41:24 AM
Not with the amount of moire on these puppies.  Pretty sure they will print alright (although never tried), but on screen they look toilet.

Yeah, when I print off covers I've made with TSOLFans scans at home on my low end ink jet printer, they look fine, but if I try to get them printed professionally, the quality does suffer.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: segamer on May 13, 2017, 11:13:26 AM
I can clean up the moire on his scans pretty decently.

(http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/ea63/e12f95891qb5t926g.jpg) (http://www.mediafire.com/view/?e12f95891qb5t92)
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: tylerbgood on May 13, 2017, 11:19:30 AM
Wow, that's a really nice improvement, segamer. Is there a tutorial or something you can link to that details your process? Quite a few of the Saturn covers I've made for myself have used ratigator.com scans, and it'd be nice to redo them with the moire so effectively reduced.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: Arseen on May 13, 2017, 01:00:56 PM
Just checked and he was here month ago last time.
Title: Re: ratigators.com has removed download links?
Post by: Cjax08 on May 13, 2017, 06:26:41 PM
I can clean up the moire on his scans pretty decently.

(http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/ea63/e12f95891qb5t926g.jpg) (http://www.mediafire.com/view/?e12f95891qb5t92)

Yea that's one heck of an improvement. Those covers are the first I've ever had to request be made. It's got me super excited to see the work in progress. I've done some simple touch ups and stuff before, but covers from scratch are way beyond my capabilities.