# Aurora instruction sheets?



## Scheisseler (Jul 11, 2007)

Does anyone know of a decent website for Aurora instruction sheets?


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## Geoff Boaz (Jan 1, 1970)

I'm not sure there is one. But I know I've thought many, many times of starting one.

I would just have the many members here who have kits opened to scan sheets as time permits and send them to me (hi res w/be needed). Then I could make PDFs of each and place them within their respective company/categories/model-named menu listings. It wouldn't be speedy, but if every one sent scans (or pdfs) then eventually it would be robust.

But, the logistics (server to store the files, etc.) is something I don't have the ability to overcome. It would be cool though.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

It'd be great if someone could set up an instruction sheet site. I'm in need of a few myself!! Does anyone have the Penguin and Zorro sheets they'd like to sell??

Chris.


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## Scheisseler (Jul 11, 2007)

It does kind of seem like this is something that would already be in existence, doesn't it? I'm not looking to do anything that would devalue the collectibility of these sheets, just want a source of reference. More specifically, I'm trying to put a somewhat deconstructed copy of the Witch back together. 

This is something we could all share without having to have a website, if we could just get started. PDFs can be uploaded to file-sharing sites like Rapidshare or YouSendIt without any one of us having to pay for storage space.

Heck, it's surprising one of the various modeling publications hasn't published a _book_ of these things by now.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

There was a book called "Aurora Instruction Sheets Vol.1- Figures" and it had quite a few instruction sheets in it. I had a copy but I haven't seen it for ages and I can't find it. It had heaps of cool sheets in their entirety. Some of the earlier figure kit mags used to have copies of sheets too. From what I can recall, one mag was Model and Toy collector.

Chris.


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

Well, I have the prehistoric scenes posted on my website.
As well as the Haunted Mansion and POTC instruction sheets posted as well.

I too am surprised this has never really been done before.
I know it has been discussed on the Aurora list. As well as scans of decals for the old kits as well.

I would argue against using PDF though.
Some people just can't work with those type files.
I think JPGs are a better way to go.
They don't have to be huge to work. With a little compression you would be amazed at how small the file sizes can actually be, and still be legible.

If someone has the time to actually devote to the project. And the knowledge of how to build the webpages, I can donate the actual web-space.
I have a ton of storage and bandwidth that is completely unused on my site.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Geoff Boaz said:


> I'm not sure there is one. But I know I've thought many, many times of starting one.
> 
> I would just have the many members here who have kits opened to scan sheets as time permits and send them to me (hi res w/be needed). Then I could make PDFs of each and place them within their respective company/categories/model-named menu listings. It wouldn't be speedy, but if every one sent scans (or pdfs) then eventually it would be robust.
> 
> But, the logistics (server to store the files, etc.) is something I don't have the ability to overcome. It would be cool though.


I have plenty of web space available. I can set up a subdomain on my hosting account. How many instruction sheets are we talking about? I have no idea.

300dpi scans are fine for printing. I also have all the software available to make and optimize PDF files.


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## Geoff Boaz (Jan 1, 1970)

I can build the site (it's my day job), and help clean up and convert submitted scans, I still say PDFs are the way to go. A much smaller file size can be realized, and more 'puters (and people) will be able to access them. A jpg might seem easier to deal with, but I run across many people who don't have photo software knowledge, or even know what a jpg is. PDFs only need ACROBAT reader (which is free), and most browsers these days have the ability to open them. 
* Auroranut -- I can scan my penguin model sheet and send it to you if you want. I can even make a double sided scan (just flip it over and run through the copier again). LMK if you want it, then give me your addy.

Regards all.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Geoff Boaz said:


> I can build the site (it's my day job)


Mine too, for around 7 years now. 

I wasn't saying the scans would be the final product. I was stating the resolution of the scan should be at 300dpi. 

How will you bring the file size of the scan down, using Acrobat Pro? The optimizer doesn't really work that way. Acrobat Pro just uses jpeg compression to make a high res jpeg a lower res one. An "optimized" PDF usually isn't suitable for printing--unless you know something I don't. You'll need to convert the scans to vector before you can make the file size smaller and keep the print resolution. It's possible, but time consuming and the only real benefit, then, is being able to enlarge he image without limit. Illustrator's Live Trace isn't perfect, either. 

I'm puzzled...  Please explain your method.


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## Geoff Boaz (Jan 1, 1970)

25 years as graphic designer, 14 years web, multimedia development... not that it matters.

I just think we've got our wires crossed.

The high res scans would be to keep the detail crisp (as you know) before the pdf is generated, as many instructions are b&w, and line art as well, so all that is really needed is a 2 color bitmap for most, (some may need grey value added). Then the hi-res (cleaned up) images could be converted to pdfs for universal ease of access.

My vision was just to present the instructions at actual size, but smallest file size possible. I wasn't really looking at this to a be a resource for providing 300 dpi print-ready files for reproduction. For the final pdfs, there would be just enough detail to keep line and text crisp for most home printers, and allow modelers a helpful resource for info.

Regards.




kit-junkie said:


> Mine too, for around 7 years now.
> 
> I wasn't saying the scans would be the final product. I was stating the resolution of the scan should be at 300dpi.
> 
> ...


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Geoff Boaz said:


> 25 years as graphic designer, 14 years web, multimedia development... not that it matters.


But, it does matter. 

I've never used two color bitmaps for anything other than the heat set process used for printing one color guitar picks. I never thought to use them for PDF production, figuring the clarity would be an issue. Honestly, I've never had reason to make a one color PDF. I'll have to experiment with this. Thanks for the info!


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

Geoff Boaz said:


> PDFs only need ACROBAT reader (which is free), and most browsers these days have the ability to open them.


Exceot for the thousands out there like me that cannot use any Adobe software as it crashes our system.
Not sure what the problem is, but any software from Adobe completely screws my OS.
And I am not alone, as I have run across sites in my internet travels that are devoted to just such a problem.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

I've never even heard of that before. Sounds, to me, like it's time for an upgrade. Which OS are you using?


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## chevy263 (Oct 6, 2003)

I may have a sheet or 2 i can contribute. Just let me know.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Same here... I bet between all of us we can come up with every instruction sheet there is by Aurora...figures anyway
Mcdee


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Scheis,
It would help to know just _what_ kit it is for which you need the instructions.  

Mark McG.


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## Scheisseler (Jul 11, 2007)

I have a bunch of built-up monster kits that were all stored in one box. If you really can't guess the conclusion to this horrible story, let me know. 

Okay, more specifically -- I've been looking at little things like the spare rats, lizards, snakes, trees, fronds, branches, chains, shackles, etc., that make up the small details on a lot of these kits, and I really can't remember where they all go without a scorecard. And as I started looking through the web for some help, it struck me as very odd that despite the hundreds of sites dedicated to someone's collection, there are no resources for those of us who just want to see what goes where. I seem to recall a site put together by a guy in Europe (Sweden? not sure) that had some low-res jpegs of instruction sheets, but it seems to be long gone.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

One simple thing you could do would be to check out the photos of finished models in the Photo Album area of this HobbyTalk site. You can search by the models' subjects, and compare them with what you've got. If you can provide us a list of model subjects, we here on the board may be able to help. To start, I have a copy of Gordy Dutt's book of Aurora instructions and some sheets of my own.

Ask and ye shall receive!

Mark McG.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

kit-junkie said:


> I've never used two color bitmaps for anything other than the heat set process used for printing one color guitar picks. I never thought to use them for PDF production, figuring the clarity would be an issue. Honestly, I've never had reason to make a one color PDF. I'll have to experiment with this. Thanks for the info!


In my work, I frequently have to scan printed matter containing text and line images, and I find that a higher resolution than 300 dpi is needed for keeping small text legible. For many model instruction sheets, at least the ones without photographs or large areas of gray tone (screen tint), scanning them as black-and-white line art would be more than adequate. Then you can scan at between 600 and 1200 dpi and still keep the files fairly small.


TAY666 said:


> Exceot for the thousands out there like me that cannot use any Adobe software as it crashes our system.
> Not sure what the problem is, but any software from Adobe completely screws my OS.
> And I am not alone, as I have run across sites in my internet travels that are devoted to just such a problem.


Time to switch to a Mac! :lol:


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## Scheisseler (Jul 11, 2007)

Mark McGovern said:


> If you can provide us a list of model subjects, we here on the board may be able to help.


The biggest problem children are the Witch, King Kong, and the Forgotten Prisoner. It seems likely to me that I'm probably missing a few little parts here and there from these kits as well, which is why the request for instruction sheets -- if I can do a little inventory, then I can figure out what replacement parts I need to track down.

Thanks Mark! (and everyone else!)


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

If I knew how to use my computer properly, I'd give it a crack!!
How do we actually go about this? I've got a few sheets that can be scanned.

Chris.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

I'm waiting to get an opinion on publishing old Polar Lights instructions on the web before I try that; I'm not sure whether they're protected under copyright. In the meantime, Scheiss, here are some closeup views of my finished King Kong. I added the Posthumous Productions "Lost Foliage" resin replacement set to the base, which was also built up higher than it came from the box (there's also a lot of ground work there). But at least you'll be able to check and see what you might be missing.

I can tell you that those small trees were really out of scale with the figures - they're shorter than the Ann Darrow figure! So unless you're a fanatic about recreating the Aurora trees _exactly_, you would be better served by either scratchbuilding your own or using ready-made scale pine trees. Good luck!

Mark McG.


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## Scheisseler (Jul 11, 2007)

Mark McGovern said:


> I'm waiting to get an opinion on publishing old Polar Lights instructions on the web before I try that; I'm not sure whether they're protected under copyright.


Yeah, it seems like it would fall under "fair use" if you provided copies that were strictly for reference, and weren't so complete that someone could download them and print off a million of them for sale on eBay. (That's another advantage of PDFs, btw -- you can set permissions on them so that they can't be edited or printed.) For that matter, it seems like the only "value" these would have would be as a collectible, so a digital reproduction here wouldn't be taking any money out of PL's pocket anyway. But I don't know the laws for certain.



> I can tell you that those small trees were really out of scale with the figures - they're shorter than the Ann Darrow figure!


Well, that's part of the charm, right?

Thanks for the pics, they do help!


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

...so just how many of us do you think never caught on to the trees being smaller than Ann Darrow? D'OH!!!


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## The Batman (Mar 21, 2000)

Check out the instruction sheets posted on this website:

http://www.popform.se/glowdark/boxes/long/gallery.html

- GJS


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

That's a great site! Like walking through a museum.


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## The Batman (Mar 21, 2000)

deadmanincfan said:


> ...so just how many of us do you think never caught on to the trees being smaller than Ann Darrow? D'OH!!!


 
This is going back over old ground - 'been covered long ago. 

If you examine the kit closely you will see that there was an attempt on the part of the sculptor to utilize three dimensional _forced perspective_. That is to say, he's trying to create the illusion of there being a greater distance ( or height ) than actually exists in the model. Ann Darrow is at ( about ) our eyes' level. As we look down from her position we see the trees below appear to be a greater distance away because they are actually smaller. You'll also note that Kong's feet are proportionally smaller than they should be for an ape his size ( albeit only slightly ) and his legs are somewhat conical creating a _foreshortening_ illusion suggesting to the mind's eye a greater distance than is actually there. 

Of course, this is done very subtley in order that the kit will not appear too proportionally incorrect when you view it sitting on a shelf from across the room... but it's there.

- GJS


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

...I've only been here a couple months or so...so most of this is still new to me...


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

My feeling is that the trees were made so small with the intent of making Kong look larger. Plus, scale trees would have made the model too large to fit into the box. I had to graft some five- and seven-inch Woodland Scenics trees together to make them tall enough to work with my Kong; injection-molded items would've been a nightmare. I've attached a photo below.

Mark McG.


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

Scheisseler said:


> That's another advantage of PDFs, btw -- you can set permissions on them so that they can't be edited or printed


Although, anyone who wanted to do that, could do so easily.
There are tons of free programs out there that will 'unlock' those PDFs.
As well as websites that will do it for you so you don't have to install another program on your computer.


As for permission. I went through the trouble of asking Revell about posting their instructions for the PS reissues. I never got an official "It's ok". I did get an unoffical "I asked around, and no one thinks it will be a problem" from an employee there a few years ago.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Well, *I *got the word from South bend that it would be permissible to post the instructions that Der Scheissman wanted and you can view them here: http://members.toast.net/blackswampmodelers/Classic Instructions.htm

But still, I can't get you people to hook up with the Black Swamp Modelers. How the angels must weep for you. 

Mark McG.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

The thing is, we're talking about old instruction sheets to kits that haven't been around for ages. Most of these kits haven't been reissued and, let's face it, most will never be. If there are old sheets to reissued kits, I really can't see a problem with the manufacturers. It can't possibly hurt their market can it? 
It can only do good here. If you don't know what parts you're missing, need a paint guide, assembly guide (of course),or just a cool read, the answer's at your fingertips. They'd have to be downloadable to be able to use them at your bench. If you're worried about forgery, surely some kind of mark or logo lightly printed on them would help slow someone down. 
Why limit it to Aurora sheets? Anything to do with our genre should be listed. Even if it's just a list of contacts with access to those sheets.
Believe me- If I knew how to work this infernal machine(computer), I'd do it!
Can you imagine the amount of sheets if we all put in a few different ones? 

Chris. ps: Thanks for the Penguin copy Geoff. Much appreciated!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Mark McGovern said:


> Well, *I *got the word from South bend that it would be permissible to post the instructions that Der Scheissman wanted and you can view them here: http://members.toast.net/blackswampmodelers/Classic Instructions.htm
> 
> But still, I can't get you people to hook up with the Black Swamp Modelers. How the angels must weep for you.
> 
> Mark McG.


Mark, do you think we'd be able to use the site for posting sheets and stealing back same? I honestly didn't know it existed or I'd have asked earlier.

Chris.


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

A-nut,

I don't have Adobe PDF Maker (or whatever it is), so the images you're looking at on the Black Swamp Modelers site are JPEGs. As such they are downloadable - you'd right click on one, select "Save Picture As", tell the computer where you want to store it (My Pictures, Desktop, wherever), and you're done.

I called Round 2 to get permission to post the Polar Lights instructions as I felt that they might still be under copyright. As for Wonder Woman, Aurora is out of business so I'm quite sure I'm in the clear there (I have no fear of the New Lost Aurora guys).

And yes, if anyone has good quality instructions they'd like me to post, I'll be happy to do so. I'd prefer to have JPEGs resized to "Document - large, 1024 X 768 px"; don't edit the images otherwise. Let me know what you're looking for first, as I might already have it or can put the call out here.

Thanks,

Mark McG.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Mark. I'll see what old sheets I can find.:thumbsup:

Chris.


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## chevy263 (Oct 6, 2003)

"Why limit it to Aurora sheets? Anything to do with our genre should be listed."

I have 100s of car and motorcycle direction sheets some boats and planes/boats as well. I would be happy to scan for the cause  




Auroranut said:


> The thing is, we're talking about old instruction sheets to kits that haven't been around for ages. Most of these kits haven't been reissued and, let's face it, most will never be. If there are old sheets to reissued kits, I really can't see a problem with the manufacturers. It can't possibly hurt their market can it?
> It can only do good here. If you don't know what parts you're missing, need a paint guide, assembly guide (of course),or just a cool read, the answer's at your fingertips. They'd have to be downloadable to be able to use them at your bench. If you're worried about forgery, surely some kind of mark or logo lightly printed on them would help slow someone down.
> Why limit it to Aurora sheets? Anything to do with our genre should be listed. Even if it's just a list of contacts with access to those sheets.
> Believe me- If I knew how to work this infernal machine(computer), I'd do it!
> ...


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## Scheisseler (Jul 11, 2007)

The Batman said:


> Check out the instruction sheets posted on this website:
> 
> http://www.popform.se/glowdark/boxes/long/gallery.html
> 
> - GJS


THAT'S the site I was thinking of. It's been redesigned since I last saw it, but I definitely recall it being identified by "Glows in the Dark." Cool. 



Mark McGovern said:


> Well, *I *got the word from South bend that it would be permissible to post the instructions that Der Scheissman wanted and you can view them here: http://members.toast.net/blackswampmodelers/Classic Instructions.htm


Thanks. Also cool! :thumbsup:


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

chevy263 said:


> "Why limit it to Aurora sheets? Anything to do with our genre should be listed."


Point taken, though I can't imagine that anyone would _need _the instructions for Rat Fink to build the kit. But, whatever gets that boat afloat...



chevy263 said:


> I have 100s of car and motorcycle direction sheets some boats and planes/boats as well...


Much obliged, chevy, however the Black Swamp Modelers site is devoted to subjects _other _than the "Triple As" (Aircraft, Armor, and Automotive), as these subjects get plenty of coverage elsewhere. Otherwise, if you're an IPMS member we'd love to have photos of your models from "our genre" to post.

Mark McG.


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