Bumpers and Team Number

[Phyrxes]

We have our side bumpers done, we are waiting to see how this is going to work with with putting our 4 digit number on two sections of the front before committing to front and back bumper arrangements.

I'd really just like to be able to display our team number above the bumper on the front and back, putting it on the poly-carbonate shielding.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Phyrxes

I'd really just like to be able to display our team number above the bumper on the front and back, putting it on the poly-carbonate shielding.

You already can--in addition to the number on the bumper, of course. That would be pretty much a Non-Functional Decoration.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Phyrxes

We have our side bumpers done, we are waiting to see how this is going to work with with putting our 4 digit number on two sections of the front before committing to front and back bumper arrangements.

I'd really just like to be able to display our team number above the bumper on the front and back, putting it on the poly-carbonate shielding.

Team 148 has done that the past two years along with several other teams. It is a great way to display your numbers in a way that sticks with your team's image and it is easier to read compared to bumpers. Sorry GDC.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/34909

[Phyrxes]

Let me clarify my previous post:

I would prefer not having to place numbers on my front bumper sections (8" in length) and instead having on the shielding. If that fulfilled the requirements of team numbers every 90 degrees I would be extra happy, or maybe I've been staring at the Q&A too much and its impacting how I read anything.

[the man]

This is insane. There is no way we can fit 4 numbers on an "8" inch bumper. Actually 10.5 ish. I would hate to have to rework our bumpers so the audiance can read one side. Its to hard to read the other three....

[jvriezen]

Originally Posted by the man

This is insane. There is no way we can fit 4 numbers on an "8" inch bumper. Actually 10.5 ish. I would hate to have to rework our bumpers so the audiance can read one side. Its to hard to read the other three....

You can fit four numbers in the 10.5 ish. There is a template on CD-media and also a True-type font available there that I posted.

The font, when scaled to 4" tall, has 3/4 stroke and each digit is 2" wide. With a 1/2" space between digits, that is 9.5" total.

[the man]

It really depends a lot on the numbers your trying to fit on their, without making them illegible. Guess we'll have to figure it out.

[Bill_B]

Originally Posted by the man

This is insane. There is no way we can fit 4 numbers on an "8" inch bumper. Actually 10.5 ish. I would hate to have to rework our bumpers so the audiance can read one side. Its to hard to read the other three....

Here's what I did for the short-bumper numbers:
1. opened MS Paint
2. define image to 6" x 10.5"
3. select text tool
4. make text area cover all of the image
5. in text toolbar, set font to Blue Highway Condensed (after some experimentation with typefaces)
6. set text height to 290 (points - there are 72 points in an inch) You have to type the number in here. It is not one of the drop-down selection options.
7. select Bold type
8. click in the text area to get blinking insertion point vertical bar
9. type as much of your number as you can. If you're lucky you'll get it all on the first try. If not don't despair. see steps 11a-11d
10. If your entire number fits side-to-side, skip to step 12
11a. to get the remaining digits for your number to fit, you can go to block selection mode and do some manual kerning (move the digits you have completed closer to each other on the left side of the image)
11b. back in text mode, make an entry area further to the right
11c. type the remaining digit(s)
11d. dress and align the new digit with the previous ones as in 11a.
12. block selection mode and put a tight marquee selection around your number
13. cursor to the tiny little square "handle" in the middle of the right side of the dashed line marquee
14. click and drag your selection to the right to "fatten" the digits. They are already 4" high, you are just going to make them 10 or so inches wide.
15. print them unscaled on a single sheet of letter paper landscape mode.
16. take them to your printer, painter, letter-maker for fabrication of something you can stick on the side of your short bumper.

HTH - glad to clarify if necessary.

[Nate Laverdure]

4-digit numbers in Haettenschweiler fit within a 4" x 8.5" box at ~410pt, and meet the minimum stroke width requirement, no modifications necessary.

4-digit numbers in Impact (which is a terrible font) fit in a 4" x 10.5" box at ~360pt.

Both of these fonts come free with Windows.

[waialua359]

This is a great thread, one that I will be eager to hear the answer to on the Q&A.
We finished our embroidered team numbers and had all the bumpers completed a couple days ago. Our 3 numbers barely fit nicely on the front left side, adjacent to the opening for ball intake.
We were just talking about how the heck teams with XXXX numbers were going to make them fit. I cant see those teams penalized by having to make the bumpers longer to accomodate.

[JB987]

Originally Posted by waialua359

This is a great thread, one that I will be eager to hear the answer to on the Q&A.
We finished our embroidered team numbers and had all the bumpers completed a couple days ago. Our 3 numbers barely fit nicely on the front left side, adjacent to the opening for ball intake.
We were just talking about how the heck teams with XXXX numbers were going to make them fit. I cant see those teams penalized by having to make the bumpers longer to accomodate.

Why not just split the 4 digit team number between the two smaller bumpers 1,2 ....3,4 or if 3 digit number 03....59

[EricH]

Originally Posted by JB987

Why not just split the 4 digit team number between the two smaller bumpers 1,2 ....3,4 or if 3 digit number 03....59

Because the GDC has explicitly disallowed that via Q&A.

[Peyton Yeung]

After looking at this thread I'm so glad we only have 2 numbers...45

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Bob Steele

Everyone needs to remember that the numbers can go anywhere on the robot.
They are not required to be on bumpers at all... the requirement is that the robot has numbers of the proper size and spaced 90 degrees around the robot.

Bob, you're still in 2009.

[R35]
Teams shall display their team number on the Bumpers in four locations at approximately 90° intervals around the perimeter of the Robot.

The requirement is that your numbers must be on the bumpers. Anywhere else is in addition to the requirement.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by Tubatroopa

After looking at this thread I'm so glad we only have 2 numbers...45

And I'm glad we don't have a gap!

You can make them fit, it will be tight but it is not impossible!