High Definition Props and Textures - Discussion thread

Pat · April 01, 2009, 03:15:25 PM

John please tell me this is no joke and that you are now only poking fun at A200 for calling this a joke???

sithlrd98 · April 01, 2009, 03:19:26 PM

Man if this is a joke , I feel real stupid!

Jayson

buddybud · April 01, 2009, 04:36:52 PM

well pat to put it concisely as possible we have two methods for pretty much doubling the viewing surface of either textures, props, or 3ds models....so pretty much everything in game. The fact that this happened all at the same time is quite remarkable though both process are pretty much related. For the textures and 3ds models we found that we could make custom high res graphics with a tool called the eagraphics editor. For props we found a method to squish the props but maintain the resolution. Both are pretty much the same as they both come from the realization that higher rez graphics can be handled much easier then previously thought. It's a great moment for all of us!

superhands · April 01, 2009, 06:56:52 PM

so will i have to get a HD set top box to be able to play sc4 now?

great find everyone

buddybud · April 01, 2009, 07:11:04 PM

various attempts by me to calm your worries...

debutterfly · April 01, 2009, 07:14:39 PM

Here's a beginnig to road overlays (car tracks) that I created that look a little more realistic. Not close to being done but can be used over a variety of surfaces.

- Larry (debutterfly)

nerdly_dood · April 01, 2009, 07:17:04 PM

Well I guess I'm satisfied now. Those textures are marvelous, Buddybud and Larry!

sithlrd98 · April 01, 2009, 07:30:31 PM

Yeah,I'm glad this wasn't a joke

Textures are looking great!

Jayson

Pat · April 01, 2009, 08:01:34 PM

LoL Oiii

.... OK so now at least I can go forward with what I am piecing together for the High Def stuff then wheeew....

Ryan B. · April 01, 2009, 09:11:03 PM

So is this an April Fools'?

wes.janson · April 01, 2009, 10:25:46 PM

I think the getting people to believe it was an April Fool's gag was, in fact, the April Fool's gag.

This one almost got me and that would have been the 2nd of the day.
For a brief moment (Before my morning coffee, I might add) the radio had me believing that Pavel Bure was making a return to the Canucks.

Orange_o_ · April 02, 2009, 12:17:04 AM

Quote from: buddybud on April 01, 2009, 06:33:04 AM

Edit. I still am not 100% on how Orange_o_ accomplished his pic....i do think he used a replacement fsh as i had attemptted....This method would be time consuming though but great for any pixel artist!!! (four rotations need to be hand crafted) Orange_o_ please share your thoughts!!!

Bud

Yes my method is a reFiSHing. I replace the original FSH by a new (photoshop). The new FSH is create with a preview x5 of the prop, and worked again with Photoshop then reduced /5.

I already obtains a very good quality, but if instead of reducing it /5, I reduces it only by /2,5. The quality will be surement excellent.

Here is the beginning of the tutoriel in French

Here is also a possibility a reFiSHing

But it's not beautifull

It is with the similar méthod of reFiSHing that I was able to create this:
( But it is not the subject of this thread)

Orange

Pat · April 02, 2009, 12:44:26 AM

OMG Orange wow!!!

mightygoose · April 02, 2009, 02:27:47 AM

sorry guys, I couldn't let yesterday go without something remotely approaching a prank... don't worry this is all real, which is in fact even more awesome

z · April 02, 2009, 02:31:38 AM

Ah, yes, nothing like a reverse April Fools prank to really mess with one's mind.

SimFox · April 02, 2009, 03:23:36 AM

Problem with 512pix textures rules out the "hi-def" buildings at least those that are bigger than 1 128x128 slab at zoom5 and that means most buildings not only skyscrapers. So, unless this problem is solved this method would be limited to props only, small ones at that even some t-ram/GLD stations would be too big.

Another point I would like to make that this will bring improvement ONLY to Zoom6 view and not entirely without the cost. I don't speak now about hardware load, but about graphics quality at zoom5. Since what we'll have now is essentially Zoom6 render that will be downsized to the Zoom5 levels. Downsized pretty crudely, I may add. The difference not staggering but it is there. Game doesn't know, apparently, about Anti Aliasing, for instance...

This isn't an April Fools, but there are a lot of misinformed opinions floating around...
For instance, Orange's tutorial makes not too good thing worse rather than better. It like trying to invent Perpetum Mobile - energy from nothing - doesn't work. All you get is original information distorted and with some nasty fringing...

mightygoose · April 02, 2009, 03:30:15 AM

Simfox, have you ever looked at maxis zoom 6, I'm sorry but I'll sacrifice a bit of crude shrinking for a massively increased zoom 6....

Orange_o_ · April 02, 2009, 04:31:13 AM

Quote from: SimFox on April 02, 2009, 03:23:36 AM
For instance, Orange's tutorial makes not to good thing worse rather then better. It like trying to invent Perpetum Mobile - energy from nothing - doesn't work. All you get is original information distorted and with some nasty fringing...

Oh yes,

This method is very greedy at time and must be used only for someone prop

debutterfly · April 02, 2009, 06:03:48 AM

I am wanting to create a whole set of overlaying textures for tire markings, just need a lot of time i guess.

Thanks nerdly_dood for the comment.

-Larry (debutterfly)

Edit:

Here's my first go at it...EVER...

I have vista so i cannot upload the rest of the images on SCTool and how do i get the blackness to go away?

-Larry(debutterfly)

Edit:

I just manually replaced the files in the reader for the other zooms.

Zoom 6

Zoom 5

Zoom 4

-Larry (debutterfly)

SimFox · April 02, 2009, 07:15:48 AM

Mightygoose, don't get me wrong... I'm not against better Zoom6, although this alone wouldn't really change it. Few better props here and there in the sea of badly pixelated stuff...
I wish there wouldn't be any limitations on 512 pix textures so that buildings also be made better at zoom6.

Orange:
My main objection wasn't just the time it takes, but the techniques used...

Unfortunately I don't speak French so I can't read your handwritten notes. Would they be provided as normal text rather then picture hot only bandwidth would be saved but they could have been translated by some on-line service...
Now after taking a second look at it I've noticed that you scale your models to 500%. Am I correct in assuming that you first do that and then render preview, right?

This sort of understandable, but the figure itself - 500% where did it come from and why?
After that you bring the resulting image to Photoshop, right? I mean it is difficult to understand exact step order given that you write left, right top, bottom...
Once in Photoshop you effectively scale it back to 100% (by doing Image size and putting 20% fro height and width. Right? May I ask why?
After that mystery thickens some more... Next illustration shows you scaling the image (I assume same one) back to 400%. Again same question why? What does it achieve, apart of farther degrading the information that you had in the original image. Or is it a way to get mistake in selection to the minimum?
next step shows your way of getting Alpha... Again very perplexing... the alpha is there right from the start. it is generated at the same time your preview is. And if I may add much more precise alpha than one you are getting. Setting tolerance to 3 will result in nasty black outline.

At the end, given you scaling up and down (if I correctly understood the order of things) you are left with image of worse quality that your original would have been.
this is exactly why I say that this is a waste of time.

Please correct me if I've got something wrong, or have missed something...