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  1. #1
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    Question Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Hi Folks... First allow me to express my gratitude to the forum's administrator for approving my membership.

    One of my main interests in the editing of graphics stems to the old pc game, "Doom 2", by Id Software.
    I am within my first year as a map [level] author who enjoys every aspect of making high quality maps for the
    community's enjoyment. One of the many aspects of making a high quality map, is the graphics associated to the
    game. When the original game was produced back in 1995, the computer world didn't have the quality graphics rendering capabilities such as what is available today. I join the ranks of those authors in the community who would like to do what ever is necessary in order to keep this classic alive and well, for years to come.

    There are three different types of texture graphics associated with the game. These are, textures and/or patches that are used in the walls, switches, columns, etc., mostly the structural applications; then there are the Flats used for ceilings, floors and also some structural applications. Last, but not least, there are the Sprites. These are the monsters, projectiles, items, etc. The sprites are the graphics that I'm interested in making into vivid Hi-Res textures. If possible, I would like to post two examples. One is the actual texture extracted from the game in the original format. The other is a Hi-Res take of the same texture, but seriously worked well and this is what I am interested in learning to do for the sprites.





    I post here to ask for the help of those who has the knowledge of this process. Below, is the software I have;

    Adobe PhotoShop Elements 5
    Adobe Premiere Elements 3
    Corel Paint Shop Pro X

    Through my search for answers, I found out that possibly I may have to rescan these images in order to
    get the proper Hi-Resolution! I think in doing so, the image's resolution has to dpi not ppi.

    Anyway, making a long story... short. If anyone would help me with my project by advising me the method and
    how to use the software, I would be very grateful.

    Thank you...
    Last edited by mac53; 25 February 2007 at 08:34 PM. Reason: img links

  2. #2

    Default Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Why should you have to rescan the images? Are they printed on paper? I would imagine that the images are saved and viewed in the computer since they are used in the game. Perhaps you could access those file directly? It should give you a better result than rescanning them.
    As for getting a higher resolution version than the original pictures, you could try resampling them, and if they become a blurry, perhaps some tweaking with levels and unsharp masking?

  3. #3
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    Exclamation Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    No, they're not on paper. They are within the game and are easily extracted using a software made to do it. You've made a good point... talking about when they become blurry. Let back up here for a second. When I extracted these texture graphics,which BTW are 1,381 total, they are 256 color 8 bit palette bitmaps. I don't need to tell you folks, that this is a very poor, low quality pic. I converted all these over to 24 bit [True Color] @ around 300 - 400 ppi. This does make them look somewhat better, but not much. Then I run them through a few filiters to enhance the richness of the color. Now, let's get back to where you had mentioned blurry. One of my main interests that I would like to succeed at is, changing them from ppi [pixels per inch] to dpi [dots per inch]. If I can succeed at this, then my graphics won't have the hard squared edges that is associated with them, but more of softer rounded ones. I need to learn how to accomplish this, first before taking them any further into the process. If you read my first post, states the software that I have, the Adobe software I just bought less than a week ago. I am so green, as to the knowledge of functions that this software has to offer, that it's pathetic. I see all these things it can do, but don't understand their function titles. This is an area where I need some serious
    assistance with. Once I get the hang of the software, then when someone jumps aboard and says to this, this, and this, then I understand what they are and will be able to follow through it.

    I hope that this summons up to where I am with this... in addition, I hope that I'm posting this issue on the correct forum.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Hi Mac53,

    Since reading your first post earlier I have done some reading about Doom II and it's graphics.

    The sprites are originally 8 bit (256 color) Windows bitmap images.

    You may find that a program called PhotoZoom will give your better results converting the images to 24 bit (truecolor) format and prevent some of the blurriness.

    http://www.benvista.com

    Some of the references I found mention that the offsets must also be updated when you increase the resolution of the sprites. How are you updating them?
    Last edited by Soquili; 26 February 2007 at 03:42 AM.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  5. #5
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    Thumbs up Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Hi Bill...

    Pleasure to met you, buddy. Yes, you are correct, the graphics do extract @ 256 color palette 8 bit bitmaps. I use a program called Xwe, for any type of wad editing. Getting these to 24 bit [True Color] @ 300-400 ppi, is a piece of cake. Hell, I have about three or four softwares that will do that for me and one of the came in my Office 2000 package, Microsoft Photo Editor.
    This is not what I'm striding for, Bill. One of the first major processes I have to succeed at here, is to convert these graphics from pixels per inch to dots per inch, so I can continue on by softening and smoothing the edges. Trust me when I tell you, this needs to be done! This is the first step I need to accomplish, before the rest of the pain-staking processes begin. If you could provide me any advise as to getting this process completed, then you'll have my complete attention. Then I'll go on asking you to teach me how to use the Adobe PhotoShop Elements 5, I just purchased less that a week ago and have no clue to it's abilities.

    I just downloaded PhotoZoom to have a look at it. Christ, I hope I don't have to buy another software! ;-)
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Man..!!! I have to edit back in just to say, "What a beautiful job "PhotoZoom" did"!! $149 bucks though! If I would have known this a week ago, Adobe would still be sitting on the shelf back in Staples!
    Last edited by mac53; 26 February 2007 at 04:33 AM. Reason: Adding Download Information

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Pixels per Inch and Dots per Inch are references to two different types of media.

    Pixels per Inch is a reference to screen display and Dots per Inch is a reference to printed output. If an image is 200 ppi it will print at 200 dpi on most printers (that can print at that resolution or higher).

    For displaying graphics on screen as within Doom II, dots per inch is the same as 200 ppi; no conversion is necessary and even possible.

    The program I mentioned resamples the imported image and increases the resolution and maintains the sharpness of the original. Ordinary programs like Photo Editor, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoPaint, etc do not resample so they enlarge the pixels into multiple pixel rectangles. This is called pixelation and PhotoZoom is the best program I know to prevent pixelation when increasing resolution of a raster (bitmapped) image.

    The only alternative is to redraw from scratch each image (not a pleasant alternative with 1,381 images) using one of the program you have available.
    Last edited by Soquili; 26 February 2007 at 01:14 PM.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

  7. #7

    Default Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Yes, perhaps a dedicated program for enlarging pictures like PhotoZoom is what you need. I'm not sure about Bill's statement about the other programs' (Photoshop, PSP, PhotoPaint, etc) not resampling when enlarging, though. I thought Bicubic, Bilinear, Nearest Neighbor, which should be standard in most photo editing softwares are resampling algorithms? But from what I gather, there are more advanced resampling methods than these that works better than Bicubic, and PhotoZoom sounds like it's using one of those.
    I'm also confused about the importance of converting the ppi to dpi. If you're not going to print them, why should it matter? They're just conventions, and should have no effect on the data contained in the pictures. What should matter is the number of pixels you have in the final high res output, shouldn't it?
    Returning to the original question, you said that the original graphics were low resolution 256 colors. By enlarging them, are you striving for accurate enlargement? With the colors and definition intact? Then you'd be getting very large pixellated pictures only, not high definition, which is not present in the original low resolution extracted pictures. I'm not sure what good that would be, since you'd only end up with very large pixel style pics that are going to be resampled again when they are used in the game...
    Not sure if there is a simple automated process to convert low res pixel style artwork into high resolution smooth anti-aliased ones... you're asking the software to put data where there is non in the first place. I mean, take for example a tiny sprite. The eyes would probably be only one or two pixels across. How would the software redraw that into a detailed eye in the enlarged version?

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    I think he is confusing color depth 8 bit versus 24 bit with PPI and DPI which deals with image resolution.

    Color depth is bits per pixel (bpp.) For instance 1 bit color is black and white. One bit for black and one for white. Which is 1^1. 24 bit is 1^24 which is 24 bits per pixel (16.77 million colors.)

    One would want to use higher bpp if they wanted to show more gradation and or subtle differences in hue. This is the reason that 8bit graphics like GIF's cannot show gradient graphics well.

    The limiting factor on image resolution and color depth (also called color resolution) is the user's monitor, graphics card and method of delivery... GIF image versus Flash Vector Image.

    At least that's my take on the matter and I better quit before I get myself confused, besides I need to eat my breakfast.
    Last edited by jamesmc; 26 February 2007 at 03:29 PM.

  9. #9
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    Wink Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Oh yeah... Happy "B" Day, Bill!

    Alright guys, take a look at these two images. The first one is a 4x zoom of the original graphic which is in png format @ 400 ppi. The second one is the same pic but ran through PhotoZoom and enlarged to 4x @ 400 dpi. You'll see that in second pic the edges are more rounded than the first one. This is very important if one is trying to do a project such as the one I'm attempting. Gents, this can be done!




    Last edited by mac53; 26 February 2007 at 05:38 PM. Reason: I bought the software

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

    Hi GMan,

    Sorry to confuse you, I was trying to keep the terminology level down

    Those algorhithms you mention do a sampling, but they mearly extrapolate so they make bigger colour areas from the sampled pixels.

    The S-Spline algorithm used in PhotoZoom works differently so it increases the pixels per inch without overly enlarging the colour area represented by a sampled pixel.

    With most monitors displaying 96 ppi an increase in an image's ppi will enlarge the image on screen. I'm not sure how the Doom II engine is handling the larger ppi to display it's flats, sprites, etc.

    Most monitors produced in the last few years can actually display at higher resolutions and Windows Vista takes advantage of the hardware. You can select 120 ppi display.


    Thanks for the birthday greeting Mac53. I was composing my post and missed yours until I hit submit.

    Your examples perfectly show what I was explaining about how the older algorithms expand the pixels colour over a larger area. The S-Spline algorithm compensates and does not expand large rectangular areas to repesent a single pixel from the sampled image.
    Last edited by Soquili; 26 February 2007 at 04:21 PM.
    Soquili
    a.k.a. Bill Taylor
    Bill is no longer with us. He died on 10 Dec 2012. We remember him always.
    My TG Album
    Last XaReg update

 

 

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