Hi-Resolution Graphics Help Inquiry

**Soquili** · 28 February 2007, 01:33 AM

Mac I sent you an email.

**mac53** · 28 February 2007, 04:46 AM

Got it... I sent you a zip file...

**Soquili** · 28 February 2007, 01:06 PM

Your email was waiting for me when I checked this morning.

Looking at the image you have worked with, there are remnants of the cyan background around the shape you want to retain. I was thinking there were random colour pixels in the alpha transparency from your description.

PhotoZoom is not introducing those pixels, they are left by the program you used to erase the background. The images you extracted from Doom II are antialiased to that cyan background. This causes some pixels near the main object within the image to be variations of cyan and the main objects colour. Using Paint Shop Pro's background eraser tool with a limited tolerance can cause some darker cyan pixels to remain within the image. By allowing for a greater variation from the background you can erase those extra pixels.

I will do some tests this evening (I don't have much choice in graphics programs here at work).

**Grafixman** · 28 February 2007, 01:42 PM

Following this thread with the intent of learning something from you two. From what I've been reading, I gather that the cyan background is supposed to be translated to transparent when used in the game?
Just wondering. Is the original smaller extracted picture 8bit 256 colors? So the transparency would be limited to a single color, much like a simple gif file. Now if you were to scale it up with PhotoZoom, you're getting anti-aliased scaling. Now you would also require anti-aliased transparency for the mask. I presume PhotZoom does not scale pictures with alpha transparency? If that is so, you might have to create two files from the original extracted bitmap, one copy of everything, and the other, just the transparency in black and non-transparent areas in white ( something like a 2 bit alpha mask) then scale both, apply the alpha transparency that way (alpha mask from the scaled up 2 bit alpha mask, which should also become anti-aliased) Lots of extra work, but that's a lot less painful that cutting out the scaled up version manually.

**Soquili** · 28 February 2007, 02:17 PM

Hi GMan,

The sample images that Mac53 provided indicate the antialiasing is present in the original images within the game. See the attachment on the left. The attachment on the right a segment of what Mac53 is getting after making the changes and using PhotoZoom.

Windows uses a single colour (usually magenta) as the transparent colour for toolbar icons and bitmaps used within programs. The colour used as transparent can be selected by the program developer. The makers of Doom chose cyan.

The left attachment is a segment of one of the images extracted from the game. There is an area of lighter and darker cyan pixels near the actual subject of the image. Those pixels would not be erased using the default settings for the Paint Shop Pro background eraser tool.

Those are the pixels that are causing the problem.

**mac53** · 28 February 2007, 04:26 PM

Ok boys... Let me prove that it was PhotoZoom the implements the pixels in the transparent area of the graphics. Take a look at these two images:

Image 1 is just after I converted the "cyan" background to transparent...
no pixelation... anywhere!

Now, look at the other one, preferably in the area where you see transparency. Look good, like along the top edge, pixelation, aha!!! So, it wasn't Photo Editor after-all. It was PhotoZoom!!! $149.00 crap software! As you can tell, I'm a little upset about what I paid for!

**Soquili** · 28 February 2007, 05:24 PM

I would not call PhotoZoom bad software, simply not the program that works for what you want. It is still the best program I know of that can increase the dpi (and/or size) of an image with the least amout of pixelation or distortion.

Unfortunately with the small images you are working with and the detail required it may not be the best choice.

It works very well to enlarge a photograph without causing pixelation.

I made a test using the current download of version 2.0 of PhotoZoom.

Working with an antialiased image (attachment on the left). I increased the pixels per inch to 800 and then saved as a 24bit png. As you can see from the attachment on the right there was some antialiasing added (which would be excellent in a photo).

**mac53** · 28 February 2007, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Soquili

Unfortunately with the small images you are working with and the detail required it may not be the best choice.

Bill...

If PhotoZoom is not the best choice, then what would you recommend then?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill...

My comments about PhotoZoom was not intended as any pokes towards you and if I made you
feel negative in any way... I render to you my apology. I'm just getting a little frustrated with this... that's all! ;-)

**Soquili** · 28 February 2007, 08:51 PM

No No, I didn't take it you were making any 'pokes' at me. No apology is needed.

I was a bit rushed trying to type the post and handle my 'day job' at the same time.

I haven't had time to try a few things with my personal software collection at home. Have a couple more hours before I can get there to try.

I still think PhotoZoom may be the best because I haven't found anything else that does what it does with the same quality. May need to change the sequence of when the transparency is applied. It may need to be the last step of the entire routine.

**mac53** · 28 February 2007, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Soquili

May need to change the sequence of when the transparency is applied. It may need to be the last step of the entire routine.

Bill...

I tried that. I tried to change the transparency after the graphic conversion and believe me buddy, that is definitely not the process! I'd be there converting the cyan over to transparency for hours. Simply put, there are some many different shades of cyan, you wouldn't believe. Out of the two methods... converting the cyan to transparency first is the best choice,...
"Scout's Honor"!

I'm biginning to entertain the thought of possible copy-paste procedure... Is that possible?