Using High-res Textures In Half-life

2

Comments

  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    You're free to try, but I don't think you'll have much success. You're going to be using the pencil tool, and getting high quality 24-bit output with the pencil tool is pretty difficult.

    There are 262,144 pixels on a high-res texture. It's going to take you a VERY long time.

    Keep in mind the new texture has to match up the old one VERY well or it won't work.
  • CutedgeCutedge Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20808Members
    Will it make any difference if you just increase the size and have photoshop/psp use antistropic filtering when it does that? I mean, if you have a higher res version that has smoother curves and then use your calculate program will that make any significant difference?
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    Not really, in-game in Half-Life, your videocard will apply trilinear and anisotropic filtering. If you're just going to do filtering on it, it won't do any good.

    However, you may get a minor quality improvement by running the low-res textures through a filter like Super 2xSAI and then running the resulting quasi-high-res-texture through the detailed texture calculator.

    It will only work because NS uses 8-bit textures, but they're of high enough depth and resolution already that they may not benefit much. I'm not sure where you can get a program that will run such a specialized filter on textures, try google.
  • Soylent_greenSoylent_green Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11220Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited April 2004
    Programs like photoshop can use biqubic filtering which is a hell of a lot better looking than bilinear when scaling up an image but it certainly isn't, by itself, much to get exited over.
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    edited April 2004
    Here it is, the first alpha version of HLTex.

    EDIT: Fixed ImageMagick, it should work now. Please re-download if you downloaded before this edit was up.

    To use:

    Drag the low-res file into the first box, and drag the high res file into the second box. Then hit Compute. The program will then calculate a detailed texture and save the file as "output.tga" in the same folder as the application. The application saves output.tga in the format used by Half-Life for detailed textures; it's ready to use.

    Notes:

    The picture boxes the program displays the textures in will tile the images. Ignore it, these are purely cosmetic. All the calculations are done in memory, the entire UI is just so you know what's going on.

    The program supports pretty much any input image format for the high-res texture. For the low res texture, it should support most, but it doesn't like JPEG. Since the low-res texture should be TGA, I probably won't be fixing that any time soon. It has to do with the what format the program converts the input image into for reading.

    The program requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1. It will not run without it. It is available through Windows Update. The package is compressed in the RAR format. Many programs can open RAR files, including WinRAR.

    Please let me know of any bugs as soon as you find them by posting here.

    <a href='http://ded.novasearch.net/guspaz/HLTex/HLTex_1.0.rar' target='_blank'>http://ded.novasearch.net/guspaz/HLTex/HLTex_1.0.rar</a>
  • CutedgeCutedge Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20808Members
    When I drag a TGA to it, it pops a window which it promptly closes. With creative use of the printscreen key, i found that it says:

    convert.exe: unable to get registry value 'ConfigurePath'.
    convert.exe: missing an image filename 'input.tiff'.
  • john_sheujohn_sheu Join Date: 2004-02-26 Member: 26917Members
    I realize that manually making high-detail detexes for the NS wads would be insanely labor-intensive. However, I have a lot of time on my hands as of now, and am willing to give it a shot. Anybody else with me?
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    edited April 2004
    Aww crap, looks like it wants to be installed. I'll look into it.

    EDIT: They claim ImageMagick will work without being installed, it may be the second error that's causing the trouble. I'll test it on my mom's Win98 box.

    EDIT2: I'm going to try compiling ImageMagick myself, there are some installation related options.
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    OK, newly compiled version works. New build is up in above post, re-download please.

    Other good news is I was able to compile it as a static build, so instead of 20 files for convert.exe, there's just the one EXE file. It's smaller too.
  • CutedgeCutedge Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20808Members
    Well I've given it a shot. So far increasing the texture size and then using a bunch of soften filters to curve the edges seems to give it a slightly better look, but i think i'm going to try to spend some time screwing with the texture to make it look high enough res in order to have the detail really make a difference.

    The good news is that you only have to redo the texture once, and I'm only doing this because i hate floor_diamond. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    The best results really do come from native 512x512 textures.
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    Any mappers not have WinRAR and want me to post the program in ZIP format too? It'll be half a meg bigger, but if you don't want to install WinRAR or something, lemme know and I'll paste it.

    Also, I'm dying for some comments here <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • WurmspawnWurmspawn Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 19Members
    comment = i <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif' /><!--endemo--> you
    ~: )
  • AvitarAvitar Join Date: 2003-09-11 Member: 20760Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-moultano+Apr 22 2004, 11:51 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (moultano @ Apr 22 2004, 11:51 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Does anyone else think it would be worth starting a team to make high res versions of the existing textures? I bet we could achieve pretty good effects by scaling them up 2x and hand editing the pixels. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    From what you said I don't belive you have had much experiance in 2d graphics (nothing wrong with that though)...

    Reworking the textures would take 10 times longer to do than just performing a simple action on an exixting high resolution textures.

    Imagine getting 200 paitings at be told to restore them so they look like the originals only twice as big, and add twice the details as you do it.

    Where taking the source textures and sizing them for this purpose is time consuming, and wholey based off using built in funtions repetitively (mindless wrok a high school kid can do), it would be teadious to reverse engneer them all.

    I wouldn't wish this upon anyone since I have done this sort of thing professionally before when an intern saved over our original work with low resolution versions.

    Unless we are sure that it is impossible to get the originals this is not a good option to take.
  • moultanomoultano Creator of ns_shiva. Join Date: 2002-12-14 Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
    edited April 2004
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> From what you said I don't belive you have had much experiance in 2d graphics (nothing wrong with that though)...<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    well, I have been published in thousands of medical pamphlets, and have worked part time off and on as an digital illustrator for the last 4 years. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
    Unless we are sure that it is impossible to get the originals this is not a good option to take.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
    I got a response from Cory. He did all the textures at their final res.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I don't have the time to work on this much myself (yet, summer starts soon though.) But I would think with the success that the map remake teams have had that we could muster some support for a high detail texture pack. It would be a good thing to start in the artwork forums if someone wants to take the intiative.
  • CutedgeCutedge Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20808Members
    making a higher res version is pretty painful.

    This is what i've got so far after using the tool.

    <img src='http://www.llamalicious.com/images/diamonddetailprelim.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

    Now, here's what's apparently from what I have:
    (a) I need to make the bumps look a little less 2d by adding a brighter portion on the one side (ie, the rightmost row)
    (b) The whole thing seems like it's a little more "cartoony" looking. I think further editing with fix this, and I probably need some more contrast/brightness tweaking.
    © it looks like it has bumps next to some of the bumps due to the brightness. i need to make the nonbumps a little darker

    Better than what it was? Possibly. Still needs work? Definitely. Worth continuing? I think so.





    Am I going to do this for other textures? Hell no. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • DarkATiDarkATi Revelation 22:17 Join Date: 2003-06-20 Member: 17532Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Made an icon for your HL-Tex program. Attached.

    ~ DarkATi
  • Soylent_greenSoylent_green Join Date: 2002-12-20 Member: 11220Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    floor_diamond is your nemesis <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
  • DarkATiDarkATi Revelation 22:17 Join Date: 2003-06-20 Member: 17532Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited April 2004
    Here's a preview of my icon.

    ~ DarkATi
  • CutedgeCutedge Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20808Members
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    Sweet, thanks DarkATI, I'll include it in the next build <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    I must admit though I haven't worked on the program at all since the last public build. I was hoping for feedback and for a long time nobody posted, so I didn't feel an urgency to work on it.

    Oh yeah, and combine that with having all my final assignments due this coming week, which is my last week of school... Bit occupied <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    Still, I think HLTex has promise.

    EDIT: A major mod has expressed interest in the program! Talk about motivation to work on it <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • Hologram0Hologram0 Join Date: 2002-11-19 Member: 9303Members, Constellation
    Well Im quite newb at photoshop and all this stuff, but I have time and am willing to learn. If some one wants to teach me I would be more then willing to help with a detailed tex pac.
  • ChronoChrono Local flyboy Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18989Members
    cutedge that looks pretty nice keep it up man
  • ZyndromeZyndrome Join Date: 2003-03-28 Member: 14974Members
    I did the same stuff, but on a DoD-map, cause I play that alot heh. Did some tuning on the grayscale-levels to get more bumpiness, and used a bit sharpning. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • CornCorn Join Date: 2003-11-24 Member: 23499Members, Constellation
    That is awesome. It really looks like the textures have more depth and generally look better.
  • EEKEEK Join Date: 2004-02-25 Member: 26898Banned
    edited May 2004
    lol I've been doing this by hand since the detail textures were announced <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->


    One thing though, doing it by hand gives you a lot more power. Overlapping certain shades can give the texture a look of worn metal, for a very neat effect.

    (And I'll keep doing it by hand because photoshop doesn't give me this error when I launch it:

    The application failed to initialize properly (0xc0000135). Click on OK to terminate the application.
  • v4rAv4rA Join Date: 2003-11-28 Member: 23672Members, Constellation
    Im waiting for all the maps to start using detail textures !!! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    But maybe this will never happend <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> , who knows. But anyways they are nice enough to worth it. Keep on trying <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  • CutedgeCutedge Join Date: 2003-09-13 Member: 20808Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And I'll keep doing it by hand because photoshop doesn't give me this error when I launch it:<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Is that from the hltex program? Do you have the .net framework installed on your system?
  • GuspazGuspaz Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 2862Members, Constellation
    Guys, I'm going to have to ask you to do general detailed texture discussions in one of the detailed texture threads. This thread was forked off the main detailed texture thread to concentrate on the development and use of HLTex, and the method it uses to simulate high-res textures in game. If you're using HLTex or the method to do this, great! Tell us about it here. If you're doing regular detailed textures in photoshop or something, please take it to the proper thread.
  • watch_me_diewatch_me_die Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 8107Members
    edited May 2004
    Of course, if we really wanted high detail textures we could pester Flay to put in texture-swapping for seperate TGAs <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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