Graphic filter for AGS games?

Nacho · Fri 26/03/2004 23:45:21

I'm sure you have seen what that lovely graphic filters do with our old abandonware games... Some people may hate them, but I really like playing Day of the tentacle with that "high resolution" feeling. That filter comes default in ScummVM, but my question is... Is there something similar that we could apply for AGS games? IMO, it would be cool, and, if you don't consider it cool, you like big pixels or are a nostalgic, you can allways let them as they come.

And excuse me if the answer is too obvious, if there something for that very popular, I'm not very into software...

earlwood · Fri 26/03/2004 23:56:05

Well, not all ags games are blocky and low-res...It all depends on the artist of said game....though I'm sure if you run the game on the highest res and put on anti-aliasing..then you will get the same kind of effect.

Nacho · Sat 27/03/2004 00:07:47

Of course all not are blocky

I should have mentioned that...

In adittion, I must say that blocky not equals to crappy... look at Miez's grpahics, just for quoting a quick example!

LordHart · Sat 27/03/2004 00:11:20

Quote from: Farlander on Sat 27/03/2004 00:07:47look at Miez's grpahics, just for quoting a quick example!

What are you talking about... that Miez guy can't draw his way out of a aztec temple filled with nazis... :

MrColossal · Sat 27/03/2004 00:33:56

this was brought up here kinda:

http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=10156;start=msg123316#msg123316

CJ never commented so maybe you'd like to ask him again

Ben · Sat 27/03/2004 02:15:52

I hate filters. They don't add detail. They blur the image so that it loses clarity..

And what's the point of adding filters to a modern engine? We, as the authors, have the option of putting high-resolution graphics in our games, and the engine displays those graphics the way we meant them to be shown. We also have the option of using low-resolution graphics, and most of us who do that will draw our graphics so they use the LOW resolution to our advantage. If we apply filters to that, the graphics are no longer displayed the way we intended. Dithering turns into a blurry mess, and anti-aliasing just gets in the way of how the filter works.. Miez's graphics, which look amazing in pixelated form, would turn into shit under a filter. Artists know what their graphics are supposed to look like-- Exactly the way they were drawn..

Nacho · Sat 27/03/2004 08:56:51

Thanks Eric, that was just what I was looking for.... actually, seems that I did already found it, as I posted a lot in that previous post, but I can't remember, I think it probably happened before my hit in the head...

And Ben, no need to be that harsh ^_^ I do hate the old filters too, but this new X3 looks terrific, in my oppinion... And, as I said in first term, you can allways leave the game as they are. I am not saying that we should implement a compulsory feature to turn all AGS games into a scaled versions, I just wanted to have that option.

EDIT: So, If we want that option we should ask CJ to implement that possibility in some way? If so, sorry, this thread should have gone directly to the "Pliz CJ implement thiz" link...

Pumaman · Sat 27/03/2004 13:56:32

The problem is that these things are never as simple as it first appears.

For example, I can't use Scale2x because its license says it can only be used in open-source projects.

hq2x looks good, except that it only support 16-bit colour.

The best bet I've found so far is 2xSAI, but the license there specifies it can only be used in freeware projects (ie. I'd have to remove it from the commercial mp3-less version of the engine).

It is something I'm bearing in mind.

Nacho · Sat 27/03/2004 14:05:09

Thanks for minding it Chris, I just want to apology because I thought it was just simply as downloading the graphic filter program and run the game.

I know there are ranks here (^_^), and petitions of implementions must be done in other place, but I just didn't knew this was an implemention...

Ben · Sat 27/03/2004 19:04:19

Heh.. My rant was a result of playing Metriod Fusion in an emulator for about three consecutive hours. I don't think I'll do that again

faggc · Thu 08/04/2004 14:57:03

Quote from: Pumaman on Sat 27/03/2004 13:56:32

hq2x looks good, except that it only support 16-bit colour.

Why don't you use hq2x as option for 16-bit. I'm thinking in making a game in 320x240 to achieve a small file size, and i think that the game will look better with that graphic filter.

Note: This is only a sugestion.

Wintermute · Fri 28/05/2004 11:42:51

Quote from: Ben on Sat 27/03/2004 19:04:19
Heh.. My rant was a result of playing Metriod Fusion in an emulator for about three consecutive hours. I don't think I'll do that again Ã,Â

And, were kept you kept busy by 'Nightmare'? I was cursing this guy after dying the 10th time.

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

As to filters, I think as an option this would be a great idea, since the big pixels look especially ugly on large monitor screens with high image quality.

Nacho · Fri 28/05/2004 12:54:13

It is amazing how newbies find old threads, It's something I didn't... I supose they're better newbies than me.

And yes, my vote goes for implementing hq2x for 16-bit.

But CJ decides!

MrColossal · Sat 29/05/2004 00:40:40

that and pixels are beautiful...

cornjob · Sat 29/05/2004 02:28:40

I used to think that filters like this were a cool idea, but that was before I really got into pixel art. Filters like this can make bad pixel art look better, but it definitely makes good pixel art look worse, or at least strange.

Hollister Man · Sat 29/05/2004 03:04:17

I agree with cornjob (damn, haven't seen you in a while. lol) Although I haven't used graphic filters on games, I can imagine that it works something like 'smart sizing' a picture to 2x the resolution would do in photoshop. It just blurs the edges together, resulting in a fuzzy, but still jaggy edge.

MrColossal · Sat 29/05/2004 06:58:34

not necessarily:

http://membres.lycos.fr/jahmame/pic2.htm

that shows some filters on a sprite from Metal Slug

Nacho · Sat 29/05/2004 10:18:56

There is something I can't understand about you who don't want the filter... Shouldn't it be an option on "Configure game"? If you don't like it, don't click in it.

It's kinda like when companies started to colour old black and white films. Why people complained? It is allways possible to turn the tv into B&W... Why refusing the possibility of having more choices to choose?

Robert Eric · Sat 29/05/2004 10:22:42

Perhaps adding a light softening filter and then a light sharpening filter would help?

Miez · Sat 29/05/2004 12:29:00

Quote from: Os Ã Å¡ltimo QuÃ£o Queijo ^_^ on Sat 27/03/2004 00:11:20
Quote from: Farlander on Sat 27/03/2004 00:07:47look at Miez's grpahics, just for quoting a quick example!

What are you talking about... that Miez guy can't draw his way out of a aztec temple filled with nazis... :

So true.

Graphic filter for AGS games?

Wintermute