Larger Resolution Icons at the same menu / screen / monitor size (e.g. 128x128 icons) about flare-game HOT 55 CLOSED

Oh, I found a work-around to disable Windows' scaling for just Flare. Edit the (or make a new) shortcut to Flare and go to Compatibility > Change high DPI settings

from flare-game.

"Dumb question, but are you sure you have the entire window on screen? You could try maximizing the window to see if things at the bottom start to show up."

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930674681172873256/unknown.png
Woah lol maybe if I had an 8k monitor lol. Yeah It is a bit too big XD.

from flare-game.

(There's no engine limitation here, so I moved this to flare-game)

We actually have 64x64 (60x60 with a 2px border) icons in the art_src/icons folder: icons.xcf

Many of the icons are 3D renders that have been painted over, and there aren't any larger sources. So 64x64 is what we have to work with.

We scale the icons down to 32x32 because that's what fits with the rest of our current art assets. Re-did all the assets at 2x size, then we could use 64x64 icons. Doing this is not trivial:

• The 3D assets would need to be re-rendered at 2x. The workflow for this is currently a mess. Ideally, we want to have a Python script in each Blender file that will spit out exactly what the engine wants. But as it stands now, the steps required vary from file to file.
• Some of the "3D" assets are renders from OGA that don't have 3D source files, such as the Thunderstrike spell.
• The 2D UI assets don't have larger sources. There are the Wandercall assets, but they are incomplete. Also, the menu borders are too big, meaning that our current icon density wouldn't fit. We'd probably be better off making something designed specifically for flare-game.

The current assets are "good enough" for now. Doing an "HD" version of the art has been on the back burner for years, and I predict it will stay that way for a while.

PS, here's a screenshot of Wandercall to show what 64x64 icons can look like:

from flare-game.

Okay I noticed that the Flare engine / game resolution is at a minimum of I think '# display resolution. 640x480 minimum': https://github.com/flareteam/flare-engine/blob/8769888f08c21ecf197a08fed2879d770c7571c0/mods/gcw0_defaults/engine/default_settings.txt (or mods\default\engine\resolutions.txt)
I have had a 4k Monitor of 3840 x 2160 resolution since 2016. In windowed mode Flare takes less than a quarter of my screen (with a current 'on the market' 8K monitor that will become less than an 8th of the screen). Is this explained by the '# display resolution 640x480 minimum' of the Flare Engine / Game?

If I were to multiply by 4 the Flare minimum resolution from 640 x 480 to 2,560 x 1,920 would all of the art assets crash because they are smaller scale (like 32 x 32 icons)?

If this is possible to increase the pixel density / 4 times the minimum screen resolution for Flare I would be willing to do the menu / art work, ~'place holders'(?) where for example a 32 x 32 icon turns into a 128 x 128 icon but with the same full screen real-estate as before but with the support of later adding in full detail 128 x 128 icons.

I am wondering how to get Flare working with 4 times the resolution as the minimum resolution and what needs to be done art wise to make it not crash; even if it looks the same as before but technically it is running old 32 x 32 icons up-scaled / multiplied by 4 into 128 x 128 icons. Or is there major coding resolution issues that prevent smoothly implementing all of the old art up-scaled by 4 with 4 times the minimum screen resolution so that the pixel density is increased by 4 times?

If I can help with the art up-sizing I can do that, although I am in the dark as to what steps would be need to be taken and in what order on the engine side of things. If the minimum screen resolution is multiplied by 4, old art assets can be up-scaled / enlarged without tearing for one old pixel can be split into 4 pixels and will still look the same as before. Yet the old 4 times enlarged art would be technically 4 times the pixel density / 4 times the original resolution.

Then the Flare game / engine could then support new assets to eventually replace the old assets bit by bit that are made from the start with the higher detail / using 128 x 128 pixel icons from the start.

from flare-game.

Also how do I tinker with (mods\default\engine\resolutions.txt)
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640
menu_frame_height=480

icon_size=32

required_width=640
required_height=480

virtual_height=480,600
virtual_dpi=91.754738"

If I multiply everything by 4 it looks like
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=2560
menu_frame_height=1920

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920,2400
virtual_dpi=367.018952"

Will this break everything? Hmmmn, there is at least one way to find out XD.
Update: That definitely broke the menu buttons XD; for they turned invisible and un-click-able, although I wonder if it is a matter of the icons / button images being to small and can be up-scaled / multiplied by 4 to solve the problem?

from flare-game.

The fantasycore mod actually has its own resolutions.txt defined to suit the art assets: https://github.com/flareteam/flare-game/blob/master/mods/fantasycore/engine/resolutions.txt

The virtual_height is what determines the resolution the game actually gets rendered at. You can see that fantasycore ranges from 480 to 768. What this means is that when the window height is taller than 768 pixels, the game begins to get scaled up to fit the window. Below that point, the game is rendered 1:1. So if you had assets 4x the current size, 1920 should be your minimum virtual height.

virtual_dpi modifies the scaling based on screen DPI. You can ignore this, and you should in fact turn off "DPI Scaling" in the video options if you plan on experimenting with resolutions.

The required_width and required_height are for the minimum window size. It's not essential to change these right away, but you'll want to find a minimum that works with your assets.

The menu_frame_width and menu_frame_height describe an invisible box that is centered on the screen. It is used to position the main, new game, load game, and config menus. Changing these settings means that the menu layouts need to be updated to account for the new size.

icon_size is self explanatory. But remember that the actual size of icons in icons.png should match it.

from flare-game.

Okay so all mods with engine/resolutions.txt must be all the same (mods/default/engine/resolutions.txt, mod/fantasycore/engine/resolutions.txt etc.?)

Round 2.0
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640 [not 2560, keep these the same and somehow fight / tinker with these later in a version 2.0?]
menu_frame_height=480 [not 1920, keep these the same and somehow fight / tinker with these later in a version 2.0?]

icon_size=128 [make icons.png 4 times the size to match?]

required_width=2560 [think could work for now / tinker with this later?]
required_height=1920 [think could work for now / tinker with this later?]

virtual_height=1920 [2400 does get taken out, or is it 1920,2400?]
virtual_dpi=91.754738 [don't touch this / turn it off?]

This should work? I will try it out; round 2.0 wish myself luck XD
icons(x4)
.

from flare-game.

Crap how do I do spoilers that is a very big image XD. Uh-oh Gist looks like words only x.x XD.

from flare-game.

Crap how do I do spoilers that is a very big image XD.

You can change the embedded image to a link by removing the preceding exclamation point. I fixed it for you.

from flare-game.

Oh thank you.

from flare-game.

"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640
menu_frame_height=480

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738" [DPI is off]

I am still getting the broken starting menu with no buttons (how do I set up the menu?). I could try just using the bigger icons although this should just make bigger icons and not increase pixel density.

Do I tinker with the menus in here: (mods\fantasycore\menus)?

from flare-game.

I wonder if the virtual height is breaking the menus (something like 4 times the resolution but still small menus)?

Should I try to tinker with the menus in (mods\fantasycore\menus) to try to make them bigger by 4 and also use this resolutions.txt

Would this work if I tinkered with the menu settings?
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=2560
menu_frame_height=1920

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738" [DPI is off]"

from flare-game.

I tried the exact same settings for resolutions.txt and have no issue with the buttons on the title screen. The configuration for that menu is mods/default/menus/gametitle.txt, but you shouldn't need to change anything in there. The buttons are positioned relative to the bottom of the screen.

from flare-game.

(mods\default\menus\gametitle.txt) it has to be this one?

from flare-game.

Hmmm. "I tried the exact same settings for resolutions.txt" which one?
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640
menu_frame_height=480

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738" [DPI is off]

Or this:

"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=2560
menu_frame_height=1920

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738" [DPI is off]"
?

from flare-game.

I will put all resolutions.txt (I have 3 resolutions.txt in [mods/default/engine/ + mods/fantasycore/engine/ and mods/'myownmod'/engine) to:
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640
menu_frame_height=480

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738" [DPI is off] and see if I missed a step before.

from flare-game.

Both work for me.

For something else to try, you can change all the instances of bottom to center in mods/default/menus/gametitle.txt. This should put the buttons near the logo.

from flare-game.

(mods/default/menus/gametitle.txt)
"logo=images/menus/logo.png,0,0,center

play_pos=0,-84,bottom
config_pos=0,-56,bottom
credits_pos=0,-28,bottom
exit_pos=0,0,bottom"

To this?

"logo=images/menus/logo.png,0,0,center

play_pos=0,-84,center
config_pos=0,-56,center
credits_pos=0,-28,center
exit_pos=0,0,center"

from flare-game.

Yes

from flare-game.

This works, the title menu is back.
"logo=images/menus/logo.png,0,0,center

play_pos=0,-84,center
config_pos=0,-56,center
credits_pos=0,-28,center
exit_pos=0,0,center"

from flare-game.

I will try that use of center with all of the ~'broken' / misaligned menus if i can to get them visible.

from flare-game.

Dumb question, but are you sure you have the entire window on screen? You could try maximizing the window to see if things at the bottom start to show up.

from flare-game.

Okay I am making progress with the menu positioning with the bigger screen resolution. I think I can get the menus to align now. The use of ",center" really helps.

from flare-game.

"Dumb question, but are you sure you have the entire window on screen? You could try maximizing the window to see if things at the bottom start to show up." I am not sure. It may not be, I cannot see the window edges then again once I get the menu working I can see if I have full screen on or off. It looks like full screen but I am not 100% sure.

from flare-game.

What is the pause / escape menu called in a menu text file?

from flare-game.

mods/default/menus/config.txt

from flare-game.

(mods\fantasycore\menus\exit.txt) what is this?

from flare-game.

Oh, that's the file for the old pause menu (before the config menu replaced it). It's no longer used, so I'll remove it.

from flare-game.

Okay. So config.txt is pause menu? So I can pause the game but the menu is not anywhere to be seen.

(mods\default\menus\config.txt) [I changed the # to + to not break the comment XD]
"+ Configuration menu Widgets Definitions.

• Coordinates should be integer, representing absolute position on 640x480 screen
• First two values are for label position (x,y) and two last for control (x,y)
• Buttons don't have separate labels

button_ok=0,-56,center
button_defaults=0,-28,center
button_cancel=0,0,center

listbox_scrollbar_offset=2

• scrollpane values are positions x, y and sizes width, height
• scrollpane=0,4,600,320
  scrollpane=-6,-6,616,344
  scrollpane_padding=80,40
• scrollpane_bg_color=26,26,26,127
  scrollpane_separator_color=63,63,63

[mods]
activemods=456,16,384,32
inactivemods=136,16,64,32
activemods_shiftup=544,128
activemods_shiftdown=544,160
activemods_deactivate=224,160
inactivemods_activate=224,128"

Do I put ",center" everywhere or something?

from flare-game.

All of the contents of the config menu are placed inside the menu frame. If you have menu_frame_width=640 and menu_frame_height=480 in your resolutions.txt, the config menu should be centered on the screen already.

from flare-game.

I have made the Icons too big lol. I need to make the icons file x2 not x4 for I turned one pixel of the old icons into 16 pixels not 4 lol (4x4, it should be 2x2 XD). 1 Sec. I have duplo when I should have legos XD.

"All of the contents of the config menu are placed inside the menu frame. If you have menu_frame_width=640 and menu_frame_height=480 in your resolutions.txt" I will make it so XD.

from flare-game.

"If you have menu_frame_width=640 and menu_frame_height=480"
check resolutions
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=2560 [HMM...]
menu_frame_height=1920 [...MMMN]

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738
"
AHH yes lol XD 1 sec.

from flare-game.

I will try to turn virtual_height=1920 to virtual_height=960 lol. I think I messed up 2x2 = 4 into 4 x 4 = 16 XD.

from flare-game.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930676601283293244/unknown.png well that did something but it reminds myself of https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wide-putin-walking-its-him

from flare-game.

2560x1920 should fit on a 4K (3840x2160) monitor, no?

I think I figured it out! If you have scaling on in Windows, Flare gets scaled up, too. I just tried this in a VM at 150% windows scaling, and setting the resolutions.txt to match my monitor made the title buttons go off screen.

from flare-game.

If you have scaling on in Windows.. Hmm how do I change that?

from flare-game.

Settings > System > Display > Scale and Layout > Change the size of text, apps, and other items

from flare-game.

image this?

from flare-game.

I this have this
Uploading image.png…

from flare-game.

Yes, that's the setting. You probably don't want to change that, so my recommendation is to target a lower resolution for Flare. Try 720p, 960p, or 1080p as a start.

from flare-game.

Hold on
Uploading image.png… (windowed)
Uploading image.png… (fullscreen) It looks like the full screen is twice as large as the windowed like the resolution is 8k?

from flare-game.

I think you need to wait for your images to finish uploading. The upload status is at the bottom of the comment box.

from flare-game.

So this:
"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640
menu_frame_height=480

icon_size=128

required_width=2560
required_height=1920

virtual_height=1920
virtual_dpi=91.754738"

To this?

"# Screen and icon resolution settings

menu_frame_width=640
menu_frame_height=480

icon_size=128

required_width=2560 [these stay the same or change them?]
required_height=1920 [these stay the same or change them?]

virtual_height=1080 [960 kind of made it 'wide putin', should it not be 1920?]
virtual_dpi=91.754738"

from flare-game.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930682823571042355/unknown.png (windowed)
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930682872719880212/unknown.png (full screen)

from flare-game.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930683459767263292/unknown.png That worked.

from flare-game.

Great! Perhaps I need to look into setting SDL_HINT_VIDEO_HIDPI_DISABLED.

from flare-game.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930684571664670780/unknown.png 128 x 128 icons are working now; I think?

from flare-game.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930685038562009158/unknown.png They are indeed working. That is a screen shot in game opened in paint.net and counting the pixels to be 120 x 120 (the same as the icon.png (x4).

from flare-game.

Looks like the icons are working. They're just a bit big for the rest of the game :)

from flare-game.

Yeah I also have 100 inventory spaces in this prototype XD.

from flare-game.

That is really excellent, the 128 x128 icons are working.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/872743295003000852/930688541720211466/unknown.png
Now with all of the screen resolution is it possible to upscale all the assets by x 4 and have it loot the same as before with the old up scaled assets but have 4 times the pixel density so that new assets can be made to gradually replace the up-scaled low resolution assets?

I am not sure how that would work but if the tiles and spirits / animations are 4 times larger (x 4 sup scaled) they would look the same but have 4 times the pixel density / resolution. Now I understand icons are one thing and tilesets and animations are another.

Although how complex would it be for 'FlareHD light' / Flare x 4? If I made all of the old art assets scaled up the same as the icons (x4 in scale) would this work with making the tilesets and animations? How would the Flare engine be able to run these 4 times larger tileset and animations? Is it very complex? Or is it something doable? Can this idea even work in the Flare engine with the rest of Flare art be up-scaled / enlarged by 4 times to match the icons and take advantage of the 4 times increased pixel density?

This FlareHD light / ~'Flare x 4' would not require new art assets effectively (just simple scaling to nearest pixel edits). I am wondering if it would be a nightmare to render the tilesets and animations 4 times larger to match the x 4 time resolution like the icons?

Is this a reasonable idea or is it out for lunch XD? I know making new art is a hard thing to do but up-scaled art could be easier? I am not 100% sure how Wandercall handled the resolution although I like the original scale of Flare but I am hoping for x4 times more pixel density; yet using basically the same but x 4 up scaled art assets to start ~'Flare x 4'?

Is this asking too much and or is there a huge unseen complexity that is hard to over come? I am wondering if 'Flare x 4' can be achieved or not in a reasonable manner. As in kind of like what happened here with the 128 x 128 icons success; but for the tilesets and animations. Is it possible to run all the original art assets of Flare yet with x 4 the pixel density and hope they still work in the Flare engine?

If so then this could open the doors for the community to make higher resolution 'FlareHD' assets but at a reasonable pace with still using original Flare x4 enlarged / up-scaled assets as placeholders. This could take Flare from 2000's art into the 2020's art and add decades of life to the art and I think with x 4 the pixel density that the Flare engine can make some really amazing games. Although it all comes down to figuring if it can be done early enough I feel. I really hope that 'Flare x 4' can be reasonable to do for it can lead to some amazing looking games that graphically could stand the test of time.

from flare-game.

Sorry to crash conversation, my two cents, WithinAmnesia your screen is too big for your own good ; ).

For the art upscaling there are some solutions, first there is an "item camera setup" in the art repo (git-flare\flare-game\art_src\icons\artifacts) it works with any item, save for needing importing and manually rotating of the item; it ouputs whatever size you want, the bad thing is that some items are too "plain" when rendered. The plain clothes for example, so in the past someone painted over them to improve their looks, you might need to play around with noise textures/normals to avoid hand painting.

Other solution would be AI upscaling software, sorry but i only know it exists, nothing else. But it could potentially upscale everything by itself.

from flare-game.

Screen sizes are only going up though. The march of technology seems to never stop. If it takes myself 5 years to make a great game worth playing for the entire world; then it will only be enjoyed in the late 2020's and into the 2030's. During a time and space wherein player expectations of high resolution graphics will be blazingly apparent.

I got my 4k screen in 2016 and now there are 5k and 8k on the market and soon more with the high pixel density / 10K+ in the mid 2020's / with very high resolution VR technology currently taking off. All of the Flare graphics will be very dated come the 2030's. They already look very 2000's and I am hoping that with some technical work / know-how the framework for 'Flare x 4' can be implemented / tested so as to have a viable realistic route to FlareHD and or new games with new high resolution art assets.

With 'Flare x 4' it will not look HD right away but it (hopefully) paves the way to Flare HD eventually bit by bit if the framework is there with 4 times the pixel density. As in then once all of the 'Flare x 4' original x 4 enlarged assets can (hopefully) run smooth / stable, the new high resolution art can be made into smaller tasks and done over time. Then this segmented / gradual / transitionary / spread of the work load can hopefully increase the chance of success for Flare HD; verses it potentially forever being on the back burner without 'getting over the first major hurdle'.

I know that it sucks to do but there are only so many original assets to x 4 enlarge and battle to get them to work at x 4 within the in game resolution. The Flare game / assets being made with tiles and shared standardized art assets is an insane help here to alleviate work load. For all of the shared graphics only need to be up-scaled by x 4 in the art source (tilesets / animations .png's) and not going map per map and character per character.

The tiled nature of the Flare engine / Flare game gives an advantage to increasing the resolution of the art assets (even if we just use x 4 enlarge original assets to start / as a placeholder). For once the x 4 higher pixel density / higher resolution / tiled art source images are able to run smooth / stable in game with Flare; we effective have opened Pandora's box with Flare HD.

I know from way too many failed and scrapped and backport/retrofit killed projects that game engine work is very hard and rare to achieve. While HD art can be more easily sourced and there are a ton more artists than there are people like Clint and Justin. Hell even I can do HD art and I suck at coding XD!

I realize that I am not the only one working with the Flare engine and assets. Yet for example of an immediate boon if 'Flare x 4' can be made stable enough before I go and build a massive game; I can make all new assets with x 4 graphics that will be high resolution and add decades of life to the game. I have a Castle that needs to be made into a (hopefully x 4) tileset to start one of many new tileset art assets to run with the Flare engine https://www.deviantart.com/withinamnesia/art/Balduran-s-Sea-Tower-Redesign-W-I-P-17-818093805 .

I do not want to go through retrofitting hell again with making an RPG so I'd rather get this last major issue dealt with (if it even can be reasonably dealt with) and I am really hoping that this is the last major 'engine' / Flare feature / upgrade I have to ask of / do before I can start mass producing levels and assets and start hammering out an RPG on a massive scale. I know that I am pretty much at the mercy of Dorkster and the community here but if Flare x 4 does work then it would add decades of life to Flare project and derivative video games.

I am really hoping to make a very special game that can be enjoyed for decades to come; just as in like Diablo I and Diablo II. Also I reflect upon as how Diablo II Resurrected's high pixel density / high definition graphics has most definitely brought Diablo II into the 2020's graphically and added decades of life back to Diablo II. I realize that a great game will take years to develop. Perhaps such an aim towards realizing a great game will take 3 or 5 years realistically with dignity to get through alpha and launch version 1.0; with the video game being developed only by myself and a handful of friends.

I realize that such a great game will take over a decade to perfect and support a community for a game worth playing at launch and decades after. I am building towards my first commercially viable video game in the hope of realizing a life long dream to raise a medieval fantasy series and setting into the cultural stratosphere. Where my hopes and dreams of a series of video games worth playing can thrive long after I am dead; perhaps then I would be able to die in peace with the fulfillment of my dreams.

I hope that this struggle for Flare x 4 can yield results for I realize that if Flare can have x 4 the pixel density it removes the overall low resolution graphical presentation to the player base. Thus with higher resolution graphics Flare can compete toe to toe decade after decade with AAA games and studios; yet without requiring 100+ people and millions of dollars to create. Thus enabling the entire world of everyday people rich or poor to be able to make high quality R.P.G.s with the Flare engine and the open source art assets into the 2030's and beyond.

It is a long shot perhaps to ask for Flare x 4 but the reward for the community is insane verses the the potential hard fought battle. I sincerely hope that Flare x 4 can be achieved in spite of my own short comings. For the benefit for the whole community present and future, Flare x 4 to pathfind the way for Flare HD would be a game changer forever.

from flare-game.

This should be possible with Flare 1.13(R.C.2). Although the DPI is still an issue and requires a manual override still #887 (comment) . If the DPI manual override can be solved (to have non-buggy start up / easy player presentation) than this issue should be possible and working for 128x128 icons and Flare x 4 G.U.I. / H.U.D. components.

from flare-game.

I'll make a DPI issue to focus on that. I should close this issue, 128x128 icons work, it is just that the DPI is not automatic, which is an annoying issue but a work around does exist (manually changing the DPI override for windows).

from flare-game.