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ArbiterN7
ArbiterN7
Join Date 01/2011
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HD texture pack?

March 28, 2012 2:58:05 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I seen it mentioned before I would like to reiterate that an HD texture option, pack, or whatever would be an excellent addition to the game. A pack sounds like the best option so people dont have to download such a HUGE set of files they aren't going to use. To me a HD texture pack is a no brainer but im curious to know if the engine can handle the extra loud.

Feedback is appreciated    

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ArbiterN7
M3nToR
Join Date 02/2012
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Reply #1 March 28, 2012 3:20:16 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I'm also curious, It is true that the HD textures could be well sympathique.

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ArbiterN7
Thoumsin
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #2 March 28, 2012 7:30:34 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

HD texture pack = minidump !!!

Remember that sins load everything in memory, texture included... let say that you make a x2 for the texture size... usual texture from a capital ship will increase from 3x5.33mb ( cl, da, nm ) to 3x21.3mb... 400% increase... The last version called Rebellion is using 1.1 to 1.5gb ram during play... 400% of these use is a certain minidump, PAE/LAA/3GB/64bitOS/etc will change nothing...

Only real way to increase the quality is remake the UV with a max of optimization and of course remake the texture too... bet that sins II will be out before somebody rework all the models and textures...

Well, need to see what you call a "HD texture pack"... if it is like the original texture with some sharpen filter, or other filter, it is not what i call a HD texture... scalling up a texture and use antiliasing don't make a HD texture too... HD texture are painted at least at two time the planned final resolution, it is texturing remake from scratch...

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ArbiterN7
Timmaigh
Join Date 05/2009
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Reply #3 March 28, 2012 9:06:17 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Titan could use higher res texture though. Given their size and all that.

I wonder though whether we will see some minor graphical differences in models/textures of at least some of the units/structures, which are shared between the subfactions. I recall this was part of the original media statement.

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ArbiterN7
Thoumsin
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #4 March 28, 2012 11:12:41 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Timmaigh,
reply 3
I wonder though whether we will see some minor graphical differences in models/textures of at least some of the units/structures, which are shared between the subfactions.

Already a difference... it is called team/player color

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ArbiterN7
Thoumsin
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #5 March 28, 2012 11:20:26 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Timmaigh,
reply 3
Titan could use higher res texture though. Given their size and all that.

They do... TEC starbase texture are 1024x2048 ... TEC titan are 2048x4096, 400% increase of the surface... and from what i have see, UV optimization is already good since almost nothing of the map surface is wasted...

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ArbiterN7
Yarlen
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Reply #6 March 28, 2012 11:45:01 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Titans already use the maximum texture quality that we've made. As Thoumsin mentioned, using higher textures on everything would quickly result in a minidump from running out of memory for the process.

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ArbiterN7
Titan1421
Join Date 02/2009
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Reply #7 March 28, 2012 9:51:23 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

It would be pretty cool to have a HD texture pack. It would really give the game a facelift. More than it has already gotten.

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ArbiterN7
RiddleKing
Join Date 04/2006
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Reply #8 March 28, 2012 10:59:59 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

it would not be pretty cool with the current engine: believe me

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ArbiterN7
Nuttygamer
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #9 March 29, 2012 9:09:27 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

This isn't minecraft with 16 bit graphics. Although my personal concerns is why aren't the textures like 1024x1024 but rather 1024x2048?

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ArbiterN7
Lancer852
Join Date 08/2009
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Reply #10 March 30, 2012 1:49:23 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Some of us have the RAM capacity for this, the limitation is in the game engine since it's not 64-bit. I would absolutely love to see a 64-bit version so those of us with 8GB+ of memory (16GB in my case) could use an HD Texture pack.

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ArbiterN7
SZ0
Join Date 05/2008
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Reply #11 March 30, 2012 3:51:56 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

who="ice27828" reply="9" id="3116718"]This isn't minecraft with 16 bit graphics. Although my personal concerns is why aren't the textures like 1024x1024 but rather 1024x2048?

I think it works the opposite to the way you are thinking, you can achieve better resolution this way with less seams packing wise due to the long nature of the models. To achieve the same resolution using an even sided texture map the file size would be bigger and have a lot of blank unused potions of the map. Though there would be times where a set of even sided maps assigned to 1 material with the addition of a smaller even sided set of maps assigned to another material would be more efficient.

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ArbiterN7
Thoumsin
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #12 March 30, 2012 4:33:14 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting ice27828,
reply 9
This isn't minecraft with 16 bit graphics.

In some way, it is... .dds are 16 bit... 5/6/5 for the R/G/B channel... for the alpha value, it is 4 with dxt2-3 and 8 with dxt4-5... sins use dxt5 for the game and dxt5n for normal map ( red channel is moved to the alpha channel because more bit mean more quality )...

Well, there is maybe a way for increase the general quality and decrease the texture memory use ( by example the titan tech rebel cl from 10.7mb to 6.7mb )... will decrease the main memory use but will add some load to the GPU... will not say more until Rebellion is released with the modding tools who will allow me to test my theory... already certain that the trick will only work only on big texture ( capital, titan, starbase )... with smaller texture, the effect is reversed, main memory use is increased...

Quoting Lancer852,
reply 10
the limitation is in the game engine since it's not 64-bit

Untrue... the real limitation is the windows OS with default installation... the iron engine is really a wonder... can push it to use 3gb on windows 32 bit, 4 gb on windows 64 bit, have reach over 11.5 gb before crash on Linux x64...

There is one directx limitation too... the max size of texture that directx can handle without loose the GPU hardware acceleration is 4096x4096 ( 8192x8192 with opengl )... increase the size of the titan map will simply lead to the GPU to give up and transfer the work load to the CPU who is already push at max... you will go from FPS ( frame per second ) to SPF ( second per frame )...

I think that it is possible to make the game use less memory with equal quality ( equal quality when max zoom in but improved quality when zoom out ) but it is something for after the official release... not only a texture work need to be done/tested but .mesh modification too...

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ArbiterN7
Thoumsin
Join Date 03/2008
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Reply #13 March 30, 2012 4:42:35 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting SZ0,
reply 11
Though there would be times where a set of even sided maps assigned to 1 material with the addition of a smaller even sided set of maps assigned to another material would be more efficient.

Well, i have use the method for one of my giant starbase ( 2-3 time the size of a titan )... a 2048x2048 map for the body, a 1024x1024 map for the rotating ring, a 512x512 map for the neutron star, a 512x512 map for all the weapons... and it work without problem : http://www.love-from-russia.be/g4_swarm-6.25_million_poly.avi

 

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