Texture packs/ increasing texture sizes ?'s

[Flash Thunder 10]

Hello modding community,

I have a few basic questions.

Is it possible to increase texture file sizes and shadow map sizes through something in the config?

Shadows are very glitchy and pixelated (especially on characters) probably 256x256 even on Very high Shadow settings and 100% 3d res at 1680x1050 with AF and AA why not have higher quality shadow maps since they dont draw very far?

Is there engine limitations that limit me from increasing texture sizes on things like Uniforms or the terrain?

Why doesnt 3D resolution actually make the textures look better?

The most notable difference for me when going from 100% to 200% is the Tree lods will be displayed at their Highest for a farther distance when on 200. At 100 the trees are 2d blobs even at pretty close distance, which kills the immersion for me.

I just think too many of the textures are lifeless and too low res to be in a PC game.

I'll admit I dont know how much high res textures come in terms of performance hit also not an expert on the subject, but it would be nice if the game didnt look so washed out and that I dont have to play at 150+ 3d res to make the trees look decent past 30 meters. :)

Im going to try to learn some texturing while taking autocad soon.

Im not a graphics whore but im not getting much bang for my buck very high doesnt seem that high quality at all unless playing at 200 3d res.

PS: Settings currently are: VH texture quality, VH object quality, 100% res, 100% 3d res, High AA, VH AF I get around 40FPS unless theres abunch of AI then its around 20

The above picture has 200% 3D Resolution

Showing what Very High setting and 100% 3d res looks like, not very good.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Flash Thunder
ref pictures

[nodunit 397]

Even if you increased the texture size with the default you wouldn't get anyway, in fact it could be worse as pixels would be stretched to accomodate the new space which is a disaster. The only option would be to make a new texture but rather than make it larger I would suggest careful use of UV space, make things that the character will see most of the time 'larger' and sharper than the rest.

For example if you were to review the AH-1Z's cockpit.co you would notice that the instruments are in a small corner down at the bottom right hand, compare it to the size of everything else.

Edited June 2, 2010 by NodUnit

[icewindo 29]

BIS used alot of ArmA1 textures (and models) that were just updated with the new super shader settings, so many of the textures aren't that high res as they could be.

[[frl]myke 14]

Shadows are very glitchy and pixelated (especially on characters)....

I'm sorry, but can't agree on that. At my side, shadows are very sharp as you may see on the example screenshot.

I'll admit I dont know how much high res textures come in terms of performance hit also not an expert on the subject,....

Well, basically it's pretty simple: higher resolution textures = bigger texture file size = more VRam required = loading textures takes longer.

While lowres textures can be of several hundred kb filesize, higher res can have 5 or more Mb. The final impact surely is related to the used PC system.

Why doesnt 3D resolution actually make the textures look better?

Because texture quality has (basically) nothing to do with 3D Resolution. With 3D Resolution at, say, 200%, the game is rendered with doubled screen size. So if you have 1680x1050 monitor and you run it at 200%, the game is internally rendered with 3360x2100 and then downscaled to 1680x1050. The result is a full screen antialiasing.

[PuFu 4599]

Is it possible to increase texture file sizes and shadow map sizes through something in the config?

No, you could increase the size of texture by editing it. Not really recommended since no software can properly sharpen on up_scale (no matter what you see CSI doing).

Shadows are very glitchy and pixelated (especially on characters) probably 256x256 even on Very high Shadow settings and 100% 3d res at 1680x1050 with AF and AA why not have higher quality shadow maps since they dont draw very far?

Never happened to me. The shadows are quite too sharp if you ask me.

Is there engine limitations that limit me from increasing texture sizes on things like Uniforms or the terrain?

Not really, 4096x4096 textures are possible(even further might be possible if they follow 2^n X 2^m formula), but would increase strain on game engine even further.

Why doesnt 3D resolution actually make the textures look better?

Maybe because texture size is limited to fixed value?

The most notable difference for me when going from 100% to 200% is the Tree lods will be displayed at their Highest for a farther distance when on 200. At 100 the trees are 2d blobs even at pretty close distance, which kills the immersion for me.

This is about the way BIS engine works with LODs, and distance associated to it. LODs poly no should scale up/down using the Catmull–Clark formula AFAIK

I just think too many of the textures are lifeless and too low res to be in a PC game.

Most of BIS textures are higher than any other game out there. The real problem is how the game works with LODs, as well as how certain details are used on the UV space.

Im going to try to learn some texturing while taking autocad soon.

What does autocad has to do with texturing in the first place?

Im not a graphics whore but im not getting much bang for my buck very high doesnt seem that high quality at all unless playing at 200 3d res.

200 3d resolution does the following: it renders your game a 200% of your screen resolution, and shows it on your screen. It is aobvious why it looks better this way...

[Flash Thunder 10]

I'm sorry, but can't agree on that. At my side, shadows are very sharp as you may see on the example screenshot.

Well, basically it's pretty simple: higher resolution textures = bigger texture file size = more VRam required = loading textures takes longer.

While lowres textures can be of several hundred kb filesize, higher res can have 5 or more Mb. The final impact surely is related to the used PC system.

Because texture quality has (basically) nothing to do with 3D Resolution. With 3D Resolution at, say, 200%, the game is rendered with doubled screen size. So if you have 1680x1050 monitor and you run it at 200%, the game is internally rendered with 3360x2100 and then downscaled to 1680x1050. The result is a full screen antialiasing.

Yeah I should of been more clear about that, I have alot of pixelated pictures/jaggy looking shadows on Soldiers faces/uniforms etc (like in between ammo pouches stuff, and I think some of the shadows look blocky even though they're probably already high value maps.

Like I said I dont know much at all on the subject, I appreciate your input Myke and Pufu.

Pufu im taking autocad and the course also offers some 3D modeling so with that, and when I learn some texturing hopefully ill be a better 3d modeler. :)

@Icewindo, yeah I was afraid of that happening...

The game could look so much better if it wasnt using a bunch of 512x512 textures and only having the high res textures on the ground....

Sadly presentation= alot nowadays in video game industry if people see your game looks generic and then they also hear about all the performance issues your doomed to run into alot of Flak.

Edited June 2, 2010 by Flash Thunder

[Aeneas2020 10]

Yeah I should of been more clear about that, I have alot of pixelated pictures/jaggy looking shadows on Soldiers faces/uniforms etc (like in between ammo pouches stuff, and I think some of the shadows look blocky even though they're probably already high value maps.

Like I said I dont know much at all on the subject, I appreciate your input Myke and Pufu.

Pufu im taking autocad and the course also offers some 3D modeling so with that, and when I learn some texturing hopefully ill be a better 3d modeler. :)

@Icewindo, yeah I was afraid of that happening...

The game could look so much better if it wasnt using a bunch of 512x512 textures and only having the high res textures on the ground....

Sadly presentation= alot nowadays in video game industry if people see your game looks generic and then they also hear about all the performance issues your doomed to run into alot of Flak.

As the others have said the issue with just increasing texture sizes is that it a) doesnt do anything other than put for strain on the system or b) can actually reduce texture quality and lead to blurring.

Your only bet to increase texture clarity would be to create a brand new higher res texture but this is often not possible or if it is then it is not pratical in most situations. I have often found that more efficient UV mapping and a thorough reworking of an existing texture provides much better results than trying to increase the texture resolution.

if you ever get into this on your own do not make the rookie mistake of doubling the texture size and running the photoshop "sharpen" tool over it 50 times and then releasing as a "hi res" texture...that drives me crazy.

[Flash Thunder 10]

Your only bet to increase texture clarity would be to create a brand new higher res texture but this is often not possible or if it is then it is not pratical in most situations. I have often found that more efficient UV mapping and a thorough reworking of an existing texture provides much better results than trying to increase the texture resolution.

if you ever get into this on your own do not make the rookie mistake of doubling the texture size and running the photoshop "sharpen" tool over it 50 times and then releasing as a "hi res" texture...that drives me crazy.

Ha yeah like you said I was going to rework some of the textures, add new specular map, normal, and do some better UV's. :)

I have did very basic texturing before but dont expect anything soon mate. It was a large curiosity of mine too, I use the Texture packs in Oblivion and Fallout and I thought it would be awesome to get some quality textures in Arma 2. Like Icewindo said probably more than half of them are ported from A1.

[Takko 10]

...bunch of 512x512 textures

Say whaaat? Most of the textures are in 1024x1024 or even 2048x2048 format!

I do not know what your talking about.

probably more than half of them are ported from A1

But in Armed Assault weren't even half of the units?

[Aeneas2020 10]

I have did very basic texturing before but dont expect anything soon mate. It was a large curiosity of mine too, I use the Texture packs in Oblivion and Fallout and I thought it would be awesome to get some quality textures in Arma 2. Like Icewindo said probably more than half of them are ported from A1.

I spent 3 years making a hi res texture pack for call of duty 2...painstakingly reworking everything in a higher res. It worked in a lot of cases but the limited mod ability of the game hampered my efforts and i finally gave up with only about 50% of the work done. That's generally why i stick to custom work now.

[dm 9]

Say whaaat? Most of the textures are in 1024x1024 or even 2048x2048 format!

I do not know what your talking about.

Neither does he, half the time :j:

[Flash Thunder 10]

Say whaaat? Most of the textures are in 1024x1024 or even 2048x2048 format!

I do not know what your talking about.

But in Armed Assault weren't even half of the units?

You must have a different version of Arma 2 :rolleyes:

to me everything is blurred and washed out except for the vehicles/terrain (ground textures) and the trees until you get to 30 meters then they look like 2d blobs.

@Aeneas Have you tried for modding for arma 2?

@DM lolwut?

[nodunit 397]

Ha yeah like you said I was going to rework some of the textures, add new specular map, normal, and do some better UV's. :)

I have did very basic texturing before but dont expect anything soon mate. It was a large curiosity of mine too, I use the Texture packs in Oblivion and Fallout and I thought it would be awesome to get some quality textures in Arma 2. Like Icewindo said probably more than half of them are ported from A1.

Uv's is not really an option since Arma2 models are binarized and are requirs to move the UV's about, there are some A1 models that are not but if it bugs you a whole lot you may have better luck in doing something entirerly new. And texture blurring at distance has nothing to do with the size itself, that's mip mapping doing it's job, resizing the texture pending on distance, scaling the 2048x2048 to 1024x1024 and further, similar to the LOD system.

Also Myke I think he means the "Other" kind of shadow, things given off by tree's and what have you, the shadows the shadows equipment gives themselves etc, the 'soft' shadows.

Edited June 2, 2010 by NodUnit

[PuFu 4599]

Pufu im taking autocad and the course also offers some 3D modeling so with that, and when I learn some texturing hopefully ill be a better 3d modeler. :)

Even though autocad can do some 3d, it is by no means a modelling software... believe me, i use it on a daily basis for work...Tried using it as a 3d software, but moved eventually back to 3d max...

[Flash Thunder 10]

Even though autocad can do some 3d, it is by no means a modelling software... believe me, i use it on a daily basis for work...Tried using it as a 3d software, but moved eventually back to 3d max...

thats the program they also use, I had a trial version of 3ds max 8.

[Aeneas2020 10]

@Aeneas Have you tried for modding for arma 2?

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=9118

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=10108

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=10096

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8397

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8736

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8860

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8947

some are just crappy reskins but yeh i have some experience with arma 2 modding ;)