Messages

51

General Discussion / Re: Final Fantasy VII Remake is HAPPENING!

« on: 2015-07-27 18:18:14 »

Even if FF7r is modable, there are 2 major issues

1. The game will be huge in size and probably a lot of the content will be on disc (and not on Hard drive).  It may well be that modding the game is simply impractical given the files and their formats and sizes.

2. All tools would need to be remade and new formats decoding, and getting people to do that is no easy task.  It's taken years to get us where we are with current FF7 from 1997. 

In other words, putting my usual doom and gloom about, I don't foresee a modded FF7r happening.

If its on a pc then at some point or another it will get modified on some level however if they don't release sdk and a creation kit then any substantial modifications would be beyond the scope patience and or ability of many programmers. If it did happen it would takes years and some extremely skillful reverse engineering. Knowing square and Japanese culture in general they definitely will not encourage modifications of the game and doing so will be a royal pain

52

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-24 23:16:03 »

To respond to all three of you. One a demo would be kinda a pain in the ass right now since I haven't figured out how to fit this into the script yet. Although I will upgrade this scene later so you can test it.  Also post processing shaders turned out to be a nightmare withaali's driver however you can do some pretty awesome stuff with reshade if you haven't tried it yet.  Finally I agree I ended up deciding that no noise reduction is best and that is exactly what your seeing in the samples above.

53

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-24 19:33:01 »

Here's my old method


And the new waifu2x


So what does everyone think?

54

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-22 15:29:54 »

I'll do my best but I have been extremely busy and my wife has been using our desktop a lot lately for several projects she has going on so I still haven't gotten a chance but I will.

55

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-20 17:42:05 »

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=8450.msg230309#msg230309

I have tested waifu, too. It gives nearly the same result as Blow Up 3 and that for free (on the other hand it needs much longer for a 4x upscale). I would like to see how some fields would look with it in game.

After reviewing the test samples (I always use the same two images) and comparing to literally every other algorithm I have gotten my hands on since the original project began over five years ago the results are far any away sharper than anything else available.

As I've always said over and over what really matter is in game tests.  The scaling and proportion of the scenes in game is handled a bit differently than just looking at the plain image and we need something that conforms to that scaling nicely. 

Personally I never liked the results I got with Blow Up 3 and wouldn't reccomend it.  That said  I haven't gotten a chance to test this waifu2x in game yet so anything can happen.  Just because it produces ecxeptionally sharp results doesn't mean it's going to look decent in game but having gotten familiar with the command line tool I am fairly optimistic. 

I'd say the best chance for success us going to be with a level one noise removal. Level two removes too much detail and no noise removal is far too noisy and a smudgey.

56

FF7 Tools / Re: [FF7PC] Field background editor - Palmer (0.8b)

« on: 2015-07-20 04:04:09 »

you can do the batch work right in palmer gui and its pretty simple if I remember correctly if you have it mind uploading for me I actually think I like this new algorithm afterall and I would like to do some in game tests

57

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-19 22:03:26 »

Do you have a copy of Palmer 0.8b that you can upload for us? Aali's link is not working in the Palmer thread.

crud that's not good i probably don't have it anymore I may have it in a very messy folder that contains some of my old work I'll have to sift through it when I have more time.

58

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-19 21:18:28 »

I don't mind playing around with the script. I just haven't yet fully understood how the internals of the fields work. I can extract the backgrounds manually using Makou Reactor but without some automation to do that for all fields x all parameters x all states I'm going nowhere.

Use Palmer to work with fields makou reactor is not required and I am not even sure it can do the job properly

59

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-19 21:16:54 »

About 15s for one png file with my [email protected].
As it's usable in commandline, you can easily make a batch file for it and let your computer do the job.
Waifu doesn't seem to use png transparency so you have to edit the waifu resized files to restore transparency (gimp for exemple) and it can take some time

I didn't notice that last bit until just now. If this algorithm can't preserve transparency thankfully that is not too much of an issue since all layers have to be merged into a black background before resize anyhow and then cut out automatically by the script using some clever masking and resizing tricks. Looking at the options for noise reduction seems to give significantly less smudge however I am away from my desktop again so I have no means of testing that right now. Hoping it works better

60

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-19 18:45:48 »

wow you weren't kidding when you said it was slow, I have a 4960K and a gtx 970 and the damn thing took at least 6 minutes to process.  The cuda assisted version would be preferable; and on that note an implementation with english documentation would be supremely helpful so I could actually mess around with the perimeters a bit more.  I am interest by the "neural network" technology involved but overall I feel the results are very much akin to perfect resize; an extremely smudged look. 

I am sure if the source material were at least double the size this tech could work wonders but the limitation here is the fact that we are working with images of extremely low resolution and no matter how "intelligent" the algorithm even a human being has to add in details from his own imagination in order to make these scenes work in a higher resolution, because here the details are simply not present.  We are attempting to add something that is just not there with a computerized equation, and this algorithm though making a valiant effort seems to fall short of amazing me or completely blowing my expectations out of the water.

I may run some in game tests to see what it would actually look like in action however I can't say I am too motivated to continue with a whole new iteration of this project with these current results I am getting.

61

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-19 18:20:07 »

About 15s for one png file with my [email protected].
As it's usable in commandline, you can easily make a batch file for it and let your computer do the job.
Waifu doesn't seem to use png transparency so you have to edit the waifu resized files to restore transparency (gimp for exemple) and it can take some time

I understand that, but thats the easy part the script takes care of all the layer editing which is a pain in the arse to do by hand, and to modify the script to work with an outside program may or may not be a simple process.  I could also batch process using this new program and modify the script to remove all the resizing and only handle layer edits but again we are getting into the area of "too much effort for the reward" area.

In any case I moved to my desktop now so I will try to play around with it for just a few moments before I have to leave.

62

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2015-07-19 17:59:15 »

It's not simple process my friend.  I am on my phone right now so I'll take a closer look at it when I get on a bigger screen but first impression is that it seems similar to fractals.  so I will play around with it myself to see if I can come up with something market fly improved from my current pack.  I still have my old script and a some documentation for manual edits so if I like it I can probably make a new pack fairly simply. Especially with my beefy new desktop.  Of course this is only if I find the results significantly improved and if I can get this program to work nicely with the existing photoshop script, otherwise it's too much work

63

General Discussion / Re: Final Fantasy VII Remake is HAPPENING!

« on: 2015-07-04 22:37:46 »

In all this time I have held off from making a final verdict on Square until I see the fruits of the labor that is Final Fantasy XV.  When the game was first announced I was a dedicated Square fan just finishing up my adventures in Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy XII.  I was super hyped after KHII and although XII wasn't the greatest, at least it had a semblance of challenge in the bonus dungeon and battle with Omega Weapon. 

Since then I have gotten nothing but disappointed by Squares offerings hoping that XIII Versus would come along and reign forgiveness on the massacre that was the rest of XIII's saga.  I was also hoping that Kingdom Heats III would do something similar but since we never even heard anything about that game until recently my hope and excitement for that series died off considerably.  The only game I have moderately enjoyed since then was Star Ocean IV and I am not sure that really counts as a Square game since its mostly an effort of Tri-Ace, and even then I didn't like it nearly as much as the first three. 

Now I don't really play everything that Square publishes but I do at least try most of their JRPG's and nothing has really captured the spirit of Final Fantasy since X for me other than some of the mobile remakes for III and IV.  All this to say that in the period I have spent in anticipation of XV, I have gone from a firm believer in Square as one of my favorite publishers to someone who barely even cares enough to hang on for XV to be finished.  I will try it first though before judgement as anything can really happen at this point.  We don't know the intricacies of XV's battle system just yet until we get our hands on it but if they removed character switching then in my book that does not bode well so far.

Still comparing a video game publisher to an addictive substance like crack cocaine is a bit of stretch.  Unlike the obvious and unchanging effects of such a substance, a publishing company is dynamic.  People are capable of realizing their past failings and rising above the stigma to create something wonderful.  Will they?  I'd say the odds aren't good that the original team can overcome their seeming hubris to achieve this, yet we really cannot and will not know until the game is fully realized.  I for one don't wish to speculate about things I have such limited information on.

If anything I don't want to put so much energy into assuming it will be garbage.  Any emotional investment I had in the series was long ago obliterated by XIII so even if it is it won't really affect me in any negative way.  Yet if somehow they pulled it off and made something that is worthwhile, even if not perfect, that is nothing but a benefit to me.  Will it be a replica?  We already have a definite answer on that so if that's all you'll accept then I suppose I can accept your negativity if not fully understand it.  I personally never wanted a replica but something that is more fully vetted than the original could have possibly been at the time of its inception.

Any significant change in the story would be fairly uncalled for but as far as the mechanics and game-play; we have had almost 20 years of progress since the original so to simply mimic it on such a powerful system as the PlayStation 4 would be kind of a waste in my opinion.  Now does that mean that they will automatically get it right?  Of course not, and I am not half expecting them to do so either.  I simply know enough now to know that anything could happen at this point.

It wouldn't be the first unexpected surprise to happen in the world of gaming and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.  At the least I would rather be positive in hoping for something good to come of this than just assume what seems most likely to happen.  If it was me in that position I would at least hope I had enough humanity to recognize when I am wrong and start over.  That's up the dev team themselves to decide though so anything I feel or say wouldn't really change a thing.  If it was an open source project that'd be one thing, but its not, so I say they are free to make their Remake and I am free to ignore it if it happens to be garbage.  Anything more than that and I really just don't give a shit enough to guess at.

64

Team Avalanche / Re: I guess that's it, guys

« on: 2015-06-26 04:20:07 »

As far as the art in concerned, I'm convinced that I don't have the tenth of the talent of any artist from Square, and I certainly don not have the same resources either. I believe I'd be delusional to think otherwise. I think Yusuke Naora doesn't need my input to do his job. Personally, even in the productions from Square that I didn't like (FF XIII series, mostly), I remained in awe of the quality of the visuals.

With the news of the remake, if I still have passion for the art, I don't find much point of spending my life blood (as Kaldarasha aptly said) on something which they can very easily surpass. As far as art and creativity go, it would make much more sense to me to spend time on making something of my own, on an different project.

Not to throw this completely off topic but alien skin blow up looks terrible in game. Lol I obsessed over these things for over a year although all I had to work with was my personal opinion. I agree with mayo though.. We have all known that the likelihood of this project teaching a finished state was slim to none.. But people learned here..

No artist wants to spend their entire career in the shadow of other works and we certainly don't want to compete with the skill resource and sheer collective attention that the remake will receive.. It's no artists desire to be overshadowed and largely ignored for their effort.. It's ludicrous to ask anyone to do so.

Now to say that we shouldn't pursue it is not my intent merely that one cannot be blamed or misunderstood for focusing their efforts in more profitable direction, both financially and otherwise.. After all its a waste to gain such a great talent and never developer something all your own.. So it is my deepest hope this project never a dies yet I know at the very least it will be on hiatus for a long long time.

65

General Discussion / Re: [FF7PC-98-Steam] Multiple mods - The Reunion (R03b)

« on: 2015-02-28 17:50:53 »

I think I found a tiny error. In Midgar, after you jump off the train and go through the tunnels, there is this line by Jessie:

"It was your ID, Cloud. I think overdid it."

I think there is meant to be a comma after Cloud and not a period.

Should it be
""It was your ID Cloud, I think I overdid it."

66

General Discussion / Re: [FF7PC-98-Steam] Multiple mods - The Reunion (R03b)

« on: 2015-02-28 06:08:51 »

I am getting a dead link for the download of R03b is this intentional?  I'd like to try out this latest release.

67

General Discussion / Re: R.I.P. Monty Oum!

« on: 2015-02-06 03:39:33 »

fuck man this is really sad

68

Completely Unrelated / Re: The truth and other lies...

« on: 2014-11-15 01:31:13 »

This entire society is a farce.  A fabrication to pull the wool over your eyes long enough for you not to question anything.

A few great questions nobody is asking. 
How does jet fuel burn structural steel when it burns at a lower temperature than steels boiling point? 
Why haven't we made any significant energy breakthroughs in over a century (combustion engine the pinnacle of engineering; yeah right)?
Why isn't everything we use made out of hemp: cars (Henry Ford did this), plastics, papers etc. so that everything is biodegradable and generally more durable? 
Why is every disease told to be incurable and only treatable? 
Why is gmo food not questioned even when studies show mice becoming sterile after 3 or 4 generations? 
Why is the idea of alien life so absurd even when you consider the relative age of the universe (14 billion) vs the relative age of our planet (4 billion) in which life as evolved? 
Why is randomness not clearly defined by science yet used as a basis for physical theories? 
Why are 172 trillion dollars missing from the US treasury since 1912 (the year the FED opened)? 
Why were James Clerk Maxwell's theories edited shortly after his death without public knowledge(reference his 1st edition "A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism" for clear proof of this)? 
Why do we believe in the big bang even though it fundamentally breaks the law of physics which states that every reaction must have an equal and opposite reaction(if everything expanded rapidly what contracted as consequence)?

The answer is pretty clear in one form or another.  This is not a fairy tale land where everyone plays nice and tells the truth. Nobody will ever know exactly what happened exactly to those towers.  But the official story is farce.  There were witnesses in the basement who clearly recall an explosion.  There were huge plumes of smoke which could only be caused by thermite.  There are pictures of the tower beams showing clearly that they had been cut at a 45 degree angle.  Buildings that are hit from the top do not collapse from the bottom.  And a number of other FACTS which cannot be denied, only deluded.  And yeah by the way buildings don't just fall for no reason and get left out completely of the official report (building 7 anyone).  Nobody ever refutes this evidence only ignores it.  Look into Project Paperclip if you really wanna know why we use social manipulation so similarly the way Nazi Germany did.

Unfortunately the human impulse for social and subjective identity are so powerful that they impede our better judgement.  Why?  Because we do not want to be marginalized.  We do not want to sacrifice our careers and our quality of life, our friends, family, belief structures and institutions just because the Truth says they are wrong.  So we believe what we want and we are rewarded for believing lies and punished for telling the truth.  So if 90% of the population believes the official story, believing anything else inconveniences us in a profound way.  A way we may not be ready to deal with.  A way some may never deal with.

In the end it is comfort over freedom for most if not all of us.

69

Releases / Re: [FF7PC-98] Re:Sampled - High Resolution Pre-Rendered Backgrounds (v2.0)

« on: 2014-11-02 19:08:01 »

I compressed the png's using the most extreme settings on PNGout so they are not getting any smaller.  As for the comparisons.  Yeah, they might seem a bit sharper but in reality that sharpness is just an illusion made by photoshop with its sharpening tools.  In the end, I arrived where I did because I achieved a ratio of least distortion vs least blur.  Over sharpening just creates visual artifacts. 

Considering the scope of this project trying to use per scene editing would be impossibly inefficient and the gains would be minimal at best.  So yeah Omzy's pack might look better in some scenes and mine in others.  But my over all goal was reached and most of the fixable bugs (because lighting is not fixable right now) have been worked out by hand.  Anything than can be fixed in the future will be, but for the most part this project is complete.  I hope you enjoy it.

70

Completely Unrelated / Re: Beats suck major arse

« on: 2014-10-04 16:58:49 »

lol thats because it doesn't really do anything its just a hype train.  When you turn it off it turns bass and treble all the way down in windows mixer and when you turn it on it turns bass all the way up.  That's all, you can see it for yourself if you go into audio properties and right click your device and go to properties and in the tone controls tab watch as you toggle it on and off.  There is registry hack to disable beats though.  Its up to you.

71

Bootleg Questions / Re: Which Field Texture?: "Bootlegged" vs "BlackFan+SL1982+FacePalmer"

« on: 2014-09-22 00:42:01 »

Yeah or you could use my new and complete project
Check it!

72

Troubleshooting / Re: Windows 2003 R2 64-bit edition setup issues

« on: 2014-09-14 04:48:33 »

Ever heard of powershell, or yeah if your a terminal lover can't reccomend anything better than arch linux.

73

Troubleshooting / Re: Windows 2003 R2 64-bit edition setup issues

« on: 2014-09-12 22:20:32 »

which is well over a decade old and no longer officially supported by the company that made it.  I would still recommend the upgrade

74

Graphical / Re: Upscaling pre-rendered backgrounds

« on: 2014-09-07 20:43:44 »

Yeah its too bad its not a Nintendo property otherwise it'd probably already be done.  They did great with OOT and Winder Waker HD remakes.  They didn't try to reinvent anything.  Just brought everything up to a modern standard that appeals to today's audience.  For example OOT had some prerendered backgrounds in the original game such as in Links house, but in the remake the scenes were full 3d yet they didn't try to reinvent the area or add over-complicated graphics mechanics or even embellished cut-scenes. 

It was the exact same game, just more detailed modeling and higher resolution textures.  Such a thing could easily be done with FF7.  Heck OOT's remake was outsourced to another art company and Sqaure could do the same thing and not even have to deal with it.  It could be released on multiple platforms and it would sell like mad.  Its so silly, but I wish Square had never merged with Enix.  Maybe I'm wrong but that seems about the time when every decision they made seem to end up sucking for everybody.

The only game I have liked since then is Star Ocean III and that was mostly finished before the merger and mostly a work of Tri-Ace anyway.

75

Graphical / Re: Upscaling pre-rendered backgrounds

« on: 2014-09-07 18:59:56 »

Unfortunately its only possible with the PC version.  Your going to need an unlgp tool to get the scenes out.  Your going to need Palmer to extract the png's and then to put the scenes back but your also going to have to come up with some sort of method to cut the layers out so that the scene reacts correctly when character going under trees or into doors.  I can't give you a step by step but its not too hard and the tools should all easily be found in the tools section.

As far as printing and scanning, it doesn't do anything good.  I have tried it a long time ago and it just degrades quality drastically.