Final Fantasy VIII - Graphical Update Mod (WIP)

[blippyp]

I'm already using AngelWings backgrounds pack, so I guess it's just a matter of replacing files. I'm guessing this pack only includes the backgrounds from the video? Luckily I just got the ragnarok on disk3 so I can just check out Balamb

Well those entire sections are completed (bc, bd and bg folders) so whatever they have to do with in the game, is updated, much of it isn't in the 'video', but just a slideshow at the end, so if you can get to those other screens, you'll likely find bugs I'm not even aware of yet...  ;-P

[FatedCourage]

Were you unable to get the saves working? Or do you plan to just release videos and packs as you progress? Either way, I'm glad to see all this moving forward.

[blippyp]

Were you unable to get the saves working? Or do you plan to just release videos and packs as you progress? Either way, I'm glad to see all this moving forward.

Honestly, I still haven't had a chance to look at those, although I'm pretty sure it's a no brainer to get them going, I've simply just been rather busy the past couple days. As far as how it'll be released, it will definitely be all at once when it's 'completed' or I quit ;-P

[shikulja]

If gaming videos, for example, intro, frame-by-frame to disassemble into images, and process this filter. I wonder what the result will be.

[satsuki]

the esrgan process is not realy adapted to videos, it's needs realy clear still picture to works

[Mcindus]

You can use Noesis to pose the NPCs, take a snapshot, and then drop them into the upscaled field image that exists without the NPC's in them.  OR you can dump them from Noesis into max or something, pose them, and then do the same. for other npcs, etc. you can always modify textures to get the different npcs in the parade shots due to the models being identical to other 'baseline' npc models in the game.

[blippyp]

It's been a while since I've posted. I haven't been working that hard on this project lately, however I did produce images for the entire game. It's far from perfect (same state as my last post), however it's the entire game this time. It took about a day to generate the images and the masks altogether. I have uploaded my mod on the Nexus, but am currently waiting for them to approve the game.

I will post back here with a direct link once it's been approved, if you're super anxious for it though, a simple search on nexusmods.com for 'Final Fantasy VIII' should work fine considering it's probably the only FFVIII mod they have so far.

I might also produce a video for it over the next couple of days as well, not sure. I have used the saves provided to me from FatedCourage, and they seem to be working fine, so I can jump around many different areas now that I couldn't before which should make for a more pleasant video.

The mod being provided on the nexus is still only BETA - Which means it is BROKEN, it is known to be broken. But every background image was regenerated using my GAN so it is an overall background mod at this point, that simply needs to fix some screens. Some backgrounds do not upscale well and I'd like also like to identify those screens and hopefully find a better model to upscale them with if possible in the future, but for now, unfortunately, it is what it is. The screens with 'checkered' like layering on them I have identified the cause of the problem and afaik, have a fix for them, but it will be a time consuming process. I will have to locate each of these backgrounds (so a screenshot from anyone using it would be super helpful, which goes for ANY background that clearly still looks like garbage). Once I know which backgrounds have this issue, I should be able to fix them one at a time. There are also likely some lighting/effects files that need to be modified, so identifying those would also be super helpful.

As I have clearly not had a chance to play the game myself with these new screens, I have no idea if other issues will also arise, however I did open up nearly all of the saves from FatedCourage and everything (aside from that which was previously mentioned) looks pretty good for the most part and seems to play out fine.

The mod is approx 2GB in size, and you will obviously need Tonberry to use it. No hashmaps are provided, I am still currently using the hasmaps from AngelWing afaik, so that should work for you as well.

[satsuki]

If your gan model is final, i'd like to test it on some ff7 field witch my current method is not realy good

[RichterB]

Still not approved on Nexus :/ But they have 1000 skyrim mods per hour, to be approved, so....

[blippyp]

Looks like they finally approved it.

GUM v0.0b Download

[blippyp]

If your gan model is final, i'd like to test it on some ff7 field witch my current method is not realy good

I sent you a pm.

[RichterB]

Looks like they finally approved it.

GUM v0.0b Download

Yes, thanks, it's a very huge improvement compared to other, still gorgeous, similar mods.

I just wonder if I can play with italian texts, but english ingame signs.
I tried different combos with your mod + angel wing eng/ita textures and meshes, and seems I just have 2 options:
italian blurred signs or, deleting angel wing ita mesh, I have english hd signs but with some glitches, like the menu in the main hall of the Garden.

[blippyp]

I just wonder if I can play with italian texts, but english ingame signs....

Thank you RichterB, I'm glad you're enjoying it

Unfortunately, it still requires a lot of work however. But it's an 'official' start I'd say.

I purchased my game on steam, but also have the playstation version as well. I pulled all my images from my steam game. It only had english data included, but if I'm understanding you correctly, you're referring to images that I've changed that are english, but you want the French or Italian version of that screen. I'll have to look into this a little further, but as far as I know I pulled every field image in the game. I might need someone to supply me with the other language versions in order to fix that. If I change my regional settings and re-download/install the game I might get the appropriate data files also (I would think) from steam which I could then convert, but that would suck having to do that and would therefore only likely do it by request or for what is likely the 'main' languages being used (in my mind). Obviously I don't want/need to convert them all however, so I'll also need to identify which screens need to be converted for that language possibly, depends on how it's laid out I suppose.

I will look into this further though. Please correct me if I'm misunderstanding you though. And thank you for the feedback, issues like this is exactly why I released the beta version even at such an early stage, so it's already paying off.

[RichterB]

CUT

Yes, the signs and signposts in the game, are localized for every language the game supports.
Oddly, even installing only English version of Project Angel Wing, and your mod, I still have italian signs. So they are not overwrited from texture files of Tonberry.
You can see attached images in the spoiler. In full screen, They are much more blocky and pixelated than they looks in these pics.
You should ask FatedCourage, the author of Project AngelWing. He managed to retexture signs for every language. In fact, his mod is available in different languages.
I'm not an expert of modding, but maybe you can download English and Italian version of Project AngelWing, and just compare the archives to see what are the differences.

Spoiler: show

EDIT:
Using Project AngelWing italian hashmap, things are a little bit better, but there is this glitch here.

Spoiler: show

[RichterB]

I compared all files in "textures" folder of version ENG and ITA, of Project AW, with an app called WinMerge, and here you can see the results.
In the folder BG, you can see there are a lot of subfolders with ALL different files between the 2 versions.
In the folder EC, there are only 2 subfolders with different files. I don't know why 2 files are greyed
In the folder TE, there is just 1 subfolder with 1 different file.

That's it. They should be the only different files between English and Italian version. And, of course, the added hashmap for italian version, and you can find it in italian version of Project AW.

Spoiler: show

[blippyp]

I compared all files in "textures" folder of version ENG and ITA, of Project AW, with an app called WinMerge, and here you can see the results.

Oh thanks, I was about to do the exact same thing actually, still waiting on the downloads to complete. Unfortunately it still doesn't help with the fact that I don't have the original files which I'll need to do the upscale on. I can resize these ones, but they'll be 'off' probably.

[RichterB]

Oh thanks, I was about to do the exact same thing actually, still waiting on the downloads to complete. Unfortunately it still doesn't help with the fact that I don't have the original files which I'll need to do the upscale on. I can resize these ones, but they'll be 'off' probably.

IMHO, the faster way to have original files, is to change game language on Steam. It downloads about 400mb of files every time you change language. It's not so much if you have a decent connection

[blippyp]

Ya, it's likely the first thing I'll try. Aside from some quiet hero lurking in the background who suddenly posts the files for me to just 'click' on like you did showing me which files to change, I can't think of any other method to get what I want atm and I'm assuming at this point that my 'hero' card has already been pulled and likely won't see another. But, if that fails, I'll have no choice but to wait patiently and rely on the generosity of someone else to post the files I need.

[RichterB]

Ya, it's likely the first thing I'll try. Aside from some quiet hero lurking in the background who suddenly posts the files for me to just 'click' on like you did showing me which files to change, I can't think of any other method to get what I want atm and I'm assuming at this point that my 'hero' card has already been pulled and likely won't see another. But, if that fails, I'll have no choice but to wait patiently and rely on the generosity of someone else to post the files I need.

Really, it takes less than 5 mins to download with Steam.
Even if I want to help, I don't even know how to find and/or extract these original files

[blippyp]

Even if I want to help, I don't even know how to find and/or extract these original files

As long as that list of files you gave me is accurate, and I have no reason to think it isn't, then it's really just a matter of collecting the files together, they won't take too long to upscale. I just gotta set a couple of hours aside to do it is all.

[RichterB]

As long as that list of files you gave me is accurate, and I have no reason to think it isn't, then it's really just a matter of collecting the files together, they won't take too long to upscale. I just gotta set a couple of hours aside to do it is all.

Yes, just these files and an hashmap for italian, but I guess we can use the one from Project AW.

I wanted to help you with vanilla italian texture files, but I can't find them. In my "textures" folder there are only modded files. So I suppose vanilla files are encrypted and compressed elsewhere.

[RichterB]

Wow, you are on DSOG https://www.dsogaming.com/news/final-fantasy-8-receives-a-hd-remaster-treatment-thanks-to-this-ai-enhanced-hd-texture-pack/

[blippyp]

wow that's pretty cool, thanks for posting this for me

[RichterB]

wow that's pretty cool, thanks for posting this for me

You're welcome. Any update planned in the next few days?

[blippyp]

You're welcome. Any update planned in the next few days?

I have no idea tbh, I just take this stuff one day at a time, and I clearly don't work on it every day, then the next I might work on it non-stop for 2-3 days. If you locate a screen that is clearly broken, especially game-breaking. Making me aware of something like that I would likely look into it and try to fix it asap, I would react similarly for a screen that is clearly not done well and you see it all the time, and it's just driving you nuts. I would look into fixing that one as well as long as someone complains about it. But as for setting a 'date' for anything, I have no intentions for anything like that.