97 réponses à ce sujet

[4Aces]

This will be the home for all my Texture mods (except TOM and Nerfed). 

To start with our private server is ready to start handling direct downloads.  Our webmaster's system died on him, before he could get the database finalized so that the login/pass would conntect to the files.  You need to be registered as a free user to get access to them.  Hopefully this will be ready by tomorrow, and I will post the links here for the mods.


QnD (not released yet, but ready)
Right now I have Quick and Dirty uploaded and ready to roll out as soon as the server is ready (it is 500MB).  This was a fast edit of the 2100+ textures in the main texture pack (core/textures.erf not the ones in the /core/textures folder).  They were mostly low-res, so I just doubled them and made them a little better.  They are not earth shattering, but I could only afford one day for the project, so it is better than nothing.  Bioware has the proper textures and will be releasing them eventually, but we have no word, either publically or priavtely as to when that will be.  When they do release the ones that shoud have shipped for PC users, then QnD will be useless.  But when that happens I will immediately begin converting them to HiRes.  If our server is not ready by tomorrow noon, then I will split the file and upload to Rapidshare for the day or two it takes to get it running.

You can visit my forum for some pics of QnD here.

CBG (released)
I also released a tiny mod that was requested.  It is called Circles Be Gone, as it removes the circles under the party's feet.  This can be directly downloaded from my web page here.  It make the game more immersive, but also removes any of the information that they gave (flanking for backstabbing, etc.).  Personally I found that I liked it better off, which I did not expect when I was making it.  It is easy to install/remove so feel free to experiment.

HiRes (WIP)
I just finished upgrading the diffuse textures (except for FX) from /core/textures/High, so HiRes is 50% done.   I am sending these off for Beta testing while waiting for Bioware get out the replacements for the low-res.  The Normals maps, Specularity, and Tint (what I like to refer as Tattoo) will be released as separate packs.  The Diffuse are the most important right now.  I will be testing out the HiRes textures tomorrow and will upload some comparision pics on my fourm (like I did with QnD).  Until the new texture pack from Bioaware is out, then QnD and HiRes will be the best combo.

If you want to contact me quickly, please PM me on my forum.  I will try and visit here at least twice a day but I am modding 12+ hours a day on this, so I do not spend a lot of time here.  My forums is tied to my email, which is why it is faster.  Since I am into HiRes work, I cannot accept any reuests right now.  When I am done then I will be more than happy to take them on.

[4Aces]

Well, it seems like Bioware wants to keep the normal-res main textures to themselves a bit longer, against all logic. Instead of releasing them in this announcement, they are releasing another DLC. This is even worse than Bethesda's record. At least they were just dragging their feet on doing actual patching. Bioware claims they have the game assets, but cannot get around to distributing them (which is extremely easy since they are just textures).

Our web master assures me that the file sharing system will be operational tonight, so I am holding off sharing the link to QnD.  If our system is not ready by midnight, then I will post it.

All current Beta Testers please contact me if you want to test HiRes Pack 1.  The best is via PM on the DMG forum, but if you want you can use my email address if you have it.

Modifié par 4Aces, 21 novembre 2009 - 05:23 .

[4Aces]

The textures were being washed out by the Normal Maps and most likely the Specular as well.  I will have to generate new Normals and Specular before I can release this.  For the time being, Beta Testing is on hold.  It will likely take another two weeks to get all the files converted.

Here is a pic of Vanilla vs HiRes + Normal (WIP) Armor only

[Flobulon]

Would just like to say I've been following your progress both here and on your sri-corp forums for the last couple of weeks, keep up the great work.

However, are you sure in that picture that the diffuse texture is rendering as a higher resolution correctly? It sort of just looks like an improved normal/spec map to me. Perhaps there's an issue with mip-mapping, and BioWare's bizarre separate ones?

Anyway, can't wait to see more!

Modifié par Flobulon, 20 novembre 2009 - 05:32 .

[4Aces]

Actually Bioware is not using Mipmaps so I removed them all from my HiRes files. I tested it and there was not change in the game. I suspect they made the manual ones for console reasons, as they are very inefficient on a PC (and their Vanilla ones were just a blurry as a mipmap - so I think they were just copied from mipmaps instead of being generated from the parent texture - which is how I did it).

I agree, the textures are not displaying properly in the game. I have never seen any texture improved this much, look this bad. Even to my trained eye, I had to search to find much difference in the game renders. One of the problems is that the camera is so far away from the targets, but that is only part of the problem. I am up to my neck with a contact that just rolled in, but when I get time to mod I will take some pics with Vanilla Diffuse + HiRes Normal vs HiRes Diffuse + HiRes Normal. You will see that the Vanilla Diffuse gets stretched with the new Normal. When I get the Specular added to this, it should look better.

P.S. I did get an hour to work on the Normals, and have them figured out now. When I get time to mod, they will fall pretty fast (though having to do two per file does all a little more time to it - but does not double it as I previously thought).

Modifié par 4Aces, 27 novembre 2009 - 10:22 .

[Flobulon]

Thanks, that's very interesting. This is an odd engine, that's for sure.



I'm glad to see you're making progress, hopefully someone will be able to figure out why the game is downsizing textures. Or BioWare will offer some enlightenment.

[Pulse.01]

Good to hear this, keep it up!

[GhoXen]

I'm afraid your image upload has reached its bandwidth limit.



I'm curious, how would you say that this texture mod would compete against the other finished texture mod on nexus? I don't care much about performance, I just want the best of the best quality.

[Arathrax]

Not using mipmaps at all? wth?!!? That makes zero sense. /facepalm

Why would they do that? It's easy to add that code into an engine.



Looking forward to some comparison pics.



I'm holding off playing until your mod is done.

[4Aces]

GhoXen - The short answer - it will be much better than the other one, though it will take longer.



The long answer- I will try and keep this as non-confusing as possible. Textures have two definitions, They are the file that is used to add color to a mesh (think picture), and they are the pattern that can be added to a picture (like the pattern on a checkerboard). So I will call the texture file a picture for the remainder, and texture is the pattern.



What the HD author did is take the standard files and add texture, for cloth and wood mostly. He did not alter the size or the resolution, though he did sharpen it. It is definitely not HD. Now it most effects the textures covered in my QnD mod, which I am not adding to HiRes at this time. Bioware released low-res textures to us that were likely for consoles only. The admitted this weeks ago, but we are still waiting for them to release the proper versions. When they do I will convert those to my HiRes standards.



My HiRes doubles the size of the texture dimensions, so that there are 4X the pixels there were before, and then I use proprietary sharpening to make it look even better without blowing highlights or over-darkening shadows (which is what most sharpening tools do when pushed very far). Now this usually means that the in-game textures look much more crisp and detailed, but I have discovered that this graphic's engine is limiting the improvement. I have to convert all the files not just the basic picture (Diffuse Texture) before I can release it.



When the first HiRes pack is released, you will be able to layer the mods to get the best effect. You would load in this order QnD, HD, HiRes to get the best possible combo. Most of the low-res was terrible, so just adding texture was very effective, but not all the files were covered which is why you start with QnD.



I will keep everyone updated on the HiRes progress. I have a contract that will take a good chuck of the next 5 days (10+ hours a day), but I will get back to it ASAP.

[Flobulon]

Actually, reative24 has doubled the resolution of the original textures in several instances, and he looks to be using some sort of fractal enlargement plugin, i.e Genuine Fractals.

Here's a quick comparison between a default texture and one of his:

Click.

I have to say that personally I find the difference negligible, however it's worth noting in this example he has not added any extra detail (same with all the other creature textures of his that I have looked at). If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to do a couple more comparisons. Anyway, I think it's clear that reative24's work is a step in the right direction - I personally am just using it as a stopgap until 4Ace's HiRes pack.

[GhoXen]

Well, thanks for the very detailed explanation! I'll certainly keep an eye on this mod's progress eagerly from now on.



The most annoying thing with reative24's mod was that it updates on nearly a daily basis, with the entire mod re-uploaded and the only way to update is to download the whole huge mod again from the pain that is nexus.

[4Aces]

Flobulon - It is possible that he changed what he was doing. I checked it out two weeks ago, and most of it was 1024^2 vanilla files with just the wood and cloth having texture applied to them. Doubling the size of the dimensions without a heavy dose of sharpening or adding detail will not amount to much in a regular game, and even less in this one. I hope someone out there is working on a 1'st person camera, since this graphics engine is so weak. We need to get our eyes closer to the textures to get the best impression of them.



As a general update, I am nearly finished the first 50% of the Normal Maps. When I get those done, I will do those same files for the Specular Maps and when they are done I will be able to release the first HiRes pack. I have received a RL (Real World) contract, so I am only getting an hour or two to mod per day, and Normals take a lot of time to do right. So far they look pretty good in the game, but will require some tweaking. This will happen during Beta Testing, so you can expect pack 1 out in about a week. If I get more time over the next few days, then it could be as early as Sunday, so stay tuned.



I will be using loose files until it is finalized. That way only the altered files are ever used in a patch. Our web master's computer components were ordered and are being shipped now, so we should have the file sharing system up and running in another week. Just in time for HiRes Pack 1.

You can get single files of unlimited size, which is good since this is going to be another whopper (measured in GBs - though compression will reduce this by 50%).

[4Aces]

HiRes pack 1 is back in Beta Testing. If you have BT'd for me with DAO and are interested then let me know. In 48 hours I will open the remaining testing slots, so please wait until then to apply. If everyone comes back, then there may not be any slots. My official thread is here, so you can stay up to date with the Beta Testing.

It will likely take a week to fully test. The pack is very large at 1.15 GB (compressed), though this is likely closer to 60% of the textures found in the /Textures/High folder, and may of the remainder are FX which I will not be making into HiRes (as they would not improve that much and cost a lot in system performance). That should mean that the rest of the High folder textures will not take as long as these.

Now if we could only get Bioware to release the proper Core folder textures for the PC then I would have a much better idea of when the full HiRes package would be released.

P.S. Sorry for the problems with the older comparison pics from my Google website. I do not know what Google has been doing but there are times I cannot even access my site anymore. I will be Beta Testing Pack 1 for most of tomorrow, and will be taking more and hosting them from another site.

EDIT - It looks like the smaller duplicate files are LOD files, and in some cases Mipmaps are used after all.  Without them most of the game is just fine, but for some textures (mostly armor), the texture is not downsized properly by the graphics engine.  I thought it was due to my Normals but it was not.  I have added mipmaps back to 50% the Diffuse Textures, and will have them added to the rest by tonight.  Since none of the Beta Testers have contacted me yet this will work out just fine, as I can upload the patch and it will not cost any extra time testing. 

Now I guess the question is why are mipmaps used at all when they have manual versions that would save memory, and why do only some of the textures become graphically corrupted without them.  I doubt we will ever know.  For anyone wanting to mod textures the file that end in *_?l02,dds and *_?l03.dds appear to be LOD files.  They are mostly used by lower graphical settings.  Too bad they could not name them properly (burying a l at the end is not proper by any stretch of the imagination).

Modifié par 4Aces, 27 novembre 2009 - 10:32 .

[4Aces]

[4Aces]

ROFL, when I tried to edit the above there was no white space, only pictures (hence the triple post).

Just so you are all aware, even though this is a HiRes mod, all you have to do is turn down the texture slider by one notch to get your old performance back. My medium and small textures were all generated from my larger, and these actually have a larger improvement over the Vanilla files than even the largest textures (so my 1/2 sized is better Vanilla full sized).

Since there have been only a few Beta Testers return I am opening the floodgates again. If you are interested in testing then come to my forum and let me know. I will be requiring you to register there so that I have an email address that I can contact you with, should you disappear. This is not just so you can get the files early, but must be willing to play for at least 6 hours over the next week. I would like to release this by next weekend. Just go there, register, and then PM me. I will send you the private link to our servers so you can get the file at full speed.


P.S. In the above comps the people were not edited yet.  They are in the second half, so focus your attention on the armor and weapons (and please excuse the gore - it will be disabled from now on).


EDIT 2 Dec 7. 22:28 EST
I have been blocked from accessing this site for the last four days due to a new firewall program that is only supposed to stop know scammers.  While I may no be very happy with all the questionable decisions that were made with DAO, I would not classify Bioware as a scammer.  

HiRes was just compressed and has been uploaded to our server.  Our webmaster got his parts for his new system, and should have the file ready for download sometime tomorrow.  It is 1.36GB and covers everything except the FX files in the /Textures/High texture pack.  If you do not understand what I mean, do not worry.  It is explained in the Installation Instructions.  I will post a new link and announcement when the file is ready to be downloaded.  Since it comes from our server, there are no known Country based issue, and it is a single file.
If you have a very limited download speed and would prefer multiple sections, PM me and I will upload a second version.

I worked on a skin addition to the game, since it is the single most requested texture alteration.  I spent about 18 hours on it over the weekend (I was hopeing to include it with HiRes), but it still needs more work.  It will be released later as an Unofficial Patch, since it can be used without HiRes, and it fixes the Vanilla textures (where HiRes just upgrades them).  I will be taking some new screen shots for HiRes, and the skin will be of this addon.  So do not expect the skin to look like this for you, it is just easier for me to Alpha Test it while I grab the HiRes pics.

Cheers,  4Aces

Modifié par 4Aces, 08 décembre 2009 - 03:42 .

[4Aces]

I am hedging my bets and have been trying to upload the HiRes as part files to Rapidshare. So far their terrible servers have canceled two uploads for every successful one. I am at part 7 of 14 so and it has been three hours, so the links should be ready by midnight-ish.



As promised here are the new screen shots. The new skin that you see is NOT included with HiRes (yet). As you can see it looks better in most cases, but there are a few (Morrigan) where the extra tint layer (makeup, skin coloring, tattoos, etc.) reacts badly. Since all females share the same skin, this is a PITA. I may have to go into the toolset to fix it. Sorry for the first being a crotch shot of my mage, but since the devs disabled all but one of the console commands (I do not know what they are hiding either), this is as close as you can get (therefore best detail).



NOTE: All pics were taken with the same settings. Specifically these were with AA/AF as 2/2 (yes that's right, only 2/2). This way it will look even better on your system, but if you need to basically turn them off, the game will still look really good with HiRes. That is one of the major benefits of a HiRes mod, it allows you to save the system resources that high levels of AA/AF take.



I have also had a few reports that AF in the memory leaky cities adds to slowdowns, so you may want to turn AF down a bit and see if the game stabilizes in these areas (Denerim and afterward).

[4Aces]

The temporary links for HiRes can be found here.

[Ryger]

Yay! Thanks!

[4Aces]

You are welcome. My webmaster said he had some problems with his new Win7 and his old programs, but he can work around them and get the file system done tonight.

[WillyPete2171]

When the first HiRes pack is released, you will be able to layer the mods to get the best effect. You would load in this order QnD, HD, HiRes to get the best possible combo. Most of the low-res was terrible, so just adding texture was very effective, but not all the files were covered which is why you start with QnD.

I will keep everyone updated on the HiRes progress. I have a contract that will take a good chuck of the next 5 days (10+ hours a day), but I will get back to it ASAP.[/quote]


Please explain further on what you stated above - load in order QnD first then HD?, then HiRes.  What HD mod are you referring to?  the one made by reactive?  Although some of his work is good, alot  of it is just too much, too dark and too "blown up" and just doesnt look right.  I recommend using his 1.0 version of his mod,and not his newer 2.1 version...

[4Aces]

Yes, I was talking about Reactive's mod. That was back before I knew about the memory leaks, so now I would not use upgraded textures from the core textures in addition to HiRes unless you have 6GB+ of RAM, and even then expect to have to shut the game down (to clear the memory) much more often.



I am almost at Denerim so when I get there I will be playing with QnD and HiRes so I can see if 8GB of RAM can handle it. I suspect that like Redcliff and Orzammar, part of the problem is the engine's inability to handle fluid very well (water, lava, etc.). AA/AF seems to interact badly, so if you experience lagging try tuning them down. Remember that with HiRes, they do not have the same effect anyway after you pass AA:4 and AF8 they give a lot less bang for their resource buck.

[WillyPete2171]

4Aces wrote...

Yes, I was talking about Reactive's mod. That was back before I knew about the memory leaks, so now I would not use upgraded textures from the core textures in addition to HiRes unless you have 6GB+ of RAM, and even then expect to have to shut the game down (to clear the memory) much more often.

I am almost at Denerim so when I get there I will be playing with QnD and HiRes so I can see if 8GB of RAM can handle it. I suspect that like Redcliff and Orzammar, part of the problem is the engine's inability to handle fluid very well (water, lava, etc.). AA/AF seems to interact badly, so if you experience lagging try tuning them down. Remember that with HiRes, they do not have the same effect anyway after you pass AA:4 and AF8 they give a lot less bang for their resource buck.

Ive been waiting for your high res mod for weeks now and just started a new game today.  Im only using Q&D plus your high res mod.  I have 9GB of RAM and will let you know if i run into any problems.  I thought Reactives 2.0 mod was a little too much and made some things look too dark and grainy.  In Ostagar his 2.0 version looked like crap especially the ground, it look overexposed is the best way i can describe it.  Maybe his 1.0 version might be better to stack with, but for now Im just sticking with your mods.  So, reinstalled Dragon Age and went with Q&D and your new high - res mod.  So far things look clean and sharp with no memory leaks.  I know you put in a lot of time to make this mod happen.  thanks for the quality work.

[4Aces]

You are most welcome. I only have 8GB and have been playing with maxed settings without problems. I was even playing with full sized Specular Maps without any lag, but I have not got to Denerim yet (in the Deep Roads right now and then I get to see the leaks for myself). I had to cut those Speculars down based on my Beta testing team's reports, as I want this to work on systems with only 4GB of RAM (standard).

As soon as we get the proper version of the core textures (which I expected three weeks ago), then I will be replacing QnD pretty fast. One note about QnD that I forogt, I only did the textures, not the Normals or Speculars. This means that QnD requires less RAM than a mod that converted all the files. It looks a little better, but nothing compared to HiRes. I cannot wait to see what the full game with HiRes looks like. Hopefully Bioware will not keep us waiting much longer.

This may not be possible, but if anyone has access to the console version and can view the files on the XBox or PS3 disc with their PC, could you do a directory dump and send it to me? Specifically I would like to know if the directory structure is the same as the PC version, and what the size of Dragon Age\\\\packages\\\\core\\\\data\\\\textures.erf is (if possible).

One warning, fluid is not handled very well by this graphics engine. If you are noticing lags in Orazamar, or Redcliff (and I would heavily bet Denerim also has fluid issues), then focus the camera ways from it and the lags will disappear. If it is not on the screen, then it is not rendered, and will not cause problems. If you really run into lags, try zooming the camera in as close as possible, then tilt it so you are looking straight down. You will have to move with the keyboard, but you probably do that already. I know it sucks, but it will get you though the area. Even I get lags especially around the lava, and my system is above average.

Once I get to Denerim and verify that it has liquid issues I will attempt a quick fix for it.  I cannot say if it will work or to what degree, but I do have an idea...

Modifié par 4Aces, 11 décembre 2009 - 04:03 .

[dwarven_fighter]

4aces, thanks for the mod, btw. I have a question however.



I have the QnD mod, the Hires mod and the jbtextures2.1 by reative. Both qnd and hires go to the installation directory, if i am not mistaken. Do i have to move the files from the folders to override itself or just leave it where they are, under folders like specular, diffuse etc. Because jbtextures have all the individual files under a single override folder, under my documents.



I guess what I am trying to get at is, when I installed jbtextures, I could immediately see a difference, even if it's not entirely all good. That was with all DDS files under one single override folder in my documents. I removed it btw. But when I installed qnd and hires, in program files (I have win7 btw), I don't see much of a difference. Have I installed it correctly?