Xpiratez High resolution for Cutscenes and most of Ufopaedia

[Drago888]

Dear all,

I had modified Xcom extended to support high resolution images (1280x800) for Cutscenes and most of Ufopaedia.

For those interested, you can download the game from https://bit.ly/xpiratez-32bits-images. Please check back once in a while as will update any patched version there.

My codes is found at https://github.com/drago888/OpenXcom.

For any errors, please drop an email to me at drago888@gmail.com with subject beginning with Xpiratez.

If anyone have good quality images better than what ESRGanResizer can generate, please pass to me.

To use back the original x-com or 320x200 xpiratez, change the options.cfg file for the below or delete them.
  cutsceneResolutionX: 320
  cutsceneResolutionY: 200
  pediaBgResolutionX: 320
  pediaBgResolutionY: 200

Attached are some screenshots of the HD version.

Thank You

PS: Only 64bits executable attached

Edit on 9 Dec 2020 - Version L6 is ready

[Dioxine]

That cellshading looks quite nice - I guess it's better than just converting straight from source and risk infringement...

[EryliaStarheart]

That being said, if Bootypedia is reworked, I'd really like to see some more consistency in artwork. Around 70% of Bootypedia is RIGHTFULLY PLUNDERED comic/anime artwork which works really well together, but there are obvious standouts. I'm compiling a tentative list of what might need replacement and suggestions for substitutes, with the emphasis being on:

1) 3d renders of people. Many look plastic, though obviously Gudrun's looks need to be preserved as she's the only named character not represented by appearance from other media. Dioxine, you're right in that adequate cel shading/line/anisotropy/median filter can possibly help bring these pictures in line with the others, I'll see what can be done.

2) A few really basic line drawings not comparable in quality to other art.

3) Illustrations not really relevant to the subject matter of the article.

Will present my suggestions once done with the armor I'm making and life stuff.

[Dioxine]

Truth be said I would not like to change too much is resolution of pictures. 640x400 could be a good compromise, but any larger than that and we run into serious size issues - I would definitely want to keep the mod in no case larger than around 500 MB, maybe 600 (CD sized game - also many free DL services put limits on single file size around same ballpark). So perhaps keeping to 320x200 and thus 25-30kb images is for the best - that way the capacity to add new stuff to Pedia is basically unlimited. Current size is around 22MB, and even with high promiscuity I don't think it will grow by more than another 20, maybe 30 for a total size of 50MB. With 640x400, though, that's 200MB - that's still viable, but already kinda cumbersome. With proposed 1920x1200, that's 1.8 GB - totally unacceptable.

As for artwork donations, or even sensible replacement suggestions - ofc I welcome such initiative with great interest.

[Meridian]

I'll just add here that OXCE will remain 320x200x8bpp.

More reading: https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,6498.0.html

[Dioxine]

Well, then it's settled, no resolution bump, since I don't want to stray from OXCE. In a way that is a relief - it's good to have clear boundaries.

EDIT:
@Erylia: I would be quite happy if the other characters than Dr. X also would not be 'stolen' from other media, but they fit their roles and a popular character provides a lot of 'fodder' to pick and choose from.

[Stoddard]

This ESRgan thing is quite curious though. I wonder if it can be used at runtime, as a zoom filter/shader option perharps

[Drago888]

This ESRgan thing is quite curious though. I wonder if it can be used at runtime, as a zoom filter/shader option perharps

I am not sure if it can be done.
However for my version (using ESRGanResizer), I need to install python and pytorch.

Also it takes about 5s to process each image (doing waifu2x-caffe denoising 3 before and after converted). - and that is using a GPU
And ESRGan don't work well with transparent pixels thus have a program to convert transparent pixel to background color before passing in.

And afterwards, have another program to strip off the transparent color. If you look at items - eg. shiv, you will be able to see some of the background color (probably 1 pixel) around the edges.

[Drago888]

Well, then it's settled, no resolution bump, since I don't want to stray from OXCE. In a way that is a relief - it's good to have clear boundaries.

EDIT:
@Erylia: I would be quite happy if the other characters than Dr. X also would not be 'stolen' from other media, but they fit their roles and a popular character provides a lot of 'fodder' to pick and choose from.

No problem Anyway will still put my version here and will be playing on it at least until Cyberpunk 2077 is finally released

[Barleyman]

Well, then it's settled, no resolution bump, since I don't want to stray from OXCE. In a way that is a relief - it's good to have clear boundaries.

EDIT:
@Erylia: I would be quite happy if the other characters than Dr. X also would not be 'stolen' from other media, but they fit their roles and a popular character provides a lot of 'fodder' to pick and choose from.

Pfft, very piratey attitude there mate. Xcom engine will remain at MCGA rez so you wouldn't dare to do bump rez a bit on bootypedia where your nice/embarrassing scans would benefit most plus obviously text would benefit hugely.

There are probably (one or two) people who would get angry about it but since you are in no way or manner changing how the plain Xcom works and you're not exactly shy of ruffling boo..feathers, are you?

[Meridian]

Pfft, very piratey attitude there mate. Xcom engine will remain at MCGA rez so you wouldn't dare to do bump rez a bit on bootypedia where your nice/embarrassing scans would benefit most plus obviously text would benefit hugely.

There are probably (one or two) people who would get angry about it but since you are in no way or manner changing how the plain Xcom works and you're not exactly shy of ruffling boo..feathers, are you?

Not exactly sure what you want to say mate.

It is not possible to increase the resolution in the official OXC and OXCE versions, and it will not be possible in the future... there's nothing Dioxine can do about that.
If you want to blame someone, feel free to blame me.

[Barleyman]

Not exactly sure what you want to say mate.

It is not possible to increase the resolution in the official OXC and OXCE versions, and it will not be possible in the future... there's nothing Dioxine can do about that.
If you want to blame someone, feel free to blame me.

Just saying it's his mod and if he wants to implement e.g. 640x400 bootypedia it shouldn't be a problem for OXCE in general.

Whether that's practical and/or anyone's going to process all the artwork again from sources is a completely different matter.

[Meridian]

Just saying it's his mod and if he wants to implement e.g. 640x400 bootypedia it shouldn't be a problem for OXCE in general.

OXCE supports only 320x200.
Unless you make your own fork of OXCE, 640x400 is not possible.

[Apocca]

It's nice but I like the original images better. Might be a nice add-on for some people.

[Drago888]

OXCE supports only 320x200.
Unless you make your own fork of OXCE, 640x400 is not possible.

Thanks Meridian and Yankee for the wonderful openxcom mod.
Thanks Dioxine and all contributors for the wonderful xpiratez mod.

Sorry that my programming skill is not up to Meridian/Yankee standard. But if someone is interested, I can try to modify Geoscape and Battlescape for 1280X800 resolution. Please inform me via email drago888@gmail.com.


However, will only do it for PC version. (Preferably someone can teach me how to create an exe without need to install SDK and redistributable - eg how Meridian do it). If need to do for Linux, please inform me too (Only able to test on Ubuntu).

Also, need guidance on how to test - eg currently, some UFOpaedia from xpiratez uses the TFTD ufopaedia. I did not modify that portion previously (but modified after my last playthrough) as don't know how to test previously

Also, need help from talented artist to convert those small pictures (Or any of the HD images that can be improved) to high resolution. (as using ESRGAN for very small images, the results is very bad. (eg if you look at the xpiratez weapons in ufopaedia. The image is really ugly as there is only so much that the program can recreate from very small, low resolution images)

Thank You