Development:Graphics Requirements
Contents
Introduction
Image Types
For completeness purposes, the following graphics files are being referred to on this page
- Unit textures
- HUD images (cockpit, shield, armor, ships, gauges, ...)
- Main menu images
- Cargo images
- Space backgrounds
- Animation images
- Planet textures
Graphic Files Requirements
Image ratio
The image ratio horizontal:vertical must be 1:1 (assuming pixel ratio of the map is 1:1), since the texture is mapped directly to the user interface. This means a circle must show as a circle when viewing the texture in an image viewer.
Image dimensions
The vertical and horizontal size of the image should be a power of two (POT). Really, non-POT (non-power-of-two) textures are troublesome, time and memory consuming, since theyu need to be scaled before being sent to the graphics card. This is a performance requirement. Don't use them. Just use POT. Love the POT. The POT is the mother, the POT is the father. Trust the POT.
That leaves few options for the horizontal resolution:
- 64 px
- 128 px
- 256 px
- 512 px
- 1024 px
- 2048 px
Currently, 256x256 size is recommended. Keeping original high resolution image (e.g. 1024x1024 or 1280x1280) versions in stock helps maintaining quality and scalability as game development progresses or typical screen resolutions rise in the future with better hardware available to the players. Also, keeping original 3D-models in stock provides for unplanned future changes.
Image Compression Codec
The cargo graphics format currently recommended for the game space backgrounds is png format (being an open source project, we also prefer open formats). Though we can use on y of the proprietary formats 'png, jpg, or bmp.
Image Naming (Extension)
Believability vs Realism
Committed textures are classified as:
- DQ - Development Quality: textures with horizontal resolution of 128 or below and low degree of artistic quality
- RQ - Release Quality: textures with horizontal resolution of 256 or above and medium to high degree of artistic quality
- CQ - Cinematographic Quality: textures with horizontal resolution of 256 or above and very high degree of artistic quality
