#downsampling faq

[pictureamoebae]

Hi! I saw the ask about your high res shots and I'm not sure if you know the answer to this but, is it possible to use SRWE with Skyrim and Fallout 4 w/out breaking the game? Or does it just not work with those particular games? When I try, the game gets larger (like its supposed to) but when I try to shrink it back down to it's normal resolution the game is in a smaller resolution (I've had it go into 800x600 before) and I have to restart my entire PC because of it. The screenshot itself is also a normal 1920x1080 :(

Hi! Hotsampling with SRWE works for Skyrim Special Edition, but not for original Skyrim or Fallout 4.

You can still use SRWE with those 2 games to help downsample (which is somewhat different to hotsampling), but it involves changing the resolution in the games’ ini files, say to 4k for example, and then using SRWE to shrink it back down to fit on your monitor. You then have to play the game downsampled, which is a lot more taxing on your PC than momentarily hotsampling. And you have to stick with whatever resolution and aspect ratio you choose for that gaming session - you have to close the game each time you want to re-edit the ini files for a different resolution.

I played Fallout 4 this way, and it was fine, but you need to know your hardware can handle it over extended periods first, and make allowances for potentially bad fps as a result. But then again, I have an ageing 980Ti gpu - the newest models shouldn’t have any problem at all. But if you intend to stick to the same aspect ratio as your monitor and you can handle a downsampled game you’re probably better off just using DSR (dynamic super resolution via nvidia’s control panel) instead.

[deneg32]

Week 6 - Answers/Research

After watching the Lynda.com video, here are 4 things I learned:

1. Saving a PSD file saves all the photoshop features, such as the layers, transparency etc. 

2. TIFF files save layered documents and all the photoshop features used.

3. PSB is great for large panoramas or heavily layered large files.

4. JPEG doesn’t support layers, it is a flat format and is good for sharing.

What is a pixel in photography?

A pixel is a ‘unit of image data’, the more pixels you have, the clearer the image will be. Generally, more pixels equate to a clearer, more detailed image.

“Each pixel is assigned a value of brightness in each of three colors: red, green, and blue (commonly denoted as RGB), each on a scale from zero (no brightness) to 255 (full brightness). By combining these three values, any color can be created due to the additive properties of colored light. The same thing is true of your computer screen, which is how computer monitors work (approx. 2 MP).”

Dennis Comella, “What is pixel in camera and why is it useful in photography?”, Quora, January 8, 2019, accessed October 10, 2019, from https://www.quora.com/What-is-pixel-in-camera-and-why-is-it-useful-in-photography.

What does screen resolution mean in photography?

“Resolution is the camera’s ability to classify and effectively present discrete image information, such as details, patterns and textures within a given photographic image and it corresponds to how large a photo can become without becoming unacceptably blurry or grainy. Camera and image resolution is measured in Pixels Per Inch or PPI.”

Attila Kun, “Resolution: Understanding Resolution in Digital Photography”, Exposure Guide, (n.d.), accessed October 10, 2019, from https://www.exposureguide.com/resolution/.

What does print  resolution mean in photography?

Printed resolution refers to how much detail and clarity you get in a printed image, higher resolutions mean more detail.

Chilliprinting, “Print Resolution: What is it and Why is it So Important?”, Chilliprinting, December 29, 2017, accessed October 10, 2019, from https://www.chilliprinting.com/Online-Printing-Blog/print-resolution/.

What is the best resolution for screen?

“Screen Resolution: It is recommended, as a minimum, that you use 800x600 resolution. Ideally 1024x768 or 1280x1024. Please note that some computers will not support the higher resolutions.”

eLearning FAQs, “Question: What screen resolution should I have my computer set on? How do I change resolution on my computer?”, eLearningNC, (n.d.), accessed October 10, 2019, from http://www.elearningnc.gov/about_elearning/faqs/what_screen_resolution_should_i_have_my_computer_set_on_how_do_i_change_r/.

What is the best resolution for print?

“The generally accepted value is 300 pixels/inch. Printing an image at a resolution of 300 pixels/inch squeezes the pixels in close enough together to keep everything looking sharp. In fact, 300 is usually a bit more than you need. You can often get by with a resolution of 240 pixels/inch without noticing any loss of image quality. The professional standard, though, is 300 pixels/inch.”

Steve Patterson, “Image Resolution and Print Quality”, photoshopessentials.com, (n.d.), accessed October 10, 2019, from https://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-quality/.

What is image size in photography?

“image size determines an image’s actual width and height in pixels. Image size is the dimensions of an image. You can measure image dimensions in any units, but you’ll typically see pixels used for web or digital images and inches used for print images.”

Alex Clem, “A Guide to Common Aspect Ratios, Image Sizes and Photograph Sizes”, August 2, 2018, accessed October 10, 2019, from https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/common-aspect-ratios-photo-image-sizes.

What is resampling in photography?

“In photography, specifically post-processing and image editing ‘resampling’ is the process of altering an images resolution by either adding or removing extra pixels. Increasing the number of pixels in an image is often referred to as upsampling, reducing the number of pixels is referred to as downsampling. Resampling has two direct effects on an image file, firstly the resolution of the file will be altered depending on the number of pixels either added, or removed, and secondly the image file size will change.”

Shutter Muse, “What is Resampling and What Does it Mean in Photography?”, (n.d.), accessed October 10, 2019, from https://shuttermuse.com/glossary/resampling/.

[isabellehutcheson]

week 6 SDT

What is a pixel in photography?

“The word “pixel” means a picture element. Every photograph, in digital form, is made up of pixels. They are the smallest unit of information that makes up a picture. Usually round or square, they are typically arranged in a 2-dimensional grid. ... As you can see, the pixels approximate the actual image.”

https://www.ultimate-photo-tips.com/what-is-a-pixel.html

What does screen resolution mean in photography?

“Image resolution is the detail an image holds. The term applies to raster digital images, film images, and other types of images. Higher resolution means more image detail. Image resolution can be measured in various ways. ... Photographic lens and film resolution are most often quoted in line pairs per millimeter.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_resolution

What does print resolution mean in photography?

“More megapixels means a higher photo resolution for printing. It holds more information. Photo resolution relates to the images' print size. It also refers to the amount of detail the photograph or image has when viewed at 100% on a computer monitor. The megapixel size of the image is one aspect of quality.”

https://expertphotography.com/megapixel-image-resolution/

What is the best resolution for the screen?

“Screen Resolution: It is recommended, as a minimum, that you use 800x600resolution. Ideally 1024x768 or 1280x1024. Please note that some computers will not support the higher resolutions. If you're using a Windows-compatible PC, right-click on your desktop and choose Properties.”

http://www.elearningnc.gov/about_elearning/faqs/what_screen_resolution_should_i_have_my_computer_set_on_how_do_i_change_r/

What is the best resolution for print?

“The generally accepted value is 300 pixels/inch. Printing an image at a resolution of 300 pixels/inch squeezes the pixels in close enough together to keep everything looking sharp. In fact, 300 is usually a bit more than you need.”

https://www.photoshopessentials.com/essentials/image-quality/

What is image size in photography?

“Image Size is the term given to describe the height and width of an image in pixels. Maximum Image Size is determined by the megapixels of a given camera - for example, a 10-megapixel camera will give a maximum image size of 2592 by 3872 pixels.”

https://www.canon.com.au/explore/glossary/image-size

What is resampling in photography?

“In photography, specifically post-processing and image editing 'resampling' is the process of altering the resolution of an image by either adding or removing extra pixels. Increasing the number of pixels in an image is often referred to as upsampling, reducing the number of pixels is referred to as downsampling.”

https://shuttermuse.com/glossary/resampling/

[gamefullversion-blog]

Install/Download

Should You Buy Fortnite For PS4, Or Is The Free Version Good Enough?

Do you pay any attention to those ads that say things like " To play your favorite game right now just click here for a free full-version download." Please stop! It's now easier to create your unique filter - simply Game Full Version> select the filter to add from the Game Filter menu. We've also made it hassle-free by remembering your preferences so you don't have to re-apply the filter the next time you play. For Photo Mode, we're giving you the option to hide the menu by pressing Insert - so you can record your fly-throughs of your favorite Ansel game.

It's a handy feature, but a bit cumbersome to activate if you're just looking to redo the last minute or two. Those of us who have played on emulators for years are used to unlimited rewind and constant Game Full Version> quicksaving, which Nintendo could probably do — but it kind of goes against the spirit of the thing. They want you to play these games like you did on the original, minus some headaches.

Yes, this app is designed for players who want to be able to take on an opponent even if they don't have a friend to play against. The game's artificial intelligence is quite Game Full Version fiendish but you can adjust the level of difficulty to suit your playing style.

So there's the potential to scale back, to run on less capable hardware, but being Pc, the emphasis is all about pushing on to higher visual standards. In this respect, there's a wealth of potential for tweaking and the good news is that the vast majority of options are adjustable in-game without the need to restart. The Model LOD option is a good place to start Game Full Version> - the game's vast vistas look immensely richer when this is scaled up to the high setting, but with more objects to process, a strong CPU is required to prepare the richer visuals in addition to actually having the GPU power to render them. Geomapping is a Pc exclusive feature also worth a look, adding a layer of tessellation to many ground features.

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Yes, more than a decade has passed since GTA and GTA 2 came out, and leaving aside advances in graphics, GTA: Vice City still plays like a dream. Its control, variety Game Full Version of missions, and involving storyline (that leaves little to be desired when compared to the mafia films of De Palma and Scorsese) all make this game a delight for any video game fan.

Other enhancements used in combination can be genuinely revelatory though - pushing out model LODs and engaging TurfEffects and Geomapping adds so much additional detail, while many of the other aspects of the game benefit immensely from running at higher resolutions, cleaning up a lot of the blur found in the original console versions. While the dynamic scaler found in the older versions isn't present on Pc, you can at least engage upscaling or downsampling, depending on your GPU and monitor resolution. For example, 75% of native resolution when connected to a 4K screen delivers a native 1620p but it still holds up and represents a worthy trade if you can claw your way to 60fps in the process.

Minecraft on PS4 supports split-screen play for up to four players, and offers a heap of extra cool stuff for you to download, like specially crafted skin-packs, console-only competitive modes, mini games and more! Available as a physical disc or digitally from the PlayStation store.

For less than the cost of one PS3 game you can get unlimited free PS3 game downloads. You will also get detailed directions on how to download the games and put Game Full Version> them on your PS3. The support desk is also great and you can ask questions whenever you want to.

[pictureamoebae]

So, I installed your Clear Bloom reshade and have some time with it. It's great, thanks for your hard work. I have a problem though with my screenshots though. When I view them in full screen on my computer they look grainy. Specially the faces and skin. I turned off Deband (like you said in the readme) and SurfaceSharpen. But it still happens. However when I view the pictures with my phone they don't look as grainy (or maybe they do). Do you know anything that could help? Thank you very much.

Is this a marked difference to how your screenshots usually look when not using Clear Bloom, or is it just that you’re studying them harder now you’re using a ReShade preset?

One reason why screenshots of all types often look a lot better on a phone screen than on a PC monitor is that phone screens have fewer pixels, and so pictures are downsampled to fit. 

Downsampling is when pixel information is squeezed into a smaller space, eliminating any gaps and/or need for interpolation (interpolation in this sense is where information is created to fill in those gaps, information that didn’t exist in the first place). Downsampled screenshots will have less aliasing (jagged edges) and look cleaner (but interestingly lower res screenshots often look sharper, but this is fake sharpness, it’s actually a result of aliasing and isn’t desired - extra sharpening can be added to larger resolution shots if required). 

This isn’t just true of viewing on a phone, but also if you view a 4k screenshot on a 1080p monitor, and so on. It’s why I and others take screenshots at higher resolutions than our native monitor’s resolution (using SRWE or DSR or whatever other method is available to us).

Here is a comparison I took in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The first picture was taken at 1080p and cropped to that shape; the second picture (when you hover the mouse over it) was taken at 6k and resized down to the same as the original (that resizing is also called downsampling). Spend a moment flicking between them and you can see just how much more pixel information is available in the 6k picture. There are new blades of grass, individual fern leaves suddenly appear, the mist and shadows have more depth, and everything just looks smoother and more real. All of that information you can see now was always there, but with fewer pixels to capture it at lower resolutions some of it gets missed out of the scene, some of it is interpolated, and generally the picture just looks much poorer.

This is what is happening when you view a picture on your PC monitor and then on your phone screen.

Of course, that might not be the source of all the graininess you’re seeing. I would take some screenshots of the same scene both with and without ReShade and compare them, first of all. What do you see? Where are the problem areas specifically and to what extent are they there without ReShade? Could some of this be that the new lighting is simply exacerbating issues that were already there? With so many shaders being used, particularly those that alter contrast, textures can be made more visible, perhaps rougher. Take any photo of yourself and open it in a photo editor and play around with the contrast and see what it does to the texture of your skin.

It’s also possible that there may be artefacts created by the shaders themselves, but to rule out which may be responsible you’d need to go through turning one off, checking the result, turning it back on, then turning the next one off, checking, and so on.

To recap: 1) is it possible you’re only noticing the textures because you’re spending more time looking at pictures in detail now? 2) pictures always look better displayed at a size smaller than the resolution at which they were taken; 3) contrast can enhance or minimise textures; 4) shaders can introduce artefacts, you’d need to methodically go through them to see if that’s the case.

[pictureamoebae]

hey! how are you? i was wondering if you knew something similar to srwe that can work on mac? thanks on advance

Hi there!

There’s another program called Windowed Borderless Gaming (WBG) that does the same as SRWE in a slightly different way, I’m not sure if that works on a Mac, you could try. Same with GeDoSaTo. The limitation may be because of differences in how windows are rendered between the two operating systems, in which case separate versions of the tools would need to be made.

Incidentally, for Windows users, those two other programs are worth downloading if you play other games, because sometimes SRWE won’t work but one of the others will, and vice versa. Unfortunately though sometimes a game simply won’t hotsample at all *glares at no mans sky*

There is also DSR (dynamic super resolution, if you have an nvidia card) — I’m not sure whether graphics drivers are entirely different for Macs (it’s been ages since I had one and I don’t think I ever once updated my driver while I had it), but certainly on Windows machines you can go into the nvidia control panel to specify a set of additional resolutions you want to be able to use in games, and then in DSR-compatible games you can choose one of those resolutions in the game menu. This is downsampling, rather than hotsampling, and requires a decent computer to use because you’ll be playing the game at those larger resolutions, rather than just quickly changing it for a screenshot. This is how I took my 4k shots in No Man’s Sky (until the Beyond update, which has ruined performance for almost everyone T_T).