Graphics Advice

craps

I am not a graphic designer and need some advice about creating and saving artwork for both iphone and ipad projects.

Generally should I create artwork at the size that is needed for a game?

I have seen articles talking about creating artwork at double the size that is needed and then resizing it - thoughts?

With regards to -

Powers of two (optional)

GameSalad is able to use memory most efficiently when your images have power-of-two dimensions. That means the width and height of the image are both powers of two. (i.e. 256×128, 64×64, 1×512…)

Does this mean any image within the GS workspace needs to be sized to fit the power of 2 rule?

About HD images - what actually make the images HD? Is it their pixel size or dpi or both?

For instance I love "Zombie Drop" and have both the iPad and iPhone vesions. How are the images different between the game - except for their actual size with the GS window - that makes the iPad version HD?

joshmiller602

Would seriously recommend getting the Unofficial Gamesalad Textbook. Has all of this and SOOOO much more. Has literally saved me hours. It's by a user on here named Photics.

http://photics.com/books/gamesalad-textbook

MotherHoose

oh @craps I think that HD tag appended to a game just means that the game is for iPad... you still use 72dpi graphics.. but, the iPad display is superb!

iOS4 has a new display frameWork where the screen pixels hold twice the content ... 1pixel size section of the screen can display 4 pixels... what that means is for iOS4 you create your graphics twice as large... set display size in GS and the system resizes things to fit in the new display frameWork.

me... I just create things the size they need to be... but I keep in mind the best sizes for GS and image ram usage... and down-size, if close to the optimum size.

MH

tenrdrmer

The power of two thing is for memory usage. They don't have to be a power of 2 but the amount of memory they use is based on that power of two sizes. I think I just confused myself. But basically 64x64 will use less memory than 128x128. Its like steps though. an image 65x65 will use the same memory as an image 128x128. If that makes sense. I don't really worry about that as much as getting the actor size right for resolution independence and then doubling the art dimensions But I haven't made any really resource intensive games yet either.