Is res independence really that important? Any tricks to save MB usage?

ozboybrianozboybrian PRO Posts: 2,102
edited November -1 in Working with GS (Mac)
I have this game and it's at 17mb already.

No idea. Most of it is set up for RSI. but seriously.... it's not that big of a game.

Any help would be good guys.

Comments

  • IsabelleKIsabelleK Member, Sous Chef Posts: 2,807
    ozboybrian said:
    I have this game and it's at 17mb already.

    No idea. Most of it is set up for RSI. but seriously.... it's not that big of a game.

    Any help would be good guys.

    Turn on RI, ONLY if your images are designed for Retina (960x640), otherway, they will be pixelated on older iPhones.
  • ozboybrianozboybrian PRO Posts: 2,102
    Huh O.o

    Someone told me to have them at RSi on for the iPhone 4 Graphics? Cause people will think the graphics are poor on a iPhone 4 O.o

    arrrrrgh. Now i'm mega lost.
  • IsabelleKIsabelleK Member, Sous Chef Posts: 2,807
    ozboybrian said:
    Huh O.o

    Someone told me to have them at RSi on for the iPhone 4 Graphics? Cause people will think the graphics are poor on a iPhone 4 O.o

    arrrrrgh. Now i'm mega lost.

    One more time, to make sure that you understood me:
    You can make your game optimized for Retina, or not. If you want to make graphics for Retina, all of them should be two times bigger than the standard graphics (so, instead of 480x320 background, you have to make 960x640 background etc.). If you have those graphics for Retina, then you should turn on RI in GameSalad, to save RAM usage.
  • ozboybrianozboybrian PRO Posts: 2,102
    Yeah. That's what I always do.

    So i've been told to set up Ri and have all images set to double there intended size.
    If I don't use Ri/set double size, my images/actors will look poor on iPhone 4 devices.
    Right?

    Edit - on my 3GS it actualy had parts in the game where it looked good and bad.
    I turned of RSI and now on the bit that looked bad it looks good.
    Weird.
  • beefy_clyrobeefy_clyro Member Posts: 5,394
    Your images that are exactly double should still be even numbers when divided. So an image that is 250 x 250, on a 3gs it will be created as 125 x 125, as we know, that will blur. Having RI ticked checks what model the game is on, if its not a 4g, it will create a new set of images which are half the size, therefore, you would need to make the 250 x 250 image, 252 x 252 so it would create the image as 126 x 126 on older hardware
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  • ApplaudAppsApplaudApps Member Posts: 308
    Or in other words make sure the dimensions are divisible by 4 - then you will always have even number of pixels on both the large and small versions when using RI.
  • Metronome49Metronome49 Member Posts: 297
    ozboybrian said:
    So i've been told to set up Ri and have all images set to double there intended size.
    If I don't use Ri/set double size, my images/actors will look poor on iPhone 4 devices.
    Right?

    No, if you don't include double-size images, and you don't click RI, then on the iPhone 4 your graphics will look THE SAME as on a 3Gs. Double-size images and RI is only for if you want too look BETTER on an iPhone 4 than on a 3Gs.

    If you click RI, but don't include double size images, then your graphics will look bad on 3Gs.

    Clear?
  • BarkBarkCoBarkBarkCo Member Posts: 1,400
    I think you guys are contradicting each other a little bit. Instead of adding to the confusion by telling you how to use RI, I'll explain what it actually does.

    If you enable RI GS assumes that ALL of your graphics are sized for retina displays. Repeat, ALL of your graphics. GS then creates a small version of ALL of your graphics for use on non-retina devices. This results in larger builds but lower RAM usage on non-retina devices. One of the side-effects of creating smaller copies of your images (1/2 resolution, 1/4 pixels) is that graphics with dimensions that are not divisible by 2 become blurry and graphics that are not divisible by 4 become off center. You can solve both issues by just making sure your graphic dimensions are all divisible by 4. Also, it doesn't help to just go into photoshop and resize the image because you end up with the same blurry mess. Graphics should be created or trimmed down to the right size.

    If you disable RI and follow all of the rules above your game will look fine on retina and non-retina devices. The only difference is GS will not create the small versions of your art and it will not swap out the hi-res graphics on non-retina devices. This results in smaller builds and increased RAM usage on non-retina devices.

    Edit: This also results in increased processor activity because all of the downsizing is done in the device.

    Also, because RI only works if all of your art is hi-res, you shouldn't use it if you want to mix and match graphics of varying pixel densities.
  • DizkoDizko Member Posts: 498
    My rule of thumb for the sizing issues, is to make sure than when your Retina image is divided in half, its outcome is an even number. The rule where the graphics should be twice the size of the actor (at least) still applies.

    Power of 2 sizes always work, 32 64 128 256 512 etc etc

    But if you need an odd size (sometimes you do) then just make sure that when it's divided in half, its result is an even number.

    In my experience so far, it doesn't have to be explicitly divisible by 4.

    Also when you say your game is 17 mb, do you mean in memory or is that how big the game is when you compile it into an .app file?
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Dizko said:

    In my experience so far, it doesn't have to be explicitly divisible by 4.

    If you can divide a number by two and still get an even number it was also divisible by 4

    Everyone really seems to way over think RI.

    First Re-read BarkBarkCo's post its a very good way to understand Whats happening.

    Second the power of 2 rules only affect memory uses so forget about it unless you are having massive memory issues.

    Third Create your actors to the size you want them to be and make sure they are even numbers.

    Forth once you have decided on your even numbered actor sizes. Double those numbers and wham you have the needed image size and it will be divisible by 4. Create your art to this size and save it as a png with 72DPI and your good to go.

    Now the only way you can mix and match High Res and low res art is two uncheck RI and then still use High res images where you want. Those images will still appear great on high res devices and will appear in low res on the low res devices however your low res device will be using the same memory and processor as though it was a high res image. Translation -- worse performance.

    Good luck and hopefully this sheds some light on the subject. Don't let it scare you its very simple when you don't make it into more that it really is which is just double sizes. :)

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  • ozboybrianozboybrian PRO Posts: 2,102
    You where ALL awesomely helpful in many ways.
    Thanks heaps!!!! Makes things a lot clearer.

    Bless yas. Will def show my Graphics partner.
  • LumpAppsLumpApps Member Posts: 2,881
    I am rebuilding one of my apps with ri on and double Sized images and must say that the result on a retina dispkay is stunning. I also use photoshops save for web (png24 for transparent and png8 for non transparent) and the fun thing is that because of that the size of the unpublished app went from 11mb to 7mb. That is with images double the size.

    So if you have photoshop that is an option. When saving for web I try to use les colours as well. So 128 instead of 256 for example.

    Lump Apps and My Assets

  • icecold601icecold601 Member Posts: 40
    Does your plane have to be 960 x 640 if you want to use RI?
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