Art-I Just Don't Understand

11XIndustries

I cannot wrap my head around the art files. My designer sent my background to me at 1915 × 640 pixels. So, I will need to go into inkscape and change this to, say 2048 x 640? And say the designer sent me a character at 362 × 315 pixels. I will need to change this character to what? If I just directly change this character, it will not look right. It will look boxy. In addition, I need the are to be able to work on the iPhone and iPad.I will be using inkscape to make the changes. I just can't wrap my head around it. All the file sizes that are divided by 4 will make everything boxy and not proportionate. Can someone explain this in detail to me.I am just not getting it.

Dues

If you open an actor in GS an look at the size of it, your art has to be double the size of that actor for it to work with retina.

If your scene is 1024x768 your background has to be 2048x1536.

I if your actor is 32x32 your art has to be 64x64

Fal01

Why isn't your designer making the artwork to the appropriate size to start with?

jonmulcahy

They don't have to be both the same. You can have an image 400x100 or 194x84. Doesn't matter the ratio, just that the numbers are divisible by 4.

You should plan your game with desired actors size and have your art person design them at 2x the height. Or just ask them to provide vectors and you can enlarge at will without losing quality

TouchiMedia

Ok now I have a question...

You make a scene that is 1024x768 (ipad default template) but make BG 2048x1536.

You design the actor's size around the 2048x1536 specs - but on a scene that is 1024x768 , non-retina, it'll look big because the actor was originally designed for the retina display.

When I create an iPAD game - use the 1024x768 template and a 2048x1536 background, import the image for the actor as if they are scaled to 2048x1536.. but won't they look bigger if it's on a non-retina ipad?

Ahh it's so confusing how Apple has done this, and introducing yet another iphone with different dimensions such a headache!

tatiang

You design the actor's size around the 2048x1536 specs - but on a scene that is 1024x768 , non-retina, it'll look big because the actor was originally designed for the retina display.

Nope. If you have an iPad-sized scene (1024 x 768), then you make your background actor size 1024 x 768. The image file that is imported into the Library should be 2048 x 1536. The actor size is the same for retina and non-retina devices. The app just scales the image file to the appropriate size for the device.

TouchiMedia

Oh ok. Think I got it. Import background images into library at the 2048x1536 specs, then when creating an actor - scale the actor appropriately to 1024... thank you

UtopianGames

Don't forget to check resolution independence if your using retina art.

You won't have to scale your actors if you do the above.

Darren.

Socks

@11XIndustries

I cannot wrap my head around the art files.

You should never attempt this, you can get seriously pixelated if it goes wrong.

My designer sent my background to me at 1915 × 640 pixels. So, I will need to go into inkscape and change this to, say 2048 x 640?

In reality you don't have to change to anything if you don't want to, GameSalad will happily accept a 1915 x 640 pixel image, but in an ideal world the sizes would be divisible by 4 to prevent the images possibly looking a little soft in places (this is more applicable to graphic images and less so to things like photographs where you will most likely not notice) - but with most iOS devices being Retina these days even if the image is slightly softer you hardly notice.

But if you want optimum quality, make your images divisible by 4.

And say the designer sent me a character at 362 × 315 pixels. I will need to change this character to what? If I just directly change this character, it will not look right. It will look boxy.

If you don't want the aspect ratio to change (I'm guessing this is what you mean by 'boxy') then I'd simply enlarge the canvas size of the image file (which does not enlarge the image) to 364 x 316 pixels, that's an extra pixel on the left and the right and an extra pixel added onto the height - now it's divisible by 4.

In addition, I need the [art] to be able to work on the iPhone and iPad.

I'd work to iPad size - whilst bearing in mind that you will need to make a more landscape version from the iPad version.