Is iOS universal possible if I started off with iphone no resolution independence?

Franto

My largest game I started off when I didn't know much, and now I realize that not having resolution independence might be a hindrance to what I want?

If I try to publish to iOS universal, what would happen? Would it display small, would it stretch well depending on the option selected? I heard that games that don't have resolution independence get rejected? Should I just make a new game and drag everything into that? On windows creator, it's not possible so it would take 4-9 hours to recreate the entire thing, maybe more, would dragging on Mac be a simple process or would some things go missing like certain behaviors and attributes?

The_Gamesalad_Guru

All iOS games iphone and iPad must support Retnia devices or they will be rejected.

Hopscotch

@Franto, the bigger issue is probably recreating your graphics. For resolution independence they need to be twice the height and width of the actor.

The quickest way is setting your project to resolution independence, reimporting the larger sized graphics and then using the Stretch option to make it universal. And see how it looks, alternatively use crop (which is a bit more work, adjusting actors for different aspect ratios).

Which devices are you targeting?

Franto

I guess I want to say both idevices and android. But is it recommended that I target all iOS devices or just iphone? And if target all iOS devices, what platform do I start from? Ipad?

Here is my game that turned out not to have resolution independence from the beginning:
http://arcade.gamesalad.com/game/121077

There is a lot more to it than just that level, but on windows creator, it would take too many hours to recreate all the behaviors for all those buttons. If MAC is as fast and as easy to drag into a new game as some say it is, I might go with that using the macincloud. Also, I don't really understand how that whole x4 exactly works. Do you mean that the file size of the actual image is say 64, but the game has the actors size at 32 so that when in RE mode, it will use the actual file size of 64, or do you have to actually make the actor 64 as well?

Hopscotch

@Franto, the image height and width needs to be double that of the actor.

If the actor is 32x32 pixels, the imported image needs to be 64x64 pixels. Don't change the actor.

Retina fits the larger resolution image/texture onto the lower resolution actor/area to give a smoother crisper image.

Hopscotch

@Franto,

if you target all devices, it is in my opinion best to develop for the largest screen size, being iPad Retina, then using crop or stretch to fit the smaller screens.

This way your images will always look great on all devices.

Franto

Sounds like a good idea, thanks for the advice. Also, only thing that worries me is the onnscreen touch buttons I use in my game. If I use crop or stretch, would it interfere with their functionality?

Also, if I drag all the behaviors and actors, characters from my old game to the new with retina and ipad res, how long would the process take? Taking into account the amount of sprites in the game I posted and the two levels.

Hopscotch

For "stretch" nothing changes. With "crop" your game needs to dynamically adjust the actors inward, depending on the device and whether the top and bottom or the sides get cropped off. Search for "universal build" in the forums and youtube to get an idea.

How long it would take to convert it all to a new project I could not tell you. If you are careful, then you could ...

• backup your project,
• change your current project to "resolution independence" and iPad format.
• Then make sure that all your scene and camera sizes are correct for iPad.
• Now reimport your high resolution images.
• Then reposition all your actors
• and make changes to calculations that affect x/y coordinates.

Starting a new project and dragging behaviours over is probably much more work and prone to problems.

Franto

Wait a minute, you can just change the format and resolution independence on the current project?! When was this implemented? I'm still on the official release, windows version, I haven't touched any nightlies or release candidates.

I was saving up money to buy a macincloud to "drag and drop" to a new project on the mac version since windows doesn't even get that, but your saying I can make these changes in the current project? It's definately not available for windows as I checked every option in the creator's menu, which gave me the idea that RI was something only editable when you make the game. And thanks for all those instructions, I'll make sure to follow them to a tee. I only suggested what I did, not knowing of superior methods that were available.

Hopscotch

@Franto, erm, by hand yes.

Always back up your project first!

Open the project folder and edit the object.xml file with notepad.

In it find the following strings

<resolutionIndependence>0</resolutionIndependence>

<resolution>0</resolution>

<size id="displaySize">
      <real id="width">480</real>
      <real id="height">320</real>
</size>

and change values to

<resolutionIndependence>1</resolutionIndependence> 

<resolution>3</resolution>

<size id="displaySize">
      <real id="width">1024</real>
      <real id="height">768</real>
</size>

Franto

Thank you, it kind of "worked". But now it freezes in the preview scenes, and in the creator, it's still the size of 480x320, only looking like the new size in preview. And it looked like it just stretched out the 480x320 into the new size rather than actually being the new size with everything else remaining their actual pixel size. 0_ O I would have to make a quick mock up of the game in ipad to see how the size of the actor sprites compares and see if GS creator is just stretching the actual existing size. I'm guessing the freezing that occurs in preview is because of the new size conflicting with the original size and stuff.

Hopscotch

@Franto,

• change your current project to "resolution independence" and iPad format.
• Then make sure that all your scene and camera sizes are correct for iPad.

And you said you would follow the instructions to a tee.

Franto

Oh, I'll try that part out, I assumed that when it just stretched things out that the system had glitched because it was the windows creator and the trick would only work on mac. I'll try again and see what happens.

EDIT: I just found out camera settings can be edited, I remember looking for it when I started and having no way to edit the camera's size once the game was made, but now it's there. Thanks for making me look again. All this time I thought it was an "unchangeable" attribute due to some kind of limitation.

Franto

@hopscotch Thanks, it actually worked, the game resized while keeping the sprites small. I already applied the x4 rule to replacement graphics in the character select and it worked out really well, the graphics are very smooth. The new size allows for a larger scope of the level now.

http://arcade.gamesalad.com/game/121188

Hopscotch

@Franto, super, glad it worked for you.

JodyMitoma

@Franto said:
hopscotch Thanks, it actually worked, the game resized while keeping the sprites small. I already applied the x4 rule to replacement graphics in the character select and it worked out really well, the graphics are very smooth. The new size allows for a larger scope of the level now.

http://arcade.gamesalad.com/game/121188

I found a MYSTERY LEVEL! O.O

Franto

@Hopscotch Thanks, I very much appreciate your help.

@JodyMitoma I was trying to keep that level a mystery. They'res a bunch of guys at the entrance there, waiting to mob whoever enters. How did you fare?