Simple Question RE image size and DPI

peachpellen

If I were making an app that I'd like to be able to run on the iPad, iPhone 4 AND the 3g(s) - what graphics will I need?

Should I create 3 sets of graphics, or what?

Sorry, I know this is basic stuff; I've just never had to consider it before. ^-^;

JCFord

Always better to create graphics at the larger size and then you can always downsize. I create a lot of my graphics as vector, so I can scale them to whatever size I need before turning them into PNG's.

iPad - 1024 x 768 at 72ppi

iphone up to 3gs - 480 x 320 at 72ppi

iphone 4 - 960 x 620 at 72ppi

I believe iPad games have to be stand alone but in GS 0.88+ you can import the iphone 4 size graphics and if you enable the new Resolution independent option it will downsize them on the fly to the older iphone size.

WyrdGuitarist

I've been wondering the same thing - it might be basic stuff, but it's good to know

Out of curiosity what vector software do you use JC, and do you create your actors at a standard size before converting them? I'm just starting out, so not quite sure if I should try to go for a standard size as far as possible - say 256x256?

gyroscope

And another question please - hope you don't mind, peachpellen - providing Enable Resolution Independance wasn't checked, would 480 x 320 images look OK on the iPhone4?

gyroscope

Oiks, no one wants to talk to me; must have been something I said sometime, somewhere. Sorry about that. :-(

iPhoneDevForMe

Im just a little confused on the EXACT right way to create RE apps.

From my understanding, create a graphic that is 960 x 640, and add it to an actor that is 480 x 320. With every actor create the graphics at twice the size.

Anyone who has done this care to confirm that this is EXACTLY how it works?

chosenonestudios

gyroscope said:
And another question please - hope you don't mind, peachpellen - providing Enable Resolution Independance wasn't checked, would 480 x 320 images look OK on the iPhone4?

They would look exactly the same as on a 3gs and older... Not bad, but definitely nowhere near where they could be..

chosenonestudios

iPhoneDevForMe said:
Im just a little confused on the EXACT right way to create RE apps.

From my understanding, create a graphic that is 960 x 640, and add it to an actor that is 480 x 320. With every actor create the graphics at twice the size.

Anyone who has done this care to confirm that this is EXACTLY how it works?

Yes, say you already created you entire game in 480 x 320... And now you want to upgrade... Say you have a wall that is 200 x 200... To upgrade it to 4 RES status you'd just double it... S yeah, build your game regularly as you normally would and the ONLY thing you change is the graphic size (by doubling it of course)

Edit: Oh just realized thats exactly what you put, anyway I'm tired, but yes thats the correct way to do it.

Going to Bed!

reddotinc

gyroscope said:
And another question please - hope you don't mind, peachpellen - providing Enable Resolution Independance wasn't checked, would 480 x 320 images look OK on the iPhone4?

They do look OK, but hi-res images look STUNNING.

// Red Dot Inc

peachpellen

Thank you all - and no worries gyro, I'm bookmarking this thread for use down the line and any extra related info helps

gyroscope

Thanks peachpellen! :-]

And thanks also to chosenonestudios for answering my question!

PS

gyroscope said:
Oiks, no one wants to talk to me; must have been something I said sometime, somewhere. Sorry about that. :-(

I'm a sensitive soul sometimes; I'd had a "bad hair day" yesterday. Which is surprising, considering I haven't got any hair! :-)

StusApps

A good work flow if you are planning on producing a game for iPad and iphone is to make it for ipad first. Once finished, re-save the project as something else and change to iphone on the home screen. Then just resize all your graphics within GS to fit the smaller screen. The advantage of this is that you already have high res images in the ipad version. GS will then keep those for iphone 4 users and create smaller lower-res ones for standard displays. Three platforms supported quite easily.

peachpellen

gyroscope said:
I'm a sensitive soul sometimes; I'd had a "bad hair day" yesterday. Which is surprising, considering I haven't got any hair! :-)

It might surprise you to know I had a fully shaved head for quite a while! I've grown it back for Winter though; that said, summer's only a few months away :P

gyroscope

peachpellen said:
It might surprise you to know I had a fully shaved head for quite a while! I've grown it back for Winter though; that said, summer's only a few months away :P

Tis a bit of a surprise; must have looked cool! ) ( << experimenting with keyboard smilies!)

peachpellen

gyroscope said:
Tis a bit of a surprise; must have looked cool! ) ( << experimenting with keyboard smilies!)

It actually looked great; I have a good head for it. (I also loved it when it was short as with dark eyeliner - haha. I'm not that girly so it was nice to try a new look, even a weirder one.)

I like the ) smiley, but also the cute ones; <(o.o<) and =(o.o)= :P

gyroscope

Like your cute smilies! I Youtubed? OK, YouTubed cutting off hair; there's tons of it; found this one, for instance, called "Me shaving my long hair off my head". Not me, you understand! (Although when I was this guy's age, my hair was long).



:·

stemarthe

JCFord said:
Always better to create graphics at the larger size and then you can always downsize. I create a lot of my graphics as vector, so I can scale them to whatever size I need before turning them into PNG's.

iPad - 1024 x 768 at 72ppi

iphone up to 3gs - 480 x 320 at 72ppi

iphone 4 - 960 x 620 at 72ppi

I believe iPad games have to be stand alone but in GS 0.88+ you can import the iphone 4 size graphics and if you enable the new Resolution independent option it will downsize them on the fly to the older iphone size.

Ok this is quite confusing for me now.

The iPad has a 9.5 x 7.5 inches screen

The iPhone has a 4.5 x 2.3 inches screen

If I make an image for an iPhone4 with 960 x 620 will have to shrink in to fit those pixels in compared to iphone3 with 480 x 320 for the "same" screen size...

so my button, if we say that 57x57 is the minimum for a touch button on screen will really be different on both screen or im not seeing this correctly?

Thanks for the help!

= )

StusApps

stemarthe said:
Ok this is quite confusing for me now.

The iPad has a 9.5 x 7.5 inches screen

The iPhone has a 4.5 x 2.3 inches screen

If I make an image for an iPhone4 with 960 x 620 will have to shrink in to fit those pixels in compared to iphone3 with 480 x 320 for the "same" screen size...

so my button, if we say that 57x57 is the minimum for a touch button on screen will really be different on both screen or im not seeing this correctly?

Thanks for the help!

= )

Your button will still be the same if you tick the resolution independence button on the home screen.

GS will create a high res and a low res version for your app, it will then detect whether it is being played on an iphone 4 or not and display the image. The size relative to the screen remains whatever you set it at. So no extra work on your part just make the game with higher res graphics than you normally would for iphone and the app will take care of everything else.