Creating HD Textures for a Game?

[Failcookie]

I have been doing some research on adding HD textures to a game, thanks to all of the wonderful posts that I saw on the HD Texture subsection. My real question is: Any tips or a guide for doing this?

Here is what I know... I know that you dump textures from a game by going to the Graphic options and clicking dump textures, you then load your textures by clicking the box for loading custom textures. You place them in the folder relevant to the Game ID and that all worked successfully and wonderful like.

Technical issues aside... what I am looking for is the ways of the tools. I have access to PS CS6 and all of the rest of the Design Suite because I randomly need to use them at the office. I am no where near proficient in the art of PS, but I do know the basics and have to maneuver my way around the program. For those of you have done retexturing, how do you go about adding HD elements to a game?

I am currently looking at modifying some basic levels of Animal Crossing for the Gamecube. Mostly because the text really drives me nuts because it's so blurry and pixelated and that was one of my all time favorite games on the Gamcube. Learning from that point, I would like to make some basic retexturing with reference to City Folk and some models used there.

What do you think guys? Any tips, advice or help on this? I'm sure some other users on the forum may enjoy some help! It would be pretty awesome to have some more HD texturing in the forum.

I am attaching the .png for the text of Animal Crossing. My first question is: What are some tips on enhancing this? And does it need to exactly replicate the spacing in the text in order for the system to pick it up?

[SLAYER]

open that file in PS, resize it to 1024*1024, choose a suitable font and lay the new letters over the old ones (using layers, I would use a different layer for each letter). when finished Hide the original layer.

save as png (and keep the .PSD file with all the layers in case the letters don't exactly match.)

[Failcookie]

Okay, I feel better about the lettering knowing it needs to be pretty close to the original.

[AnyOldName3]

Websites such as What The font should help you identify the exact font you want, although it won't work if it's a unique font.

[Failcookie]

On an additional note, looking outside the font for just a moment. Some textures, such as.. let's say.. a bag of money. The best way to deal with the resolution on that would be to completely redraw it correct? I can't think of a way that PS could blow it up and make it look any better. But I want to know for sure before I take a longer route on accident.

[AnyOldName3]

I think there are some thins you could do to upscale it reasonably, but it will definitely be better to redraw the textures if you have time to do it properly.

[Failcookie]

Alright, that is some good info Thanks guys for your advice!

[foggyspider]

Don't just use arbitrary sizes when you increase textures. Use multiples of 2. So good practice for an HD texture pack is to set the new textures to * 4 the previous size. This will keep your proportions correct.

You can keep the old upscaled image on it's own layer as a rough reference. For simple shape textures without color you can use the shape tool.

For shapes that a simple rectangle or elipse can't handle you can learn about the pen tool for pathing. Trace all the hard edges, set brush hardness and size, then stroke it on the paths tab.

For text I would try to match the font as close as you can, and use the text tool. Adjust the font size and align the new letters edges to the reference as best as you can.

For textures that are colored, detailed, and have complex shapes there is no simple way to upscale or trace them. These textures need to be redone by hand using the original as simply refrence/alignment.

[AnyOldName3]

Or you can replace them with high res ones from the PC version of the game etc.