ESRGAN (upscaling old textures with neural networks)

[6743cb6fe0546edx]

Just thought that I would mention this, as it may be of use/interest to our very dedicated SS2 modders.

Resetera has a nice thread going about possible applications, tests, etc:
https://www.resetera.com/threads/ai-neural-networks-being-used-to-generate-hq-textures-for-older-games-you-can-do-it-yourself.88272/

There is a really nice DOOM project applying it:
https://www.techspot.com/news/77805-using-neural-networks-visually-overhaul-doom.html
https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/99021-v-0-95-doom-neural-upscale-2x/

Version 0.95 of the user’s Doom Neural Upscale 2X project is now available to download. With the pack, Hidfan has run the game’s textures and sprites through neural networks which upscaled the resources 8x then downscaled them 2x as to not fully lose the pixelated aesthetic.

Hidfan had to clean up a lot of the textures by hand and manually enhance all of the transparency masks. The results, however, are incredible and well worth the effort.

Doom NeuralUpscale 2x what is it ? :
Using AI NeuralNetworks (A lot of Nividia's texture tools super resolution and a little bit of Topaz's AI gigaPixel), all textures and sprites have been upscaled 8x (with tons of AI artefacts), then downscaled to a final 2X to restore a pixel art look.
A lot of textures have been manually cleaned of AI artefacts and all transparency masks have to be manually enhanced (because AI don't know what to do with binary Black&White yet).

And a Morrowind texture pack also:
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/morrowind-enhanced-textures-is-a-must-have-mod-that-upscales-texture-by-4x-with-esrgan-technique/

[6743cb6fe07cdNameless Voice]

Everything I try putting through those algorithms just ends up looking really stylised, hand-drawn and cartoony.

ancient/brd_ladl
ancient/brd128b_rlt
ancient/walfresa_rlt

[6743cb6fe08cdAnony]

What are you talking about? Those look great imo.

[6743cb6fe09d7The Many]

 The many does not recognize Anony. New member?

[6743cb6fe0b6dmarcelo]

Textures can be upscaled even further with algorithms like esrgan or gigapixel:

512x512
Image: http://oi67.tinypic.com/fbx6a1.jpg

2048x2048
Image: http://oi67.tinypic.com/2cpp641.jpg

[6743cb6fe0cd0marcelo]

Same with the mesh textures: I re up scaled all textures for meshes with Gigapixel. I think esrgan could accomplish a better result:

128x256
http://oi67.tinypic.com/25gcnz6.jpg


1536x3072
http://oi63.tinypic.com/2cei0ky.jpg

[6743cb6fe0e69voodoo47]

I feel like rescaling algorithms have no place in a topic about properly created hires textures.

[6743cb6fe0fbfVegoraptor]

They do make for rather fancy placeholders though.

[6743cb6fe12adOlfred]

Besides, it was already mentioned on here.

[6743cb6fe13a7voodoo47]

aand split and merged.

[6743cb6fe1575ZylonBane]

Jesus, who uses TinyPic of their own free will?