[Opensim-dev] The case for greater than 1024x1024 pixel textures.

[Peter Newman]

I would just like to add that there are historically technical
limitations with textures over 1024x1024. I don't know about currently,
but until relatively recently, there was no OpenGL implementation that
supported larger textures properly.

I don't know if this is still the case, however, or how wide spread this
support is - and would such a movement require compatibility work for
supporting clients without these capabilities.

Peter N

On 7/11/2011 3:53 PM, Amy Smith wrote:
> This is part of an effort to increase the awareness in 
> the developer community of a longstanding need among 
> OpenSim content creators and designers of simulator 
> environments, for higher resolution pixel textures 
> (images greater than current 1024x1024 pixels) 
> to be used in stand-alone and/or grid operation of 
> sim regions using OpenSimulator. 
>
> We are cartoons...
> The present limit of 1024x1024 pixels contributes 
> to a "cartoon-like" or sub-optimum look and feel to 
> OpenSimulator. If we are to make progress in 21st century 
> 3D graphics, higher resolution imagery is needed. 
>
> Is it in only in the Viewer?
> Some devs point to the viewer clients being coded to limit 
> the image size at upload. Since OpenSimulator project has 
> recently changed license and participation method, to provide 
> increased interaction between viewer developers and simulator 
> developers, perhaps there is a renewed possibility to solve 
> this problem in the near future. Some TPV viewers have provided 
> compatibility switches in the Grid Manager section for 
> use with OpenSimulator. 
>
> Is there a SIMULATOR or server-side solution?
> If the only limits are in the viewer UPLOAD, then perhaps 
> a method of image insertion at the database level or 
> in the simulator console could be provided for higher 
> resolution textures.
>
> What should the limit be?It is estimated that increasing the limit to 
> at least 4096 x 4096 pixels would suffice for 
> most applications. But, for future expansion, 
> it should be up to the designer, the sim operator, or 
> the grid operator to set such limits (if any).
>
> The areas of design that suffer the most from 
> current texture size limits (1024x1024 pixels) are:
>
> 1. AVATARS: Avatar skin and system clothing. (Currently: very blurry! )
> 2. HUGE PRIMS: Large prim objects, such as buildings, environment/ space/ sky/ backdrops/ backgrounds, etc.
> 3. SCULPTY: Visible texture applied to surface of sculpted objects.
> 4. MESH: Visible texture applied to surface of mesh objects.
> 5. LAND: Teraform, land/ground RAWs, textures, and data maps.
>
> Reproduction of the current situation:
> 1. Upload a 4096x4096 image for use with avatar upper body UV wrapped texture for system avatar.
> 2. Observe after upload, that the image has been converted by down-sampling and poorly compressing to a resulting 1024x1024 texture.
> 3. Apply the texture to the upper body of the system avatar in the opensimulator region.
> 4. Look at the avatar in the opensimulator region, and observe that the texture is fuzzy.
> 5. Compare the difference in sharpness of the original design image to the fuzziness of the inworld texture.
>
> Respectfully,
> Amy Smith
> aka. Lani Global
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