[NUKEMDAVE]

After seeing high resolution texture packs out there for various N64 games, I thought I'd get one started for Zero Hour. I think I know why nobody has started one yet, too. It was a little difficult finding an emulator that would run Zero Hour fairly well with the video plugin that allows high resolution textures, but I found one. I'm using the 1964 emulator with the Rice Video plugin. It runs a little slow, but it's not too bad.

Screenshots:





Download

I've been doing what I can, and I'd say I finished quite a bit so far with my artistic capabilities. My friend remade the graffiti babes and a few other things.

[Komenja]

Nice work!

[DavoX]

I've never played zero hour, never had any interest, but if this goes further along I just might try it!

[OpenMaw]

Looking good Dave!

 DavoX, on 16 July 2013 - 07:13 AM, said:

I've never played zero hour, never had any interest, but if this goes further along I just might try it!

It's worth a playthrough for sure.

[NUKEMDAVE]

Here's another screenshot:



I don't want to show off too much. If there's anyone who can do model skins and wants to be involved, let me know. It would be cool to see the Duke model with a new skin.

[OpenMaw]

If you send me the textures either through PM, Email, or facebook i'll see if I can help out.

[Tea Monster]

Can you replace models?

[Tetsuo]

The replacement stuff in the rice plugin is strictly for textures... I mean.. that's all it dumps and loads from folders anyway.

[OpenMaw]

I'll see what I can do with the Duke textures some time. No promises though, as i'm working on it blind without a mesh reference.

[Tea Monster]

I can't promise anything, but I'd like to see some of the files. Can you drop me one of the character sheets and maybe a couple of flats? I'd just like to see what they were using on the N64. What format are they in and do you have stuff like alphas or glowmaps?

[NUKEMDAVE]

 Tea Monster, on 25 July 2013 - 02:33 PM, said:

I can't promise anything, but I'd like to see some of the files. Can you drop me one of the character sheets and maybe a couple of flats? I'd just like to see what they were using on the N64. What format are they in and do you have stuff like alphas or glowmaps?

I'll send you some. They're ripped in PNG format and that's the only format that works with higher resolution replacement. You can enlarge the tiles four times their original size, but it has to be exactly four times larger. I don't think there's any alphas or glowmaps that I'm aware of yet. There's a few original Duke3D textures in there and I already borrowed some from the HRP.

[Tetsuo]

I've made some 1024px sized textures for Mario 64.... which was a lot bigger than the previous "high res" textures which where 256px which in turn where of course so many times bigger than the original (I forgot exactly how big they where.. probably 64x64 or something).

To be precise it has to be the same ratio\dimensions as the original.

The original textures seemed to be something like a tga type format with a seperate alpha channel mask but the rice plugin exports\imports them to 32-bit png images.

We're talking about 1995 tech here though with no source port type enhancements. So as far as I can tell there's no glow maps.... alpha channels is about as advanced as it gets. That's not to say that they might not code some more enhancements into the rice plugin in the future but as of now.. no.

Example of some work I've done:

[Lunick]

That's really really cool!

[NUKEMDAVE]

I tried going larger than four times the original size while keeping the same ratio. It doesn't work for me.

[Tea Monster]

Do they use a special palette?

[Fox]

 Tea Monster, on 25 July 2013 - 03:38 AM, said:

Can you replace models?

Not even remotely. All the plugin does is intercepting the output data. It's not that hard to replace textures, however the whole 3D scenario is processed as one element, so it's not possible to replace individual parts.



On the other hand you can extract the models to be used outside of the game, but it's necessary to cut the pieces manually.

[Tetsuo]

 NUKEMDAVE, on 25 July 2013 - 10:47 PM, said:

I tried going larger than four times the original size while keeping the same ratio. It doesn't work for me.

I'd have no clue why.... all I know is my attempts worked for me. Perhaps the size you can use varies by game.

 Tea Monster, on 26 July 2013 - 03:43 AM, said:

Do they use a special palette?

None except perhaps a self imposed one. The textures are 32-bit.. well... depending on the game.. for example.. in Zelda 64 the HUD graphics are full 32-bit but in Mario 64 it seems to ignore the alpha channel when applying the alpha mask to the HUD.

[Tea Monster]

Wowee man, how are you supposed to get all the different bits to match up?

[Fox]

 Tetsuo, on 26 July 2013 - 07:12 AM, said:

I'd have no clue why.... all I know is my attempts worked for me. Perhaps the size you can use varies by game.

I also had trouble with the image size using the Highres texture plugin. I don't know what exactly is the problem...

 Tetsuo, on 26 July 2013 - 07:12 AM, said:

None except perhaps a self imposed one. The textures are 32-bit.. well... depending on the game.. for example.. in Zelda 64 the HUD graphics are full 32-bit but in Mario 64 it seems to ignore the alpha channel when applying the alpha mask to the HUD.

Duke Nukem 64 textures work under Duke 3D palette, except for a few cutscene screens without color limitations. Zero Hour textures seems to not have been created under any palette restriction, except the ones reused from Duke 3D of course. However for both games the output device limit the textures to 16 colors before they are displayed.

[Tea Monster]

I've got two problems. 1. The Duke model is made out of a million different bits and peices. Each section has it's own tile. So that the Duke character has something stupid like 8 tiles to make up the character. How am I supposed to get all these to match up?
2. I've not played the game or gone through the tile set, so if I get one of those teeny textures, I have no idea what it's supposed to be in the game!

I think I'll have to set up the game again and have a play-through. I actually started once a few months ago, but didn't get past the first level.

[djdori11]

What's going on with this? I hoped to see this get released in some way...

[NUKEMDAVE]

Some progress was made on it, but not a whole lot. I might release it soon.

[djdori11]

 NUKEMDAVE, on 11 January 2015 - 07:01 AM, said:

Some progress was made on it, but not a whole lot. I might release it soon.

Great to see, would love to replay Zero Hour with this.

[NUKEMDAVE]

I added a download link to the first post. The emulator I was using is included. If anyone is interested in having a go at remaking any of the textures, just enable texture dumping before you get to where the textures you want to dump are located. They get dumped in the "plugin/texture_dump" folder. High resolution textures go in the "plugin/hires_texture/Duke Nukem Zero Hour" folder. Give the high resolution textures the same filenames as the dumped textures.

[Steve 64]

I really like to give this ago sometime, this game is really awesome game deserves to be rerelease on new platforms with online support coop/dm