Optimized GFX for Yuoki Mods (Oh,it's so lighter!) V3 upd!

[nastyslave]

Yuoki mods are great.. but.. but.. what??
They have a huge size and your game now loads too slow???
- SOLVED!



About V2:
Hello again. And again I decide do some work on optimizations! Our master Yuoki release a new versions for this period of time and I repack them again to be up to date.
Thanks mr. keyboardhack to open my eyes to beautiful pngquant utility. I start to search any similiar programs that can improve our results in compress of our factorio png-graphics. Then I find awesome compresser called pingo! On the site of pingo autor write a complex review of many png-optimizers! After hundreds of tests i decide to pick both pngquant and pingo to postprocess our graphics. Result is simply amazing, as always! Size reduced again, and again it's visually seems as original! Each image was processed by pngquant and then compressed ultimately with pingo. Images with gradients were optimized especially carefully and file by file to prevent quality loss.

Oh. Almost forget. I write a simple humble script - so anyone can now compress their png's like a boss (see readme in it for details).

I'm pleased to report that overall final size of four Yuoki's main mods is REDUCED from 271Mb to unbelievable 68,4Mb!!! ( -74,7% )

About old v1

About v1:
I have only notebook with old and slow Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics. And old slow non-SSD HDD in it. On win7-32. Because of this big fat mods like Yuoki's that contains a lot of hi-res graphics loads my tiny notebook so much and Factorio loads several long minutes. And starts crashes regulary because it's not enough video memory now. I realize that problem is going on from many big picture files. Decide to optimize them the best I can. Because Factorio teached me to be optimized
In the beginning when I saw that images are already in .png (compressed format), I first think that optimization (without changing vert./horiz. resolution and don't lose much quality of this beautiful sprites) can bring me at most 10 or 15% reduced filesize... if I'll lucky. I start to optimize only biggest files first. Some time past and I sit down and optimize ALL mod images bigger than 10kb... Result surprise me! Optimized files are now MORE THAN 60% SMALLER!!! Factorio crashes are almost gone! Mods loads so much faster now!

deeply_about

To postprocessing all sprites i chose Paint.NET. Repack images is done by reprocessing them with "posterize" otpion and tweaking some levels (to keep color levels same as original).
Each image (or group of images of one same object) loaded, then levels set to 0.96 (image take some bright) because posterize will do image some bit darker and in final doing levels keeps original color bright.
Then image (or group) individually posterized. Mostly choosen parameters of postrize are: RED=24,Green=32,Blue=16 (with unchek "Linked" checkbox). But there are many objects that becomes ugly with this settings. Mostly it's objects with gradients of colors and spherical or tubular form. Because of this settings of posterize were choosen individually for each file. Lower the numbers of this makes smaller filesize but image becomes more ugly. Higher numbers makes gradients looks much betters but filesize been big. At the end we have optimized image that can be compressed better with png algorhytmes. Image saved in 32-bits pngs like originals. More than 50% of total filesize is reduced at all. Repacked about 360 files.

Each image is processed _individually_ and _delicately_ to reach minimum size and that target images visually don't differs from Yuoki's originals. The complete weight of all MODS with v1 optimized png images was reduced from 228MB to 125MB -- it's for 45% , without any visible changes! This also means that Factorio will load this mods 2Xfaster and maybe eat not so much RAM!)

preview quality of V2 optimization:

comparsion

Compare real images before and after optimizing (and find 5 differs lol)
........................
1 srite from original ss800v_sheet.png ................. 1 srite from optimized ss800v_sheet.png
.................(838Kb)................................. (116Kb !!! ---> it's -86,1% reduced filesize! )

Do u see the difference??? I don't. Go optimize your files!

Install:
WARNING: This ZIPs are not full mods! Just contains update/replace of graphics!
You must get and install original mod first and then install this repack over it!
- simple unZIP archieve to chosen mod's folder in Factorio mods directory (C:\Users\*YOUR_USER_NAME*\AppData\Roaming\Factorio\mods)
- agree with overwrite files - this will replace big files by smaller ones.
- That is all, no activate of mod needed.

LINKS TO DOWNLOAD ARE HERE:
Version 2 of repack:

• Yuoki.zip - 14 MB - graphics only for Yuoki_0.4.61
  yi_engines.zip - 6.6 MB - graphics only for yi_engines_0.4.19
  yi_pfw.zip - 2.3 MB - graphics only for yi_pfw_0.4.15
  yi_railway.zip - 44.1 MB - graphics only for yi_railway_0.4.14

repacked graphics contains all last changes of original mods and up to date (14-Nov-2016) now.
progress from 83.4 Mb (old v1) ---to--> 67 Mb (present V2) repack of Yuoki GFX


I think that if original mods have been updated and gets higher version than here, you still can install this optimizations without any bugs. If original gfx changed then I try to update this repacks asap.

Credits.
Yuoki, I love your mods and highest quality graphics you're drawn! Please don't judje me so strong, i wish your mods to be best at all and wish to bring them to all players and all their slow computers! If you wish you can distribute this optimized graphics as an option to your original mods. Thanks a lot again to your greatest mods we're free to play! Oh, one more thing, YuokiTani! You must to know, that every time we enter in your beautiful trains and drive it - we thank you!

[nastyslave]

edit.
-----
delete for outdate

[YuokiTani]

good idea and a lot of work/effort you put in.
everyone with gfx-problems should give this a try.

[nastyslave]

good idea and a lot of work/effort you put in.
everyone with gfx-problems should give this a try.

Thank you master of graphics! It's an honor to hear such kind words from you!
I just wish to add something useful and wanted in your AWESOME MODS! Thanks again!
Please, keep making mods, because noone draws so beautiful things like Yuoki!

[YuokiTani]

Thank You !
Your work is needed, because i usual make new-gfx only in HD except trains.

[Mooncat]

Oh wow! I should definitely try it when I get home. Maybe this can also explain why my notebook can't run when YI mods are installed.
Thanks for the work!

[fishycat]

hey, thanks for this optimized gfx, awesome!

I optimized the newly added armor folder inside Yuoki_0.4.61. Could save nearly 50% to total now 6.53 MB.

I will attach it here if it´s ok.

[keyboardhack]

I tried out compressing the mods myself and was able to compress them quite bit further. All mods can be downloaded below which now only fills 76mb instead of the original 267mb.

I used pngquant to compress all the files with the following command on each image.

Code: Select all

pngquant --quality=70-80 --speed 1 <filepath>  --ext .png --force

The command replaces the file at <filepath> with a compressed version of the file if pngquant is able to compress the file.

Yuoki_0.4.61.zip

(21.92 MiB) Downloaded 331 times

yi_railway_0.4.14.zip

(41.87 MiB) Downloaded 340 times

yi_pfw_0.4.15.zip

(2.92 MiB) Downloaded 334 times

yi_engines_0.4.19.zip

(9.82 MiB) Downloaded 313 times

[fishycat]

I tried out compressing the mods myself and was able to compress them quite bit further. All mods can be downloaded below which now only fills 76mb instead of the original 267mb.

I used pngquant to compress all the files with the following command on each image.
...

Wow, that program you used is so good, thanks for sharing it!

I tried it with another mod (Factorio Extended Core) and could compress the graphics for nearly 70%

[YuokiTani]

maybe i should use this a standard post-production ...

[orzelek]

Would need to check if there is a quality loss in game.
This tool makes png lossy - might not make a big difference in game.

[keyboardhack]

maybe i should use this a standard post-production ...

You definetly should.

Would need to check if there is a quality loss in game.
This tool makes png lossy - might not make a big difference in game.

I am using pngquant in WaiTex and i can't see any visual difference with the above command.

If you want to use lossless comression instead then one option is optipng.
You can use the following command:

Code: Select all

optipng -o7 <filepath>

Using optipng the average compression is ~20%.
With pngquant the average compression is ~70%.

[nastyslave]

Version 2 is here!

All updated description and links in the first post. All graphics repacked again and now it's up to date!

As a bonus, here some magic script i've write to automate deep optimizing of PNG's by drag&drop. It uses pngquant+pingo and give a great results! See readme in it.

_____________________________
P.S. Hey, dear Yuoki, tell us please! As you know from last FFF-#164, that Factorio team is "Looking for 3d artist"... I think that ANYONE that run at least once one of your mods - jumped up from his chair and scream: Mom, please, I want to all of my Factorio looks the same beautiful as Yuoki's mods!!!
We wish that you draw it for us, Yuoki!!! We will happy to pay you! Please go draw to us Factorio of our dreams!!!
I don't believe that kovarex and his team didn't ever see your amazing buildings and trains and didn't wonder from insane quality of drawn graphics...
Tell us, tell us, Yuoki!!! Will you go and draw to us Factorio of our dreams as 3D-artist?..

[Mooncat]

Version 2 is here!

All updated description and links in the first post. All graphics repacked again and now it's up to date!

As a bonus, here some magic script i've write to automate deep optimizing of PNG's by drag&drop. It uses pngquant+pingo and give a great results! See readme in it.

_____________________________
P.S. Hey, dear Yuoki, tell us please! As you know from last FFF-#164, that Factorio team is "Looking for 3d artist"... I think that ANYONE that run at least once one of your mods - jumped up from his chair and scream: Mom, please, I want to all of my Factorio looks the same beautiful as Yuoki's mods!!!
We wish that you draw it for us, Yuoki!!! We will happy to pay you! Please go draw to us Factorio of our dreams!!!
I don't believe that kovarex and his team didn't ever see your amazing buildings and trains and didn't wonder from insane quality of drawn graphics...
Tell us, tell us, Yuoki!!! Will you go and draw to us Factorio of our dreams as 3D-artist?..

Hi, nastyslave.
Thanks so much for the magic script! I have used it to compress the images in my Creative Mode and the result is amazing! After adding new sprites, the mod was 2.49MB. So I decided to compress the images, and now it is just 841KB!
Credit has been added. This deserves more attention!

[YuokiTani]

P.S. Hey, dear Yuoki, tell us please! As you know from last FFF-#164, that Factorio team is "Looking for 3d artist"... I think that ANYONE that run at least once one of your mods - jumped up from his chair and scream: Mom, please, I want to all of my Factorio looks the same beautiful as Yuoki's mods!!!
We wish that you draw it for us, Yuoki!!! We will happy to pay you! Please go draw to us Factorio of our dreams!!!
I don't believe that kovarex and his team didn't ever see your amazing buildings and trains and didn't wonder from insane quality of drawn graphics...
Tell us, tell us, Yuoki!!! Will you go and draw to us Factorio of our dreams as 3D-artist?..

no, i don't meet the requirements for a successful application.
but there is a little light ... if i'am correct reading FF - factorio has stopped adding new things and aim for release.
So it's possible to swap all vanilla-gfx in future without worrying about new version-changes. (i think this is the better solution - for people love vanilla-gfx or modded-gfx)

[YuokiTani]

I have used the script and programm for the current version of YI-Railways 0.4.15. (compressed from 161 -> 51 MB)
This allowed the upload to mods.factorio.com again.

Thank You very much for shareing this !

[nastyslave]

Sadly to write, but after verifying email adress on my dropbox - it DESTROY all of my shared links to pictures and zip-files!!! They somehow changed the rules of sharing for everyone and idn how to create direct links from there now. There is why ALL my pictures from above are now missing! Damn!!!

I simply wanted to update that magic script to latest versions of pngquant and pingo.

Here you are. Attached here. Without dropbox now.

PNG_optimizator_script_v3.zip contains:
pngquant is v2.8.1 here
pingo v0.73 used here.

Use it as always.

[YuokiTani]

downloaded

Thanks for your support !

[nastyslave]

NEW WORD IN PNG-OPTIMIZATIONS!!! (V3 upd!)
ONE TOOL TO COMPRESS THEM ALL: PINGA.

Hello everybody and greetings to best modeler - Yuoki Tani!
It's your old friend, nastyslave, and I again come back with some great optimizations for your great graphics!

There are many times flow away from last time we doing the same job. But now we have a brandly new instrument for this. It's called "PINGA"!
https://css-ig.net/pinga
Performance of Pinga is totally AWESOME! It contains all previous pingo features, includes deep paletted optimizations, but now it have windows interface, works correctly with much files in any directory tree and it's natively multi-threaded!!! Go download that wonderful free program and use it for compress your mods!

I strongly recommend this program setting to get best (quality/size) results:
--> checked checkbox near [PNG]
--> Compression: Type - "lossy paletted" ; Level - "9"
--> Quality: -"v........."+ (first left position)

Believe me- don't afraid of this "lowest" quality settings! Pinga works _VERY_ softly to any png-images and all changes in output files are so minimal and almost not visible. When you're play - you don't see any difference at all. But filesize is reduced way more greatly!
Here you are images of original and compressed with this "lowest" settings to prove harmless of Pinga:


............................original...............................yi_alien_solar.png...................................... optimized
...............
....................................180KB .................................................... --> .....to.............................. 33KB................. -81% filesize O_O !!!

You can manually reduce sizes of any of your mods, that contains graphics.
For comparison:

for Yuoki_0.6.72 -- from 73,5 MB -->to 13,4 MB! (by minus 81,7%!!!)
for yi_engines_0.6.27 -- from 42,1 MB -->to 7,36 MB (by minus 82,5%!!!)

Other uncompressed graphics from other mods like Bob's and Angel's shows the same wonderful results!

Also... I can't wait - and compressed ALL FACTORIO ingame png graphics! Result is again outstanding...
There are -445 Megabytes are saved. And now size of all my ingame graphics is ~195MB!
It loads way faster and works better for me:)))

[YuokiTani]

Thank You very much ! - Again

I used previous optimiser for all railway-models and some new other models. But now i should *pinga* all other gfx too

Next updates will use reduced img-sizes.