My quest for a better patch compiling tool!

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Post 15 Oct 2014, 03:21

I like being a self-sufficient texture patcher of a sort, but I've got a problem. It's a problem with the tools available for patch compilers in this and other Minecraft texture pack communities. Late last week, I thought it possible and useful for me to write a program that would help me clean and compile texture patches.

But, before I potentially waste my time coding something that already exists, would there be something out there to streamline the creation of meta texture patches (that's patches made up of many smaller mod patches) so as not to fail my somewhat simple standards for a "good patch"?

Following is my idea for such a program:
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I want to write a program that will:
1. Sort through two archives (either zip or jar) or two directories with extracted files containing png images (mod assets in one and a matching texture patch for the other)
2. Compare the dimensions of two images with same name and relative file path
3. Determine whether the two images are consistently sized based on a desired scale of size from default (that's from 512x down to 16x at a new power of 2 each step)
4. Form a table of the patch's images, their file paths, their dimensions, and their scale compared to the matching default image of each
5. Allow the user to select one or several images of the patch to view or start resizing
6. Use a user-specified interpolation method (Linear, Cubic, or None) to achieve the correct size he also specifies while preserving as much image quality as he wants
7. Loop through his selections automatically until all are resized
8. Place the resized images within a third directory with the proper file paths to match those in the defined mod assets folder
9. It must also weed out those images even smaller than the default assets being checked and also warn the user, upon using this program to upscale an image, would reduce the image's quality with use in such a fashion


My plan is to write this program using Java, due to Minecraft's use of jar archives sometimes for handling mods and mod assets; however, I'm unsure this would be necessary for dealing with jar archives. Also, my initial plan is to start with only a single mod patch and one matching mod at a time until I can find out how to analyze whole installations of Minecraft and collection of patches to match all mods at once.

Also, I'd like to know if there's a program already on the internet (for free) that can do most of the things mentioned above already; to either reference their code or use the tool myself. I'm just tired of having to use a combination of Windows Explorer, WinRar, a GIMP plugin (or other batch resizer), and hours of my time and concentration to manage the immense meta patches I want in order to make my game look pretty, and consistently so.

If only I could have a program scan all the image files for flaws on my behalf and display, graphically, the ones without flaws so I may further process them. No fear that vanilla textures will pass by unnoticed. No risk of downscaling an image to less than the vanilla assets. No worry that GUIs will be downscaled too soon because we'll be able to catch them early enough on the way down a generated list.

Would this be a pipe dream? Would you be interested in seeing such a tool? Would you help me make this tool? Is this not the holy grail our community has searched for in vain?!
...*clearsthroat* I digress.

Thanks for reading. :)
Resize trouble?
GIMP: http://www.gimp.org/
Plugin: http://registry.gimp.org/node/26259
Tut: http://bdcraft.net/forum/tutorial-how-t ... s-properly
As courtesy: no vanillas, no GUI's 'til 32, no res < 16. My OCD will thank you.
Have fun. :)
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Patch Creator
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Post 15 Oct 2014, 09:54

Awesome idea but it looks to me it's hard to implement. I don't know if I understood you well but you were saying that you want to compare the patch and the default assets and see the naming and such? Or only check for sizes and resize if needed?
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107 Posts
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Post 15 Oct 2014, 15:29

I'd like it to compare both; with their file paths as well. Basically, I want the program to take out the busy work of navigating the file trees to find each image, compare their sizes to those of the mod assets, perhaps even make the images available for viewing by the user in a comparison mode, and display its information in a table so the user may make the informed decision of what images need to be resized to the lower level while others shouldn't. It could also let the user cherry-pick the image files he would want to resize to the specified output form factor.

Also, the program should not assume that the .minecraft install directory is the end all be all for finding a user's mod folders. Not all Minecraft installations are the same or use the same client. That's one of the gripes I've had about many other tools I found; they don't ask for where your Minecraft mod files are. In addition they don't have the features I so sorely need like comparison and image finding. If I can only write the algorithm for the table population and verification, then the program would be a success to me.

Progress will likely be slow what with school and all. This is why I'm reaching out to this community for feedback on what tools are out there already so I may draw inspiration or ideas. I've already seen RPW (Resource Pack Workbench) and MCPatcher and was disappointed. So, any suggestions to other tools available on the web would be helpful.
Resize trouble?
GIMP: http://www.gimp.org/
Plugin: http://registry.gimp.org/node/26259
Tut: http://bdcraft.net/forum/tutorial-how-t ... s-properly
As courtesy: no vanillas, no GUI's 'til 32, no res < 16. My OCD will thank you.
Have fun. :)
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Patch Creator
262 Posts
 x 2

Post 16 Oct 2014, 07:41

I haven't dealt with image processing at all, so to me it's kinda hard, but I said that when I stated my current project (secret), and now I'm plowing through it like hot knife through butter. You should look up the directory search algorithms and image processing algorithms to get a better idea what you need to accomplish. I don't have much time on my hands right now so can't help you now but if and when I have more spare time I'll be glad to help! Good luck! :D
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