| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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I've noticed
that in almost every WIP or REL thread that has screenshots, 90% of
the time, they are FAR too dark to make anything out, at all. It's
interior shots moreso than exterior shots. I hate hate hate having
to save a pic to my computer, then having to open it in an editor to
increase the brightness, just so I can see it properly.
PLEASE, for the love of God, edit your screenshots before
posting them! The thing is, just because you can see something
clearly in-game, that doesn't mean it turns out well as a
screenshot! Most of the time, it will be far too dark to be
acceptable.
I realize that not everyone has an image editor,
but let's face it, 99.9% of us here have at least one program that
can alter an image's brightness. In fact, most new computers come
with at least one program capable of doing this; mine came with
Microsoft Photo Editor, and that's what I use to edit my screenshots
before posting them. In fact, sometimes I even mess around with the
Gamma settings, just so it looks better defined.
So, before
posting a screenshot, open it in Photoshop, Paintshop, MS Photo
Editor, or whatever it is that you have, and increase the brightness
level! Please!
I know it's not just my computer, because
this has been an issue on the computers at school, and the computer
at my parents' house as well.
Edit: No, I'm not a moderator,
I'm just annoyed with not being able to properly see screenshots.
Edited by tx365 (08/21/04 11:44
PM)
Post Extras:    |
| reiella |
| Curate |
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| Reged: 11/21/02 |
| Posts: 490 |
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Almost as
annoying as pictures that end up being washed out because of too
much gamma being applied.
--------------------
In Death
Focus; may you find Focus.
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Whenever I do
screenshots I try to:
*Always be sure to have it outdoors in
a bright area DURING THE DAY if its something like clothes or
armor.
*and brighten the shot before posting.
*if its a mod,
then I add a screenshot of the mod in the editor or the very least,
teh mod in game with ONLY the necessary mods running. For instance,
none of my mods depend on anything other than morrowind (at the
moment) so I show only that.
Bugs me that people have
commented that I dont have better bodies or better heads when I in
fact do. I just dont have my mods dependant on them.
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This topic
gets posted about once every nine months. Everybody jumps in, saying
one of two things: 1) 'Good idea!' or 2) 'I do that already'. For a
few months you'll be able to see most screenshots. After awhile
though the screenshots will get darker and darker until someone -
yourself this time - brings the subject up again.
As with so
many other things in life I guess we just have to keep reinventing
the wheel. Thanks, tx365, for inventing it this time around.
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hey buddy!
Guess what! It's time to change your monitor. The older your monitor
gets, the darker the image gets. Since you HAVE to edit your image
before posting it because the screenshots are bmp and cuneo only
accepts <200K jpg, gif or png, it means your have to reformat it
(unless you have a private website and you like posting 3 megs
images). So you post is pointless as 99% of screenies are very
clear. I agree that once in a while, a screenshot will be too dark
but it is the exception and not the rule. So either crank up the
brightness/gamma on your monitor or change it.
Post Extras: |
| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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Quote:
This topic gets posted about once every nine months. Everybody
jumps in, saying one of two things: 1) 'Good idea!' or 2) 'I do
that already'. For a few months you'll be able to see most
screenshots. After awhile though the screenshots will get darker
and darker until someone - yourself this time - brings the subject
up again.
As with so many other things in life I guess we
just have to keep reinventing the wheel. Thanks, tx365, for
inventing it this time around.
Yeah, you'll have to forgive
me for not looking through 9 months of threads. What was your point
again?
Post Extras: |
| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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Quote:
hey buddy! Guess what! It's time to change your monitor. The
older your monitor gets, the darker the image gets. Since you HAVE
to edit your image before posting it because the screenshots are
bmp and cuneo only accepts <200K jpg, gif or png, it means your
have to reformat it (unless you have a private website and you
like posting 3 megs images). So you post is pointless as 99% of
screenies are very clear. I agree that once in a while, a
screenshot will be too dark but it is the exception and not the
rule. So either crank up the brightness/gamma on your monitor or
change it.
Ok, so what does the age of my
monitor have to do with the brightness of pictures? User-posted
screenshots from Morrowind are the ONLY thing that turns up too dark
to be seen clearly; everything else on the net or otherwise
is just fine, so it has to be a problem with the posters here. Think
before posting, please.
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Man this
thread is turning hostile. I'm sorry I posted. 
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| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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It's clearly
(pun intended) an issue with the posters here, if this problem is
unique to this forum. Sorry if I came across as being antagonistic;
I don't mean to troll but at the same time it's ludicrous to suggest
that it's a problem with my monitor or that I'm supposed to know
about threads that happened months ago.
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| kwshipman |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 03/16/04 |
| Posts: 1543 |
| Loc: Washington State | |
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Quote:
It's clearly (pun intended) an issue with the posters here, if
this problem is unique to this forum. Sorry if I came across as
being antagonistic; I don't mean to troll but at the same time
it's ludicrous to suggest that it's a problem with my monitor or
that I'm supposed to know about threads that happened months ago.
he was refering to this
reply:
Quote:
Yeah, you'll have to forgive me for not looking through 9
months of threads. What was your point again?
he was just informing you that
this issue has been addressed bofore, and things rarely change. Just
a warning to not get your hopes up. a post like this will do little
to change the habbits of hundreds of people. Your reply was very
rude and uncalled for.
--------------------
Maker of Kahleigh's Retreat and Wallpapers and Loading Screens
kw's List of House Mods
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| Kastha |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 10/16/02 |
| Posts: 1078 |
| Loc: Qld, Aus, Gold Coast
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When you see a
release for a mod called "darker" morrowind, expect the screenshots
to be dark alright? 
--------------------
-Michael "HelioS" Bennett-
Current Major Projects:
Assassins Armory V8 - The
Cerebral Cortex
V7.1 can be found here: http://www.euro-rpg.com/index.php?section=plugin&code=05&id=4766
Post Extras: |
| GarethS |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 07/18/04 |
| Posts: 91 |
| Loc: a Dark Place in Kent
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Kind of have
to agree with the original poster that it's not really a monitor
issue as I have just tried the same screenshot on several
monitors:
17" CRT (c. 1997)
19" TFT (c. 2003) w/ DVI
connector
19" CRT (c. June 2004)
Strangely the image looks
the same and if I up the gamma everything else (usually outdoor
shots) is washed/bleached out. Anyone want to suggest I try a newer
graphics card?
On the other hand I tend to agree that it will
always be an ongoing problem and in cases where things are possibly
an ongoing issue I tend to use the search function. Can anyone tell
me where I can find something on combining mods? As that's not
showing up in a year's worth of results, feel free to PM me useful
replies
Quote:
When you see a release for a mod called "darker" morrowind,
expect the screenshots to be dark alright?
And as Kastha/Helios(?) says
anything that is marked as "darker" should look forbiding ingame, if
you want bright and shiny look up the Vibrant series of mods (you'll
want to set search timescale to a month or two or look on
EuroMW).
Please note all replies should be taken with a pinch
of salt 
--------------------
I'm British and an engineer,
hence sarcastic humour and cynicism are a given.
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| Kastha |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 10/16/02 |
| Posts: 1078 |
| Loc: Qld, Aus, Gold Coast
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now im just
confused. did he just pay me out?
--------------------
-Michael "HelioS" Bennett-
Current Major Projects:
Assassins Armory V8 - The
Cerebral Cortex
V7.1 can be found here: http://www.euro-rpg.com/index.php?section=plugin&code=05&id=4766
Post Extras: |
| GarethS |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 07/18/04 |
| Posts: 91 |
| Loc: a Dark Place in Kent
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Don't really
get what you mean by "pay me out" but I was agreeing with you about
darker MW mods making things look darker. I take a slightly cynical
look at everything in life I guess, hence the testing with the three
monitors because I have nothing better to do at 09:25 on a Sunday
morning before the shops open.
--------------------
I'm
British and an engineer, hence sarcastic humour and cynicism
are a given.
Post Extras: |
| PirateLord |
| Adept |
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| Reged: 10/07/03 |
| Posts: 212 |
| Loc: Terra, Sol System | |
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I find I have
to reduce the gamma and bit, and increase the contrast and
brightness slightly to match what I see in game.
If you've
actually saved and edited the image to view it better, then you must
have an interest in the mod. Why not download it (if available at
the time) and see what it's really like. Almost everyone say's that
screenshots don't give the mod justice, and I agree.
--------------------
Piratelordx MODs
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Quote:
It's clearly (pun intended) an issue with the posters here, if
this problem is unique to this forum.
Its not CLEARLY anything.
People might think its an issue with your monitor or your gamma
settings because we don't have this problem. I've only seen a rare
occassion when the pictures were too dark and I've just as rarely
seen any complaints about it -these times were generally when the
pic was taken at night or inside with little in-game lighting. So,
you have to wonder why SOME people have this issue and others don't.
Look at the pics in my signature. None of them are lightened
at all. If they're too dark on your monitor, then the problem lies
with your setup.
Post Extras: |
| GarethS |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 07/18/04 |
| Posts: 91 |
| Loc: a Dark Place in Kent
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Well all of
Ger's pics are fine on my monitor(s) so I'm assuming it's how you
take them (ambient light and all that).
Though your Jiub had
me laughing a bit there Ger, you are a bad bad person (mog?)
adorning him with all that metalwork 
--------------------
I'm British and an engineer,
hence sarcastic humour and cynicism are a given.
Post Extras: |
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LOL -the rings
are from Better Heads and I replaced a lot of the Better Head meshes
with community made heads... it just turned out that one was
NuclearDope's face. I posted it to tease him because the first time
I started a new character I'd forgotten about adding that face and
Jiub scared the bejeezus out of me.
... and then I laughed at myself.
Post
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| NuclearDope |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 07/15/03 |
| Posts: 1123 |
| Loc: Leeds, England (city of light, city of
magic :-P ) | |
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It IS actually
to do with ur monitor on my pics they look perfect on my
flatscreen(actually lookin at cuneo not just saved pics) but when i
look at the ancient 1999 monitor at work i can barely make out day
time pics and i post in Sunsi's thread alot and never get
complaints.
And what can people like me do anyway we would
completely lose the effect of our pics if they are brightened and
daylight is not an option with the characters i have.
Not
tryin to cause any trouble just pointing out what i kno 
--------------------
Ah, the taste and
feel of blood when all passion and greed is sharpened in that one
desire!
Realm of the Damned thread
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well, I have a
flatscreen as well, so tx365, it looks like all you have to do to
correct your darkness issue is get a flatscreen. Problem solved.
Post Extras: |
| brady228 |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 05/04/04 |
| Posts: 1386 |
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I have too
agree with everyone else here, it's your monitor. I say this because
I have a triton based monitor about two years old and I assure you
that
Quote:
90% of the time
the wip pic posts and most other pic
posts here do not appear to dark on my monitor either. Since I've
been here on these boards I've maybe seen 5 pics that were extremely
dark total, but no where near 5%% let alone 90%!
--------------------
Once sailed the seas Now roams
the land
Post Extras: |
| GarethS |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 07/18/04 |
| Posts: 91 |
| Loc: a Dark Place in Kent
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Now are we
sure that's it's not more of a "light on the screen" rather than an
actual screen issue because as I said I have tried several monitors
at home (including an ancient 17" which has been my workhorse for
about 7 years now until I got a psycho-spec 19" CRT for CAD work)
and they are all fine but I face towards the windows ... at work I
have problems with the ancient 17" but my back is towards the sun
(i.e. light directly on-screen + reflections), close the blinds
and/or clean the screen and it all becomes clear again ...
Maybe an application of the VDU rules produced by our Health
and Safety Executive needs to be done in the home ... then again
maybe not
--------------------
I'm British and an engineer,
hence sarcastic humour and cynicism are a given.
Post Extras: |
| Amra |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 01/16/03 |
| Posts: 65 |
| Loc: In the marshes of the Rhine
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Quote:
I have too agree with everyone else here, it's your
monitor.
Screenshots are often darker than
what it looks like in-game, I always find myself having to brighten
them at least a little. If I have to increase the brightness of my
monitor - a new one, btw - to 60-70% just to make out some features
(this is not 90% of the time or anything like that, but it happens
often enough), then the picture is too dark. 
And
if it's their monitor, well, you can't expect everyone to have a new
one. So brighten up!
--------------------
What we do in
life echoes in eternity!
The Black Mill support forums
Amra's Morrowind Screenshots
Post
Extras: |
| Erstam |
| Initiate |
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| Reged: 06/22/04 |
| Posts: 57 |
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Just to
clarify things...
Morrowind IS very dark ingame. Most people
play the game with an above default brightness setting. This
actually doesn't affect the rendered image output, but simply
increases the system gamma while the DirectX surface is displayed on
the monitor. If you crank up the brightness too much, it will appear
exactly as washed out as in screenshots that have been heavily
brightened in an image editor.
Note that the Brightness
slider doesn't work when you play in windowed mode - you'll always
see the original colors as in screenshots that haven't been edited.
But in these cases (windowed mode / screenshots) the image
appears even darker than in fullscreen because of the
brighter "environment" - the desktop background, other windows,
etc.
Thus I think it's completely appropriate to increase a
screenshot's gamma or brightness. After all, I don't want to change
my display preferences every time I view a Morrowind screenshot. And
the purpose of screenshots is to give a quick impression of the
mod's content, not an exact replica of the engine's output.
Post Extras: |
| Varana |
| Adept |
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| Reged: 11/19/02 |
| Posts: 288 |
| Loc: Germany | |
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I concur with
Erstam, and the original poster.
Flat screens display colours a
bit differently than other monitors.
Please take your
screenshots at day if possible (sorry, but I have no idea why anyone
would show off some new armour in a night shot), and brighten them
up somewhat. I want to see what a mod looks like, in a general way,
and I can't do that if I don't see anything.
Sorry, but I
don't even try anymore finding out what's displayed on dark
screenshots - be it night, or very dark interiors. I simply assume I
didn't miss anything, and let the mod be.
--------------------
Rigid, unbending:
Law's dominion
eternal -
Order triumphant!
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I'm using a
17" CRT, and to be honest I can't think of a single screenshot I've
had trouble making out.
I don't have the brightness set way
up on my monitor. I tend to play Morrowind on the default brightness
- dark enough that you actually need to use torches or night-eye in
most caves & ruins. I find it adds a lot to the atmosphere that
way.
Maybe you've got too much light shining on your monitor?
--------------------
LichCraft 0.95 beta - discussion thread
Homepage and download link
Post Extras: |
| NuclearDope |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 07/15/03 |
| Posts: 1123 |
| Loc: Leeds, England (city of light, city of
magic :-P ) | |
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Quote:
I have no idea why anyone would show off some new armour in a
night shot)
Maybe because they can't go
out during the day
--------------------
Ah, the taste and
feel of blood when all passion and greed is sharpened in that one
desire!
Realm of the Damned thread
Post Extras: |
| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
|
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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FYI, I'm using
an 18 month old flat-screen monitor. The problem is far more obvious
when the sun is shining on my monitor, but even in the dead of
night, with the lights turned off, it's still an issue.
Like
I said, user-posted Morrowind screenshots are the ONLY thing that
turns out too dark on my monitor, everything else, including in-game
Morrowind is just fine.
I could adjust the brightness
settings on my monitor, but then everything else would look far too
bright and washed out.
Also, this isn't an attack on everyone
here; a lot of screenshots I've had no trouble making out, maybe I
just have bad luck or something.
Post
Extras: |
| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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Quote:
Look at the pics in my signature. None of them are
lightened at all. If they're too dark on your monitor, then the
problem lies with your setup.
They're fine, even the
interior shots. Yours aren't what I'm talking about when I say
screenshots are too dark.
Post Extras: |
| NuclearDope |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 07/15/03 |
| Posts: 1123 |
| Loc: Leeds, England (city of light, city of
magic :-P ) | |
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How do mine look? for most ppl they are ok and they're
fine to me but if i look on my dads monitor at work they look just
black
--------------------
Ah, the taste
and feel of blood when all passion and greed is sharpened in that
one desire!
Realm of the Damned thread
Post Extras: |
| tx365 |
| Acolyte |
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| Reged: 09/29/03 |
| Posts: 128 |
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They look fine
to me.
Post Extras: |
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I think its a
good idea to at least try to consider everyone when taking
screenshots if you want to show off your mod.
screenshots are
the selling point for me.
PS- and my monitor sux  and
can't afford to pay a hundred dollars for a new monitor to play a
$50 game.
Post Extras: |
| baratheon79 |
| Curate |
|
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| Reged: 05/25/03 |
| Posts: 853 |
| Loc: NY, USA | |
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Quote:
PS- and my monitor sux and can't afford to pay a hundred
dollars for a new monitor to play a $50 game.
I know what you mean. The monitor
I was using before died on me a few weeks ago, so now my gaming
computer has a spare 17" monitor hooked up until I can come up with
the cash for a new one.
This issue with everyone's
screenshots being dark is exactly why I open all my screenshots up
in Photoshop before posting them and boost the brightness by 20% and
contrast by 15% (used to up the brightness 25% and contrast 20%, but
decided it was too much finally).
--------------------
My
Morrowind Mods site and forums
Latest Release: Mercenary Pack Add-On 2: Guards
Post Extras: |
| skydye |
| Disciple |
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| Reged: 10/29/03 |
| Posts: 1609 |
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The issue is
simple.When you do a screen of a in game,it shows you the screen as
it is in the dds or other files.It has nothing to do with you
monitor or gamma settings.
Is you have a photo program just bump
the level of gamma in it.The brightness is oK it's the gamma that is
of in screen shots.But It's just showing what is really there.Much
like a vcr will record without the t.V. on.The screens are the same
they are not taken from your monitor,but you game files.Which needs
to set the gamma at that level to cover the most amount of possible
adjustment. 
--------------------
Modding should be fun.
-------------------------------------
Future home of all my
releases.
http://www.thelys.org/
Post Extras: |
| reiella |
| Curate |
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| Reged: 11/21/02 |
| Posts: 490 |
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Quote:
Strangely the image looks the same and if I up the gamma
everything else (usually outdoor shots) is washed/bleached out.
Anyone want to suggest I try a newer graphics card?
Ya. That's my real problem,
the trick is to up the brightness on your monitor, instead of upping
the in-game gamma (or get one of those nice back lit
monitors).
Fun sidenote that may be related, or not.
Morrowind's screenshot mechanism ignores your in-game gamma setting.
The gamma channel is stripped to its default level.
--------------------
In Death Focus; may you find Focus.
Post Extras: |
| kagrenac |
| Diviner |
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| Reged: 10/08/03 |
| Posts: 3087 |
| Loc: Kingdom of FIFE. SCOTLAND.
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Quote:
I think its a good idea to at least try to consider everyone
when taking screenshots if you want to show off your
mod.
screenshots are the selling point for me.
I'm glad to see someone say
this.
This
to me is very important, if you spend a lot of time and effort to
make
a mod and then you want to share it, then you want to
show it off to
its best advantage. You put all the effort and
time into making it,
so why show it off badly, with poorly
lit screens where no-one can
see your work.
Always if
possible take shots in the best light you can find.
If you
cant find the right light position, then make it with torches
or
a spell or something..Put in that little extra effort and
see the rewards.
I personally will look at shots on a release
thread and if they
are too dark, i wont go any further with
getting that mod.
Its a matter of choice, choose the right
conditions for light
and clear shots, and see the
benefits.
Choose the other and see the consequences.
--------------------
Sol-Fox The Mod
Penguin Mod +
Fix
MorrowRavens 3
Morrow-Bees
Rabbit Mod
Lords Of
The Skys
Kagz Zebraz; Dogz; Little Foxes
Carryable Raven
Waterfowl of Morrowind Expanded
Caits Donkeys and Horses Go
Wild
RAVENSPEAK
THE
MORROW-EDEN PROJECT
Post Extras: |
| Renzeekin |
| Adept |
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| Reged: 04/12/03 |
| Posts: 384 |
| Loc: Behind you >:] | |
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instead of
editing the screenshosts to beacome brighter why dont you just set
up the brightnes on your monitor so you can see it. i dont know
about yours, but on mine this is done with a wheel under the screen
and it takes about half a second to adjust and then adjust back to
your old settings. Also the reason so many people post with to dark
screenshots is probobly not beacuse the gamma they have in their
games but the brightnes they have set on their monitors.
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our sugar is yours, friend
MY SCREENSHOTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Post Extras: |
| GarethS |
| Initiate |
|
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| Reged: 07/18/04 |
| Posts: 91 |
| Loc: a Dark Place in Kent
| |
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Quote:
Ya. That's my real problem, the trick is to up the brightness
on your monitor, instead of upping the in-game gamma (or get one
of those nice back lit monitors).
By "gamma", I was talking the
brightness of my monitor. I don't need to up ingame gamma as it is
fine, I was just commenting (rather cynically) on the need to adjust
gamma on older monitors (or replace them), I find there isn't a need
even on my 1997 spec 17" (one of the first affordable 17" CRTs when
it was thought nobody would need more than mailto:1024x768%20@%2075Hz).
My Dell 17" displays exactly the same as my brand new Iiyama 19"
CRT, only the Iiyama uses a lot higher resolution and a bit higher
refresh.
Why not TFT? With the CAD work I do from home at
times I need the biggest monitor I can afford, my budget was able to
stretch to either a low-spec 17" TFT or a pscyho-spec 19" CRT ...
considering the TFT could only exceed my old 17" in refresh rate
that didn't leave much room for decision making.
Anyway I
digress, most people's screen shots are clear, the darker ones I
have a simple solution ... draw the blinds and/or turn out the
lights.
--------------------
I'm British and an
engineer, hence sarcastic humour and cynicism are a given.
Post Extras: |
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