Portrait Resolution inconsistency

Bercon

So, with BG:EE 1.2 and BG2:EE, the engine only uses the largest custom portrait for the characters displayed on the right. But for some reason it doesn't do this for in-game portraits. So all your NPCs are still using low resolution versions while your main character with custom portrait is using high resolution version. This creates a bit of a inconsistency between the portraits.

Can we expect that this will get addressed at some point?

Astafas

Good question. The current work-around is to create the medium and small sizes of your portrait as well, as the game will then use those. No one gets high res, but at least it looks better. :-)

Bercon

I guess there aren't any hacks to get NPCs use high res portraits in this version?

Dee

You can mod them to use the large version for both the "Large" and "Small" portrait. We're looking at addressing this on our end as well.

Silverstar

I've noticed that some of my Small portraits now get oddly stretched even though they're still the correct dimension. Is this related?

Bercon

Oh yeah, I exported the large portraits of NPCs with Near Infinity, changed file name endings from l to s and put them in override folder. Beautiful!

leeowensoas

Holy cow, the portraits look much better this way! Please patch this into the game properly, it's very enhanced-feeling!

Or at least sticky this so everyone can do it!

Ryofu

errr don't really understand this. could someone pls explain?

Fafnir

Silverstar said:

I've noticed that some of my Small portraits now get oddly stretched even though they're still the correct dimension. Is this related?

They do get somewhat distorted when checking stores. For some reason the width gets reduced.

Dee

Ryofu said:

errr don't really understand this. could someone pls explain?

Our new Custom Portrait system allows you to use higher-resolution images for your character's portrait, which is then resized to fit the frame. If you don't choose an "alternate" portrait for your game screen roster, the high-resolution portrait will be used instead. The result is a cleaner-looking image, especially on high-resolution displays (even when Scale User Interface is turned on).

You can especially notice the difference if you set your protagonist to use the larger Imoen portrait after she joins your party. Your protagonist will be sharp and clear, and Imoen will be soft and blurry by comparison.

marceror

So I'm sort of embarrassed that I even have to ask, but I'm wondering why I'm not able to see a few modified portraits I put in place for my party members.

I created a directory called override in C:\Program Files (x86)\BeamDog\Games\00783, and I have placed several updated portraits in that directory such as ViconiaL.bmp, and DornL.bmp. But when I relaunch the game (as in I completely exit BG2EE and relaunch) I'm still seeing the standard, lower resolution portraits for these party members.

Is there anything else I need to do to get this to work?

Silverstar

The override folder goes in your documents BG folder marceror, not the install folder.

marceror

Hmm, interesting. I have an override folder for BGEE that follows that same sort of directory path, and I'm pretty certain the mod I placed there (remove XP cap) worked just fine in BGEE. At any rate, I'll give that a try.

Bercon

You need to upgrade the small versions, rename viconial.bmp to viconias.bmp and you should see the improvement

marceror

So for what it's worth, I had also created an override folder in "C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Baldur's Gate II - Enhanced Edition" before creating my earlier post, and placed the same portrait bitmaps in it, and this didn't allow me to see the portraits either (in fact, I have both directories in place currently).

Is this the directory you are referring to when you say "documents BG folder"?

marceror

Bercon said:

You need to upgrade the small versions, rename viconial.bmp to viconias.bmp and you should see the improvement

Okay, right. In other words, I was being a total idiot!! Thanks!

marceror

Bah, I guess I'm hopeless. I now have taken my ViconiaL.bmp file, and made two copies named ViconiaM.bmp and ViconiaS.bmp, all sitting in my override directory (both override directories, actually), but I'm still seeing the old portrait in game.

@Bercon Not sure what you mean by "upgrade" the small version. Your earlier post seemed to indicate renaming was all that was necessary. Not clear on the upgrading part.

Will hope that Beamdog will patch this soon, as the inconsistency is quite bothersome.

Eudaemonium

Are you playing BG2EE?

Viconia's portrait in that is NVicon. So you need NViconL NViconM and NViconS.

marceror

Oh, seriously?? Let me try that!!

marceror

GD! Finally! Thanks for the help all.

Is there a list somewhere that tells what the file names for portrait files are?

Or more specifically, anyone able to share what the file names are for Dorn, and Edwin?

Eudaemonium

Dorn should just be DornL DornM and DornS (in both games). Edwin is 'Edwin' in the first game and 'NEdwin' in BG2. Hexxat's code is 'Ohhexx' (followed by L, M or S)

http://portraits.chosenofmystra.net/npc_portrait_change.html

marceror

Helpful stuff. Thanks @Eudaemonium!

Silverstar

Duh. Didn't occur to me that it was the BGII portrait. Still, Eudaemonium came to the rescue, so yay him! \o/

Ryofu

Dee said:

Ryofu said:

errr don't really understand this. could someone pls explain?

Our new Custom Portrait system allows you to use higher-resolution images for your character's portrait, which is then resized to fit the frame. If you don't choose an "alternate" portrait for your game screen roster, the high-resolution portrait will be used instead. The result is a cleaner-looking image, especially on high-resolution displays (even when Scale User Interface is turned on).

You can especially notice the difference if you set your protagonist to use the larger Imoen portrait after she joins your party. Your protagonist will be sharp and clear, and Imoen will be soft and blurry by comparison.

Does this mean i only need the L picture? cause right now when i override a custom portrait i put in 3 versions of the picture 210x330, 169x266, 54x84

nietzschelives

You can use just the L picture, but you have to create three copies and give them the appropriate names, for example NEDWINL, NEDWINM and NEDWINS. As long as the pictures are in the right format, the game will automatically scale them.