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Gigapixel AI | Remaster / Up-res old BG animations (Neural Network Deep AI | Simfiles)

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Post #1 · Posted at 2019-04-20 05:59:57pm 4.9 years ago

Offline OGM_Madness
OGM_Madness Avatar Member
7 帖子
Puerto Rico
Reg. 2018-07-03


Last updated: 2019-04-20 06:32pm
Hello fellas,

Long time lurker here.

I was a huge avid DDR player 10-15 years ago. I haven't really touched DDR since then, but I recently found beware's DDR extreme simulation and it was a huge blast from the past. The attention to detail is uncanny.

Either way, those BG animations are really rough (304x208px) and with new HD screens, they don't look quite how I remember them.

Recently, there was a new tech developed where you can use a trained AI to up-res images (upscale low-res image and add detail where before there was none). I immediately thought that these DDR Backgrounds could be a perfect use for this new tech.

Here are some results: https://imgur.com/a/Y3IbgxD

https://i.imgur.com/4ubvEy1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Qi1q1vj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nprpsJp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GOL1yiV.jpg

If you are interested, you can look the following:

Topaz Gigapixel AI: https://topazlabs.com/gigapixel-ai (this is what I used | costs $99.99, but they have a free 30-day trial)
waifu2x
ESRGAN: Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks
https://bigjpg.com/

--

So, first of all, my laptop is pretty garbage so I only decided to up-res to 720p (1280 pixels wide, but didn't want to crop the video, so the height became 943 pixels). You can, however, make it as big as you want (4k, 8k, etc). Converting a 2 second video can take me 4-6 hours... Sad
Anyone out there has a good video card and a powerful PC, can probably do the same I do in minutes.

The steps I take are the following:

1. Use VLC to save the frames (Scene Filter & Scene Ratio set to 1) | https://turbofuture.com/computers/How-to-take-batch-screenshots-or-screencaps-in-VLC-Media-Player

2. Grab all the frames and drag-n-drop into Gigapixel (I set Width to 1280). I also had to set preferences to use CPU only, since I have an integrated GPU and it crashed when trying to use it. CPU takes about 5 times longer than normal. Sad

3. With all the frames done, I use Sony Vegas (people use Blender, you can also try Gimp or Photoshop, apparently they can do the animations too). Import the media into Sony Vegas. I set the Still Image Length to 0.033 (30 fps). In Preferences, it also has to say 30fps (and when rendering, also 30fps). Note: Daikenkai had some videos that had odd fps. In that case, you can use 1/fps to get the number for the Still Image Length and then use the fps of the original in the other settings.

4. I rendered the video as a MP4.

Here are some remastered videos (simfiles) using this method:

1. R3: https://www.mediafire.com/file/5ag18chfzff9qrn/R3.zip/file

2. Daikenkai: https://www.mediafire.com/file/g29ghgai9ig9u83/Daikenkai.zip/file

If anyone wants to try this method, let me know if you need some help. Also, I don't think my method is the best, so if anyone knows of a better way to do this, let me know. Also, I don't know if there is a way to yield better results. I know some people upres to 8k then downscale to 4k or 1080p. Sadly, I don't have a PC powerful enough to do all that in a timely manner. Regardless, all credit goes to true legends that rip the original videos in the first place and the mad scientists that developed the software that does the upres magic.

Post #2 · Posted at 2019-04-20 07:09:04pm 4.9 years ago

Offline michaelstarlight
michaelstarlight Avatar Member
176 帖子
Not Set
Reg. 2018-06-28

This seems interesting. Not gonna lie.

Post #3 · Posted at 2019-04-20 07:51:27pm 4.9 years ago

Offline Wan
Wan Avatar Member
412 帖子
Chile
Reg. 2008-01-13

"I want to change my username =("
They show black in OpenITG =C

Post #4 · Posted at 2019-04-20 08:56:13pm 4.9 years ago

Offline OGM_Madness
OGM_Madness Avatar Member
7 帖子
Puerto Rico
Reg. 2018-07-03

Quote: Wan
They show black in OpenITG =C

What format does OpenITG use? I'm using Stepmania 5 (latest version available here: https://www.stepmania.com/download/).

Post #5 · Posted at 2019-04-20 09:30:42pm 4.9 years ago

Offline Wan
Wan Avatar Member
412 帖子
Chile
Reg. 2008-01-13

"I want to change my username =("

Last updated: 2019-04-20 09:32pm
It's not a matter of the extension, it's that OpenITG's ffmpeg implementation doesn't support all codecs.

Support includes Xvid, DivX, ol' trusty MPEG2. etc.

Post #6 · Posted at 2019-04-20 10:06:16pm 4.9 years ago

Offline OGM_Madness
OGM_Madness Avatar Member
7 帖子
Puerto Rico
Reg. 2018-07-03

Quote: Wan
It's not a matter of the extension, it's that OpenITG's ffmpeg implementation doesn't support all codecs.

Support includes Xvid, DivX, ol' trusty MPEG2. etc.

Ok. The format I used is .MP4. I tried .avi but the videos came out at around 200MB each, which was not viable.

Post #7 · Posted at 2019-04-20 10:44:10pm 4.9 years ago

Offline Wan
Wan Avatar Member
412 帖子
Chile
Reg. 2008-01-13

"I want to change my username =("

Last updated: 2019-04-21 12:54am
Quote: OGM_Madness
Quote: Wan
It's not a matter of the extension, it's that OpenITG's ffmpeg implementation doesn't support all codecs.

Support includes Xvid, DivX, ol' trusty MPEG2. etc.

Ok. The format I used is .MP4. I tried .avi but the videos came out at around 200MB each, which was not viable.
More than the FILE FORMAT, what CODEC did you use?

I can take an .m2v file, change the extension to .avi and the contents will still be the same.

Post #8 · Posted at 2019-04-20 11:10:00pm 4.9 years ago

Offline OGM_Madness
OGM_Madness Avatar Member
7 帖子
Puerto Rico
Reg. 2018-07-03

Quote: Wan
Quote: OGM_Madness
Quote: Wan
It's not a matter of the extension, it's that OpenITG's ffmpeg implementation doesn't support all codecs.

Support includes Xvid, DivX, ol' trusty MPEG2. etc.

Ok. The format I used is .MP4. I tried .avi but the videos came out at around 200MB each, which was not viable.
More than the FORMAT, what CODEC did you use?

I can take an .m2v file, change the extension to .avi and the contents will still be the same.

I believe the codec used is MPEG-4 AVC

Should I consider using something else?

Post #9 · Posted at 2019-04-21 12:43:47am 4.9 years ago

Offline Wan
Wan Avatar Member
412 帖子
Chile
Reg. 2008-01-13

"I want to change my username =("

Last updated: 2019-04-21 12:53am
Uhh... try with MPEG2, that's what Konami uses for the BG Videos in DDR and it works well. For example, this is the information I can get from the Ace for Aces video:

Format: MPEG Video
Format version: Version 2
Format profile: Main@Main
Format settings: CustomMatrix / BVOP
Format settings, BVOP: Yes
Format settings, Matrix: Custom
Format settings, GOP: M=3, N=18
Duration: 2 min 7 s
Bit rate mode: Variable
Bit rate: 4 035 kb/s
Maximum bit rate: 15.0 Mb/s
Width: 640 pixels
Height: 360 pixels
Display aspect ratio: 16:9
Frame rate: 30.000 FPS
Standard: NTSC
Color space: YUV
Chroma subsampling: 4:2:0
Bit depth: 8 bits
Scan type: Progressive
Compression mode: Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame): 0.584
Time code of first frame: 00:00:00:00
GOP, Open/Closed: Open
GOP, Open/Closed of first frame: Closed
Stream size: 61.3 MiB (100%)
Writing library: TMPGEnc XPress 4.7.9.311
Color primaries: BT.601 NTSC
Transfer characteristics: BT.601
Matrix coefficients: BT.601

Post #10 · Posted at 2019-04-21 01:26:08am 4.9 years ago

Offline OGM_Madness
OGM_Madness Avatar Member
7 帖子
Puerto Rico
Reg. 2018-07-03


Last updated: 2019-04-21 01:26am
Quote: Wan
Uhh... try with MPEG2, that's what Konami uses for the BG Videos in DDR and it works well. For example, this is the information I can get from the Ace for Aces video:

I must be doing something wrong. These are my attempts:

I tried first with YUV and output a .Avi file. The result was one 100MB video (too big: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4qh50ojvb850896/Untitled.avi/file

Then, I tried to get a .mpg file, but those settings didn't work: https://www.mediafire.com/file/tcix5mo1i5hy4vk/Untitled.mpg/file

Lastly, I tried a .m2t file and it works, but it looks pixelated: https://www.mediafire.com/file/xkm8hwcawaeok6y/Untitled.m2t/file

For reference, this is the original 304x224 .avi: https://www.mediafire.com/file/rh3xa4dtjzs63v1/originalbg.avi/file

What program should I use to either convert the .MP4 into a format that works better for DDR/ITG/Stepmania or what program should I use to Render the image sequences in the first place?

Let me know if you can at least see the videos.

Post #11 · Posted at 2019-04-21 02:10:40am 4.9 years ago

Offline razorblade
razorblade Avatar Member
1,099 帖子
Not Set
Reg. 2011-03-01


Last updated: 2019-04-21 02:11am
If DDR A videos worked in OITG, here is what I used:
2400kbps bitrate avi with h264 container.

Post #12 · Posted at 2019-04-21 06:29:49am 4.9 years ago

Offline Wan
Wan Avatar Member
412 帖子
Chile
Reg. 2008-01-13

"I want to change my username =("

Last updated: 2019-04-21 06:30am
Quote: OGM_Madness
Quote: Wan
Uhh... try with MPEG2, that's what Konami uses for the BG Videos in DDR and it works well. For example, this is the information I can get from the Ace for Aces video:

I must be doing something wrong. These are my attempts:

I tried first with YUV and output a .Avi file. The result was one 100MB video (too big: https://www.mediafire.com/file/4qh50ojvb850896/Untitled.avi/file

Then, I tried to get a .mpg file, but those settings didn't work: https://www.mediafire.com/file/tcix5mo1i5hy4vk/Untitled.mpg/file

Lastly, I tried a .m2t file and it works, but it looks pixelated: https://www.mediafire.com/file/xkm8hwcawaeok6y/Untitled.m2t/file

For reference, this is the original 304x224 .avi: https://www.mediafire.com/file/rh3xa4dtjzs63v1/originalbg.avi/file

What program should I use to either convert the .MP4 into a format that works better for DDR/ITG/Stepmania or what program should I use to Render the image sequences in the first place?

Let me know if you can at least see the videos.

I managed to get ahold of the program that Konami uses (TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress), but it's a pirated version so I don't think I can talk too much about it.
I'll try the videos you posted and post my results.

=======

Let's see:

- Yeah, the AVI file has an absurd bitrate and isn't compressed in any way. That's why it's so huge.
- The .mpg file looks fine but the size is smaller (720x480)
- The .m2t file is stretched to the sides. Huh.

The MPEG2 approach is looking good.

Post #13 · Posted at 2019-04-27 03:42:38am 4.9 years ago

Offline leadbman
leadbman Avatar Member
263 帖子
Australia
Reg. 2016-02-01

"Working On: 5thMix BGA bgchanges"
Would definitely like to see this happen for the whole MAX -> EX video pack. Would be nice to have an option on here to download the SD (original) and "HD" (these ones). So depending on PC power you could run the appropriate videos.

Keen on seeing where this goes!
https://zenius-i-vanisher.com/ddrsig/18213.png?t=1510895050
Really need to add my scores to the tracker soon.
Always learning, always trying to push the boundaries of SM.

Post #14 · Posted at 2019-05-02 05:23:48am 4.9 years ago

Offline OGM_Madness
OGM_Madness Avatar Member
7 帖子
Puerto Rico
Reg. 2018-07-03

Hi fellas, a quick update.

I've been trying a couple other settings and sort of settled with FFMPEG & VirtualDub. I followed a tutorial here: https://captrobau.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-did-i-upscale-star-trek-ds9-footage.html

I have a problem with performance: If I make the videos 720p or more, Stepmania starts dropping frames (1 or 2, but in a game like this, that's horrible), right when the upscaled video is about to appear on screen. I'm not sure if it is my PC (the specs aren't impressive, but I did change from a laptop to a Desktop with better resources) or something with my settings. I guess if I had a 2080Ti, perhaps the problem will be solved but that's a ridiculous solution (an state-of-the-art consumer Graphics Card to run 720p videos).

I guess, I need a practical solution and optimize the video or settings in Stepmania. Any help is much appreciated.

I tried .AVI, .MKV and .MP4 (I make an .Avi using x264 encoder for compression), then used FFMPEG to convert to other formats afterwards.

I'm not sure it is a good idea to continue doing more, until I can figure out the performance issue. I did manage to get good performance by making the videos 480x360 (I also removed the black bars). There was an improvement, but nothing outstanding (definitely not worth the hassle of conversion).

Does anyone know if there's any settings I can adjust in Stepmania (.ini file, etc) that can help out the videos running (perhaps a setting that will bring the videos to memory before the song starts or something) or any other settings I can use (using Virtualdub to create the video file)?

Post #15 · Posted at 2019-05-02 09:33:47am 4.9 years ago

Offline razorblade
razorblade Avatar Member
1,099 帖子
Not Set
Reg. 2011-03-01

Videos play best with these settings:

SoundDrivers=WaveOut
VSync=1
VideoRenderers= d3d,opengl

Note: WaveOut is exclusive to WinXP but does not affect to non-WinXP users even if set.

Post #16 · Posted at 2019-12-18 09:10:37pm 4.2 years ago

Offline Scrap Rabbit
Scrap Rabbit Avatar Member
195 帖子
United States
Reg. 2012-05-20

"Big Gay Robot"
Hey hey! Bumping this, cuz I tried something.

Gigapixel had their "for video" beta out, so I took the time to upscale Beware+Cuzco's entire BG folder, but I ran into a HUGE problem of the videos ending up a couple frames short, so they don't loop properly! @_@ It also of course doesn't do illustrations super great, and it hates the color purple.

I'm going to try Dandere2x to see if it does OK, but I'm kinda sad cuz Gigapixel did great with the abstract 3D BGs.

If anyone wants the failed video pack I got I'll still upload it.
https://i.imgur.com/Zhaa9qF.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/Rgu0vw6.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/9E1KUIG.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/SUhjaBV.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/M8N15oA.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/WLd1mcy.png

Post #17 · Posted at 2019-12-27 07:59:44am 4.2 years ago

Offline Nicolas
Nicolas Avatar Member
1,511 帖子
Philippines
Reg. 2009-10-25

Quote: Scrap Rabbit
If anyone wants the failed video pack I got I'll still upload it.

Yes please! They'd probably be beneficial for simfile jacket revamps/remasters Puppy Face
https://zenius-i-vanisher.com/pictures/4888-1498815316.pnghttps://zenius-i-vanisher.com/pictures/4888-1490970355[0].png

Post #18 · Posted at 2020-02-20 03:27:06am 4.1 years ago

Offline KenzoWolfZero
KenzoWolfZero Avatar Member
4 帖子
Chile
Reg. 2017-11-13


Last updated: 2020-02-20 03:27am
I decided to try this myself and the results were interesting and surprising

I used beware's extraction of Alice1 with Topaz Gigapixel AI and here is a comparison between frames

https://imgur.com/smxRhIq

https://imgur.com/Q6YRvWO

I recomend you to donwload this video that I made comparing results
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1g9TFb-UrRWh4BNxd28fzrG5qMsfkD5b1

Maybe in the future with a better PC, I'll start remastering more with the correct codec and everything for Stepmania and OpenITG Confused

Post #19 · Posted at 2020-04-20 04:01:51am 3.9 years ago

Offline Scrap Rabbit
Scrap Rabbit Avatar Member
195 帖子
United States
Reg. 2012-05-20

"Big Gay Robot"
Hello. Here's what's up. Video Enhace AI (Gigapixel for video) Is now working ok with keeping all of the frames. CuzcoBlocko's patch, which includes the Euromix 2 videos and some extra variations were rendered with an older codec that causes problems with VEAI.
I am going to process Beware's default pack and later try to recreate Cuzco's cuts and add the Euromix 2 videos back later.
https://i.imgur.com/Zhaa9qF.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/Rgu0vw6.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/9E1KUIG.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/SUhjaBV.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/M8N15oA.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/WLd1mcy.png

Post #20 · Posted at 2020-04-30 04:53:22am 3.9 years ago

Offline flashgear
flashgear Avatar Member
26 帖子
Australia
Reg. 2020-04-25


Last updated: 2020-04-30 09:32pm
I upscaled all of Beware's video pack but also seem to be having a loop issue where they just stop and or it moves on to the next video.

If anyone wants the upscaled MP4's or converted MPEG's here they are > https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QkI2rK3N_P7IR3hXxtl5E-t3T6OdrbA7/view?usp=sharing
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