About screenshots... - Guild Wars Forums

cowninja94 · Jul 16, 2009, 10:58 PM // 22:58

Is it possible to take them with just an ingame option, or do i need an outside program? Thanks in advance!

Nerel · Jul 16, 2009, 11:06 PM // 23:06

The Print Screen key on your keyboard, you press it and a screen shot is saved to Guild Wars' "Screens" folder.

Holding the Shift key while you press Print Screen takes a screen capture without the user interface being visible.

Ctrl + Shift + H at the same time will toggle the UI on/off if you want to use it for taking screen shots.

Island Guardian · Jul 16, 2009, 11:06 PM // 23:06

PrtSc button top right on key board

cowninja94 · Jul 16, 2009, 11:14 PM // 23:14

o, awsome, thanks a ton!

Bob Slydell · Jul 17, 2009, 12:26 AM // 00:26

And if you would like totally loss-less screenshots, add the -BMP command to guildwars before you start up.

For example if you installed the game normally in windows xp, go to Start > Run and type in:

"C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -BMP

To get lossless BMP screenshot format.

refer · Jul 17, 2009, 02:19 AM // 02:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrisworld

And if you would like totally loss-less screenshots, add the -BMP command to guildwars before you start up.

For example if you installed the game normally in windows xp, go to Start > Run and type in:

"C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -BMP

To get lossless BMP screenshot format.

everybody should be doing this! the compression is nasty and highly noticeable in GW's JPEGs... it also looks pretty unprofessional to see images with loss of saturation and graininess on wikis (you would think the people would at least know to take HQ screens for wikis).

Syntheticfibers · Jul 17, 2009, 02:22 AM // 02:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by refer

everybody should be doing this! the compression is nasty and highly noticeable in GW's JPEGs... it also looks pretty unprofessional to see images with loss of saturation and graininess wikis.

Have you seen the file size? Besides, a lot of sites dont support the uploading of bmp images.

Nerel · Jul 17, 2009, 03:01 AM // 03:01

File size is largely irrelevant, for local (on your hard drive) storage anyway...

The point of capping 'lossless' as opposed to 'lossy' images mostly comes into play when you alter, edit, crop and then resave the image...

Starting with a lossy image, editing it, then saving it again in a lossy format is just terrible, introducing compression artifacts and losing detail TWICE.

For small images, cropped sections of an image to show some small detail, an icon or what have you... BMP --> PNG.

For larger images where you might want a JPG for your final output as a nod to bandwidth concerns, starting with a lossless image and then saving to a JPG still gives you greater control over the compression level and final image quality.

Mentioning the -bmp switch was a good call Chrisworld.

refer · Jul 17, 2009, 04:25 AM // 04:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syntheticfibers

Have you seen the file size?

Yes, I've seen the filesize. However, zip/rar bmps and they compress even better than PNGs. It's worth it too. The compression is really really noticeable. Just look at the color of Mesmer hexes... the purple in the JPEG screens is totally ruined, as well as health bars being not as red, and text just looks grainy too.

even if you don't edit and resave to a lossy format, you can see the results anyways.

HawkofStorms · Jul 17, 2009, 04:27 AM // 04:27

I didn't even know you could do that with -bmp. Good to know.

Bob Slydell · Jul 17, 2009, 04:35 AM // 04:35

Honestly, I learned in a computer class about compression and how digital images work and such. But i NEVER understood how compressing with JPEG makes your pictures smaller by taking out color info and adding lines around everything it sees. When it comes down to it, a digital image is a load of plot points with information for that pixel. Say you have 100x100 digital image.. thats 10,000 pixels = 10,000 Plot points (x + y axis) of info for each pixel and the color depth comes from the operating system's capabilities. Never understood jpeg at all.. :/

Jul 16, 2009, 10:58 PM // 22:58	#1
cowninja94 Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Jul 2009 Guild: Knights of Echovald Profession: A/Mo	About screenshots... Is it possible to take them with just an ingame option, or do i need an outside program? Thanks in advance!

Jul 17, 2009, 03:01 AM // 03:01	#8
Nerel Jungle Guide Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Australia, what you want my home address? Guild: [CAT] Profession: Mo/	File size is largely irrelevant, for local (on your hard drive) storage anyway... The point of capping 'lossless' as opposed to 'lossy' images mostly comes into play when you alter, edit, crop and then resave the image... Starting with a lossy image, editing it, then saving it again in a lossy format is just terrible, introducing compression artifacts and losing detail TWICE. For small images, cropped sections of an image to show some small detail, an icon or what have you... BMP --> PNG. For larger images where you might want a JPG for your final output as a nod to bandwidth concerns, starting with a lossless image and then saving to a JPG still gives you greater control over the compression level and final image quality. Mentioning the -bmp switch was a good call Chrisworld. Last edited by Nerel; Jul 17, 2009 at 03:03 AM // 03:03..

Jul 16, 2009, 11:06 PM // 23:06	#2
Nerel Jungle Guide Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Australia, what you want my home address? Guild: [CAT] Profession: Mo/	The Print Screen key on your keyboard, you press it and a screen shot is saved to Guild Wars' "Screens" folder. Holding the Shift key while you press Print Screen takes a screen capture without the user interface being visible. Ctrl + Shift + H at the same time will toggle the UI on/off if you want to use it for taking screen shots.

Jul 16, 2009, 11:06 PM // 23:06	#3
Island Guardian Krytan Explorer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kam AD1 farming ^^ Guild: Do it for [FAME] Profession: W/E	PrtSc button top right on key board

Jul 16, 2009, 11:14 PM // 23:14	#4
cowninja94 Ascalonian Squire Join Date: Jul 2009 Guild: Knights of Echovald Profession: A/Mo	o, awsome, thanks a ton!

Jul 17, 2009, 12:26 AM // 00:26	#5
Bob Slydell Forge Runner Join Date: Jan 2007	And if you would like totally loss-less screenshots, add the -BMP command to guildwars before you start up. For example if you installed the game normally in windows xp, go to Start > Run and type in: "C:\Program Files\Guild Wars\Gw.exe" -BMP To get lossless BMP screenshot format.

Jul 17, 2009, 04:27 AM // 04:27	#10
HawkofStorms Hall Hero Join Date: Aug 2005 Profession: E/	I didn't even know you could do that with -bmp. Good to know.

Jul 17, 2009, 04:35 AM // 04:35	#11
Bob Slydell Forge Runner Join Date: Jan 2007	Honestly, I learned in a computer class about compression and how digital images work and such. But i NEVER understood how compressing with JPEG makes your pictures smaller by taking out color info and adding lines around everything it sees. When it comes down to it, a digital image is a load of plot points with information for that pixel. Say you have 100x100 digital image.. thats 10,000 pixels = 10,000 Plot points (x + y axis) of info for each pixel and the color depth comes from the operating system's capabilities. Never understood jpeg at all.. :/