New iOS guidelines May 1st 2013

Mayhemmmarty

Starting May 1, new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store must be built for iOS devices with Retina display and iPhone apps must also support the 4-inch display on iPhone 5.
Does this mean that all artwork and screen sizes must be doubled in Gamesalad?

ShmirlyWhirl

Just import the art at 4x the size it's supposed to be, then check resolution independence. (Provided your game is already built to work on the various platforms)

Someone may want to clarify or add additional details.

DanielDoe

2x the size (not 4x)

Ebreeze

My iPad backgrounds are 1024 768 .. So they will be doubled ? That's not only double the size in pixels but mega bytes too ... I'm confused

lycettebros

Yes @Ebreeze double the size so 1024x2 and 768x2
It will increase the file size in terms of bytes but this is necessary. File size is generally unimportant. Having nice looking graphics is what you are wanting and double resolution of graphics will do this for you.

imGua

We're doomed.

JarrenH

I've got over 60 ipad retina optimized graphics, many that are 512x512. Using image alpha, I turned 4 mb into 300 kb. I think the only thing we might have to worry about is images using twice the amount of ram than need on older devices...

Ebreeze

I've got over 60 ipad retina optimized graphics, many that are 512x512. Using image alpha, I turned 4 mb into 300 kb. I think the only thing we might have to worry about is images using twice the amount of ram than need on older devices...

Image alpha...gonna check that out

Ebreeze

Is the GS team aware if this ? Letting us import bigger graphics....2048 ect..

Elfizm

@Ebreeze pretty sure you have been for a while to import images 2048 or smaller into GS.

Ebreeze

Ok cool....still on an older version

VoidedSky

I know this means that apps will have to use the full screen on the new 4 inch screen with no bars, but can there be bars on the older, smaller screens? Or does the app have to work full screen on both devices?

Thanks

~Josh

mounted88

I know this means that apps will have to use the full screen on the new 4 inch screen with no bars, but can there be bars on the older, smaller screens? Or does the app have to work full screen on both devices?

Thanks

~Josh

I would assume no black bars period, but who knows with apple.

The_Gamesalad_Guru

It's always been like this for RI. Now Apple is requiring it.

creativeapps

I have confusions that iPad retina graphics also require for universal build app?

evmacdev

How do you test your game on an IOS device I need to make sure everything is correct before publishing to the App store?

The_Gamesalad_Guru

@creativeapps yes.

okpc

If my project start form iPhone. Can I overwirte with 4x image to enblem iPad retina?

ShadowMoon

what if we use universal build to get rid of the black bars? Then we dont have to make images to 2x times?

mounted88

what if we use universal build to get rid of the black bars? Then we dont have to make images to 2x times?

You have to have your images 2x that's how you get retina graphics.

The_Gamesalad_Guru

A universal build means it compatable with both iPad and iPhone so in order to achieve retina on iPad the graphics have to be double iPad size and that would cover iPhone too. As Apple has stated if the build can run on iPad it has to be retina for iPad. Also, I suspect black bars are not going to be acceptable which means you need to build your scenes to work on both iPhone legacy and iPhone 5. This is best achieved using the crop function.

ShadowMoon

lets say i am not going to build my game for ipad but only for iphone 4 and 5. that means i dont have to use double size?

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Retina means double the size of the screen for graphics as that is how retina works. If you publish out a straight iPhone app through the publishing system then the graphics need to be double the iPhone screen size. If you output a universal build they need to be double the size iPad.

tenrdrmer

Blows my mind that 3 years later people still don't understand retina graphics and resolution independence.

The device doesn't do anything magically to your art, so it should be common sense, The art in your project MUST be large enough to acomadate the largest device screen your game will be played on.
And now Apple wants high res art.
GameSalad doesn't offer you any control beyond the old standard RI setting so if your making an iPad build or a universal build you need art large enough for retina iPad. If not then you need art large enough for iPhone 5 retina.

To get retina all you have to do is double the image dimensions for what ever your desired display size is.

imGua

This means the time I had put in support for iPad was just a waste

YoRooster

Really feeling the pressure now! Wanted to make the move to support the iphone 5's 4" screen as a later update. Spent so long on this game I just want to get it out there!

gamesfua

Small confusion here. Does this mean we'll have to make universal apps? I'm getting confused at the line " if it can run on an iPad it needs to be retina." Well iPhone games can run on an iPad. Hence my confusion.
I have a feeling if you make an iPhone specific app then you only jeed to ensure it runs fullscreen retina on the 4 and 5. iPad not necessary. Am i correct? Thanks!

The_Gamesalad_Guru

dedicated iphone app can run on an ipad but at iphone screen size and that iphone app needs to be retna iphone screen size. Universal builds, which means the app will scale to both iphone and ipad screen sizes. Since a universal build scales full screen on an ipad those graphics need to be 2X ipad screen size. Come on people this isn't hard to grasp!

gamesfua

@fryingbaconstudios thanks for the answer. Not so much for the last part.

The_Gamesalad_Guru

LMAO

gamesfua

@yorooster i completely feel your pain. I JUST finished about two and a half months of converting my iPhone 4 game to 5. It took forever! Because of the complexity and sheer size of my game, I needed to essentially remake the game from scratch. Best of luck to you. You might as well try to prep it for universal binary while you're at it. I imagine that apple requirement is right around the corner.