HQ AI-Enhanced card pictures for Forge

[Heris]

I'm glad to hear this; btw renaming every single file is a long task of course. I don't know if a batch file renamer could help but if this is the case i may suggest this free software which has a lot of functions https://www.advancedrenamer.com/

Keep up with the good work

Batch renamer won't work (in fact I considered writing one but decided against it, I'm a programmer after all), because Forge naming convention is inconsistent, uses pseudo-keywords that don't exist in MtG like "Firebreathing" or "Burn" and adds information that original Scryfall entry simply doesn't have, for example "haste" in name of some tokens, that isn't present on the token itself. This might make sense for Forge devs, but for everybody else, it's just a mess.

I understand. Thank you again for making available HQ MTG cards' scans and I hope you will continue to support the project for future MTG sets.

Best regards

[AStrangerIsHere]

I don't know if I'm the only one having this problem, but it seems to me that all the links are dead. I can't download anything and I have this message:

The connection has timed out

The server at download.austeregrim.net is taking too long to respond.

[necxelos]

I don't know if I'm the only one having this problem, but it seems to me that all the links are dead. I can't download anything and I have this message:

The connection has timed out

The server at download.austeregrim.net is taking too long to respond.

I just tried 2 random files and they downloaded properly. Maybe server was down temporarily?

[Moosefalva101]

Hi Necxelos. Great work on this project. Thanks so much for the time and effort you've put in. I can barely fathom the timesink it must have been based on previous limited Forge card image work which I've attempted in the past.

I have a question about methodology of the newer sets that you've uploaded, I'm assuming those which you upscaled from Gatherer images. I noticed that some of the text, particularly the small detail text along the card bottom, on those particular cards seems to have suffered a bit in the upscaling/enhancement process. I'm sure you're already aware, having addressed the difference in the process for those in your previous post.

I know that the XLHQ uploads to Scryfall often lag several months behind the actual release of each set. At this point, it looks like anything released post-April is still using a lower-quality placeholder image on Scryfall's site. I'm curious if your intention with these newer sets that you've upscaled from Gatherer was to "remaster" them once the XLHQ files are uploaded or if you're satisfied with the existing versions and intend for those to stand as your final version of these cards.

Either way, thanks again for the awesome work you've done here. I'm excited to see more of your output in the future. I'm sure it'll just keep getting better.

[AStrangerIsHere]

I don't know if I'm the only one having this problem, but it seems to me that all the links are dead. I can't download anything and I have this message:

The connection has timed out

The server at download.austeregrim.net is taking too long to respond.

I just tried 2 random files and they downloaded properly. Maybe server was down temporarily?

It's strange. I tried to download AKR and it worked. So I canceled it, tried to download PWCQ.zip and it won't. So, I tried again with AKR and now it's impossible to download it or anything else.

For 3 days, I tried to download PWCQ.zip but to no avail. I don't know.

[necxelos]

It's strange. I tried to download AKR and it worked. So I canceled it, tried to download PWCQ.zip and it won't. So, I tried again with AKR and now it's impossible to download it or anything else.

For 3 days, I tried to download PWCQ.zip but to no avail. I don't know.

What You mean tried and canceled? Single set downloads so fast I'd never be able to click cancel before it finishes... How?

On top of that, canceling and downloading again (repeat several times) might make server detect Your activity as suspicious and issue softban on Your IP.

I also downloaded PWCQ.zip from server right now, no problem. So it's either something with Your connection or the softban I mentioned above. Change Your IP if You can and start downloading 1 by 1 or use some app/extension that downloads sequentially. And do not cancel halfway.

[necxelos]

Hi Necxelos. Great work on this project.

Thanks. Glad You enjoy it

I know that the XLHQ uploads to Scryfall often lag several months behind the actual release of each set. At this point, it looks like anything released post-April is still using a lower-quality placeholder image on Scryfall's site. I'm curious if your intention with these newer sets that you've upscaled from Gatherer was to "remaster" them once the XLHQ files are uploaded or if you're satisfied with the existing versions and intend for those to stand as your final version of these cards.

Several things need an answer here so I'll start with something I thought was true before (yet it is not):
- XLHQ no longer supplies Scryfall. Apparently Scryfall have in-house scanning team and they are separate from XLHQ. There was cooperation in the past but it seems it's no longer the case.

Next, the main question (and simplest for me to answer):
- Yes, I plan to remaster scans as soon as entire set worth of scans is available. This will replace the current Gatherer images being upscaled and enhanced (and yes, well aware of artifacts and distortions on small fonts, AI upscaling doesn't work well with images so tiny).

Lastly (and sadly):
- Some sets might never get scans and (by extension) never get remastered scans from me. Check Innistrad Double Feature Set on Scryfall, code DBL. This is from January, it's 6 months old, yet there are no scans. Kamigawa Neon Dynasty is more recent (February) and got 100% scans on Scryfall. So I pretty much lost hope on DBL at this point. Similarly, some token sets, I'm working on now, are really old and still no scans in sight so I will work with Gatherer images where needed.

[Moosefalva101]

Thanks so much for the quick and detailed response, necxelos. It is what it is, and you can only work with what you have available. So I'm grateful for what you've been able to make of it. The Gatherer scan enhancements are still quite good, despite the lower quality source material, so keep up the excellent work!

[Moosefalva101]

It's strange. I tried to download AKR and it worked. So I canceled it, tried to download PWCQ.zip and it won't. So, I tried again with AKR and now it's impossible to download it or anything else.

For 3 days, I tried to download PWCQ.zip but to no avail. I don't know.

What You mean tried and canceled? Single set downloads so fast I'd never be able to click cancel before it finishes... How?

On top of that, canceling and downloading again (repeat several times) might make server detect Your activity as suspicious and issue softban on Your IP.

I also downloaded PWCQ.zip from server right now, no problem. So it's either something with Your connection or the softban I mentioned above. Change Your IP if You can and start downloading 1 by 1 or use some app/extension that downloads sequentially. And do not cancel halfway.

AStrangerIsHere: I had the softban that necxelos is referring to occur when I initially tried to download the series with a batch script I'd created. I didn't build in enough of a delay between download requests, and I think the server thought I was trying a DDOS attack or something and killed my connection. Found I couldn't connect to the server afterward. So I booted up my VPN and took another crack at it with a longer 12-second delay built into my script between download requests. No issues from that point on.

[necxelos]

The Update, you've been waiting for: Tokens Part 1. And more...

So let's list all the new shiny things, you can download right now:
- A total of 826 remastered tokens, this is everything for Core, Expansion and Commander Sets. No Emblems yet, those will come next.
- Universes Within (SLX) remastered set.
- Updated Kamigawa Neon Dynasty (NEO) set. Since all scans are available now, I'm updating the set. Just replace old directory with new one.
- Updated Adventures in Forgotten Realms (AFR) set. Missing dungeons (which logically should be in tokens but for reasons unknown reside in set directory) are now added. Just replace old directory with new one.

I'm sorry for longer delay this time around, but token files have to be named manually and doing it really is a brainwashing activity

IMPORTANT: Remember that tokens go in tokens directory in Forge, which separate from cards directory.

Card examples:

"Hargile, Kindly Runechanter" | Open

"Dungeon of the Mad Mage" | Open

"Elemental Bird Token" | Open

"Faerie Rogue Token" | Open

As usual, You can grab this release here:
http://download.austeregrim.net/xlhq_remaster/
...just sort by date added and download 4 most recent ZIP's.
From austergrim (our generous colleague who pays for the server so everyone can easily download and enjoy high quality cards): please, DO NOT redownload every ZIP, every update. Only download what You're missing / what has been added.

Enjoy

[Heris]

Thank you very much, I was waiting for MTG tokens.

Greetings

[Huggybaby]

I think Nyth wrote a renaming script at one point but it never saw wide use. You could use a spreadsheet/array as a lookup table and rename hundreds of sets with a click.

[shamaatae]

Wow that was alot of clicks!

First of all thank you for these images, they look great for screens. No more bluriness.

I took the liberty of creating a .torrent so others need not do what i just did, spend an hour clicking links.

Hopefully this is appreciated, if not feel free to delete this.

[Xana]

Thank you for all the hard work

These images are fantastic

A question, would you perhaps be interested in doing other TCG's at some point, or if not perhaps allow others to do them? I.E the WoW TCG Images, would probably benefit a lot from this treatment

[BlackLotus82]

Hi, any news about WIP tokens & remaining online sets? Tx