What's the objection to including pre-cooked versions of the up-sized graphics sets in the packs? Is it just a matter of file size/avoiding duplicates?
The multiple art assets can be present in the art directory, but the original init file can be managed by the scripts calling the git repo. It might be nice to include some standardized notation of art sizes so that they are easily handled without duplicating code: ei, <art_name>_15x15.png, <art_name>_18x18.png, etc.
This is also a great idea! This way we can include all resolutions in a single release and not having to have different git repositories for different resolutions. This nomenclature already exists in the /art/ folder, we just need to implement it inside the raw/graphics folder. It has an added benefit, if we include 16/24/32 assets in all releases, then we can later use a TWBT-like hack to use different ones at different zoom levels (just a crazy idea).
What about the following summary of these ideas:
1. Defining a naming structure and tile positioning standard that authors must follow if they want their tileset to be included in both the repository and PyLNP (this means that each creature's position must be exactly the same for all tilesets. i.e. same file, same x,y coordinate).
2. Updating dead, but loved, tilesets to match this standard (I'm thinking that we can start with spacefox).
3. Append the resolution to the name of all files within the raw/graphics. Folder (i.e. dwarves.png->dwarves_16x16.png).
4. Add upscaled assets to those sets that merit it, using the same folder structure (i.e. so now /raw/graphics/spacefox/ contains dwarves_16x16.png, dwarves_24x24.png, & dwarves_32x32.png).
5. Adding a resolution selection option to PyLNP, so that PyLNP can customize the .txt files that tell DF which file to use (defaulting to the original if no other resolutions are present).
Another crazy idea is creating a universal repository with all tilesets in subfolders (similar to what fricy is currently doing with the hybrids), but including all graphics assets (they must be standardized in terms of filenames and tile positioning) and write a separate application that allows a user to chose which dwarves to use, which elves, which animals, etc. Similar to the way many Skyim mods install. All that would be necessary is updating the .txt files so that they use the right files and resolutions
Just brainstorming
EDIT: I have been looking at the raw/object folders and I think I could make a MATLAB script that takes a current graphics set and standardizes it (regardless of the original structure), both in terms of its png and its text files based on a given DF build. Hmmmm! I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes. If I can make it work then we could use it to very easily adapt to any new structure or clasification Toady may come up with. I'll give it a try with creatures and animals first and let you know how it goes