Crystal Fragment turns everything you see into 8-bit Pixel Art | Hacker News Reader

Crystal Fragment turns everything you see into 8-bit Pixel Art

yankodesign.com

91 pointsrcarmo30 comments

I’m suspicious of the effect working as advertised. Looking at the photos closely there seem to be two different objects: a larger cube that is used for the best demos (Arc de Triomphe and plushies) and the pendant everywhere else.

You can distinguish them from a few details: the pendant has the small “hook” and has a considerably smaller “pixel count” which only produces uninteresting squares of colour without a discernible image. Plus look at the hand holding them and how far apart the fingers are.

Furthermore, both this website and the artist mention this produces an upside-down image (they have a clear example with a candle on the website) while the best demos here have images with the right side up.

As someone who’d be on the target market for this, I wouldn’t feel confident spending the money without first holding one in my hands and clarifying these incongruences.

There are two different sized objects being sold and shown in the article. I mentioned this important fact when I posted this link yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40890633

Also, shouldn't the image be upside-down?

It is. At least in the photos of the "pixel mirror" -- see your sibling comment, there are two objects being demoed.

In some of the examples it's hard to tell, you can work out the skybox[0] in the photos[1] that include the horizon.

[0] I found it amusing that this was the word I reached for here, so I left it in. A skybox is typically what is/was rendered in the background before the rest of a 3D (game) scene. I'm referring to the gradient between the ground/horizon/sunset/sky.

[1] https://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/2024/07/weara...

Original source [1] and English translation [2].

1: https://monoli.easy-myshop.jp/

2: https://monoli-easy--myshop-jp.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_...

When I read that title I wondered how the colors get quantized, because... 8-bit!

No, it's just a pixelating crystal (?)... Still nice.

Just ?!? I clicked on the comments to complain about all those indies still making pixel art games in 2024. But this is an actually fun physical item!

> I clicked on the comments to complain about all those indies still making pixel art games in 2024.

Why would you feel the need to complain about that? What harm does that cause you?

Indie developers aren’t “still” making pixel art, they’re making pixel art to a level that would’ve been impossible back then, full of particles, light effects, filters, and more. To me it hands down pushes more creative boundaries than the same old boring 3D trying to look ever more realistic.

So your world is either pixelated or 3D? There is nothing in between?

Hint: check the last Monkey Island for example.

There are lots of great 2d non pixel games, maybe pixels were an overused trend, but it's still a legit art style.

Of course there are things in between. There are even video games outside of it with no graphics like A Blind Legend. So what’s your point? I’d appreciate if you argued in good faith instead of reflexively fighting a straw man. You haven’t answered what makes you feel the need to (in your words) click on the comments to complain about artists picking pixel art as their choice.

I love pixel art games in 2024.

It’s not 8 bit. Just ultra low resolution with big square pixels. But the color spectrum seems big and unaffected by whatever the crystal is doing.

If we’re being honest, the “pixels” contain multiple colors and discernible shapes.

Only one short video where the crystal is very carefully held in a single place. This doesn’t give me a good demonstration of the capabilities.

Also, looks like the object in the video (cube) is not the same as the object being sold (pendant, shows upside down image).

Previous, posted yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40890633

Your comment says "msephton 20 hours ago", while the post your comment links to says "14 points by msephton 5 hours ago"

How can the post have a time 15 hours after this comment?

Since I commented my post seems to have received the HN "second chance", so the timestamp has been updated but the comment timestamp remains unchanged: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308

It’s crazy how I assumed this was some kind of digital screen device for a solid 20-30 seconds before scrolling far enough to see the actual design.

reminds me of these two funny pictures (of a cat behind a window acting similarly on light): https://imgur.com/pq9xLol https://imgur.com/1hhvBY9

I thought "Crystal Fragment" was the name of some piece of software...

I thought it'd be a generative AI specialized in pixel art :)

Sold out, though Etsy has similar items for less...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1525612125/natural-crystal-quar...

Not sold out, per se. There are two items in the article. The first has not yet gone on sale. The second, smaller one with upside down image, goes on sale at the start of every month. Info at: https://monoli.easy-myshop.jp

Someone make glasses out of these!

Those are called "fly's eye" lenses.

Pixel cut peridot is nothing new.

How old is it?

I was shown one at some game room supply store in 2005, and I would presume older than that. They were meant to be strewn about your poker table.

Ah, I was expecting some real historical info!

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