In my opinion always use the highest you can imagine you ever needed -- I usually use 1024x1024, but also used 2048x2048. Then when you finish with your art you can downscale the exported image to a size that looks good in 1:1 scale in BuildBox -- Some people swear of having better results on iPad is using 2:2 or 1.5:1.5 scale (or anything that downscales the images within BuildBox so on a bigger screen it looks better). Reason doing better quality on your graphics software is that you may need that image for marketing purposes plus maybe later on you realize a higher resolution would be better in your future development on your game... Downscaling is always easier than upscaling...
You are asking about dpi parameter which corresponds to the print (dots per inch), it determines the size of the picture on eg. paper using chosen resolution. For digital on-screen purposes you have to keep image size dimensions set in pixels, no worries about dpi. 72 dpi is for screens but it will look the same if you change it to any other dpi but keeping the same pixel dimensions.
Make your image, any size will do. Put it into Buildbox and scale it to your needs. Note the scaling percentage, then resize in photoshop to match the percentage scaled. Replace your original image in Buildbox.
This is workaround in my opinion and better solution is to set final size in Photoshop already which is 640 x 1138 for mobile phone and create all yous designs in Photoshop (or Illustrator which is vector based so resolution independent)
It's not a work around is by far the most efficient way for object sizing. The OP was asking about objects. I assume you are referring to backgrounds, which is also a poor way to cover screen area. That resolution is also incorrect, 640 x 1136 is probably what you were referring to.
You are right about the resolution, I was typing from my memory. I don't agree about workflow you've suggested but it is only my opinion. I just don't understand how creating objects in software A (Photoshop), bringing it to software B (Buildbox) just to set scale and see how does it look and bringing it back to software A to set the same scale and again importing it to software B finally - how this is not work around in your opinion instead of creating objects in software A, setting the scale and importing them to software B - just it. How?
Both ideas are good. This is what I would do... Mock up a quick sample game in Buildbox using temporary graphics, just standard shapes, premade assets etc., whatever you want. Take a snapshot in BB preview of the iPhone 5 size. Load that into photoshop or whatever software you use to make graphics, just double check the dimensions are correct 1136x640 or 640x1136 depending if you are landscape or portrait. You can use it as a reference to the size needed for the game. This will get you close enough, you can make fine adjustments in BB as needed. But ending up with no scaling (where possible and makes sense) in Buildbox is the best for performance. This is the same principle when doing games the old fashioned way (before Buildbox).
I guess for us it really depends on how many tweaks we are making throughout the build process for 1, but creating non vector images in photoshop, opposed to illustrator, 640x1136 is too small for the marketing assets, so 2048x1536 is the smallest size we ever make. Hence we scale and tweak as we go. As Andy says, both are valid for sure, just my 2 cents.
Totally agree, I've always had assets made as vector initially. We still used a guide like this for estimation of the size required when exporting.
Hey Andy. i am making a platformer game. so should i use one image for platform and scale it up as needed or go with multiple images as platform? what should be the resolution? (currently using 200 px * 200 px} Also suffering from a lagging issue in android i.e when char. touches the set checkpoint, the game lags sometime. how can i solve this please help if you can.
