Converting .PNG to .DDS

[tripleclimax]

I don't like graphical mods that affect the original art style so I am currently trying to upscale the original vanilla Fallout 3 textures to 2k/4k.

Here is my workflow so far:

- Extract textures with BSA Browser (https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1756)
- Use DDS Converter to convert textures to .PNG (https://ddsconverter.com/)
- Upscale the textures to 2k/4k with Upscayl (https://upscayl.org/)

Now the next step would be converting the files from .PNG back to .DDS and this where I don't know how to proceed.

I neither know the correct format or right tool to accomplish this task. I heard about GIMP, Paint.net and Photoshop. There's 12.280 textures in "Fallout - Textures.bsa" so batch processing is mandatory.

I do own Photoshop and know two Plugins that let you open and save .DDS files:

- https://fnordware.blogspot.com/2014/09/dds-plug-in-for-after-effects-and.html
- https://developer.nvidia.com/texture-tools-exporter

As mentioned, I don't know what to use and what the correct settings should be. I am completely new to FO3 modding so any help is appreciated.

Edited August 10 by tripleclimax

[Pagafyr]

I recall working with photoshop.   I changed Pixs from .jpg to .png just by changing the tag on the end of photo without harming the pix.  I simply renamed the .png to what it was before.  The system warned me about doing that, but no defect in the pix occurred.

Test the idea of just renaming a pix.png to pix.DDS on any copy of any of the pix you have by making a copy of a pix.png.  Renaming pix.png to pixtest.png and do the test on it converting it to pixtest.DDS just so you don't lose the good .png to be safe. 

[JimboUK]

The settings depend on what the texture is being used for, I'll quote Ghogiel from another thread....

 

Quote

For diffuse(color) maps, DXT1 no alpha is perfectly adequate.

 

For diffuse maps with the need of alpha transparency maps. DXT5 is more or less ideal

 

For compressed normal maps that will need to contain a specular map in the alpha channel, DXT5 again. if you are not going to use a specular map, and just use a global specular level via the material on the mesh, DXT1 no alpha

And of course they'll all need mipmaps. 

I'll be honest, I don't think upscaling everything to 2K/4K is a good idea, it'll massively increase VRAM usage, Fallout 3 is a 32-bit game, it cannot use more than 4GB of RAM and in my experience the wheels tend to fall off FO3 and NV at around 3.4GB. 

[MuteSignals]

I'd just use Paint.net for PNG > DDS > PNG.

[tripleclimax]

@Pagafyr

I read the same suggestion in the comments of a recent YT video I watched but was skeptical. So I changed the file extension from the resized .PNG to .DDS and did actually load and display the new texture. In fact, you can rename the original Fallout texture to .PNG, upscale it and change it back to .DDS. Skipping the conversion altogether. Although if you skip the conversion to .PNG you have either no image preview in the upscale tool or it's displayed weirdly distorted / stretched. Also when loading the new .DDS into Photoshop while using the "NVIDIA Texture Tools Exporter" plugin it gives me an error and fails to load. I noticed a weird lighting issue in game as well where the "Pipboy 3000" text on the Pipboy texture was displayed double in a specific angle after just renaming the file to .DDS again. 

 

@JimboUK

I don't know what a color or diffuse map is, so I can't really use that information. As I said, I am new to everything related to modding. Here is what I tired tho, and it seems to work:

- I don't use Upscayl anymore, I switched to Topaz Photo AI which has a plugin for Photoshop
- Open any Fallout 3 texture in Photoshop
- Resize with Topaz Photo AI
- Save a new copy of the resized image using fnord DDS Plugin 

See the image for settings I used, I hope that's correct. The test texture I used is the Pipboy 3000 in "Data\textures\pipboy3000\pc\english". The file is about 4mb at 2048x2048.

You Select "File / Automate" in Photoshop, then resize via the Topaz plugin. Once it comes back into Photoshop there are 2 layers, the default one (when you open the original .DDS file) which is a locked layer and the resized one which is unlocked. I delete the original locked layer and keep the resized one. Only then it gives me the Alpha Chanel options in the export dialogue.

Quote

I'll be honest, I don't think upscaling everything to 2K/4K is a good idea, it'll massively increase VRAM usage, Fallout 3 is a 32-bit game, it cannot use more than 4GB of RAM and in my experience the wheels tend to fall off FO3 and NV at around 3.4GB.

You are probably right, I think if I continue I will stick to 2k and limit the scope to weapons and base textures, excluding things like NPCs.

 

@MuteSignals

I try to stick to Photoshop whenever possible but when everything fails I give it a try.

Oddly enough it's also the tool of choice in this tutorial: 

https://tw-modding.com/wiki/Tutorial:Upscale_texture_using_ai

Unfortunately Paint.net doesn't support batch processing so it has to be done via AutoHotKey. 

Edited August 13 by tripleclimax

[JimboUK]

The diffuse map is basically the texture you see in game, usually called filename.dds, normal maps are what give textures depth so they're not completely flat, they can also dictate glossiness via the alpha channel, normal maps usually share the diffuse maps name but with a _n suffix, filename_n.dds. There are also glowmaps that emit light, they have a _g suffix, there's _sk for skin and _hl for hair (highlights).

If you're going to do all the textures then it might be best to split them into groups and set a resolution appropriate for the object, for example a 2048 spoon won't look much better than the default, it'll just be wasting VRAM, water would be a waste of time because the resolution seems to be locked and large textures make no difference.  Landscapes could benefit from being higher as long as there are no upscaling artifacts, they'll stand out like a sore thumb. 

I notice from your image that you don't have mipmaps checked, they're a must to save VRAM, they're a series of lower resolution versions of the texture that are displayed when objects are further away.  

[Pellape]

To get full control of a DDS, specially with transparent normals, if I want to change them, I use DXTBMP since 2005 and it should load PNG as well and it is an extremely fast and a tiny free tool. Otherwise I use the DDS and Normals plugins for gimp. DXTDMP is the first DDS tool I used and we used to use blurred TIF's in Morrowind before 2005 and they did look terrible. Download

Edited October 28 by Pellape