dds making

[Spook2U]

Hi

 

what options do I need for dds creating?

 

CS Wiki - DDS

There are 8 sorts of DDS.

 

-Textures without Transparency (Most Models and all Landscape)

-Textures with optional Transparency (Needs to be activated in NIF-File)

-Textures with Parallax displacement mapping (must be activated in NIF file)

-Normal Maps (*_n.dds)

-Glow Maps (*_g.dds)

-Icons (And other GUI elements)

-BookArt

-Loading Screens

 

I do not have Photoshop, but I know there you habe a lot of options.

Maybe someone, who uses Photoshop can say me, which options he/she uses?

Of cource all other can say me to, which options I should use

 

Spook2U

Edited November 28, 2010 by Spook2U

[rdamstrom]

Gimp2 is probable the best free option I know of. there is a dds plugin for it

http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/

http://www.gimp.org/

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Portal:Texturing

[TheSwedishPancake]

Gimp2 is probable the best free option I know of. there is a dds plugin for it

http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/

http://www.gimp.org/

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Portal:Texturing

Yes. The GIMP is very good; it is basically a very lite version of Photoshop and has a lot of its features. This is definitely a great tool for making DDS files. Good luck in your modding!

[Semtex]

Yes.

GIMP with DDS plugin is good tool and is free. I dont know if can create "Textures with Parallax displacement mapping", but all other requested sort of DDS file can by created.

[CorrodedSoul]

As I understand, what you are asking is what the DXT "version" do you need for all those 8 applications

 

 

-Textures without Transparency (Most Models and all Landscape)

-Textures with optional Transparency (Needs to be activated in NIF-File)

-Textures with Parallax displacement mapping (must be activated in NIF file)

-Normal Maps (*_n.dds)

-Glow Maps (*_g.dds)

-Icons (And other GUI elements)

-BookArt

-Loading Screens

 

Ok, to start, the dds files are "encoded" in a few different ways(those with the ps nvidia plugin can say LOTS) but you mainly have to focus in 3 dxt1, dxt3, and dxt5

 

DXT1 is for those images that DO NOT use alpha(transparency)

DXT3 is for masked alpha images - 1 bit alpha, either transparent or not

DXT5 is for full, 8 bit alpha, this is what you use for hair, lashes and those transparent clothes/armors

 

You might wonder "what's the difference between a DXT3 and a DXT5, if they both have alpha", if you do, heres an answer:

1-bit alpha means that the edges of the transparent area will be jagged, since a pixel in this format can or can't be transparent

there is no such thing as "alpha level" at least for DXT3. On the other hand, on DXT5 a pixel can have any alpha value, allowing you

to have "alpha gradients" which translate in much smoother edges in the transparent area.

 

The main advantage not to use DX5 all the way is file size, alpha info greatly enlarges a texture file.

 

tl;dr

 

DXT1 everything with no alpha

DXT3 only for specific things

DXT5 full alpha FTW :)

 

hope that helped you

 

PD: a reaaaaaly nice, fast, powerfull AND free app to make dds files is DDSConverter, google it

[Spook2U]

At first: thank you for your answers :thumbsup:

 

Im sorry, but all of you do not understand my question :tongue:

 

I wanted to know, which options I need for the single dds "sorts" (on my first post)

 

I called Photoshop as an example because it has a lot of options.

 

I want to make a tool, which uses nvdxt (from nVidea), but I do not understand the options of the program :wacko:

So I ask, what options do you use to craete the dds files?

[Pronam]

There are already 2 programs that do this: dxtbmp and DDS Converter.

The options are wider than that and it isn't likely you can rule out something as the settings provide you the ability to make your texture look best. The two programs I just mentioned are good examples for what's been commonly used if you wondered about that.