How many mipmaps?

[rausheim]

MIP maps aren't any thing more than to spare the graphics memory. If I remember correctly, say you have 8 MIP maps in a DDS-file. And the closer you are to the model using this DDS file, the "biggest" MIP map are being used.

 

You can test this by selecting "Load MIP maps" when opening the DDS file and change the color of each square. I.e. the first square, yellow, the next one, red, etc etc. Save it as a dds and use it on any model and test ingame (I think it will work in GECK too).

 

To explain shortly, instead of using the 2048x2048 large DDS file when 200 meters away in game, it only uses a 256x256 version of it :-)

[ozziefire]

MIP maps aren't any thing more than to spare the graphics memory. If I remember correctly, say you have 8 MIP maps in a DDS-file. And the closer you are to the model using this DDS file, the "biggest" MIP map are being used.

 

You can test this by selecting "Load MIP maps" when opening the DDS file and change the color of each square. I.e. the first square, yellow, the next one, red, etc etc. Save it as a dds and use it on any model and test ingame (I think it will work in GECK too).

 

To explain shortly, instead of using the 2048x2048 large DDS file when 200 meters away in game, it only uses a 256x256 version of it :-)

Well at least now I know what they are for the day I do poke with photoshop and try to upload a texture :)

Edited April 22, 2011 by ozziefire

[nivea]

@nivea

 

The selection 'ALL' is only OK if you know that the number of mipmaps of your source .dds file is correct or the same as the original texture it is replacing.

Otherwise you just reproduce the error. But normally 1 or 2 textures with too much mipmaps should not reduce the performance at all.

In my case the whole game has new textures so the overall performance hit should/could? be much greater.

 

@tunaisafish

I'm not really shocked, just wanted to be funny in an awkward way :ninja:

 

What "error" are you talking about your first post states nothing about you have a error in the textures. Mip maps are for letting the game swap textures the farther away you get from them, I have never reworked a texture before then found out that it caused any more performance reduction then the original.

If you have performance issues resize the textures smaller because its not the mipmaps doing it to you.

[MentalGear]

Man calm down. Thats what I hate about the internet, everybody misunderstands what I'm trying to say, everybody just follows their own assumptions and jumps to strange conclusions.

 

The NON existent 'error' I was talking about is giving a texture 11 Mipmaps while its original texture should have 8 Mipmaps, just for example. So if you would use your method not caring about how many mipmaps it should have you would then reproduce this hypothetical error. :wallbash:

I just wanted to expand your knowledge, sorry for trying. :(

 

If you have performance issues resize the textures smaller because its not the mipmaps doing it to you.

 

And that has what to do with this topic? Again assumption, wrong conclusion.

If you use lets say 30.000 textures and every one of them has lets say FOR EXAMPLE 11 mipmaps instead of 8 mipmaps(lets say for this hypothetical example 8 would be the correct number) then there would be an awful lot more to calculate. So mipmaps can influence performance.

Lets just say we misunderstood each other pretty thoroughly.

 

 

@rausheim

THX very much for the hint with the tinted mipmaps. That will help me narrow down the culprits. :thumbsup:

Edited April 23, 2011 by Mental Gear

[nivea]

Rofl I have to agree with your statement, "Thats what I hate about the internet, everybody misunderstands what I'm trying to say, everybody just follows their own assumptions and jumps to strange conclusions." I was just trying to help you, I wasnt getting pissy I just didnt understand what "error" you where talking about since you didnt point it out.

 

Since most people dont seem to know your answer it will prolly be best to go in game and do tests, I figure since you wanted to do a private mod that you can tinker with for however long you need to that would be the best option.

I have been messing with textures since Morrowind first poped up and really havent seen that much a difference with perhaps more mipmaps then the original was all I was trying to say, even on my old computer (that was lke 5 years old, icky D: ) I didnt see a difference.

If you do find it makes a huge difference then please do post your findings so we may all adjust our files then. I really think there is no "set" one though since many in game vanilla items seem to have different ones.