[LE] [Skyrim] All about Textures

[Deleted133263User]

This Topic has moved to here ...

https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/4283-all-about-textures/

Editing this topic (Duplicating updated posts from AFK Mods) has become problematic, and requires more time to edit this topic to get it looking right than I wish to afford.

Will keep the link here for anyone trying to find it.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Guest

[Deleted133263User]

See new 2nd post here ..

https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/4283-all-about-textures/&do=findComment&comment=157415

Edited October 21, 2019 by Guest

[Deleted133263User]

See new 3rd post here ..

 

https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/4283-all-about-textures/&do=findComment&comment=157416

Edited October 21, 2019 by Guest

[Deleted133263User]

See new 4th post here ..

 

https://www.afkmods.com/index.php?/topic/4283-all-about-textures/&do=findComment&comment=157417

Edited October 21, 2019 by Guest

[Deleted133263User]

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Edited October 21, 2019 by Guest

[Carnage2K4]

Very interesting post, I never added Mip Maps to my Normal Maps as I figured only the main texture needed them.

Well, better make some updates.

[Deleted133263User]

Very interesting post, I never added Mip Maps to my Normal Maps as I figured only the main texture needed them.

Well, better make some updates.

 

Excellent, thats what makes these topics worth the while putting them together .. Everyone benefits :)

[Hitokiri91e]

Very nice, especially the section with texture suffixes. Kudos!

[Mornedil]

I've made tons of textures for the Source engine, and I highly recommend this page for reference on different texture formats.

I'm not sure if Skyrim supports all of those formats since I've never made a Skyrim texture, but that page is still useful for better understanding the difference.

 

For example:

• DXT1: use this format for typical textures with no alpha channel.
• DXT3: use this format for typical textures with an alpha channel with sharp gradients.
• DXT5: use this format for typical textures with an alpha channel with smooth gradients.

 

Then there are the BGR888 and BGRA8888 formats, which produce high-quality textures, but with huge file size.

If they are even available for Skyrim, they should probably rarely (to never) be used on regular textures considering the game's medieval setting (meaning that irregularities in DXT textures caused by compression can easily be mistaken by the player as natural dirt, or not be noticed at all)

Edited July 10, 2016 by Mornedil

[Deleted133263User]

Mornedill your link is broken .. But some of the info you give is not as informative as the links to pages we have already given in the OP

 

For example "DXT1: use this format for typical textures with no alpha channel." - True if you are talking about DXT1c, but not if you are talking about DXT1a

The link in the OP originally given by Teaandcigarettes http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/DXT

( See the resources section at the end of the first post )

 

The 888 format textures mostly are ideal for face ( and sometimes body textures ), due to their size they are best used as you say sparingly, on game objects where close inspection is more likely, and where they are going to be used not so often throughout the game.

I think Xenius was one of the modders who discovered the benefits of this texture type early on with the No More Blocky Face mod http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/30/? which eliminated the default squared female nose bumps on the normal maps in particular.