DDS format, cannot open

[mancika]

Hey,

 

sorry to disturb you, but got a question regarding DDS textures. On many occasions i cannot open dds files lately found in mods. Got PS and gimp set up, tried many plugins in both like old nvidia dds, intel texture works, gimp plugins. Also have compressionator i use to view properties. Sometimes it says bad header, sometimes just an error. In games these always work but cannot open them to view/modify.

 

I am absolutely not new to modding, got a lot done for CoH for example in long years. But i simply cannot figure how these dds are saved/exported or what to use to open them. Any help would be appreciated.

 

M

[Thandal]

Which game?

[mancika]

Fallout 4, textures found in mods.

Edited November 7, 2017 by mancika

[crazylion]

Hi
My guess the Mod author uses the Bc7 file compression which is supported by DX11 Game engines (the new engine of Fallout4 and Skyrim Special edition).
There are not many software's that open this files yet - Nvidia goes only up to Bc5 - Intel® Texture Works Plugin is the only one i know which can handle that compression so far.

CL

[Gruffydd]

I don't bother with the plugins. I have a freeware program that converts png to dds and another that converts the other direction.

Convert to png, open and edit in GIMP, export to png, convert to dds. Quick and easy, especially compared to the problems I was having trying to get the plugins to work.

[spookymunky]

meh, Ignore that advice I guess.. assume he is talking about dxt1-5 and ddsopt when the issue you are having is BC7/BC6h textures like crazylion mentioned, intel plugin is the only way,

[spookymunky]

much like usb, dxt is backwards compatible, and much like usb if you plug in a usb2 device it will run poorly compared to what you are used to..... it's an awful analogy, sorry hehe

 

Edit: I can expand on it though maybe.. like hmm, if all you have are usb 2 drivers / ports and you plug in a usb3 drive then that will be something you can never access at the speed / quality you want.

 

It will still work, but not ideal, not what you paid for.

[Yulliah]

Don't go png dds and back, as there is no way that will properly save the Alpha channels.... At least I really don't think so...

 

I have both intel and nvdia plugins... And have it setup so that when I open a dds it will open it with the intel plugin...

I only save in the nvidia one as I just prefer it... Many others prefer the intel one for saving...

[mancika]

Back and forth conversion is something i never liked. I have intel works plugin in ps (cc2015) yet i cannot open textures with it in any way. One example is

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/10111/?tab=4&&navtag=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Ffallout4%2Fajax%2Fcomments%2F%3Fmod_id%3D10111%26page%3D1%26sort%3DDESC%26pid%3D0%26thread_id%3D3823425&pUp=1

 

The mod works fine, just want to modify its textures but nothing reads them for me.

[Madcat221]

I was pointed to this Paint.net alternate DDS plugin that can handle the newer BCn format:

 

https://github.com/0xC0000054/pdn-ddsfiletype-plus

 

Keep in mind that you need to rename the file extension to DDS2 so Paint.net differentiates from its native DDS read/write functionality that does not have BCn capability. Change the file extension back once it's ready to go again.

 

As for which DX10+ format for what... Use BC7 for Diffuse and Specular, and use BC5 for stand-alone normals. DXT1 and DXT5 still work for those. This module can also open ATI2N normals that FO4 ships with.

 

In SSE, BC7 for everything short of dedicated specular maps used beside obspace normals (IE: naked body normals) and BC4 for the dedicated obspace specular maps.