DDS files

[lowglow]

Just wondering what program you painters use to open and re-save the DDS files when doing a repaint. I have been using DXTbmp but I have encountered a problem that has got me stuffed. I use photoshop mainly to edit the paint then save the file all is good so far then I reload the image in DXTbmp all is still good when I save the file again as a DDS texture then reopen it again with DXTbmp it has gone speckle red green blue pixels. no mater what I do I don't seem to be able to stop this from happening.
Any ideas on how to fix this.

[jeansy]

QUOTE (lowglow @ Aug 7 2013,8:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just wondering what program you painters use to open and re-save the DDS files when doing a repaint. I have been using DXTbmp but I have encountered a problem that has got me stuffed. I use photoshop mainly to edit the paint then save the file all is good so far then I reload the image in DXTbmp all is still good when I save the file again as a DDS texture then reopen it again with DXTbmp it has gone speckle red green blue pixels. no mater what I do I don't seem to be able to stop this from happening.
Any ideas on how to fix this.

get rid of dxtbmp it corrupts the detail in higher res paints

if you use photoshop, well your in luck https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-tex ... -photoshop

this will allow you to only use one program, your DDS textures will be sharper and cleaner, in res 2048 and greater

[lowglow]

QUOTE (jeansy @ Aug 7 2013,10:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

get rid of dxtbmp it corrupts the detail in higher res paints

if you use photoshop, well your in luck https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-tex ... -photoshop

this will allow you to only use one program, your DDS textures will be sharper and cleaner, in res 2048 and greater

Thanks for that I will give this a go tomorrow

[toprob]

Bear in mind that DXT-compression is lossy -- each time you save you will lose quality. Normally, though, you'd only want to convert once. First you'd convert the original DDS to 24 or 32bit, save a working copy in whatever format you use to edit, such as PhotoShop, and only convert back to DDS once you have finished. Any further changes need to be made to the PS file, rather than re-converting the edited DDS.

Changing from DDS 5 to DDS 3 can also lose a lot of detail, so make sure that you use the original compression.

I've only ever used ImageTool since FS2004, so it might be worth a try.

[Ian Warren]

Chris , I do use the DXTbmp for a few paints but recent Photo-shop plugins save in the DDS format but i did have this problem a whiles back , A2A B-17 and Alpha-Sim B-24 , both came up with all black or the very same issue you have , what i did was delete the aircraft and made a new folder and doubled the texture , this seemed to kick the file into working as it should .. another fickle FS thingy ... one other is dose the model paint to the specific file save , some simply will not accept Alpha channels , not built and cause this problem .

[jeansy]

QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Aug 7 2013,8:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

one other is dose the model paint to the specific file save , some simply will not accept Alpha channels , not built and cause this problem .

the dds plugin for photoshop? Iven never had a problem using in it the past 4yrs using it, the only thing i found that i sometimes forget to flip the textures when saving to dds dxt5 with no mip maps

that plug in does support alpha channels, where you select what layer you want to use, next to that is a channels tab, you merely click on channels and then create a new channel an place your alpha there and save it, the dds plugin merges both together and photoshop saves the psd with the alpha attached, which saves toy the hassle of having a texture bmp and a alpha bmp

plus you find more and more with the better paintkits they will include a alpha channel in the psd already purely for that reason of the channels tab

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (jeansy @ Aug 8 2013,12:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the dds plugin for photoshop? Iven never had a problem using in it the past 4yrs using it, the only thing i found that i sometimes forget to flip the textures when saving to dds dxt5 with no mip maps

I think its how some modellers build the texture maps cause the problem , as mentioned some are perfectly fine others YES as you require the flip flop. The colour change Chris mentioned , i have come across this before ... i did not take a note off what I did to fix it , this was pre purchase of my CS5.5/6 package.

[lowglow]

Well I have installed the photoshop plugin and now having all sorts of problems with Photoshop hanging on opening the DDS files it takes three goes of opening Photoshop and trying to open the DDS file with around five min of hang time before the file will open and then the PC freezes completely requiring a reboot of the PC when trying to save the edited file again. I have had similar problems in the past when installing PS plugins I have two versions of PS installed and photo deluxe that I haven't used in years so I am going to remove them all. do a complete clean reinstall of the latest PS thAT i HAVE and reinstall the DDS plugin and see how that goes

[Ian Warren]

Chris .. next time you stop thru here , we will try the same problem or recreate it , strange Photo shop hanging , wonder if it could be a texture swap file issue ? .. similar thing happens with the scanners .

[lowglow]

well it doesn't look like Ill be doing much appears as if I have lost my PS discs looked everywhere and no were to be seen

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (lowglow @ Aug 8 2013,8:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have lost my PS discs looked everywhere and no were to be seen

That would really peave me , my Corel Draw 7 was sniped and i really love the op's with that program .. replaced it with CD9 back in 2000 but just was not the same .. now with $1100NZ of CS5.5 want make sure i get my moneys worth .. good old CD files drop into Illstrator and artwork can be twisted .

[lowglow]

Nah false alarm found them stashed away with some really old software in the bottom of the wardrobe reinstalling now

[lowglow]

All reinstalled and the plugin reinstalled. Opens the DDS files very quickly but unable to save the file after editing. Comes up with a warning

QUOTE

Cannot save file because of a problem with the file format module interface[/quote]