13 réponses à ce sujet

[Obadiah]

To update this file (to remove the gloving red wood textures), I am reading it with the DDS plugin for Gimp, updating it in Gimp, saving it as a PSD file, then reconverting the PSD back to a DDS file with nvdxt utiltity (only the -u8888 option). I'm doing that last part because the free DDS plugin for Gimp won't save the a DDS file with layers of different sizes properly.

The updated DDS file is 10 times larger than the original, so I guess I'll probably be taking a performance hit using this file.

[Edit] Used "nvdxt -u8888 -dxt3" and that reduced the file size considerably.

I was wandering if there is a better way to do this - one that is as equally free.

Modifié par Obadiah, 20 avril 2011 - 02:08 .

[indifferent_honest]

Obadiah,

I've been running into the same problem with Gimp's DDS plugin. If you find other solutions, will you post them here? I'd be forever grateful--can't do texture work if I can't save textures, lol.

[Edit] Saving the dds in Gimp with no compression, mipmaps generated, and in RGBA8 or RGBA4 retains the layers, but I don't know if everything is right since I can't get the changes to appear in-game yet. RGBA4 is smaller than RGBA8 obviously but the file is still about 1500 KB larger than the original.

Modifié par indifferent_honest, 22 avril 2011 - 03:37 .

[alschemid]

I am using the DDS converter 2, since I have a lot of problems with the DDS plugin for Gimp.

[Obadiah]

No solution found as yet, but the textures do show up OK in game.

I had to get rid of the alpha layer using when using my original technique otherwise the transparent bits of the layers show up as white flecks in-game. I replaced the transparent areas with black, and the textures seem to work OK. Not sure what I lost getting rid of the alpha layer though.

Modifié par Obadiah, 24 avril 2011 - 03:51 .

[tmp7704]

Just a note. There's a tool named "DxTex" or "DirectX Texture Tool" which ships as part of the directX SDK available from Microsoft website. This tool allows to create all kinds of .dds formats, including DXT5 which is used for most of DAO textures.

that's in case the plugin you use doesn't support that particular format.

Modifié par tmp7704, 24 avril 2011 - 12:48 .

[indifferent_honest]

Okay, I've gotten the Gimp DDS plugin to work. NB I tried this on DA2 textures (and I know this is a DAO thread but it should work for DAO too), with Windows 7 64-bit and Gimp 2.6.11.

For anyone who cares, after editing your dds file in Gimp,

Save as .dds, with compression dxt3 for diffuse maps with an alpha channel NOT at 100% opacity, or dxt5 for normal maps. Or if you're working with core game textures, match your compression type with the original file's* (again, unless you've changed the alpha channel). leave the file format as default. generate mipmaps. unless you're saving at a different compression, the file size should be the same, and changes appear in-game.

*I use Nvidia's Windows Texture Viewer to check.

Modifié par indifferent_honest, 24 avril 2011 - 07:00 .

[Obadiah]

Great!

Just curious - what effect does the alpha channel have on the texture in game?

Modifié par Obadiah, 27 avril 2011 - 05:08 .

[DarthParametric]

Depends on the type of texture. If you are talking about the topic texture, fne_master2_d.dds, that is a level prop diffuse texture and as such the alpha channel acts as a normal alpha that controls transparency. Thus in most cases of level props it is solid white. In other texture types the alpha is used as a multi-purpose 4th channel (e.g. face diffuse textures put the spec map in the alpha channel). Look at the texture types page on the wiki for more info.

[Obadiah]

Ok, so if the alpha channel stores transparency for model diffuse textures, why do the transparent parts of the image in Gimp show up as white in game (or have others who edited a texture with transparencies in Gimp not had this problem)?.

I solved this by just replacing the transparent areas with black BTW.

[DarthParametric]

The level of transparency is handled by greyscale - white is 100% opaque, black is 100% transparent.

If you had previously deleted the alpha channel by saving it out in a format with no alpha (like a JPG etc) then saving it as a DXT5 DDS or other format with an alpha would have generated a new all white alpha by default.

Modifié par DarthParametric, 28 avril 2011 - 04:03 .

[Obadiah]

DarthParametric wrote...
...
If you had previously deleted the alpha channel by saving it out in a format with no alpha (like a JPG etc) then saving it as a DXT5 DDS or other format with an alpha would have generated a new all white alpha by default.

Hmmm, so the white alpha channel would still show up as transparent in the Gimp image editor?

[DarthParametric]

Alpha channels should have no effect on transparency in an image editor (a standard alpha channel anyway - there are exceptions like masks etc). Assuming functionality is the same as PS (which it attempts to emulate), transparency is handled on a per layer basis independent of the alpha channel. However, you will lose any transparency when you flatten and export the image as a DDS. You need to use the alpha channel to recreate the areas of transparency for the game to read.

[Obadiah]

Ok but the updated DDS image does not appear to be flattened. If I open the updated DDS in gimp all the layers and transparency and channels are still there.

[DarthParametric]

In PS the nVidia DDS plugin at least will not export a multi-layer file as a DDS without flattening it first. I have heard of certain instances of multi-layer DDS files, but DA doesn't support them as far as I know. You should be flattening any image before exporting as a DDS. Save your original multi-layer master out first as something else (PSD or equivalent).