Textures question

[patchz]

What causes DXT3 files to degrade, such as picking up some different color pixels here and there? The more times I open the file to work on it, the worse it gets.

[garryrussell]

That's a by product (mainly pink orgreen tiniting) of the compression and gets more noticable if a file is uncompressed and recrompressed several times.

I never use DXT3 now for the main airframe, I just leave them as 32 888-8.

Unless you have no choice, never uncompress the DXT3 but go back to uncompressed versions, or if not one of your originals make the first uncompressed version the master.

Garry

[Hagar]

For what it's worth my advice

[patchz]

[color=#000000]Thank you both.

[Hagar]

[quote][color=#000000]Thank you both.

[garryrussell]

I always save my PSD as a 24 bmp and then call that in to DXTBMP and resave as an Extended 888-8.....or if I want a DXT3 but the DXT3 does lose detail especially if there is detail in the alpha as it compresses.

Garry

[garryrussell]

I just remebered this which giht help explain things.

It was from experiments when I was painting for the HS.748 project.

The inset on the right is the tail alone in DXT3....note the blotchy alpha against the smooth higher res 32 888 of the left image.

If it is a bold, distinct image you will get away with the dxt3 compression.

[patchz]

I believe DXTBmp will open most image formats including PSD. Not sure how it would handle layers. Alternatively you could also save your edited master texture as a standard Windows BMP or other suitable format. Then open it in DXTBmp for conversion to Extended format. There's no need to do it all "live". Save as you go.

[color=#000000]I tried that. When I sent to editor, PSP locked up. Don't know what's going on there.

[patchz]

[quote]I just remebered this which giht help explain things.

It was from experiments when I was painting for the HS.748 project.

The inset on the right is the tail alone in DXT3....note the blotchy alpha against the smooth higher res 32 888 of the left image.

If it is a bold, distinct image you will get away with the dxt3 compression.

[Hagar]

I believe DXTBmp will open most image formats including PSD. Not sure how it would handle layers. Alternatively you could also save your edited master texture as a standard Windows BMP or other suitable format. Then open it in DXTBmp for conversion to Extended format. There's no need to do it all "live". Save as you go.

[color=#000000]I tried that. When I sent to editor, PSP locked up. Don't know what's going on there.

[patchz]

[color=#000000]Oops! Ok, I think I get it now. I tried opening a .psd and then sending that to editor to work on. Anyway, I've been trying to do something for a friend that is waaaay over my head and I'm so confused right now I would not touch a paint project. Thanks for the help guys.

[Hagar]

I tried opening a .psd and then sending that to editor to work on.

I'm sure you can see that's an unnecessary process as PSP will open the image direct.

You must change your mindset & think of DXTBmp as a simple texture converter. Once an FS compressed texture has been converted & saved in a standard image format there is no need to use DXTBmp again until you wish to convert it back to an Extended format for use in FS. If you're working with a paint kit with the textures already in PSD or standard 24 bit BMP format the first step will not be necessary. Depending on the Extended format you're using you will probably need to create or import an Alpha channel before saving the textures.

[garryrussell]

Just as Hagar says

DXT.BMP is an image converter not an editor