[Rodo]

I used a script for GIMP that I got from here.

I've always used BC3 / DTX5 format, I've tried DTX5n format but I get a yelowish effect so I sticked with the former one for all FS files I've created so far.

about mipmaping, I've never tried the option since it was always complaining about the file not being x2 resolution (I guess we can try that now I know the common size) and I always make the file with a single layer, well at least when I save it.

[Herra Tohtori]

You could also try the command line (and other DDS tools) that are distributed by NVidia... They give more options than the GIMP plugin, especially over compression quality which can sometimes be very useful, and mip mapping filters as well. And yeah they work even if you don't have NVidia GPU. Or, at least the DDS utilities does, don't know about the GPU-accelerated compression thingy.

Also, yeah. DDS textures are designed to have exponent-of-two layers because from memory point of view, that's the most efficient way of using the memory. Basically, a 400x400 resolution textures takes the same slot of memory as 512x512 resolution texture would. And 2997x2997 resolution texture requires, as far as I know, the same slot as a 4096^2 texture would, but wastes almost 75% of the slot it book for itself. Which is why it is always wise to use exact power of two resolutions; using something in between will waste memory. I am quite sure if you have ever looked at FS2 debugs, you have seen lines that say "N % wasted" regarding almost all ANI files. They work, but are not ideally sized from memory standpoint.

So yeah, you *can* convert a file to DDS format even if it's not a power-of-two resolution, but the full extent of DDS format's capabilities can't be used, and GPU's might have problems with it.

Reading the documentation for the file format helps to understand how to best use it btw... For example dxt5n is basically the normal maps format and it works by transferring red channel to alpha and multiplying green channel to red and blue, so yeah, saving to that format is a bad idea if you don't plan on using it as a normal map...

[Rodo]

well you are talking to a total rookie , all I know is result of a couple of hours sitting in front the pc and throwing test runs.
not really familiarized with normal maps and that kind a things... I tried making orion nameplates before but it gets too messy for me to follow instructions from tutorials, as it did when I tried to follow the tut you left on the first page of this thread, I basically do always the same way... try to keep up then I take what I like from the tut and apply it a way I can understand it.

I didn't knew about that nvidia's software.. I'll give it a shot, after all I have an nvidia so it would be best to use those together.

[Jadehawk]

So what is the correct .dds format to save?
I tried DXT3, DXT5 and 32bit ARGB and all still show the green background behind my planet. I even had  generate MIP maps and no mip maps. Same thing. Box filter? Cubic? It works perfectly fine in the .pcx format.
I'm using PaintShop Pro 9 with the Nvidia plugin.

[blowfish]

So what is the correct .dds format to save?
I tried DXT3, DXT5 and 32bit ARGB and all still show the green background behind my planet. I even had  generate MIP maps and no mip maps. Same thing. Box filter? Cubic? It works perfectly fine in the .pcx format.
I'm using PaintShop Pro 9 with the Nvidia plugin.

Uhh ... you don't want a green background behind your planet.  That was only for PCX, which is OLD, and never supported an alpha channel.  DDS (DXT3 and DXT5) support full alpha channel.  DXT5 is probably the best.

[Jadehawk]

ok so change the Green to what color then? Black? Will that be invisible afterward?

[blowfish]

You want it to be actually transparent.

[Jadehawk]

ok I'll give it a try and see what happens.  and thanks

[Jadehawk]

ok, made a new file with transparent raster background, copied my planet and pasted it in the new file, saved it as DXT5, no MIP maps and I still get a white background? Did I miss a step?

[blowfish]

Change it from bitmapx to bitmap in the table?

[Rodo]

ok, made a new file with transparent raster background, copied my planet and pasted it in the new file, saved it as DXT5, no MIP maps and I still get a white background? Did I miss a step?

did you actually erased the green parts that surrounded the planet?

green background was used only in pcx and the green part was rendered invisible by the engine itself (not quite sure about that), now with dds all that is not supposed to be there in game needs to be fully transparent.

I'm not following you in the white background... you get a white square in game or something like that?

[Jadehawk]

No, I still used the same name as the one before. TGhe planet shows up in Fred2, just how has a white background instead of Green when I saved it in the DXT5 dds format.

CRAP! I should try and READ what you mean! Change the format in the tables!. (Slaps self)

EDIT: Changed the $Bitmapx: planetu2 to $Bitmap: planetu2 in the tables and still shows White background.

[blowfish]

Try 32 bit TGA.  If that doesn't work, something is wrong...

[Rodo]

why don't you just skip the table edit part and rename the file to dneb01.dds or dneb02.dds or any of the already existing files and then place it on mediavps/data/effects  folder? you can be sure you are not messing anything, if it doesn't show you are sure the problem is the image.

well that's what I tend to do.

[Herra Tohtori]

As far as I know: Things that use alpha blending are put into BitmapX: list, while things that use additive blending (black=transparent, file has no alpha channel) will use Bitmap: list. The descriptions in the commentary of stars.tbl are a bit misleading due to volition's hack with the green=transparency on BitmapX PCX files... so planets and other solid objects go to BitmapX: while nebulas, suns and other assorted brightness-related, see-through backhround objects go to Bitmap:.

When you convert a non-alpha channel bitmap into DDS, you need to use either dxt1 or u888 format. When you convert a file with alpha channel, you need to use either dxt3, dxt5 or u8888.

dxt1a and dxt1c will be interpreted similarly by FS2_Open - their alpha channel will not really be interpreted as transparency. u888 (uncompressed, 3x8 bit channels) doesn't have alpha channel at all and it is useful for nebulas since it preserves gradient quality, while dxt compression doesn't deal with gradients well at all without some rather fancy hoops to jump through first. u888 is pretty much the only way to make things like Sun bitmaps look good...

dxt3 is good for textures with sharp transients between transparency and opacity, like Moon, asteroids and other objects. dxt5 is relatively good for gradient alpha transparent textures, but beware of artefacts again. Atmospheric gradient can easily become rather heavily artefacted while the rest of planet looks just fine, which is rather annoying.

A big advantage with uncompressed textures for nebulas and suns (anything wirh gradients basically) is that they upscale much higher without pixelation than dxt compressed versions.


Regardless of what filetype you select for the final texture, I recommend testing things as TGA beforehand. If you get the 32-bit RGBA TGA file to show correctly, the file converted from that should show up properly just as well. Basically what you need is to make sure that

1. Alpha channel shows 0% value on the transparent area
2. The alpha channel is saved along with the image.

Then it should just work when you put it on BitmapX and call it into mission. For comparision, open any planet in mediaVP's to see how the alpha channel should behave.

You could even try by making a white layer, then applying an alpha mask with white center and black edges on it...

[Jadehawk]

OK, first, I want to thank you all for helping me out here. Secondly, I think I figured out why I keep getting a white background. When I read the information on the file, there is no Alpha layer. When I pulled one of the planets out of the 3.6.10 Vp's  it does in fact have one. So now I'm gonna ask how does one create a alpha layer in Paint Shop Pro 9? Apparently I thought you just click on the Transparent layer for color and now I see that's not so. If I can get that done, I'm pretty sure it will work.

Any Paint Shop Pro fellas out there know how?

Thanks again all

EDIT: SHAZAM! I got it figured out now. I found a tutorial on how to make Alpha channels.

Again thanks for all the help fellas You might see this planet...ummm soon.

[Jadehawk]

As promised, my first planet made totally from scratch. 

[Rodo]

nice cloud effect you've got there, I can only get the same line-like effect..

there's also something odd with some of the clouds on the dark side.. those are city lights or something like that?

[FreeSpaceFreak]

Hmm, that's nice. They really look like clouds. How did you do it?

[eliex]

That's a really pretty background you've got there.
What are the new ships in the picture?