[MicroPsycho]

So what are the benefits of .DDS textures, why are they so great and what do/can they do?

[StratComm]

They can be compressed pretty well, and (more importantly) can be loaded and used by many graphics cards in compressed format.  They boost performance over tga while offering enhancements like higher color-depth and transparency over pcx.

[taylor]

They also use one third to one quarter the memory of a TGA and half the memory of a PCX.  And that don't require any sort of post processing to be rendered, they get sent to the video card as is.

[Getter Robo G]

When ever I need to alter them or simply see a model I have to open photoshop and convert evey DDS file to PCX... (just a gripe)... Mainly cause I hadn't found a batch function for photoshop like there is for Irfranview (#1!).

[StratComm]

If you have photoshop, and need to edit DDS files, why are you not editing them as DDS?  Converting them to PCX causes them to lose information.

[CP5670]

I think pcx is lossless aside from the lack of an alpha channel. But yeah, it doesn't make sense to use it when the final image will be a dds.

[StratComm]

PCX is lossy if you convert it to 8-bit, which is the only format that FS2 will read.

[Getter Robo G]

You misunderstand, I only got photoshop because of DDS files and inability to eidt/see Omni's Trek conversions... You know my lack of skills, so Irranview is my savior.

[StratComm]

IrfanView can open DDS files if you download a plugin for them.

But, learn to use Photoshop.  It's infinitely more powerful than Irfanview.

[DaBrain]

Originally posted by CP5670
I think pcx is lossless aside from the lack of an alpha channel. But yeah, it doesn't make sense to use it when the final image will be a dds.

Argh, no way. PCX is a horrible format. 8-bit is really outdated. It has one advantage over DDS though. If an image has a really low ammount of colors, the PCX version will look better than the DDS version. DDS files always have ugly compression artifacts. (Ok, I think it's not that bad. )

Use the format that look best for an effect or texture. I think that will mostly be DDS.

Now I have to convince the WC Saga guys.