Author Topic: Saving as .DDS  (Read 3921 times)

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Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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I know it's been asked numerous times, and most people will flame me, but what prog do you need to save files as .dds?

 

Offline Jeff Vader

  • The Back of the Hero!
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  • Bwahaha
Partially depends on what type of files are you trying to save, but Paint.NET, for example, can handle .dds files.
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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Custom planets, to be exact.

 

Offline Jeff Vader

  • The Back of the Hero!
  • 212
  • Bwahaha
I was more interested in the file type you are trying to convert to .dds. But I'd guess most image files can be opened with Paint.NET.
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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    • Skype
Yeah, why would you be concerned about that? :P

 

Offline shiv

  • Don't forget Poland!
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  • FRED me!
    • http://freespace.pl
Also remember about dds compression type... Was it DXT5?
http://www.sectorgame.com/vega
The Apocalypse Vega - Join the battle! A campaign for FreeSpace 2 Open

http://www.game-warden.com/earthdefence
Earth Defense project - Coming soon...

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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    • Skype
I saved it as DDS, got it into the VP file where the planets are, and Behold, what do I see in FRED but a glorious... planet file that should be there but isn't... Why isn't FRED reading the file?

 

Offline Jeff Vader

  • The Back of the Hero!
  • 212
  • Bwahaha
got it into the VP file where the planets are
:wtf: What .vp? No, it can't be...

1. Do not place anything in the retail files.
2. Use the \data\ folder. Specifically the subfolders.
3. Do remember that FRED will only use retail stuff, unless other things are specified with command lines.
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

 

Offline Wanderer

  • Wiki Warrior
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  • Mostly harmless
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Graphic_Files

First.. Always edit in non-compressed formats (ie. TGA etc.). Convert to DDS files only after the texture is ready. Software used for converting to DDS has effect on the quality of DDS file. Use DXT1 (or u888) for non-alpha images and DXT5 (or u8888) for images with alpha. So not use DXT5 if the image in question has no need of alpha (as it, i) consumes more memory, ii) may cause unwanted effects in the game).

The nvidia command line tool (nvdxt) is often recommended for converting TGA images to DDS format.

edit...

As Lobo said NO EDITING of retail vp files. Also remember to add the planet to the list found from stars.tbl (preferably using str.tbm)
Do not meddle in the affairs of coders for they are soggy and hard to light

 

Offline Hellstryker

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Where the hell is stars .TBL?  :wtf:. And I threw it in with the high res MVP planets, is that right?

 

Offline Wanderer

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  • Mostly harmless
In root_fs2.vp. Extract it to the same mod directory where you placed the new planets that add the new planets there. You did use mod directory... and i certainly hope you didnt edit the vp files...

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Stars.tbl

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Modular_Tables
Do not meddle in the affairs of coders for they are soggy and hard to light

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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    • Skype
In root_fs2.vp. Extract it to the same mod directory where you placed the new planets that add the new planets there. You did use mod directory... and i certainly hope you didnt edit the vp files...

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Stars.tbl

http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Modular_Tables

Didn't edit what VP files to be exact? all I edited was the media VPs, and that doesn't hurt a thing...  :rolleyes:

And I know what a table is -_-, i've just never heard of Stars.tbl because all I've done so far is weapon and ship table mods

 

Offline Herra Tohtori

  • The Academic
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  • Bad command or file name
stars.tbl is present in root.vp and mv_core.vp* files, but what you want to do is to set up an addedplanet-str.tbm modular table file, which will add your planet to the parsing of stars.tbl. Read more about modular tables on Hard Light Wiki, Im at work so I'd rather not start wrting a detailed description that you can find yourself just as well...

As far as graphical stuff goes, I don't have much to add.

0. Dont touch the retail VP's. Also don't put anything extra to root/data directories.
1. stay out of VP's altogether unless you want to distribute your mod to someone else. Use freespace2/mod/data/ directory structures instead. VP's are completely unnecessary for getting stuff to work and are only a handy way to package the stuff so it's easier to distribute and n00bs have harder time breaking the stuff...

2. Keep things at lossless format until they are finished. In FS2_Open modding, textures and effects should be tested and edited in TGA format.

3. when converting to DDS format, be sure to choose the right compression format and make sure that the image width and height are powers of two. For example, 768x768 is not a good texture to make a DDS from - it can be done, but it's poor practice - while 512x512, 512x1024, 1024x1024 etc. are good texture sizes.


As far as compression modes go...

For ship diffuse (with no transparency) and glow textures as well as effects that use additive blending rather than alpha blending, use DXT1c. This format only has RGB channels, no alpha. DXT1a has one-bit alpha if I recall correctly, and I really can't think of anything it could be usable for...

For glass textures, ship shinemaps and effects that use alpha blending, use either DXT3 or DXT5, depending on how much alpha blending you need and what kind it is. For sharp transitions from opaque to transparent - like surface environmental reflectivity change in a shinemap, from hull to glass for example - DXT3 does the job nicely.

If you have an alpha blending effect with a lot of gradients like the blue nebula skybox you might have seen, you might have to use DXT5 or even uncompressed DDS format (u8888), which is of course uncompressed and lossless format but doesn't offer the memory advantages of compressed formats either.


So. For a planet, if it has no atmospheric glow blending to transparency, use DXT3. If it has an atmo glow, try DXT3 first; if it looks atrociously bad, try DXT5. If thast doesn't do it either, make it u8888 or ask for help in converting the file. For some files, special software might be needed to map the colourspace so as to maximize the quality - for example, I could not get the blue nebula texture to convert into a passable DXT compressed file, while Zacam managed to make a DXT5 version of it with minimal quality loss compared to uncompressed version.


*actually, maybe not there. Can't check ATM.
There are three things that last forever: Abort, Retry, Fail - and the greatest of these is Fail.

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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    • Skype
Can someone PLEASE tell me why everyone thinks i'm a noob who knows nothing about modding? i'm not someone who's never modded freespace before and doesn't even know what a table is.

@Herra: Thanks for the DDS and stars.tbl info

 

Offline Jeff Vader

  • The Back of the Hero!
  • 212
  • Bwahaha
Can someone PLEASE tell me why everyone thinks i'm a noob who knows nothing about modding? i'm not someone who's never modded freespace before and doesn't even know what a table is.
Well, the whole "Hi, I threw a bunch of files into an existing .vp" sort of gives an impression. And it is assumed that even quasi-experienced modders know the location of files such as stars.tbl.

Just so that we won't forget...

VP's are completely unnecessary for getting stuff to work and are only a handy way to package the stuff so it's easier to distribute and n00bs have harder time breaking the stuff...
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

  

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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    • Skype
Well yeah, It was kind of stupid not putting it into the data folder, but what do you mean about a bunch of files? Theres a big differance between that and one .dds

 

Offline Herra Tohtori

  • The Academic
  • 211
  • Bad command or file name
Can someone PLEASE tell me why everyone thinks i'm a noob who knows nothing about modding? i'm not someone who's never modded freespace before and doesn't even know what a table is.

Who said anything about you being one? :p

Though I have to say that adding stuff to VP's kinda makes you look like one in that specific regard, since it's a completely unnecessary hassle to deal with VP's if you're just in the process of trying to make stuff work. Or you could just choose to do it for some good reason, though I can't think of any...

Also, arguably it could be said that if you hadn't heard of stars.tbl, you are a newbie, just not as newbie as the newbiest of newbies. It's all relative... I'm a newb too if compared to the likes of Karajorma, GalEmp, DaBrain, Vasudan Admiral et al. Also
note that I never started explaining what a table is...

Quote
@Herra: Thanks for the DDS and stars.tbl info

No problem. But just one more clarification - you don't really want to make a whole new stars.tbl to define the game to use one additional planet texture, but rather add the planet texture(s) and other stuff via modular tables. They are awesome and made of win. :nod:
There are three things that last forever: Abort, Retry, Fail - and the greatest of these is Fail.

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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Do you have any modeling experiance? If not, then are you a noob? of course not. Almost all of us have our own specific niches around here

 

Offline Hellstryker

  • waffles
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    • Skype
Ok, I edited the stars.tbl, threw it in the data/tables folder, added the planet .dds, and it still won't show up in FRED

 

Offline Herra Tohtori

  • The Academic
  • 211
  • Bad command or file name
Ok, I edited the stars.tbl, threw it in the data/tables folder, added the planet .dds, and it still won't show up in FRED

Root data/tables fodler is a bad place to put edited things in. Too easy to get rogue tables... You would be well adviced to use mod folders instead. And modular tables instead of entire stars.tbl file.

Don't have the time to delve into the problem deeper right now.
There are three things that last forever: Abort, Retry, Fail - and the greatest of these is Fail.