I've seen a lot of tutorials about exportation of dds with NVIDIA plugin. However, I do not use that one, I use a dds plugin on GIMP and since there are a lot of options that I do not really understand, I would like to ask which compression mode is the optimal one.
According to a tutorial, when your image is not alpha dependent, it is advisable to export in DXT3, whereas the alpha one should be in DXT5. According to other tutorials, DXT2 (!) is a good option.
I no longer get it, really, 4/4 tutorials propose different settings and in any case, the GIMP plug in is a bit different. Please let me know (check attached images).
seems about right suggestions given about compressions, when choosen compression type the format is getting preset and yeah!. Used mostly DXT5 compression in all the textures i had exported. seemed fine results. Plus choose mipmaps options if u dont create it by hand (duplication of same texture to smaller sizes 1024 512 256 128 and such for scaling options in game for render, and ur all textures for specular, normal, diffuse have to have mipmaps created. when ingame it would display graphical inaccuarcies on models,)
Hi, thanks for the reply. I in fact always use DXT5 compression (frankly, I don't see any difference). The downside at times is the fact that the TGA formats produce much greater depth and when I convert them to DDS they are a bit more plain, compared to the original version of the texture.
Something else; people have also recommended the application of bump map before the normal map. Does anyone happen to know some settings there as well? At least what each of them does, because, although I see it in the preview window of GIMP, I still don't know what's the actual impact once imported in the game.
Finally, I do not use the orange normal maps, but the regular ones - am I really sacrificing a lot?
On a side know, I get the following result in the attached image. Is it the texture compression that causes it? It doesn't show up on Max like this. Basically only one half is affected by the lighting's settings. Some other lights work and they make it look normal, but most make it look like this. What is the reason, any speculations?
P.S. I tried applying a smooth modifier, doesn't change anything.
Hey, thanks for your input. Unfortunately I am using the same method proposed by Zolden, but it doesn't always work. There is a tutorial here, somewhere, which I have been following and to sum it up, it is basically suggesting what Zolden did, in that thread of yours.
When I initially posted this thread, I was not using the orange normal maps; I was using the regular ones and I solved the issue by combining DXT3 and DXT5 compression. Now that I am using the orange ones, some of them look like the model I presented or they are displayed as they should. I am quite stumbled, really, the compression mode I use is mostly on chance - I don't have a specific pattern.
Right now, another mesh I am importing has the same issue (using orange normal map) and despite my efforts to compress it in every possible GIMP's plug-in mode, it still doesn't show up smoothly.
@PharaonicAssault: Go I use DTX5 for most model textures, DTX1 for UI elements when I don't need alpha. I don't know how these are called in GIMP but for icons and smaller UI elements I use an option called "8.8.8.8 unsigned" in NVidia plugin, it seems this is the one used by Blizzard as it produces icons with the exact same file size.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hey,
I've seen a lot of tutorials about exportation of dds with NVIDIA plugin. However, I do not use that one, I use a dds plugin on GIMP and since there are a lot of options that I do not really understand, I would like to ask which compression mode is the optimal one.
According to a tutorial, when your image is not alpha dependent, it is advisable to export in DXT3, whereas the alpha one should be in DXT5. According to other tutorials, DXT2 (!) is a good option.
I no longer get it, really, 4/4 tutorials propose different settings and in any case, the GIMP plug in is a bit different. Please let me know (check attached images).
Thanks!
seems about right suggestions given about compressions, when choosen compression type the format is getting preset and yeah!. Used mostly DXT5 compression in all the textures i had exported. seemed fine results. Plus choose mipmaps options if u dont create it by hand (duplication of same texture to smaller sizes 1024 512 256 128 and such for scaling options in game for render, and ur all textures for specular, normal, diffuse have to have mipmaps created. when ingame it would display graphical inaccuarcies on models,)
Hi, thanks for the reply. I in fact always use DXT5 compression (frankly, I don't see any difference). The downside at times is the fact that the TGA formats produce much greater depth and when I convert them to DDS they are a bit more plain, compared to the original version of the texture.
Something else; people have also recommended the application of bump map before the normal map. Does anyone happen to know some settings there as well? At least what each of them does, because, although I see it in the preview window of GIMP, I still don't know what's the actual impact once imported in the game.
Finally, I do not use the orange normal maps, but the regular ones - am I really sacrificing a lot?
I tried numerous different settings and got loss of quality in all but the defaults.
@MasterWrath: Go
So I assume you did not find a workaround, right?
@PharaonicAssault: Go
I really know nothing about the settings and was trying them more or less randomly.
So no.
@MasterWrath: Go
I see, thanks anyway.
On a side know, I get the following result in the attached image. Is it the texture compression that causes it? It doesn't show up on Max like this. Basically only one half is affected by the lighting's settings. Some other lights work and they make it look normal, but most make it look like this. What is the reason, any speculations?
P.S. I tried applying a smooth modifier, doesn't change anything.
@PharaonicAssault: Go
Your "lighting" issue is caused by your normal map (I have had this problem before). See here
@djt312: Go
Hey, thanks for your input. Unfortunately I am using the same method proposed by Zolden, but it doesn't always work. There is a tutorial here, somewhere, which I have been following and to sum it up, it is basically suggesting what Zolden did, in that thread of yours.
When I initially posted this thread, I was not using the orange normal maps; I was using the regular ones and I solved the issue by combining DXT3 and DXT5 compression. Now that I am using the orange ones, some of them look like the model I presented or they are displayed as they should. I am quite stumbled, really, the compression mode I use is mostly on chance - I don't have a specific pattern.
Right now, another mesh I am importing has the same issue (using orange normal map) and despite my efforts to compress it in every possible GIMP's plug-in mode, it still doesn't show up smoothly.
@PharaonicAssault: Go I use DTX5 for most model textures, DTX1 for UI elements when I don't need alpha. I don't know how these are called in GIMP but for icons and smaller UI elements I use an option called "8.8.8.8 unsigned" in NVidia plugin, it seems this is the one used by Blizzard as it produces icons with the exact same file size.