Text in .DDS

jericho791 · 07-21-20, 01:13 PM

Ahoy shipmates!

I had a question for you experience modders. Is there any way to link text in a DDS file to like a .cfg?

As in designating the text format and position in the dds, but linking what text is to be displayed externally.

Thanks in advance.

DanielCoffey · 07-21-20, 01:58 PM

DDS is an image format so the only way to put text into it would be to "draw" the letters/words in something like Photoshop and save them as individual images. You could then put those pictures onto your model as though it was being painted on.

You can also save an image of the text with a transparent background then place that over the underlying texture. The texture underneath would show through.

This is what I had to deal with in Book Covers Skyrim. The titles and words on the cover were drawn on at the same time as the texture of the cover then saved as one solid image. The only way to translate them into other languages was to go back to the Photoshop file and redo the words then save the picture again.

propbeanie · 07-22-20, 09:53 PM

There are a few files in SH4 that use multiple images stacked on top of each other, using transparency, such as the Stock splash screen, and other mod splash screens. However, they are "set" and called by the SH4 game itself, and are pre-existing dds files. Same for skins on ships and planes. They are pre-existing. The skins are somewhat date-controlled, and can be variable. You could even "hang" and extra graphic that could be text on top of a skin, and have that date controlled, but you are not dealing with text, but like DanielCoffey says, an image file...

07-21-20, 01:13 PM	#1
jericho791 Loader Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: CT, USA Posts: 81 Downloads: 142 Uploads: 0	Text in .DDS Ahoy shipmates! I had a question for you experience modders. Is there any way to link text in a DDS file to like a .cfg? As in designating the text format and position in the dds, but linking what text is to be displayed externally. Thanks in advance. __________________ STS1(SS) Retired USS Springfield (SSN 761) USS Dallas (SSN 700) USS Annapolis (SSN 760) USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) USS Mississippi (SSN 782) Plank Owner USS Hartford (SSN 768) USS San Juan (SSN 751)

07-21-20, 01:58 PM	#2
DanielCoffey Planesman Join Date: May 2020 Location: South Ayrshire, UK Posts: 199 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	DDS is an image format so the only way to put text into it would be to "draw" the letters/words in something like Photoshop and save them as individual images. You could then put those pictures onto your model as though it was being painted on. You can also save an image of the text with a transparent background then place that over the underlying texture. The texture underneath would show through. This is what I had to deal with in Book Covers Skyrim. The titles and words on the cover were drawn on at the same time as the texture of the cover then saved as one solid image. The only way to translate them into other languages was to go back to the Photoshop file and redo the words then save the picture again. __________________ Caselabs S8 : Intel i7-7700K 4.5GHz / 32Gb DDR4 3000 / Asus 1080 Ti / Samsung 960PRO 1Tb / Dell U2715H 27" 2560x1440 / Corsair AX1200i / APC SMT1500I / Windows 10 PRO

07-22-20, 09:53 PM	#3
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 10,109 Downloads: 451 Uploads: 2	There are a few files in SH4 that use multiple images stacked on top of each other, using transparency, such as the Stock splash screen, and other mod splash screens. However, they are "set" and called by the SH4 game itself, and are pre-existing dds files. Same for skins on ships and planes. They are pre-existing. The skins are somewhat date-controlled, and can be variable. You could even "hang" and extra graphic that could be text on top of a skin, and have that date controlled, but you are not dealing with text, but like DanielCoffey says, an image file... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayers" - Jimbuna