[TEC] My short 'how to guide' to converting SH4 .dds texture files for modding

[bunkerratt]

http://hosted.filefront.com/bunkerratt/ go to my page and download the dds file converter try that ...

Originally Posted by DivingDuck

God kväll CC,

Thanks for your efforts. I´ve come across this tool meanwhile and converted my texture files already. But the model stays grey.
Since I´ve attached stock texture files form other SHIV vessels successfully it seems that the issue lies with the conversion.

Regards,
DD

Grüße Verhexen Meister!
(Hope I got that right?)
What model refuses to show proper texture, if I may ask?
I use Deep Ex and have not had any such occurence.
Yet.

[DivingDuck]

Moin,

Originally Posted by privateer

Grüße Verhexen Meister!
(Hope I got that right?)

Long time no see. It´s almost perfect, but "Grüße Hexen Meister" would be more perfect

The problem is fixed already. Using DDS Converter 2.1. The problem lied with the compression format and the number of MipMap levels. Allthough I didn´t manage to use the LigtmapTextureName and the NormalmapTextureName nodes in the way they should be used, I´ve ported my sailing fishing boat to SHIV successfully. Even the ligthed version is doing fine. Both show the textures as I expect them to do.

Regards,
DD

The 2 ships I ported over have the wakes and act fine but no damages
appear as the SH4 vals have no damage info.

[Antenor]

Hi all guys, i have a little problem, i´m using de dds converter 2.1 to converte de HUD icons, i see de "blank" new buttons added with the mod of "lost" SH3 order (report range to course end and report time to course end, etc).

Well I open de dds file and convert to jpg, I make de changes (below you see a pic), and convert again to dds, but this is the problem:



Hope yo can help me, thank you Salute all!

[Antenor]

Nobody can help me? please?.

[donut]

In my effort to work with modding,I found this to share.
http://developer.nvidia.com/object/w...re_viewer.html

[Digital_Trucker]

Thanks, donut, that will come in handy.

You might want to look at http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ight=thumbnail , too. It's a little app that lets you look at dds and tga files (and about a 1000 other obscure formats) in thumbnail view in windows explorer.

[rea00cy]

Hello all. I would like to start doing some modding following your recommendations. The question is if I can use Adobe Photoshop Elements for that purpose.:hmm:

Regards,
Rea00cy

[Digital_Trucker]

You can use the nVidia photoshop plugin (available at http://developer.download.nvidia.com....0307.1915.exe ) to edit dds files in Photoshop. The plugin is supposed to work with gimp also. I believe that Paint.net has native dds support, also.

[Arclight]

I've just finished modding the "Periscope_Mask_1024.dds" using GIMP and it's .dds plugin. All smooth sailing, though I can't say anything yet about other (more complex) files. Just as a note.

[peabody]

Originally Posted by rea00cy

Hello all. I would like to start doing some modding following your recommendations. The question is if I can use Adobe Photoshop Elements for that purpose.:hmm:

Regards,
Rea00cy

Some PS plugins will work with Elements some won't.

I have PS Elements 3 and the dds is built in, just pick 'save as' and the dropdown will list dds and then a window comes up with all sorts of choices. And for loading it loaded right in. Maybe you have to convert to another format to do certain things, but all I was doing was shrinking the lights on the torpedo panel for the subs being built that need 8 forward tubes. (8 buttons didn't fit)

The problem I had with it was the alpha, I never worked with alpha channel and I thought it was a transparency color, it's not, it's a selection mask. So if you use PSE and need an alpha channel, make your selection, (select inverse if you selected the background ) and go to the Select menu and 'save selection' put in a name for it and then while it is still selected, save as. And the alpha selection is saved with the dds. The choice that worked for me was DXT3 with explicit alpha. If that is not right, maybe someone here would know but it worked for me.

Peabody