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Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:37 pm
by JackGriffin
I'm not a fan of cross-posting but I'd really like to get an answer today because I have my evening open. The following is copied from a post I just made at OU. Does anyone know the answer?
I am spending today messing around with different textural formats and seeing how they look after importing into the game. I'd like to find the "for myself" proper size and format to use to create a texture package.

My question concerns saving as a dds file. I added the NVidia tool so that photoshop can use the format but now it asks me to clarify the correct DTX when saving. LightningHunter was kind enough to school me once before on the proper settings but I can't find that hastily scribbled page in my notebooks. I've been googling for the answer as it pertains to Ued but can't find the answer. If someone knows off the top of their head I would love some guidance. TIA and Merry Christmas

Re: Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 11:44 pm
by fudgonaut
I may be understanding incorrectly, but if you want to use dds textures in UT99, it appears you want to use DXT1 per this comment. There's info scattered across the BeyondUnreal wiki like here and here which I'm guessing you've seen already.

Slightly off-topic, but kinda related: I've read the UnrealEd 2 can handle textures up to 1024x1024. If this is true, I'm curious why I don't see maps using textures higher than 256x256,

JackGriffin if you find out that UnrealEd 2 can also handle DXT 3 and 5, please let us know, seems like that would open up some possibilities...

Re: Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 12:04 am
by Higor
Textures that are too big will lag old renderers too much because they don't cache them in DXT format.
The best way to handle this is to make textures 128*128 while having S3TC counterparts for 1024*1024 (or 512*512 if you intend to put it on a server), just like the original CD2 packages.

Re: Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 12:46 am
by fudgonaut
Higor wrote:Textures that are too big will lag old renderers too much because they don't cache them in DXT format.
That totally makes sense. Although it leads to the question: is anyone running on an old renderer these days?
Higor wrote:The best way to handle this is to make textures 128*128 while having S3TC counterparts for 1024*1024 (or 512*512 if you intend to put it on a server), just like the original CD2 packages.
Good to know!!! :thuup:

Re: Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 12:47 am
by EvilGrins
I'd be curious to see how it goes.

As you may remember, from one of my earlier threads, I used to take screenshots of .dds files from the UnrealEd for ut2004 to get new skins for monsters to use in ut99.

Re: Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:09 am
by Higor
fudgonaut wrote:That totally makes sense. Although it leads to the question: is anyone running on an old renderer these days?
Check back when your PSU starts failing and it cant deliver enough power for your video card, you'll wish your maps ran in Software mode.

EDIT:
I don't have to be that dramatic, editor support in software viewports is enough reason to keep textures in both formats inside the same package.

Re: Texture creation as a dds format

Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:06 am
by Dr.Flay
The reasons for the different DXT modes are explained here
https://www.ut99.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5956

And you can have both regular small textures in a pack with big compressed textures, if you "conform" the texture pack.
It will then work for all users no matter what renderer.