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  • Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.

    Post 16 Update

    Post 17 Warning

DDS Plugin for Paint Shop Pro 8.10

falcon409

falcon409

SOH-CM-2025
This is specific to the 8.10 version of PSP only because the more I read about the NVidia DDS Plugin, the more I find that it works with only certain versions, but not all. I know others have posted here that the DDS Plugin works fine in Win7-64bit. It seems that, at least for me, it does not and it seems more and more that it may be that I happen to have the one version that it doesn't work with. I can tell you that prior to moving to Win7-64 bit, it worked fine with 8.10 in Vista. So, IF you have ver8.10 and Win7-64bit and the latest NVidia DDS Plugin is working for you. . . .I'm all ears.:salute:
 
Okayyyyyyy. How was the problem solved? Some of us may run into the same problem. I just got paint-shop to try to learn how to use it and paint in FSX. I hope I am not too old!
 
dandog said:
Okayyyyyyy. How was the problem solved? Some of us may run into the same problem. I just got paint-shop to try to learn how to use it and paint in FSX. I hope I am not too old!
Click to expand...
I had downloaded the NVidia DDS Plugin for Photoshop (there isn't one for PSP), and allowed it to install after pointing it to the PSP directory. Since I have Win7-64bit, that's what I downloaded and Installed. It placed two folders inside the "plugins" folder and one file each inside each of those folders. After all that I got nothing, I tried taking them out of the folders and just leaving them in the Plugins folder, still nothing. . . .finally Dave Torkington put me on to just a single file I needed (dds.8bi), placed inside the PSP/Plugins folder. That gave me the option to "save as" DDS. Problem solved.
 
Or there's dxtbmp from Martin Wright...

Sometimes it's just nice to have a dds file as quick as possible so we can see the result in the Sim! Personally I use Object Placement Tool to 'Refresh Textures' after I've overwritten a texture file.

I did read somewhere [I think Dino mentioned using a custom .bat file] about simply dragging a 24bit file over a .bat file processed using imagetool spat out a .dds.

Can any of you heavy users of a paint prog. shed any light on this method?

Dave.
 
Dave Torkington said:
Or there's dxtbmp from Martin Wright...
Sometimes it's just nice to have a dds file as quick as possible so we can see the result in the Sim! Personally I use Object Placement Tool to 'Refresh Textures' after I've overwritten a texture file.
I did read somewhere [I think Dino mentioned using a custom .bat file] about simply dragging a 24bit file over a .bat file processed using imagetool spat out a .dds.
Can any of you heavy users of a paint prog. shed any light on this method?
Dave.
Click to expand...
I have never used Imagetool as a standalone program, even though I know it's there, DXTbmp just always seemed like the better of the two, more user friendly. . . .however, having said that, I have been using a batch file in lieu of having the DDS plugin (which utilizes imagetool). I have to save the layered work to "psd" file, drop it into the batch folder and run it and it converts and flips to dds. I go to DXTbmp after that to apply the alpha (if there's a way of combining it with that batch file I have no idea how).
 
For those that have photoshop how do you compare it to paint shop pro when doing skins and such for simulations. I have a chance to buy one a little under retail and really would like to know if there is something it has the will do a better or faster job than psp 7.
 
TeiscoDelRay said:
For those that have photoshop how do you compare it to paint shop pro when doing skins and such for simulations. I have a chance to buy one a little under retail and really would like to know if there is something it has the will do a better or faster job than psp 7.
Click to expand...
I have to add my 2cents here before anyone else who use Photoshop chimes in, lol, lol. I use Paint Shop Pro 8.10 and it's terrific, does everything I need it to do and then some (including layering and everything that entails). I can't list every function I use but suffice to say I can do just about everything that Photoshop users can do. Where it falls short a bit is with DDS textures as NVidia makes a great photoshop plugin with advanced features (doing bump mapping, etc) that doesn't work in Paintshop Pro to the same extent. I have long lobbied for PSP whenever anyone asks which they should get and mostly because it's the one I started with, am most comfortable with and enjoy using. I have had some of the other persuasion compare it to using MSPaint but with layers, lol. . .I just find it funny. Photoshop users are a passionate lot to be sure and my guess is that you'll get far more telling you to go with Photoshop than you will "that other program". I just thought you should know that PSP is an excellent program as well.
 
Thanks, i was curious about it and your answer helps. I looked at many feature videos for photoshop c6 and it does have some fancy toys but as I watched those videos I realized I can do the same thing in psp 7 but do it with more steps and a little wrangling.
 
TeiscoDelRay said:
Thanks, i was curious about it and your answer helps. I looked at many feature videos for photoshop c6 and it does have some fancy toys but as I watched those videos I realized I can do the same thing in psp 7 but do it with more steps and a little wrangling.
Click to expand...
Exactly. . .it may take a few extra steps in some cases, but the end result is what's important. I would enjoy adding bump mapping to the FSX paints I do (where it's applicable of course), but I have never been able to wrap my 65yr old brain around the process, just seems like jibberish when someone explains it, lol. That's one reason I was hoping to find a dds plugin that would work the way it does in Photoshop.
 
I've used PSP 8 and 10 and now use Photoshop CS2, but I found going back to PSP10 for something recently was no problem. Frankly, you pays your money and you takes your choice: PSP has the considerable benefit of being much cheaper and still works with the nVidia DDS plugin. It can also open and save Photoshop-format files.

I'll be sticking with CS2 because I have the option, the nVidia plugins are fully supported and it's something of an FS repaint standard. I also prefer Photoshop for the way it handles alpha channels. If I had the skills to make the very best of either I could make a recommendation, but I'm years off that... :blind:
 
Dave Torkington said:
I did read somewhere [I think Dino mentioned using a custom .bat file] about simply dragging a 24bit file over a .bat file processed using imagetool spat out a .dds.

Can any of you heavy users of a paint prog. shed any light on this method?

Dave.
Click to expand...

Challenge accepted!

I use dxtex (comes with the directx SDK) to create my textures. I also use ImageMagick which allows you to script processing that I can do some clever things. Using a number of batch files I can just export from PSP a 24bit BMP (which I need to do anyway as the modelling program needs the BMP) and then drag and drop the image onto a shortcut on my desktop to the batch file.

Here is a complex example showing how I convert a bump map image made in GIMP to a correctly formatted bump map dds:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip -channel Red -separate processing\temp_a.bmp
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip -channel Red -brightness-contrast -100 processing\temp.bmp
dxtex "processing\temp.bmp" -m "temp.dds"
rename temp.dds %~n1.dds

The first two lines read the bmp (%~n1.bmp), process them and then save them out to a couple of temp files which are kept in a folder called processing, one being the full image and the other being the alpha channel.

The third line calls dxtex. dxtex is clever because it will load an alpha channel automatically if there is a file with _a appended to the filename (I can't seem to get imagetool to do this and with DXTbmp it's a bit of a pain as well).

The final line just renames the temp file back to the original file name with the .dds extension.


This example is simpler and takes a BMP with an alpha image and flips them vertically (with the first two lines) and then runs these temp images through dxtex (dxtex does not automatically flip the BMP) saving them as DXT5 with mipmaps. Again the last line renames the temp image back to original file name with a .dds extension.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip processing\temp.bmp
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1_a.bmp -flip processing\temp_a.bmp
dxtex "processing\temp.bmp" DXT5 -m "temp.dds"
rename temp.dds %~n1.dds

The above example is one I use a lot. All I do is export the image from PSP and export the alpha channel with the same file name but _a added to the end. I then just drag and drop the image onto the shortcut and the batch file does the rest. Ridicuolously (sic) simple.



Using imagetool to create simple DXT1 textures simply requires a shortcut to be created and the following information to be added to the "target" properties for the shortcut. The important bits being the -nogui -nomip -dxt1 and -dds flags. As mentioned before the problem is that I can't get imagetool to load alpha channels with this method.

"C:\Users\me\My Documents\FSX Aircraft\Eaglet\FSDS\Texture\ImageTool.exe" -nogui -nomip -DXT1 -dds
 
Here is yet another way...

anthony31 said:
Challenge accepted!

I use dxtex (comes with the directx SDK) to create my textures. I also use ImageMagick which allows you to script processing that I can do some clever things. Using a number of batch files I can just export from PSP a 24bit BMP (which I need to do anyway as the modelling program needs the BMP) and then drag and drop the image onto a shortcut on my desktop to the batch file.

Here is a complex example showing how I convert a bump map image made in GIMP to a correctly formatted bump map dds:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip -channel Red -separate processing\temp_a.bmp
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip -channel Red -brightness-contrast -100 processing\temp.bmp
dxtex "processing\temp.bmp" -m "temp.dds"
rename temp.dds %~n1.dds

The first two lines read the bmp (%~n1.bmp), process them and then save them out to a couple of temp files which are kept in a folder called processing, one being the full image and the other being the alpha channel.

The third line calls dxtex. dxtex is clever because it will load an alpha channel automatically if there is a file with _a appended to the filename (I can't seem to get imagetool to do this and with DXTbmp it's a bit of a pain as well).

The final line just renames the temp file back to the original file name with the .dds extension.


This example is simpler and takes a BMP with an alpha image and flips them vertically (with the first two lines) and then runs these temp images through dxtex (dxtex does not automatically flip the BMP) saving them as DXT5 with mipmaps. Again the last line renames the temp image back to original file name with a .dds extension.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip processing\temp.bmp
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1_a.bmp -flip processing\temp_a.bmp
dxtex "processing\temp.bmp" DXT5 -m "temp.dds"
rename temp.dds %~n1.dds

The above example is one I use a lot. All I do is export the image from PSP and export the alpha channel with the same file name but _a added to the end. I then just drag and drop the image onto the shortcut and the batch file does the rest. Ridicuolously (sic) simple.



Using imagetool to create simple DXT1 textures simply requires a shortcut to be created and the following information to be added to the "target" properties for the shortcut. The important bits being the -nogui -nomip -dxt1 and -dds flags. As mentioned before the problem is that I can't get imagetool to load alpha channels with this method.

"C:\Users\me\My Documents\FSX Aircraft\Eaglet\FSDS\Texture\ImageTool.exe" -nogui -nomip -DXT1 -dds
Click to expand...

I have been using PSP since PSP3... and now am up to PSP x3.... I have the Martin Wright program with PSP as designated editing program...
Open any DDS in Wright's DXT and send to editor... work texture as desired and close, selecting SAVE... jump to Wright's program (still open)
and select RELOAD AFTER EDIT... then simply SAVE AS... selecting EXTENDED BITMAP...
To create a DDS from scratch... Open any DDS... (rename to suit) send to editor (leaving DXTP open)... Create a normal BMP of whatever size... then save
with the same procedure... and save as described (on a blank folder or one you created on a texture folder other than where you got the dummy staring file)...
I reckon having a working plug-in would shorten the process... but in the absence of a suitable one... I've made do with this system ... and it is not that cumbersome...
 
That may work for you Gaucho but it is too many steps for me. I am working with PSP files as my starting point (not dds files) and I need to export as BMP so that the modelling program (FSDS) can read them. To create the DDS file it is then just a simple click and drag onto the batch file and then drag the result into the FSX texture folder. Believe me, I used to do it the way you described using DXTBMP but I much prefer my new way using batch files especially when I need to a bunch of textures.
 
Going back to my post about using a batch file, this is what I have been using for about 2 or 3 months now because I couldn't get the "DDS" plugin to work in PSP:

Code: Select all
Imagetool -nobeep -nomip -dxt5 -dds -nodither *.psd

type that into notepad, as is, then save with the "bat" extension to get your batch file
Place the batch file, plus Imagetool (from the FSX SDK) in a folder (I named it DDS Converter)

If you use PSP, when you've completed the work, save as a "psd" to that folder (save as many files as you want actually). Go to the conversion folder, double click the batch file and it will do the conversion (and flip) all psd files in one process. Now just drag those dds files to your aircraft texture folder. If there's a way to have it process the alpha, I'm unaware of it, so I load the dds in DXTbmp and add the alpha there.

I wanted the Photoshop DDS Plugin because I thought I would be able to do the "bump Maps" as well, but that doesn't work in PSP. So, after all the trial and error to get the Plugin, it's actually still easier to simply let the batch file do the work. . . .besides, even with the DDS Plugin, I still have to merge the layers and flip the flattened image before using the plugin, the batch file does everything instantly.
 
Dave Torkington said:
I did read somewhere [I think Dino mentioned using a custom .bat file] about simply dragging a 24bit file over a .bat file processed using imagetool spat out a .dds.

Can any of you heavy users of a paint prog. shed any light on this method?

Dave.
Click to expand...
I just keep the imagetool exe file and the batch file in the texture folder of whatever aircraft I'm working on. Once I save the texture in PSP7 as a BMP (saved as PSP first obviously) I drop it in the texture folder and run the batch file. It processes whatever BMP files it finds into DDS files. I then delete the BMP file (otherwise I get a black part in the game) and away I go.
:ernae:
 
falcon409 said:
I wanted the Photoshop DDS Plugin because I thought I would be able to do the "bump Maps" as well, but that doesn't work in PSP.
Click to expand...

Did you ever get bump maps working?

Here's what I do to make bump maps:

You will need the following tools though:

GIMP
Normal Map plug in for GIMP
ImageMagick
dxtex

In PSP I create a greyscale image. Black is low bumps and white is high bumps with mid grey being flat. Export that as a bmp

Then I load that into GIMP and use the Normal Map plugin (you have to install this into GIMP before hand) http://code.google.com/p/gimp-normalmap/ . Just overwrite the original bmp image. I haven't been able to find a normal map plugin for PSP which is why I use GIMP.

I then run the GIMP normal map BMP through the batch file I described in my earlier post but which I will repeat here:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip -channel Red -separate processing\temp_a.bmp
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ImageMagick-6.7.3-Q16\convert.exe" %~n1.bmp -flip -channel Red -brightness-contrast -100 processing\temp.bmp
dxtex "processing\temp.bmp" -m "temp.dds"
rename temp.dds %~n1.dds

The normal map that GIMP outputs is not in the correct format for FSX and needs adjusting. What you need to do is split the GIMP normal map BMP into its red, green and blue channels. Save the red channel as the alpha channel and then replace the red channel with all black. Recombine the red, green and blue channels to remake the main bmp. Then use the main bmp and alpha channel to create a DXT5 or 888-8 dds file.

Now, I used to do all this (except for converting the greyscale into a normal map) in PSP but by using ImageMagick and dxtex and the batch file above I can automate the process which is a heck of a lot easier.
 
In regards to PSP...

I also prefer PSP, I use 9, and the main gripe I have is; limited to 32bit (4gb memory)....

Any way around that one?

Joseph
 
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