How do you create a DDS?

[Steven190]

What are the steps in creating a"_s" dds?

This is the Shade and texture dds that does under the; _t.dds


I am having trouble getting the rivets to show up on a paint skin. only half are there. It looks like the _s is in conflict with the way the rivets are layed out.

 

[ndicki]

The best thing of course is if you have access to the original layered Photoshop file. There, you simply add an all-grey base layer over the camouflage, and then desaturate the other layers and modify them till they are about the right value. All my recent skins have specular layers done this way.

If that is not the case, then you may have a specular layer designed for a different skin. The easiest here is to use Martin Wright's DXT-BMP tool (here:http://www.mnwright.btinternet.co.uk/ )
to open the existing _s.dds and send it to your photo editor. (Image - send to editor - edit in MS Paint or other, save - back to DXT-BMP - image - reload after editing - save as dds) Default is MS paint, but you can set that in preferences.

There, I'd simply block it in with a dark grey shade, rather than trying to keep the detail; that rarely works. If you use a solid dark grey, it might not have quite all the depth you might like, but if won't interfere with the _t.dds layer.

 

[Steven190]

Thanks I will try this, with the layers I have done so far.

 

[hairyspin]

I did read somewhere (bzhyoyo at Netwings, once upon a time...) that repeatedly converting from .dds to say, .bmp and back to .dds will start to introduce artefacts to the image, a bit like repeated jpeg-bmp-jpeg conversions.

It might be best to do one .bmp conversion and keep all your work in .bmp. Export to .dds to try it out, but discard the exported .dds if unsatisfactory and try again with the .bmp.

Too many one way streets in this game for comfort! :isadizzy:

 

[Steven190]

What I do is in Photoshop save as a .dds directely into the aircraft folder. That way it is fresh, you are always changing it until you get what you want. Then you can save it to a permanent file.

 

[FOO FIGHTER]

Nvidia makes a Photoshop plug-in that allows you save in multiple .dds formats. I don't have the link just now but it should be easy to find through Google. Also, you can see alot more detail just by using 2048x2048 textures instead of 1024x1024. You will also have to alter your CFS3 configuration settings to 2048.

 

[Steven190]

Where do you change the resolution at? In the AppData config as below, or so another file.

<Config>
<FileVersion val="60"/>
<Adapter val="0"/>
<Device val="0"/>
<Mode val="6"/>
<MultisampleType val="D3DMULTISAMPLE_NONE"/>
<VendorId val="4098"/>
<DeviceId val="38289"/>
<VersionNumberLowPart val="655957"/>
<VersionNumberHighPart val="458766"/>
<TextureLimits>
<aircraftmodels Scale="0" MaxDim="512"/>
<compositeterrain Scale="0" MaxDim="0"/>
<compositeterrainsource Scale="0" MaxDim="512"/>
<effects Scale="0" MaxDim="256"/>
<hud Scale="1" MaxDim="0"/>
<nonaircraftmodels Scale="0" MaxDim="0"/>
<precompiledterrain Scale="0" MaxDim="0"/>
<shadows Scale="0" MaxDim="256"/>
<ui Scale="0" MaxDim="0"/>
<uncategorized Scale="0" MaxDim="512"/>
</TextureLimits>
<ConfigOverrides>

 

[ndicki]

To start with, use these settings:

http://regshanger.com/Groundcrew/ho...round Crew Design CFS3 2048x2048 settings.php

 

[Pat Pattle]

I did read somewhere (bzhyoyo at Netwings, once upon a time...) that repeatedly converting from .dds to say, .bmp and back to .dds will start to introduce artefacts to the image, a bit like repeated jpeg-bmp-jpeg conversions.

I've found that to be true when using the DXT-BMP tool. I work in the native layered source file and then convert to .dds as the last step, Paintdotnet being my proggy of choice.
You could also just edit the .dds directly and not have the bother of converting anything.

 

[ndicki]

Basically, when you open a dds file, you're going from 16 bit to 24 bit (depending on your editor; no editor runs in 16 bit, in any case.) When you save it, you're going back from 24 bit to 16 bit. Even doing that once can leave things looking pretty nasty and blurred.

 

[Steven190]

To start with, use these settings:

http://regshanger.com/Groundcrew/ho...round Crew Design CFS3 2048x2048 settings.php

That worked, I did not have all the settings

Thanks