Fnerg
SOH-CM-2023
Here is a Batch file I used AI to help create, to finalize my PBR set of textures as a last step before the simulator. It converts PNG to DDS ( as for MSFS liveries).
How to use it:
- Place this unzipped .bat file in the folder with your PNG textures you will be converting to dds. A mix of all the ALBD, COMP, NORM maps is perfectly fine.
- Create a new folder inside the PNG's folder and name it " RESULTS". This is where your converted DDS files will go.
- Double click the bat file. Press yes to go.
- When processing has finished, press any key to exit the batch file, cut your dds files and paste them in your livery's texture folder. Update the layout.json of your package, install your livery in the sim, check the results.
Note: Your png must have an "_ALBD" or "_COMP" or " _NORM" in the name of the map in order for the bat to recognize it, and do it's work. Example, "Fuselage_albd.png" will convert to "FUSELAGE_ALBD.PNG", a dds file. "Fuselage.png" will not process, and conjure a message saying " the name must have the proper suffix in the title". If for some reason, the original texture you are replacing with your own does not have either of those suffix, rename it with the suffix, convert it, and then rename it as the original name in the simulator. Be sure to spell it exactly. Almost all textures of MSFS/2024 use these PBR designations, but some developers (*cough AH cough*) sometimes leave those suffix off the title of their files ( ??). As an example, "Prop_blur.png". When converting, I had to rename the file "Prop_blur_ALBD.png" and then renamed the resulting .dds back to the original "Prop_blur.png" name, so it is recognized in the sim. Just a little tip for you.
Note: A folder with many PNG files will take a while to finish. So go do your dishes, cut the grass, do a grocery run, play with your kids, and come back later to the finished files in the " Results" folder.
I have (by trial and error) picked the quality settings that do the absolute least amount of noticeable difference over an uncompressed texture file. These uncompressed files can result in excess of 65mb for 4k albedos. Processed with this bat file, the result is 21mb, with 13 mipmap levels. Very easy on the GPU. Loading times significantly reduced, finish details remain at far distances (noticed this with Chase Plane's Flyby mode).
Concluding: Feel free to edit the batch file to suit your needs. You may not want to wait for a .4 quality albedo to render, try lowering the number to .2 which will speed up the processing but, result in a less saturated texture which starts to get noticed in the sim. You may want to convert to KTX2 instead of DDS, just make that change in the code.
Any problems, shoot me a message and I'll be glad to help, or try feeding the .bat to AI and have it make the personal changes for you.
Doug
How to use it:
- Place this unzipped .bat file in the folder with your PNG textures you will be converting to dds. A mix of all the ALBD, COMP, NORM maps is perfectly fine.
- Create a new folder inside the PNG's folder and name it " RESULTS". This is where your converted DDS files will go.
- Double click the bat file. Press yes to go.
- When processing has finished, press any key to exit the batch file, cut your dds files and paste them in your livery's texture folder. Update the layout.json of your package, install your livery in the sim, check the results.
Note: Your png must have an "_ALBD" or "_COMP" or " _NORM" in the name of the map in order for the bat to recognize it, and do it's work. Example, "Fuselage_albd.png" will convert to "FUSELAGE_ALBD.PNG", a dds file. "Fuselage.png" will not process, and conjure a message saying " the name must have the proper suffix in the title". If for some reason, the original texture you are replacing with your own does not have either of those suffix, rename it with the suffix, convert it, and then rename it as the original name in the simulator. Be sure to spell it exactly. Almost all textures of MSFS/2024 use these PBR designations, but some developers (*cough AH cough*) sometimes leave those suffix off the title of their files ( ??). As an example, "Prop_blur.png". When converting, I had to rename the file "Prop_blur_ALBD.png" and then renamed the resulting .dds back to the original "Prop_blur.png" name, so it is recognized in the sim. Just a little tip for you.
Note: A folder with many PNG files will take a while to finish. So go do your dishes, cut the grass, do a grocery run, play with your kids, and come back later to the finished files in the " Results" folder.
I have (by trial and error) picked the quality settings that do the absolute least amount of noticeable difference over an uncompressed texture file. These uncompressed files can result in excess of 65mb for 4k albedos. Processed with this bat file, the result is 21mb, with 13 mipmap levels. Very easy on the GPU. Loading times significantly reduced, finish details remain at far distances (noticed this with Chase Plane's Flyby mode).
Concluding: Feel free to edit the batch file to suit your needs. You may not want to wait for a .4 quality albedo to render, try lowering the number to .2 which will speed up the processing but, result in a less saturated texture which starts to get noticed in the sim. You may want to convert to KTX2 instead of DDS, just make that change in the code.
Any problems, shoot me a message and I'll be glad to help, or try feeding the .bat to AI and have it make the personal changes for you.
Doug
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