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question for the pro's

F

flewpastu

Charter Member
Would there be any advantage to convert the BMP files in the texture folder to dds files. Im sure if it were better for load times or fps some one here would have done it. Does any one have an opinion on this. By the way, im talking about the main texture folder in FSX.

Bill
 
Yes it better to convert them to dds. What FSX does with bmp's is flip each image (which is already done with a dds) before loading. With texture heavy models this can have a large impact.

When saving as a dds make sure you flip the image horizontally before saving it.
 
The most trouble-free way I've found to do this... is open the file with DxtBmp.. make sure the alpha channel is there.. save as an extended, DXT5.

Open THAT file with ImageTool, and save as a DDS.

ImageTool does the flipping for you (and seems to prefer DXT5 as input)..

EDIT:.. make sure you have MIPS turned off, in DxtBmp
 
flewpastu,

You're talking about a heavy undertaking, if it were to work. There are very many textures in the main folder, then when you add-on, you have to take these into consideration. plus you have all those textures in the Scenery folder and the Add-On folder, you're talking big time work.

I tried once to convert aircraft bitmap textures to .dds and it did not take, probably something to do with the .mdl file not excepting .dds textures. Might be the same with FSX's default Textures. Approach with caution if you delve into it.

Caz
 
If you open it in Image Tool ...... thats all you need to do and in the menu click on Image, Format, DXT5 and click ok. Then save as DDS.....
Simple..... Thats all you need to do.
 
Hi Folks

Just a heads up about converting filetypes.

The model explicitly calls a specific filetype, (e.g. .BMP or .DDS).

If you convert the filetype,
and the resulting file extension
now matches the new filetype.

Then you will experience reduced performance.

Depending on your PC capabilities,
this may have a possible FPS impact, or even stuttering.

FSX will -
- initially search for the explicit filename.BMP in the texture folder
- if fails, then searches for the explicit filename.BMP in ALL the fallback paths
- if fails, eventually utilises the filename.DDS

Standard texture.cfg will result in 5 I/O searches to locate file, (instead of 1).

These attempted file accesses will impact performance.

Solution
Convert by all means,
but ensure original file extension is retained.

Or hexedit the model. :)

HTH
ATB
Paul
 
So, if you have a model that calls DDS filetype (and you have a BMP texture), you have the choice to convert in DDS files with fallback or to delete any fallback and leave BMP files...
That's right, isn't?

Regards,
Luca
 
You would need to check the model's code with a Hex editor and see if it calls for BMPs. If so, you need to change the models BMP inputs to DDS when you convert the BMP's to DDS.


By the way, you say these are in the 'main' texture folder. Is this for Scenery? I do not know if a scenery BGL calls for a BMP. If it doesnt, then you should be fine to convert.


Perhaps a good way to find out is just note the FPS now, then make copies of all BMP's to DDS format and leave them all in there, and the model will find the fastest ones, and if it made an impact, you should have higher FPS.


By the way, Wozza did a great BAT file tutorial for doing mass conversions of BMP's to DDS format, flipped, etc. Put that in a texture folder with some BMPs and the latest FSX ImageTool and just click that BAT file and in about 3 seconds, everything is a flipped DDS format file. Brilliant stuff..




Bill
 
I was told by the devs at ACES that the order of search by FSX was fixed to be:

1. .dds
2. .bmp

within each of the "fallback" search paths explicitly defined in a texture.cfg file

1. current ..\texture.name
2. root ..\texture
3. et cetera...

Bill
 
JoeW said:
If you open it in Image Tool ...... thats all you need to do and in the menu click on Image, Format, DXT5 and click ok. Then save as DDS.....
Simple..... Thats all you need to do.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill and Joe, that will help me in reformatting some FS2004 port over planes, because I can batch them and do all of one plane's textures at once.

BTW, T just did that to one of LilSki's Champs, my sweet "Charlie Brown". Will post results in a separate post.

Caz
 
BASys said:
Hi Folks

Standard texture.cfg will result in 5 I/O searches to locate file, (instead of 1).

These attempted file accesses will impact performance.
Click to expand...

Everyone would benefit from correcting an error in the default texture.cfg file supplied with the sim...

...by removing the non-existent search path!

Code: 
[SIZE=2][fltsim]
fallback.1=..\texture
fallback.2=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
[/SIZE]

fallback.3 is pointing to a path that only existed on a computer at ACES Studio!

In addition, they left out a folder in FSX that does contain a few common textures used by FSX a/c, so I highly recommend editing the default texture.cfg file and pasting it into every ..\texture.nn folders used by the default aircraft! :gossip:

Code: 
[SIZE=2][fltsim]
fallback.1=..\texture
fallback.2=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Texture
[/SIZE]
 
WOW, you guys rock, what alot of great info. Thank you all very much for this info, it gives me alot of great idea's. Ill try the fsx texture folder and convert and play with it and see if it helps at all. Thanks All

Bill
 
Hi Folks

Minor correction of my previously posted sequence.
ProcMon logfile data included below.

EDIT
N.B.
Particularly targeted at
anyone converting FS9 aircraft models,
into FSX/FSXA useable aircraft.



Simobject texture search paths
In FSX/FSXA,
the search mechanism for locating any simobject's texture
behaves as follows
and continues until a matching texture is located,
or the cycle is completed.

Entire cycle is repeated for every texture called by the model.



1) file.ext - As explicitly defined in the model.
2) a matching .CAB file, (if CAB exists, will then search contents).
3) .ext of opposite type, (i.e. if 1) was a .bmp, searches for . dds, and vice-versa).
4) repeats 2) for the matching .CAB file, then searches for 3).



If not found during steps 1-4),
FSX/FSXA then repeats every step above
for each fallback path defined
in a correctly written texture.cfg

i.e. steps through -
fallback.1=..\texture
fallback.2=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture
fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Texture



The search sequence will repeat
whenever the model requires a reload.
e.g. The viewport is cycled from VC/2D to external.



Logfile Data
IRL FSX/FSXA example for an airplane model calling a .bmp texture.

In the ProcMon logfile extract below -
- MYFSXPATH - my drive & path to FSX folder, (concatenated for clarity).
- TESTAIRCRAFT - The aircraft folder.
- FINDME.bmp - The texture named in the model



For this example -
The FINDME.bmp texture was deliberately removed,
to force FSX to perform a full search-path traverse.

I/O operation QueryOpen actions by fsx.exe
each resulted in a NAME NOT FOUND error.



The first 4 paths listed are for the aircraft's 'native' folder.

Each subsequent group of 4 paths
is for each of the 3 fallback paths.



ProcMon reported search paths -
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture.LIVERY\FINDME.bmp
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture.LIVERY.CAB
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture.LIVERY\FINDME.DDS
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture.LIVERY.CAB


MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture\FINDME.bmp
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture.CAB
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture\FINDME.DDS
MYFSXPATH\SimObjects\Airplanes\TESTAIRCRAFT\texture.CAB


MYFSXPATH\Scenery\Global\Texture\FINDME.bmp
MYFSXPATH\Scenery\Global\Texture.CAB
MYFSXPATH\Scenery\Global\Texture\FINDME.DDS
MYFSXPATH\Scenery\Global\Texture.CAB


MYFSXPATH\Texture\FINDME.bmp
MYFSXPATH\Texture.CAB
MYFSXPATH\Texture\FINDME.DDS
MYFSXPATH\Texture.CAB



That's a lot of disk thrashing.
All CPU cycles utilised
detract from FSX/FSXA FPS.



Apologies for the emphasis.
Bottom line
Filename AND Extension should match those called by the Model.



n4gix said:
Everyone would benefit from correcting an error in the default texture.cfg
Click to expand...
To emphasise.
Fully agreed.
Everyone should definitely correct these.



n4gix said:
so I highly recommend editing the default texture.cfg file
and pasting it into every ..\texture.nn folders used by the default aircraft!
Click to expand...
Heads-Up
The FSX Acceleration FA-18
has some non-standard texture.cfg files
you'll have to correct those manually.



HTH
ATB
Paul
 
As Paul (ODG) stated, it can result in a slow down. I would make a backup of the original textures just in case. I ran into this with some plane .. forgot which, in which the original textures were BMP's and I converted to DXT5- DDS and got hammered.
So ........... Always make a copy of the originals.
 
As n4gix wrote, I have converted .bmp textures in a model that is calling .dds texture only.
This was in the FSX Spitfire A2A with old textures.
And now is more quickly (very quickly) the reload of external views...

Thank you very much! :wiggle:

Regards,
Luca
 
I converted all my AI textures to DDS and edited the MDL
files to change all BMP entries to DDS.

I still get some 'NOT FOUND' situations on the AI that
behove me to ask "WTF is going on?"

It involves the "envmap.dds" file. It seems that alot of the
PAI and AIEU models are looking for that file even though
it is not called out in the MDL itself.

Can anyone explin why that particular file would be
needed by an AI aircraft?

In any case, as I see those 'NOT FOUND' situations I
just move a copy of the file into the AI's texture folder(s)
to eliminate yet another needless search.

Paul
 
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