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

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T-33 in dds

falcon409

falcon409

SOH-CM-2025
Well, it may take a few days to get everything converted, but after seeing the difference, there's no question that the only way to go with the repaints is to save as dds texture files. I'm saving them direct from PSP as dds so they're first generation textures rather than saving and then converting in DXTbmp.

I'm also redoing all the interior work as well which will take a while but it should sharpen those textures also.
 
Question!

falcon409 said:
Well, it may take a few days to get everything converted, but after seeing the difference, there's no question that the only way to go with the repaints is to save as dds texture files. I'm saving them direct from PSP as dds so they're first generation textures rather than saving and then converting in DXTbmp.

I'm also redoing all the interior work as well which will take a while but it should sharpen those textures also.
Click to expand...
HOW DO YOU SAVE DIRECTLY AS DDS in PSP?
 
gaucho_59 said:
HOW DO YOU SAVE DIRECTLY AS DDS in PSP?
Click to expand...
Well, that's a good question because when I originally installed PSP8 years ago, I don't really remember checking "dds" as one of the file formats to include for opening files. I have installed a set of tools from NVidia for dds and I have a plugin for dds and that may be why that file type is now available. I'm not up on how it would have gotten there, just that it is and it makes the conversion process very easy.
 
Wow... I'm really impressed by the work you've done on those textures Falcon.
Those rivets definitely look good, I wasn't expecting such a level of details whn you first annouced you were working on that plane.
And you're planning to work on the VC textures too ? Now I'm really curious to see the results of your efforts :jump:
Thanks a lot for what you do, Falcon :ernae:
 
Hi Ed,

Great work indeed, I've been missing that bird in FSX :)

Thanks
 
Absolutely Ed...

...but what I'm puzzled at is: how did you decide on 30+ layers???? Sharp Shooting Star!

Kent
 
ColoKent said:
...but what I'm puzzled at is: how did you decide on 30+ layers???? Sharp Shooting Star!
Kent
Click to expand...
Well:
Top Wing = 1 panel line layer, 1 Rivets layer, I layer each for white drop shadows and one black diffused shadow layer
Bottom Wing = ditto
Horizontal Stab Top = ditto
Horizontal Stab Bottom = ditto
Left Fuselage = ditto
Right Fuselage = ditto
So. . .basically 5 layers for each section, plus a few extras for placards, insignia, the wing tanks and the intake splitters.

I used to do one drop shadow for everything until I noticed that the shadows didn't line up left side to right side because they were going in the wrong directions. Also, I wanted the light/reflection to be consistent and if I just did one layer for all the various areas on the airplane, they wouldn't be. So for each section, I figured which direction the light was coming from and then set the white drop shadow to fit that, then moved the white to a layer above the black so that there was a nice white hilite and it gives a look of three dimensions even though it's just a flat surface.:salute:
 
Pretty sharp paint job! See, I don't have to make a new T-33!:wavey:
P.S. Falcon, you want some better tex's for those landing lights? I been using much better ones for some time now. Well, now that I think about it, that light tex should be on most of my recent planes' tex's
 
Do-oh is right!!!!

"Pretty sharp paint job! See, I don't have to make a new T-33!:wavey:"

YIKES....let's hope Piglet is kidding!!!!!

Kent
 
gaucho_59 said:
HOW DO YOU SAVE DIRECTLY AS DDS in PSP?
Click to expand...

dds.8bi is the plugin name from NVIDIA if we are talking about the same thing.

On my PSP X2 system the exporter comes up as NVIDIA dds format (v3.02).

I think you need to be very particular about the version of the plugin that you use though.
 
anthony31 said:
dds.8bi is the plugin name from NVIDIA if we are talking about the same thing.

On my PSP X2 system the exporter comes up as NVIDIA dds format (v3.02).

I think you need to be very particular about the version of the plugin that you use though.
Click to expand...

If you use a DDS plugin for PSP, does saving to that formal also mirror the image like ImageTool does?
 
Using the dds plugin I downloaded off an old link, this is what I'm doing and the results are perfect:
Merge the layered texture in PSP, Flip and save as "dds DXT5" when the save menu for the dds plugin pops up. That's it!

Here's a shot of the main panel (part of the texture I'm working on to sharpen up a lot of the fuzzy switches and placards). I tried to clean up what I assume are "adel clamps" on the tube running behind the panel and I think, for the most part, the placards are correct. It was hard to tell what a few of the words were so I just went with my best guess. If anyone sees something that doesn't appear to be right let me know.
 
Try saving to 32 bit BMP, then using Image tool to get them from that to DXT5, DDS format.
I find they load a bit faster and on 4 meg x 4 meg textures, they run faster.
 
JoeW said:
Try saving to 32 bit BMP, then using Image tool to get them from that to DXT5, DDS format.
I find they load a bit faster and on 4 meg x 4 meg textures, they run faster.
Click to expand...
That's kinda what I was doing originally and I found that I lost too much detail taking it to a bitmap first and then to dds. They were fine basically until I saved as a bitmap, as soon as I did that the details were gone.

The original texture folders for the airplane contained 4 texture files, 3 of those were the actual airplane and the interior pieces and the fourth one was for the glass. They totaled 12.1 meg. . .the one for the 57th Sq now totals 24.1 meg, but even with my limited system, I see no fps drop and no delay at all in loading.:salute:
 
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