Best tool for image compression/quality?

[OleBoy]

One heck of a time for me to be asking this. Never too late though.
....I've been using Martin Wrights DXTBMP and it seems to do the trick. But curiosity got me to thinking after searching Google on FSX texture compression....and makes me wonder now.

What is the best one for compression, converting and creating, flawless, crisp & clear textures?

DXTBMP (I use this currently)
or
ImageTool (IF this is the one recommended, where might I find it?)

[mjahn]

Add "or the NVidia dds plugin".

Might all come out as identical though.

Personally I'm very happy with dxtbmp...

[BASys]

Hi Folks

OleBoy -
ImageTool - is the official MS tool.
Its supplied with the FSX SDK.
Do not use the FS9 SDK ImageTool version.



DXTBMP - In the early FSX days,
DXTBMP was not capable of generating FSX compatible files.

Martin released an update to address this.
Just ensure you're using his latest version.



As for relative merits, can't say.

I use ImageTool for its batch conversion functionality,
and that it'll produce the appropriate output required by FSX.



HTH
ATB
Paul

[OleBoy]

Add "or the NVidia dds plugin".

Might all come out as identical though.

Personally I'm very happy with dxtbmp...

I tried the nVidia plugin I can't seem to figure it out yet.


Hi Folks

OleBoy -
ImageTool - is the official MS tool.
Its supplied with the FSX SDK.
Do not use the FS9 SDK ImageTool version.



DXTBMP - In the early FSX days,
DXTBMP was not capable of generating FSX compatible files.

Martin released an update to address this.
Just ensure you're using his latest version.



As for relative merits, can't say.



HTH
ATB
Paul

I'm not sure if I have the latest version of DXTBMP. I clicked on "about' but it never said anywhere what version it was.
....Time to get out the disk. I need to try it then.

Thank you

[mmann]

I tried the nVidia plugin I can't seem to figure it out yet.



I can't get nVidia plugin to generate a valid dds file either. I use both ImageTool and DXTBMP depending on what the project is (DXTBMP for repaints and ImageTool for modeling) and have no problems whatsoever with either one.

Regards, Mike Mann

[JoeW]

I finish my Paints in Photoshop, save as a standard PSD, layers and all. I then open it in ImageTool and convert it to DXT5 and save as a DDR . I then copy all DDR's to the texture folder.
Works great.

[Dain Arns]

Latest version of DXTBmp is 4.00.96
If you are not seeing that at the top of the window, or in 'About', I would guess you do not have the latest version.
That is available here:
http://www.btinternet.com/~mnwright/programs/dxtbmp.htm

[Gizmo]

If you have a cuda capable Nv card then id suggest trying Nvcompress

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/texture_tools.html

its a shed load faster than the standard CPU based dds ps plugin and has much better compression/preservation for high detailed areas,i just started using it for the next Ozx HD project and after doing a diff layer compare between lossless/psplugin dds/dxbmp/nv compress
i found nvcompress gives head and shoulder the best IQ for dds compression

you could also try ati's Compressonator

http://developer.amd.com/gpu/compressonator/Pages/default.aspx

althought i had problems with it whitting out my alphas on any .dds formats nomatter the settings

[hairyspin]

:kilroy: Paint.NET will also read/write .DDS files - DXT 1, 3 or 5

[Bjoern]

DDS for Gimp and Imagetool do the trick for me.