Saving as DDS/Alpha

[falcon409]

I'm in the process of converting an aircraft to dds textures. Each of the external textures has a corresponding alpha, so must I save the textures from PSP direct to dds and then go into DXTbmp and apply the alpha? Does that degrade the original texture in any way by resaving it in DXTbmp with the alpha applied?:isadizzy:

[mmann]

I'm in the process of converting an aircraft to dds textures. Each of the external textures has a corresponding alpha, so must I save the textures from PSP direct to dds and then go into DXTbmp and apply the alpha? Does that degrade the original texture in any way by resaving it in DXTbmp with the alpha applied?:isadizzy:

Never use a lossy compression until the last step. Load the original textures in the beginning and save the textures out as a Targa with alpha, which is lossless. Use the Targa file exclusively after this until you are ready for the final conversion to DDS.

[Tako_Kichi]

I have never used PSP so don't know if this is possible but when I make a texture in Photoshop I don't have to use DXTBmp at all.

I create the alpha channel in PS (the channels are all editable) and then flatten all layers, flip vertically and save as a DDS directly. The alpha channel is automatically saved with the file.

As Mike stated you want to keep all the textures as high resolution as possible for as long as possible before going to a lossy format.

[hairyspin]

PSP can use the same nVidia plug-in as Photoshop to create .DDS files.

http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture-tools-adobe-photoshop

[falcon409]

I have never used PSP so don't know if this is possible but when I make a texture in Photoshop I don't have to use DXTBmp at all.
I create the alpha channel in PS (the channels are all editable) and then flatten all layers, flip vertically and save as a DDS directly. The alpha channel is automatically saved with the file.
As Mike stated you want to keep all the textures as high resolution as possible for as long as possible before going to a lossy format.
For dds textures, I don't use DXTbmp either, but I've followed the technique of flattening all the layers (including the alpha) flipping and saving as dds and what I get is a fuselage the color of the alpha. If the alpha is the top layer and I flatten everything, then that top layer is the color of the alpha, when I save it as dds that's what I'm going to get, a gray airplane.

I just reinstalled the Photoshop plugin, but I don't get a menu that looks anything like what shows on the link that "hairyspin" posted. It's a single menu that gives some options for conversion type, mips, and preview options. I looked through the PaintShop Pro directory and found a folder (dxt_tools) where the plugin was installed, but it's apparently not something that PSP recognizes. Do I need to move some or all of those files to a "plugin" folder (by the way, I have two, one says plugin and the other is plug-in, as if this wasn't confusing enough)?

[falcon409]

Better illustrated with a picture. The pic is the PSP screen I'm looking at when I make a dds texture. I have run the slider back on the alpha to show the underlying layers and I've indicated on the dds menu what areas I change prior to saving. Those are the only two changes I make prior to hitting save. I see nothing there that indicates that I can save the alpha as a separate entity.

[Tako_Kichi]

I think that's because you have your alpha data in a layer along with all your other layers.

Can you not access the 'channel data' (i.e. the red/green/blue and alpha channels) in PSP individually?

It seems odd to me if PSP does not have that capability somewhere although they may call it something else of course.

I also create my bump/normal maps in Photoshop and export to DDS and that would be impossible if I couldn't access the 'channels' directly.

[falcon409]

Here is what PaintShop Pro has to say about Alpha Channels:

<!--(================================================= =============)--><!--(Document created with RoboEditor. )============================--><!--(================================================= =============)--><!--(Meta)============================================ ==============--><!--(Links)=========================================== ==============--><!--(Body)============================================ ==============-->An Alpha Channel is a data storage area in an image that holds selections and masks. Alpha Channels are like secret compartments within a suitcase—use them to store things you may need later. Selections and masks stored in Alpha Channels have no effect on the look of an image. To use the stored selections or masks, load them into the same image or another image.
When you save the image to a file format other than .PspImage format, the Alpha Channels are not saved. Always keep a master copy of your image in .PspImage format.

Especially the line that says: When you save the image to a file format other than "pspimage" (which is the layered version), the Alpha Channels are not saved.

[hairyspin]

I'm a bit rusty with PSP now, but it handles alpha channel differently to Photoshop.

In PSP you make a Mask layer, then save the mask to alpha channel. The nVidia plugin will then save the file to .DDS correctly.
See the PSP help files for details. Hope this helps!

[falcon409]

I'm a bit rusty with PSP now, but it handles alpha channel differently to Photoshop.

In PSP you make a Mask layer, then save the mask to alpha channel. The nVidia plugin will then save the file to .DDS correctly.
See the PSP help files for details. Hope this helps!
Thanks guys, I'm not getting any of this so I'm going to stick with my antiquated methods, much simpler. I don't do any repainting that anyone is going to nitpick anyway, and they work fine for what I want. I appreciate your help though.:salute:

[JoeW]

This is going to rankle some people, but, I use Photoshop and save as psd format ....... all layers including the alpha channel. Then open that with the Aces Image Tool and save a DXT5 format and then as DDS. Simple as cornbread, I don't lose much detail, and it works just fine. We had a development when I was with FREEflow that caused a serious frame loos. Seems that FS9 didn't like it when you mixed several bmps formats and some dxt1 and dxt3. we changed all textures to one format . I think it was dxt1 and that solved that problem. This was when the last Ultimate Florida was bheing developed with the boats and ships.Even FSX likes it to be simple.

[falcon409]

Yea, all I do is merge the layers, flip and save as dds via the NVidia Plug-in in PSP, then I load the dds in DXTbmp, apply the alpha and save. The textures I've done for the Aviat Husky are clear and crisp. It works fine that way. Yea it may be an extra step or two, but it's what works for me and the results are excellent.:salute: