DDS Textures ??

from GalCiv2 Forums
While browsing through the Models Directory i found .DDS Textures for the original GC2 ships along with apparently the same textures as .PNG
modding
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
AFAIK the game can use either, though I'm not sure offhand which it gives preference to if both are there.

Now i wonder if they are actually used More imprtant can .DDS textures be used on custom made models - this would allow for full alpha chanel , not just the transparent color that comes with .PNG


You can use 24 bit PNGs as well (that's what all the PNGs used by the base game are), with full transparency; you're not required to use paletted PNGs with single-color transparency.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
My Photoshop - is a bit dated by now - v6 - seems not to be able to deal with this kind of png files

what software do you use to produce .png files with full alpha ?
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Uh... Gimp sems to be able to handle the .png with full transparency...

But i encountered a new problem... The normal maps seem to do nothing... Same with the specular setting in the shader - i played around with different settings, but in game all look the same
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
But i encountered a new problem... The normal maps seem to do nothing... Same with the specular setting in the shader - i played around with different settings, but in game all look the same ...

Is there a trick in how to export the model, to get the stuff to work ?


Those would be dev questions--haven't done anything with those myself. I'll tag this thread so if you bump it in the morning, it'll remind me to try and pin one of them down about it.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Not exactly sure, if now would be morning where you are
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Few things:

First, The game will use the DDS file if it finds it, if not it will use the PNG. So if you have a file called SO_Myship_01.dds, and a file called S0_MyShip_01.png. It will use the DDS. This is because in some most case you can have compressed DDS files that are more memory efficient. But for the average modder you can just use PNG files.

Photoshop 6 should be able to export PNG files no problem, you just need to make sure you have a transparent background. It should not matter if they are interlaced or not.

The normal maps are more complicated then just a bitmap. You want to use a normal map generating program to create them. I design them in grey scale then convert them with a N-Vidia normal map making Photoshop plug-in. you can get here. http://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.html 
Ma
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yes, thanks, then i will switch to dds now, since i have more experience using them

About the Normal maps... I have the plugin, and have generated normal maps to my textures. They just seem not to have any effect at all in the game, so i was wondering if there is something that must be done, when exporting the model to .X to make them work.

Since Lightmaps seem to be used if they are present, i assumed first, the same would be the case with normal maps... Perhaps i was wrong on this...
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

It is posible that your the normal map you are making dose not have much "Texture" to them. Convert the original bitmap to Grayscale and bump up the contrast a bit, then try remailing them. You can look into the Modles folder if you want to see some samples.

Also, Dont use the DDS for the normal. Compressed Normals only work on some cards, and if your card dose not work with it then you will get nothing, or wierdness.