Paint Shop Pro and dds files

[Maquiladora]

Has anyone managed to get dds format working with PSP8, or any Paint shop pro?

Ive downloaded at least 3 different sized dds plugins that havent worked. I already have the required dll.

If youve got it working can you post your plugin?

Or on the off chance does the game support any other format for team flags?

[isak]

If you're getting 'blank images' when opening the DDS files with PSP, that's just because the actual images are contained in the alpha layers.

But in any case, i'd recommend getting DXTBmp. You'll still need to have the PSP plugin installed, but once you have that, you can use DXTBmp to open the DDS files, and then choose to edit either the image, or the alpha layer (or both) in PSP, and then transfer back to DXTBmp, which then makes sure it's saved in the right format (something that I've had little luck getting PSP to do, though that might be a 'user error').

I used DXTBmp to create the Flag DDS files (from images supplied by Rhye) for the Desert War mod, so I can assure that it works, and it's also free.

[ChaotikVisions]

If you're just needing to convert files to dds, I found a small opensource program that does it just fine. http://www.amnoid.de/ddsview/download.html It views dds/bmp/jpg/etc.. and converts back and forth.

[Maquiladora]

Thanks both.

My problem with PSP is getting an "error in plugin" popup when i try to "save as" dds or even open a dds.

Chaotik that program seems to be doing the trick

[vovan]

There is also a tool that comes with the DirectX SDK, called DirectX Texture Tool. It's made specifically to create .dds files and contains a bunch of useful options, and stuff. Check out the attached archive for the tool itself.

Usage documentation can be found here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/DirectX_Texture_Editor.asp

[Unspeakable Horror]

There are a few tools to deal with dds files on nvidia developer´s site too

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

[Maquiladora]

Unfortunately ive tried those already with PSP.

I dont think you can edit/save the alpha channel with Chaotiks tool, which is pretty much what he said anyway. Im looking for my copy of Photoshop (i think 7) somewhere as a last resort.

To save with the alpha channel ive been trying isak's suggestion but i never get it to show up right in game, it always shows just white.

Heres what ive tried so far with it:

open known working team flag in dxtbmp
export to edit the flag (not alpha chann.) in PSP
edit my new flag on it > save as norm.bmp
refresh in dxtbmp to show my flag > save as DDS DXT5 (?)

DXT5 seems to be what the working ones are in, but i have no idea, as you might have gathered.

[Saldrin]

Only thing I've done so far is flags, and saving as DDS DXT3 128x128 works fine.

There is a flag property in assets/xml/art civ4art_Defines.xml I had to change the flag value:

 {WhiteFlag}1{WhiteFlag}

Then I placed my flag graphic in the custom assets folder and made sure the above xml file pointed to it. Not pointed to custom assets, to the original location ( basically just change the file name).

[Maquiladora]

Well i finally got it working.

I ended up using dxtbmp saving as DXT3 and a black alpha channel which i noticed some of the other flags had, but the one i had been looking at (betsyross from amrev scenario) had a white alpha channel. Anyway the point is it now works.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by Saldrin
Only thing I've done so far is flags, and saving as DDS DXT3 128x128 works fine.

There is a flag property in assets/xml/art civ4art_Defines.xml I had to change the flag value:

 {WhiteFlag}1{WhiteFlag}

Then I placed my flag graphic in the custom assets folder and made sure the above xml file pointed to it. Not pointed to custom assets, to the original location ( basically just change the file name).

I just checked yeah i had that whiteflag=1 set in my world builder save for the civs flag i was changing.