Difference between revisions of "DDS Files"

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imported>Deathless Aphrodite
imported>Deathless Aphrodite
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[[Category:Meshes_and_Textures]]
[[Category:Meshes_and_Textures]]
[[Category:Glossary]]
[[Category:Glossary]]
I think it important to know that Normal Maps don't necessarily need to be saved as DXT3, you can save a normal map as DXT1 if you don't need the alpha channel.
This will give you a smaller file, with no gloss effect whatsoever though.

Revision as of 12:29, 21 March 2007

DDS
The Microsoft DirectDraw Surface (.dds) file format.

Oblivion employs the DDS format for textures. The Microsoft DirectDraw Surface (.dds) file format stores textures and cubic environment maps, with or without mipmaps. It was introduced with DirectX 7.0.

Although the format is not natively supported by most graphic editing applications, there are a number of Tools designed to handle the format.


DDS Settings used by Oblivion

Usage Save Format Mip Maps Image Type Use of Alpha Channel
Textures without Transparency

(Most Models and all Landscape)

DXT1

RGB

Yes Color map -
Textures with optional Transparency

(Needs to be activated in NIF-File)

DXT3

ARGB

Yes Color map Transparency

(Black = Invisible, White = Solid)

Normal Maps

(*_n.dds)

DXT3

ARGB

Yes Tangent Space Gloss

(Black = Plastic, White = Mirror)

Glow Maps

(*_g.dds)

DXT1

RGB

Yes Color map -
Icons

(And other GUI elements)

DXT3

ARGB

No Color map Transparency in GUI

(e.g. Weapon Icons)

BookArt DXT3

ARGB

No Color map Transparency on Page

(Show Book's Background Texture)

Loading Screens DXT5

RGB

No Color map -

See Also

DDS Tools