OrbWeaver on 8/5/2005 at 17:42
Quote Posted by bukary
DTX1 is avaible in my dropdown list, but it is inactive. I cannot choose this format. What's wrong? :confused:
If you open a DDS file, you must manually flatten the image (i.e. get rid of the mipmap layers) before saving, otherwise DXT1 is grayed out. However as I mentioned in my post in your other thread, the DDS export plugin appears to generate blank mipmaps which makes the texture useless anyway.
Quote:
I use 3ds max to create material libraries (and that allows me to have normal maps in the editor). I guess you would have to replace some existing textures with custom ones in order to have normal maps without 3ds max...
I though this might be the case, hence my suggestion that somebody with 3DS max creates a generic custom matlib that people can download and then drop in replacement texture files as required. I don't know how much work this would involve though.
ascottk on 8/5/2005 at 18:40
I've been modifying John P's textures for Garrett with the GIMP & the mipmaps seem fine to me. I always do a "Save As . . .", export when I get the "DDS can't handle errors" dialog, DXT3 compression & generate mipmaps. Each mipmap shows as a seperate layer & they get smaller with each layer. Is that how mipmaps are supposed to be?
OrbWeaver on 8/5/2005 at 18:54
Quote Posted by ascottk
Each mipmap shows as a seperate layer & they get smaller with each layer. Is that how mipmaps are supposed to be?
Does each mipmap contain a scaled-down version of the whole image? This is what they should contain, but mine are all black or empty.
ascottk on 8/5/2005 at 19:03
I just created a new image, used DXT1, generate mipmaps (I had to reopen the file in order to see the mipmaps) and the mipmaps were generated.
OrbWeaver on 8/5/2005 at 19:10
Quote Posted by ascottk
I just created a new image, used DXT1, generate mipmaps (I had to reopen the file in order to see the mipmaps) and the mipmaps were generated.
Must be something to do with the setup then. What version of GIMP are you using? I think mine is 2.2 - maybe the plugin needs to be recompiled for a later version (I just grabbed the Win32 binaries from the site).
ascottk on 8/5/2005 at 19:27
I have 2.2.6 plus the JPEG plug-in update (I don't know if that'll effect anything or not) and the GTK+ 2.6.7. The dds plugin is 0.4 & the normalmap plugin is 1.0.1.
bukary on 9/5/2005 at 10:57
It's a nice tutorial, but useful only for those who take their own pictures. Unfortunately, we (map makers) usually take advantage of ready pictures downloaded from internet.
bukary on 9/5/2005 at 12:53
I've just tried to create normal map for the same texture with Nvidia filter, ATI Normal Map Generator and GIMP filter (with the same settings as Nvidia filter).
Nvidia filter makes normal maps too "grainy"...
GIMP filter is definitely the best. Or perhaps I should say: GIMP normal map looks best in TDS. It's not perfect, but it's OK. If only GIMP wasn't so buggy in Win XP...
Here are some textures I made with the use of GIMP filter:
(
http://img237.echo.cx/my.php?image=pierwszetekstury6jj.jpg)
Inline Image:
http://img237.echo.cx/img237/4876/pierwszetekstury6jj.th.jpgZiemanskye on 9/5/2005 at 13:47
Quick reply to MartyArts - that's a simple and kinda brilliant in a geeky way.
I remember seeing the same idea applied in 3d modelling packages which don't have normal map support in them - a Blue 128 light placed above the surface, red to the left and right, green above and below, then take a screenshot of it. I can't find the link for the exact properties of the set up, but it's the kind of 'play with it till it works' bodging that works anyway.
