Photoshop DDS plugin. Introduction to work C.DDS format

Lyrics:

All textures for games from Bethesda, and, in particular, Skyrim are presented in format .dds . This format may contain within itself several sizes of the same texture. Any texture size cannot be used, only: 8 , 16 , 32 , 64 , 128 , 256 , 1024 , 2048 etc. All resources are packs in .bsa. Archives with relevant names. Textures are also called cards. Each diffuse card (Color texture) is accompanied by at least normal Map - Normal Map The exception is the textures for effects and their like. About maps of normals is well written on Wiki.. If you speak short, then the map of the normals allow a low-polygonal model to look high polling, adding all sorts of fine inquosity and bulges, and it is still lilac and has a marker _N. (texture name_n.dds) or, now more, _MSN.So, if it is impossible to be mistaken. Is there some more glow Map - Glow Map which determines which areas on the texture will be glow, and which - no, has a marker _G.. And also, exclusively for Skyrim, a new map has been introduced - a gloss mask, has a marker _M.Defines, when used (that is, if it is not added, then the gloss will not be anywhere else on the model), which part of the texture will reflect the environment and to what extent. The engine Oblivion itself finds and loads correctly marked cards, and, here, for Skyrima, you need to make all the cards into the model forcibly, and each in your own, especially for it is the intended slot. Here, in general, that's all.

Tools:

1. Adobe Photoshop.
2. Plugin for photoshop from NVIDIA to work with format.dds and creating normal cards.
3. Some unpackinger.BSA archives. For example [b] BSA BROWSER by Fawzib Rojas. .
4. Important! Straight arms.
5. Sign a little english. Just a little.

Practice:

It is assumed that Photoshop is already installed, and we can communicate more or less to communicate with him.
Put the nvidia plugin , it will add the ability of Photoshop to work with .dds format and item in the menu Filter -\u003e Nvidia Tools -\u003e Normalmapfilter.
To extract the texture from the BSA archive , open the downloaded BSA Browser. I will open in it (Menu -\u003e File -\u003e Open ...) BSA-archive we need (path to the Skyrim \\ Skyrim \\ Data folder \\ Skyrim - Textures.bsa.), I will select the files you need and remove them. This unpackingman offers two extraction options: into an arbitrary folder (menu -\u003e action -\u003e extract to ...) or immediately to the DATA folder (Menu -\u003e Action -\u003e Extract). The hierarchy of folders, in both cases, will be created automatically.
Open the texture in Photoshop. When opening, the plugin will ask the reading settings in such a window:


It is better to mark everything as in the image, except for the last daw, here at your discretion: you want to see this window every time, leave the daw, do not want - clean. Paragraph Load Mip Maps. Responsible for the opening of all or one size of the texture, I recommend turning it off. All sizes do not need to open, they will automatically generate when the texture is saved.
Change texture. I will not deploy this item now, we are interested only for settings.
Now save . Here, a little more complicated the window will pop up:


We will analyze it in more detail:
The top drop-down list contains optimization settings and the presence of an alpha channel and its type. All items are not interested, only 4

DXT1 RGB. - He is chosen for all textures without alpha channel
DXT5 ARGB. - for all textures with alpha channel
8.8.8 RGB. - Saving without compression and alpha channel
8.8.8.8 Argb. - without compression with alpha channel

The last 2 points to operate should not be exploited, for the weight of the texture will be much larger, they are justified for textures with very smooth transitions of color on large areas (for example, a map of normals for individuals, if we save with compression, on facial characters will appear ugly artifacts)

Generate Mip Maps. - with add. dimensions (the most common option)
Use existing MIP Maps - Choose add. Dimensions alone
No Mip Maps. - without add. Sizes

When saving with the generation of add. Sizes can be selected in the drop-down list next to: all (all possible) or specify the desired amount. I always put ALL.

Everything else, if you are not configured to experiments, leave both the image attached above, for our purposes it does not need it in the setup.

It happened! After several years of waiting, NVIDIA has prepared to update his NVIDIA Plug-Ins for Adobe Photoshop and introduced support for versions CS4, CS5 and X64 systems (although it will be correct 64-bit versions of programs). Now lovers and professionals from all over the world can finally stop jumping out of the 64-bit version of photoshop in 32-bit and back to create normal maps.

NVIDIA NORMAL MAP FILTER and DDS Plug-in for 64-bit Photoshop (x64)

NVIDIA plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop includes two main components:
  • Normalmapfilter. - Filter for Photoshop, capable of turning any images to Normal Map (Normal Map). The algorithm works on the principle of Height2Normal, i.e. In the original image, dark areas must correspond to deepening, and light-exaltations. In other words, for correct processing, manual refinement of the original image may be required (if you, of course, concerns the quality of the result). Many setup options are available for the filter, and there is also a possibility of a preview in 3D View mode.

  • DDS Plug-in - Allows you to open and save textures compressed using the DXTC algorithm (format.dds), select the applied compression profile and other DDS format (Direct Draw Surface) is widely used to develop games and is often used to compress game models textures.


On the site NVIDIA Developer Zone you can download nvidia plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop And other useful instrumentsor take advantage of direct links to download the plug-in version 8.5:

NVIDIA PLUG-IN FOR ADOBE Photoshop (32-bit) (8.51.0301.0345)
NVIDIA Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop (64-bit) (8.51.0301.0345)
P.S. Treat care to all manipulations with your textures and always keep the job Before applying one of the filters. Generally saved more often and in different files is a good tone.

The use of special additions - plugins allows you to significantly simplify and speed up the work in photoshop. Some plugins allow you to quickly perform the same type, others add different effects or have other auxiliary functions.

Consider several free useful plugins for Photoshop CS6.

This plugin allows you to quickly get HEX and RGB colors codes. Works in a bundle with the Pipette Tool. When clicking on any color, the plugin places the code into the clipboard, after which the data can be added to the style file or another document.

Size Marks automatically creates a dimensional tag from rectangular selection. In addition, the label is placed on a new translucent background and helps in the designer's work, allowing you to determine the dimensions of the elements without unnecessary manipulations and calculations.

A very useful plugin that makes it possible to search, upload and insert pictures into a document. Everything happens right in the workspace photoshop.

Support for this plugin is discontinued.

DDS

NVIDIA development. DDS plugin for Photoshop CS6 allows you to open and edit the game textures in DDS format.

Another plugin for web designers. It includes many templates and standard grids (Grid). Built-in modules allow you to quickly create repeated page items.

The so-called "Fish Generator". Fish - meaningless text to fill the paragraphs on the created web pages layouts. It is an analogue of online "Fish" generators, but works directly in Photoshop.

Support for this plugin is discontinued.

This is just a drop in the sea plug-ins for photoshop CS6. Each will find for themselves the necessary set of additions, which will increase the convenience and speed in the favorite program.