Working with DDS textures

zork · 02/27/14, 08:15 AM

ESO works with DDS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectDraw_Surface) textures. To work with them you will need an image viewer and an image editor.

Irfanview has you covered on the viewer side. Just install Irfanview and after that install the Irfanview plugin.

Irfanview:
http://www.irfanview.com/

Irfanview Plugin:
http://www.irfanview.com/plugins.htm

To work with DDS textures you need DDS plugin for your image editor. Hopefully that is Photoshop. You can grab that plugin right from nVidia.

DDS plugin for Photoshop:
https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-...dobe-photoshop

DDS plugin for GIMP:
http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/

Texture size
Like in WoW your textures need to match a size multiplier of 8. Thus: 16,32,64,128,256,512,1024. Means a valid texture size is 32x32 and so on.

Two layers are important. The image layer and the alpha layer. The alpha layer decribes the opacity that is applied to the image layer later on. White color on the alpha layer means 100% opacity. Black is 0% opacity thus transparent.

Image layer

Alpha layer

Result

Saving as DDS
When saving a DDS file choose DXT5 ARGB.

AddOn Texture Integration
Assuming you have an addon that should use the texture and you have a media folder in that addon.

lua Code:

local t = WINDOW_MANAGER:CreateControl("UniqueTextureName", control, CT_TEXTURE)
t:SetTexture("MyAddonName/media/myTexture.dds")
t:SetDimensions(64,64)
t:SetAnchor(CENTER,control,CENTER,0,0)

**Seerah** · 02/27/14, 04:35 PM

If I recall correctly, Paint.NET supports .dds

zork · 03/04/14, 02:54 AM

If you plan on re-using some of your old textures that are saved in the TGA format you can do so. Converting a TGA into a DDS is as simple as saving the file. Both formats use the same image and alpha layer.

freshfish · 04/17/14, 09:30 AM

Fantastic, this is exactly what i was lookin for and i will now have graphics on my Addon

gamegenius86 · 04/17/14, 09:48 AM

Great Post!

Something i have been wondering but never had the chance to look it up is whether or not you can tile a texture.

Mandrakia · 04/17/14, 10:55 PM

Just to avoid anyone getting stuck on this like me.

The game has an internal cache of textures(filepath/name) it failed to load and reload ui doesn't clear that cache.

Took 2 me hours to figure it out when i decided to change the filename of my texture and finally it appeared in game.

klaro00 · 05/01/14, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Seerah

If I recall correctly, Paint.NET supports .dds

Yep, I can confirm that Paint.NET is capable of handling DDS files. I found out that image sizes should have a width and height which are a power of two (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, ...), not only a multiple of 8. This constraint should only be nessacary if you save DDS files with a "mipmap" included, but it seems that even if I uncheck the mipmap option the images would not show unless the sizes are a power of two (don't know if this is only for ESO).

In Paint.NET, I use these settings when saving a DDS file (sorry, I just have the german option labels): "DXT5", Kompressortyp: "Range-Anpassung", Fehlermetrik: "Einheitlich", Keine MipMaps generieren.

HTH,
Klaro

Stormknight · 05/01/14, 11:23 AM

GIMP has a DDS plugin also that I've used successfully.

It also has batch convert, so I was able to convert all of the DDS texture files to PNG files, so I can browse them on my HDD, which is VERY convenient!

I know this list is a bit out-of-date (as in it's from beta) but figured it may be useful for people as a starter:

http://wiki.esoui.com/Texture_List

**Seerah** · 05/01/14, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by klaro00

I found out that image sizes should have a width and height which are a power of two (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, ...), not only a multiple of 8.

I didn't even notice that error in Zork's post. Yes, WoW also requires a power of 2.

Garkin · 05/02/14, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by klaro00

Yep, I can confirm that Paint.NET is capable of handling DDS files. I found out that image sizes should have a width and height which are a power of two (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, ...), not only a multiple of 8. This constraint should only be nessacary if you save DDS files with a "mipmap" included, but it seems that even if I uncheck the mipmap option the images would not show unless the sizes are a power of two (don't know if this is only for ESO).

In Paint.NET, I use these settings when saving a DDS file (sorry, I just have the german option labels): "DXT5", Kompressortyp: "Range-Anpassung", Fehlermetrik: "Einheitlich", Keine MipMaps generieren.

HTH,
Klaro

This is what I use in Paint.NET:

Fathis Ules · 05/02/14, 01:03 PM

yup made all in Paint.NET same setup as Garkin, does the job very well

mra4nii · 05/02/14, 03:38 PM

DXT5 works well in Paint.NET too. And AFAIK size of DDS you get in result is much smaller.

static · 05/22/14, 08:44 AM

I have an AMD/Raedeon setup. Will these instructions work on my system?

Halja · 05/22/14, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by static

I have an AMD/Raedeon setup. Will these instructions work on my system?

Yes if you have the one of the drawing applications listed above with the DDS plug-in. DirectDraw Surface DDS textures were developed/released* as a partnership between nVidia and Microsoft for DirectX graphics library originally. Raedeon cards are not excluded. All the game textures in ESO game your machine is running are DDS format.
-Halja

**Seerah** · 07/20/14, 01:34 PM

According to your above posted image, its dimensions are 1026x514. Dimensions must be a power of 2. (so... 1024x512)

farangkao · 07/22/14, 04:07 AM

I'm using XNView to view the DDS Files.

No special Plugin necessary.

If you wanna browse the DDS Files included in the GAME0000.dat file, send me a priv. message.

SnowmanDK · 07/23/14, 06:24 PM

Hi all

I have a PNG file I would like to convert to DDS for use as pin in ESO.
I use GIMP and I have the DDS plugin installed.
I have tried all kinds of export settings, but I guess I am doing something wrong.
It seems like ESO is loading it but can't show it.
The file is 64x64 pixels with transparency.

Anyone who can give me a guide with exact settings that works for ESO map pins?

GreyWolfe · 03/24/18, 05:42 PM

Thank for the response, I have that tool but the problem Im having is the compressed files in the game are blue and cant see the detail. I just need to open to a bit or a uncompressed DDS so I can paint. The default or stock plane skins are locked. What I really need is a P-39 skin with no markings, OD and grey or blue under paint.

Thanks GreyWolfe

ArtOfShred · 03/30/18, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by GreyWolfe

Thank for the response, I have that tool but the problem Im having is the compressed files in the game are blue and cant see the detail. I just need to open to a bit or a uncompressed DDS so I can paint. The default or stock plane skins are locked. What I really need is a P-39 skin with no markings, OD and grey or blue under paint.

Thanks GreyWolfe

Just in case you don't have a working plugin for Paint Shop Pro this is the plugin I use for editing DDS images directly. I use a really old version of PSP most of the time (PSP7) and this was the only thing I found compatible with it (add to plugins folder). No idea where the original download for this is anymore. http://puu.sh/zSY9D.rar

You might wanna check for Alpha Channel masks in your image if it's just showing up as a plain blue image, all the detail may be in a transparency mask.

rhemik · 07/31/19, 03:31 AM

Hello,

It's possible to convert all kind of files to dds format that is readable by ESO using ImagickLibrary for example in PHP:

Code:

        $im = new Imagick(); 
	$im->readImage( "sourceFileName.jpg");
	$im->setImageFormat('dds');


	$im->setCompression(imagick::COMPRESSION_DXT5);

	$im->setOption('dds:cluster-fit','false');
	$im->setOption('dds:compression','dxt5');

	$im->setOption('dds:weight-by-alpha','false');
	$name = 'outfilename.dds';
	file_put_contents ($name, $im);