MicroDDS: New Texture Viewer - Opens all DDS formats, exports TGA - [UPDATED!]

[phazer]

MicroDDS is a very lightweight and fast texture viewer that supports all DDS formats.
(This BUILD is for Windows 8-10, if you are on Windows 7 and need the program, then contact me)

Newest (test) version:
https://www.twcenter.net/forums/down...o=file&id=4520

Use it view textures very quickly, without having to start Photoshop / Gimp, etc.

Download it here:
https://www.twcenter.net/forums/down...o=file&id=4518

It is made using the full definition of the DDS file format which is why it can load all DDS formats in current use.

Screenshot of a loaded 3K _base_colour.dds texture (that you normally need Photoshop or Gimp to view)


And a screenshot of the program doing batch converting from DDS to TGA

[Araval]

Works well and fast for opening indeed! I'd like to see the option to convert .tga to .dds and to view the alpha channel too.
After that compatibility with Medieval 2 .texture would be sweet. Because DXTBmp which I've been using for viewing textures isn't good for converting due to compression artifacts and quality degradation.

[phazer]

So it works like it is supposed to? No issues?
I don't know about that older format you talk about, is there any documentation about the format?

I can make TGA to DDS, but I thought that was better done in a graphics program like Photoshop/Gimp.
There are many options when making a DDS file, so I will have to make an export dialog window.
I can do that, if anyone thinks it is useful?

The next version has alpha channel made visible + there is a checker board background.
With the menu you can see, you can turn RGBA channels on/off, make current picture gray scale etc.
You can then copy the current image and paste it in Photoshop/Gimp/Paint, etc.

[Araval]

Now that I compare, it displays for me at least files lighter:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Didn't notice before because I viewed winter textures.

I don't know about format documentation. There's a couple tools that can convert but it would be convenient to convert with the tool you view. DXTBmp would be a good tool if it weren't for the quality loss (and slowness). Feel free to ignore this rant.

Anyways, I think you're right, probably the conversion back to dds wouldn't be used much.

Another idea, DXTBmp has a browser mode which allows to look many files in one folder quicker where you can navigate with up and down arrows or make a click on the file name.


EDIT: found one issue, the window omits a few pixels from the right.

[phazer]

Hi, yeah I can see that in that case the textures are lighter, but it is because I support sRGB (Colors the look the same on all monitors), and when one loads a sRGB textures without sRGB it will be very dark.
I think that sRGB is being FORCED on a texture that is NOT sRGB in your case. I can fix that.

I will check those things, it is a very early release, I will try to fix them for next release.

Does it load faster than DTXBmp?

phazer

[phazer]

Can I please borrow that particular texture? Can you send on discord (phazer#5430) or something? I need it to calibrate the code

phazer

[Araval]

Yes, it loads faster than DXTBmp.
Attached the texture, it's from Taro_M's OSP. (I converted it with DXTBmp because I was too lazy to open another tool.)

[phazer]

Hi, thank you for the texture, you said you had converted it with DTXBmp, so is this the same texture that appears lighter/brighter in your version of MicroDDS.
Because this is how the texture looks in my version of MicroDDS, it has the same darkness at your left picture (the correct one). Could you try and load this exact texture in your version of MicroDDS. So I can see if the issue is fixed? (the two pictures are the same, on attached and one from imgur (bad quality))

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Araval]

It's the same file that I compared on my image. Now I tried the tool on a few originally .dds textures from another game and they were lighter too.

[phazer]

Ok, but in the pictures of my newer version of, MicroDDS you can see that the image is not brighter anymore, right? So it looks like the problems is fixed in this newer version?

I would like to send you the new version so you can check if they also have the right brightness on your system?

[Araval]

Sure, feel free to do that.

[phazer]

Attachment 360961

The texture you send did load too bright in the earlier version of MicroSSD (the sRGB thing)
This newer version should display them correctly.
Do you mind testing that and maybe post an image where DXTBmp and MicroDDS (with the file loaded) are next to each other, like in your first image post?

This is a developer version, it can do a few more thing, I can tell you about it after the testing. (it has alpha blending for one, and try and right-click on the image)
I am right now adding some of the things that DXTBmp has, simple things like normal window scaling/resizing etc.

If there are other things you think the tool should have, please let me know

phazer

[Araval]

Now the colours seem a bit off:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

And here's a normal map display (alpha map disabled):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[phazer]

Yes, the colors are slightly different,
I can see that there is less blue in my image output. I will look into that.....

As for the normal maps.
I have not written code specific for normal maps, the program just displays whatever pixels are in there. I can change that.

DTXBmp is displaying a 3ds Max style blue normal map, whereas CA Total War normal maps are the orange type.

Can you send me this particular normal map, I would like to look at it, so I can check what is happening.

Thanks a lot for all your help

phazer

[phazer]

I have fixed the color now, there was an error in my display code, so the blue component was missing:
Are the colors not 100% correct now? (don't mind that image is cut, it is because I am adding sizing and scrolling)

[Araval]

The colours on your shot look the same as on mine.

Here's the normal:

[phazer]

Thanks for helping me fix these things. This of course makes the program a lot better.
It actually did display normal maps fine, I actually do know yet why it looks like that. But I will fix it + add new stuff at the next release, which is coming soon.

If you can think of features that the program should, please let me know. I have added alpha channels visibility.

[Araval]

You're welcome!

Well, I've already said what I've had in mind, so good luck!

[cocobongoclub-DJ]

Hello Phazer
That's excellent, you saved me ! I will be able to complete catw08 as it should be. I was stuck years due to buggy converters.
As a note, i'm working with the early TGA DDS formats (RTW I) and i have bright pics and sometimes inverted ones, but there are easy workarounds.
I'm using https://www.aconvert.com/image/tga-to-dds/ and it seems to work (for now).
Excellent work !

[phazer]

Hello Phazer
That's excellent, you saved me ! I will be able to complete catw08 as it should be. I was stuck years due to buggy converters.
As a note, i'm working with the early TGA DDS formats (RTW I) and i have bright pics and sometimes inverted ones, but there are easy workarounds.
I'm using https://www.aconvert.com/image/tga-to-dds/ and it seems to work (for now).
Excellent work !

See if this version should not be better with the colors, I have just updated it:
https://www.twcenter.net/forums/down...o=file&id=4520