Battlezone Universe

Battlezone Universe => Maps and Modding => Battlezone 2 => Modding Tools => Topic started by: GSH on February 02, 2007, 10:40:29 AM

Title: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on February 02, 2007, 10:40:29 AM
There's a new version of the BZ2 DXT Texture Generator available for download at http://www.visi.com/~nathan/bz2/BZ2DXTGen_v26.7z (http://www.visi.com/~nathan/bz2/BZ2DXTGen_v26.7z) . This is for modders only. The file is compressed by http://www.7-zip.org/ (http://www.7-zip.org/), a free compression/decompression app. You'll need that (or one of several other unpackers) to decompress it.

Update: posted a version # 7 of this. It's a slightly smaller download with newer nVidia compression libs, and uses DLLs more efficiently. To run this, you must install 'vcredist_x86.exe', which can be downloaded and run (once) before you can run this exe. That exe is also available from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=200b2fd9-ae1a-4a14-984d-389c36f85647&displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=200b2fd9-ae1a-4a14-984d-389c36f85647&displaylang=en) . 1.3pb4 will requite that same vcredist_x86.exe installed, so you might as well get a jump on it.

Update: posted a version 11 of this tool. Now has a relatively fancy UI on it that ought to be fairly self-explanatory.

Update: posted a version 12 of ths tool. Updated several 3rd party DLLs. Also made pre-scaling preserve more quality.

Update: posted a version 13 of this tool. Added a manifest file telling Windows Vista what security level it should run at. Also tweaked readme slightly.

Update: posted a version 14 of this tool - upgraded libpng to v1.2.29 (security update).

Update: posted a version 22 of dxtgen, released at the same time as 1.3ta5. v22 (and intermediate versions) have newer helper libraries, and has better support for upscaling 640x480 shell & loadscreen backdrops. This version also requires the Visual Studio 2008SP1 vcredist.exe, included as part of the 1.3ta5 download, or independently from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A5C84275-3B97-4AB7-A40D-3802B2AF5FC2&displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A5C84275-3B97-4AB7-A40D-3802B2AF5FC2&displaylang=en) .

Update: posted a version 23 of dxtgen. Has fixes for black areas of textures appearing transparent, especially when upscaled. Also has lots of options for tweaking textures, including at the per-mip level. See the BZ2DXTOptions.cfg in it for more info.

Update: posted a version 25 of dxtgen. Has fixes for bugs in the new options, Win XP/Vista theming support, and also better crash logs (same as BZ2).

Update: posted a version 26 of dxtgen. Upgraded various DLLs used by dxtgen; no changes to the app.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: mrtwosheds on February 02, 2007, 12:07:33 PM
It has a UI ?  :-D

Thanks.
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on February 02, 2007, 12:46:11 PM
A commandline IS the only UI you need. :)

At work, we've got tools that do sort of the same thing, scanning over files and 'munging' them to a format used by the game. These days, our games don't read 'raw' files (tga, xsi, odf, etc) at all-- they only read the munged formats.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Avatar on February 02, 2007, 02:36:42 PM
Hmmm:

Top Web Results for "munged"
No results found for munged.
Did you mean mun ged (in dictionary) or Mengde (in encyclopedia)?


:-D

-Av-
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: mrtwosheds on February 02, 2007, 02:52:19 PM
Its highly advanced technical terminology.... :-o Thats it! "The Munger!"
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on February 02, 2007, 03:27:12 PM
Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munge or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mung . It's a one-way translation of data into a format less usable by humans, but more suitable for the game engine or hardware. .xsi -> .msh is a version of munging.

DXT textures are a format that the graphics cards use directly. Plus, doing the work of generating mipmaps is done once at conversion time, rather than every time a level loads. In effect, like .xsi -> .msh, but done offline. If BZ2 was released today, I'd make the xsi -> msh conversion a separate tool as well, and the core engine would only read in .msh, .dxtbz2, and binary-crunched ODFs.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Commando on May 14, 2007, 01:27:35 PM
Bumping.  If I could, I would sticky this topic since this program could be very useful for 1.3 mods.
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Lizard on May 14, 2007, 01:35:06 PM
Quote from: Commando on May 14, 2007, 01:27:35 PM
Bumping.  If I could, I would sticky this topic since this program could be very useful for 1.3 mods.


stickied
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on July 14, 2007, 02:38:56 PM
Slight update: odds are, the currently posted version will misbehave if you feed it a 2048x2048 targa file written by Photoshop or anything else that puts the origin in the bottom left.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on August 19, 2007, 12:06:34 AM
Posted a v7 (see link in the first post) that fixes the 2048x2048 texture problem.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: mrtwosheds on August 20, 2007, 05:13:50 PM
I tried to run the new version.(in a command prompt window)
The system cannot execute the specified program.
Is its response.
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on August 20, 2007, 05:25:28 PM
Did you install the vcredist_x86.exe package?

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: mrtwosheds on August 20, 2007, 06:06:08 PM
No.
where do I get it?
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on August 20, 2007, 06:15:09 PM
Re-read the first post of this thread. Second paragraph has a link.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: mrtwosheds on August 20, 2007, 06:30:44 PM
Doh! :lol:
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on November 21, 2007, 10:39:53 PM
Update: posted a v11. There's a UI for mouse weenies. It still supports the commandline as well for those of us who believe that if we were meant to use a mouse, God would have given us a third hand. :P

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: BNG Da BZ Fool on February 20, 2008, 06:26:03 PM
I installed the dxt generator and apparently converted a ton graphic files to dxtbz2. Is there a file viewer available to see the files that were created? Looks pretty easy to use as well. 
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Red Devil on February 20, 2008, 08:47:45 PM
1.3?
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: mrtwosheds on February 21, 2008, 01:23:06 PM
QuoteIs there a file viewer available to see the files that were created?
other than 1.3, no.
I make models and skin in lithunwrap, a .bmp is used to view here, I don't bother veiwing textures in threed (its crap at 512)
they come out looking fine in 1.3
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: OvermindDL1 on February 21, 2008, 01:26:49 PM
BZ2's DXT is a normal DXT file but with a changed header for more information storage basically.  It would be simple to make a viewer or plugin for many things...

(http://www.overminddl1.com/image_scripts/image_sig.php?type=ODL1signitures&image/sig.gif)
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on March 25, 2008, 11:53:08 PM
Update: posted a v12 then v13 - updated a bunch of 3rd party libs, made pre-scaling preserve more quality. Also added a vista security manifest (harmless on pre-Vista machines), and tweaked the readme slightly.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: TheJamsh on April 17, 2008, 04:05:55 PM
okay question... DXT textures override any other textures you have in the folder with it right... so i can just

use this with my textures (which saing that are just the white ones :D) and stick them into my pak file and itll cut down on...

what exactly?
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on April 17, 2008, 04:57:25 PM
.dxtbz2 files will override any .pic/.tga/.bmp/.whatever file if their timestamp on disk is newer than the .pic/.tga/.bmp/.whatever file. Think of them like .msh vs .xsi. .dxtbz2 files are also a (1) a lot smaller than most of the source files, (2) load a LOT faster (once again like msh), (3) make it harder for end users to modify (thought not quite as hard as .msh) and (4) have precomputed mipmaps for better quality ingame.

Once you've converted your source textures into .dxtbz2, you can ship only .dxtbz2 files with your mod. The size and no-edit features are great for that.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: TheJamsh on April 18, 2008, 05:34:08 AM
sweet... ill do that then

can someone tell me how to use the tool?
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Red Devil on April 18, 2008, 09:36:46 AM
It's in the Readme.txt that comes with it.
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: TheJamsh on April 18, 2008, 04:54:28 PM
ah okay ive got it... i understand now

apparently though any textures in .PAK files have to be exported into a folder first then imported back when they are converted
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on June 03, 2008, 03:45:35 PM
Update: posted a v14 of this app - libpng had a security update.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Dataanti on June 20, 2008, 09:03:06 AM
i had a problem with it

i tried to convert some bmp but it said this


QuoteFri Jun 20 10:41:53 Begin processing
  1/  3 Cliff.BMP Skip: not power-2-size (1536 x 1152)
  2/  3 Ice.BMP Skip: not power-2-size (1536 x 1152)
  3/  3 Snow.BMP Skip: not power-2-size (1536 x 1152)
Fri Jun 20 10:41:53 Finished processing

Files with errors in processing

Cliff.BMP
Ice.BMP
Snow.BMP

Is there anyway i can fix this?
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Red Devil on June 20, 2008, 09:17:27 AM
Make their sizes powers of 2.

2^^n
====

0
1
2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256
512
1024
2048
4096
8192
.
.
.
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Dataanti on June 20, 2008, 09:27:01 AM
yay! ty its working  :-)
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: Commando on December 21, 2008, 06:26:01 PM
My two complaints regarding the current version.

1.  BZ2_DXT_Generator.exe does not automatically create the input directories when the user clicks the Start button.  Having these input directories created automatically would be helpful.

2.  The BZ2 folder, the input folder C:\src\BZ2\blah seems to be case sensitive.  The following was not detected by the .exe.

C:\src\bz2\data

but the following was

C:\src\BZ2\data
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on May 19, 2009, 10:05:11 PM
Update: posted a version 22 of dxtgen, released at the same time as 1.3ta5. v22 (and intermediate versions) have newer helper libraries, and has better support for upscaling 640x480 shell & loadscreen backdrops. This version also requires the Visual Studio 2008SP1 vcredist.exe, included as part of the 1.3ta5 download, or independently from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A5C84275-3B97-4AB7-A40D-3802B2AF5FC2&displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A5C84275-3B97-4AB7-A40D-3802B2AF5FC2&displaylang=en) .

Update: posted a version 23 of dxtgen. Has fixes for black areas of textures appearing transparent, especially when upscaled. Also has lots of options for tweaking textures, including at the per-mip level. See the BZ2DXTOptions.cfg in it for more info.

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on May 28, 2009, 11:56:41 AM
Update: posted a version 25 of dxtgen. Has fixes for bugs in the new options, Win XP/Vista theming support, and also better crash logs (same as BZ2).

-- GSH
Title: Re: BZ2 DXT Texture Generator updated
Post by: GSH on August 01, 2009, 11:27:52 PM
Update: posted a version 26 of dxtgen. Upgraded various DLLs used by dxtgen; no changes to the app.

-- GSH