Does Gmax export convert PSD to DDS?

[bdf369]

I worked through the simple object in Gmax video tutorial and was able to make the model, texture it using the PSD file and export to FSX. The only problem I saw was that the Gmax export step did not generate the DDS texture file from the PSD. I assumed it would run imagetool to generate this file. I don't see any errors during the export step.

Instead I used Photoshop and the Nvidia plugin to export to DDS and that worked well, but from the video I got the impression the Gmax exporter is supposed to generate the texture file. Maybe I have something in the Gmax FSX gamepack configured incorrectly? I looked at the .ini files and I don't see anything that points the gamepack over to the SDK so that it can find imagetool.

Thanks,
Barry

 

[arno]

Hi,

No, the gamepack will never convert textures. You'll have to do that yourself.

 

[jdberg]

I worked through the simple object in Gmax video tutorial and was able to make the model, texture it using the PSD file and export to FSX. The only problem I saw was that the Gmax export step did not generate the DDS texture file from the PSD. I assumed it would run imagetool to generate this file. I don't see any errors during the export step.

Instead I used Photoshop and the Nvidia plugin to export to DDS and that worked well, but from the video I got the impression the Gmax exporter is supposed to generate the texture file. Maybe I have something in the Gmax FSX gamepack configured incorrectly? I looked at the .ini files and I don't see anything that points the gamepack over to the SDK so that it can find imagetool.

Thanks,
Barry

I work with PSD for picture editing and for Gmax as texture files. After exporting the objects I simply start a small script, that let imagetool convert and copy the texture to the correct folder. This is just one click.
The PSD-files are located in a subfolder of the scenery e.g. texture.orignal
The script looks like (change parameters if you need to):
imagetool.exe -dxt1 -dds -nomip -nogui *.psd
move *.dds ../texture

Jörg

 

[bdf369]

Hi,
No, the gamepack will never convert textures. You'll have to do that yourself.

Hi Arno, thanks for the clarification, and also for the excellent introduction to Gmax.

I work with PSD for picture editing and for Gmax as texture files. After exporting the objects I simply start a small script, that let imagetool convert and copy the texture to the correct folder. This is just one click.
The PSD-files are located in a subfolder of the scenery e.g. texture.orignal
The script looks like (change parameters if you need to):
imagetool.exe -dxt1 -dds -nomip -nogui *.psd
move *.dds ../texture
Jörg

Thanks Jörg, it's good to know about these automation tricks.

 

[JRobinson]

I work with PSD for picture editing and for Gmax as texture files. After exporting the objects I simply start a small script, that let imagetool convert and copy the texture to the correct folder. This is just one click.
The PSD-files are located in a subfolder of the scenery e.g. texture.orignal
The script looks like (change parameters if you need to):
imagetool.exe -dxt1 -dds -nomip -nogui *.psd
move *.dds ../texture

Jörg

I do exactly the same thing, I couldn't live without my batch files. I can hide my own easter eggs so the automation keeps me from dumb-thumbing things into the wrong folder as well as just generally making life easier. I've been using a separate batch file for each texture sheet currently, the batch file copies the .dds to both the FSX and P3D2 texture folders and also puts a copy in a texture subfolder of my models folder specifically for MCX's use. I do a similar thing using a batch file when I compile all my models into libraries. It wasn't too bad doing everything manually before P3D2 came along but now I'm building for both sims at once so the compiling chores double - but it's easy when all you have to do is double click a batch file.