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linbuckfan

linbuckfan

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Hi all, I have been processing all my PBR maps thru MCX but when i look at the model in P3Dv4 every mat'l has the full refection on it, even surfaces that are supposed to like matte surfaces. its like every PBR mat'l has a glass coating on it, What am i doing wrong?
 
Hello...

If I remember correctly, converting through MCX - it may not know what the proper format is (depending on if an alpha channel is present or not),... and what I have come across is that ImageTool for version v4.4 is unable to read the default F-16 base aircraft (dds files) of the PBR materials. I'm not sure what the correct DXT format to use for them. The "DirectX Texture Tool" shows it being to be "Four CC 8-bit: DXT5". So I am wondering if this could hamper in any adjustments within MCX (such as, Smoothness, Metallic, etc), if the wrong format is used. So, going through MCX may not be the way to go in this case (or ImageTool, for that matter). It would require going through Photoshop (NVIDIA Texture Tools) or GIMP (GIMP-DDS Plug-in) with the correct plugin installed .
 
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so, if i load the model wth the textures already converted to dxt then slot them then and convert the model it will be different?
 
That's nothing new I've found before that imagetool can't open DDS files created by the Nvidia exporter in Photoshop, even if the compression format is one imagetool should be able to open.
 
DaveWG said:
That's nothing new I've found before that imagetool can't open DDS files created by the Nvidia exporter in Photoshop, even if the compression format is one imagetool should be able to open.
Click to expand...

That's interesting, I have never ran across dds files, created by NVIDIA Texture Tools (or GIMP's GIMP-DDS Plug-in) that wasn't read by ImageTool (except for EnvMaps). Do you have examples of this on hand?
 
It appears to be the same DDS format as the Metallic Map (P3D v4.4) which I have located in the "NVIDIA Texture Tools" as "DXT5 ARGB 8 bpp - interpolated. At this time I haven't found the equivalent within the GIMP-DDS Plug-in (I think it's missing within it).

The error you are getting is the exact same error for the Metallic Maps for the F-16 Base Textures. Can you verify that the format you used is "DXT5 ARGB 8 bpp - interpolated" for your texture?
 
I'm pretty sure that's the only option for dxt5 in the list, but I'll double-check when I'm back on the pc. I did also try dxt3 with the same error in imagetool.
 
It's not, but it would appear (generally speaking) it's the one most used... I use "DirectX Texture Tool (64-bit)" most often now and is part of the "DirectX Software Development Kit". Probably the reason I never came across this particular error - until recently. The reason in looking at ImageTool was the fact that I noticed it had increased in size from previous versions. I was thinking they had improved on, such as creating PBR textures (like for bump maps conversions), but found out they haven't.

Just want to point out,... DirectX Software and GIMP plugin for DDS... doesn't have any side effects that ImageTool has in reading or creating DXT5 formatted textures... not sure if Imagetool has any effect in the actual creating though (I don't have enough time in "search and compare" in HEX codes ;).)
 
You're right, there is a "DXT5_NM XY 8bpp - using DXT5". Just experimented a bit more, & seems the original "DXT5 ARGB 8bbp" can be opened in imagetool if it's saved with mipmaps.
 
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