[Shay 5]

I'm wondering is ORTS will support different File formats such 3D and texture files? If BMP textures could be used instead of the ACE format, it would make things a whole lot easier. I'm not sure if it's possible, but could different 3D file formats be used too? For example The same sim could run Both S. format and the Trainz Im. format. Maybe even support 3DS format too. Just some ideas that, If possible, could make modelling a whole lot less tedious and clunky.

[gpz]

DDS texture format is already supported.

[Shay 5]

H'mm, not that common of a file. I'm assuming it has to have the capability to have and alpha channel.

[James Ross]

 Shay 5, on 26 February 2014 - 11:59 AM, said:

I'm wondering is ORTS will support different File formats such 3D and texture files? If BMP textures could be used instead of the ACE format, it would make things a whole lot easier. I'm not sure if it's possible, but could different 3D file formats be used too? For example The same sim could run Both S. format and the Trainz Im. format. Maybe even support 3DS format too. Just some ideas that, If possible, could make modelling a whole lot less tedious and clunky.

Currently, the only alternative format we support is DDS which is actually similar to ACE in terms of what it does but it is much more widely supported by image editors (Photoshop, Gimp and Paint.NET all support it to some degree IIRC) and other tools (and is basically the native format for DirectX). We probably won't support more "user" formats like BMP, PNG and JPEG in any normal configuration but they might be supported in a future "content creator" mode to enable faster prototyping/testing of content.

We have explored the model (3D shape) formats in the past but, unlike with textures, there isn't a clear good winner like there is with DDS (it wins by being native to DirectX and supporting all the fun things you can do with that and being supported by common image editors). I believe the X file format is pseudo-native to DirectX but has poor support in modelling programs, and things like 3DS have better modelling program support but we'd need to write our own loader to use it in OR.

[scottb613]

Hi Jeff,

DDS is used extensively in MSFS FSX... I believe it supports Alpha's as well and is of better quality than some of the older compressions...

Regards,
Scott

[Shay 5]

Looks like I'm gonna need a plugin for Photoshop to use a DDS file as I don't see any support for it.:p
EDIT. Found a plugin from Nvidia. DDS. Plugin

[scottb613]

Hi Jeff,

One of the other advantages of using DDS is that we can leverage tools built by the much larger MSFS community... Attached is a program we commonly use on the other side of the fence... It's a little stand alone program called "ConvImX"... No install necessary - just run the executable... It converts between all "sim" file formats I'm aware of - BMP - TGA - DXT1 - DXT3 - DXT5 - and - DDS... It can create mipmaps and process entire directory structures in a few clicks... Works great - used it for years..

See Attached: ConVimX

 convimx.zip (134.54K)
Number of downloads: 226

Regards,
Scott

[Shay 5]

Ok thanks.Will Gmax work correctly with DDS textures instead of ACE? I have a feeling it wont.

[scottb613]

 Shay 5, on 28 February 2014 - 05:35 AM, said:

Ok thanks.Will Gmax work correctly with DDS textures instead of ACE? I have a feeling it wont.

Hi Jeff,

Not sure - 3DC doesn't use compressed or MSTS formatted files at all - we typically work with just BMP's and TGA's in 3DC - when the export is started it just converts the file names to end in ".ace" instead of ".bmp" or ".tga"...

At any rate it only takes about 30 sec to edit the shape file in a text editor to change the texture name to whatever is desired...

Regards,
Scott

[Shay 5]

H'm. I'll have to experiment a little. Will see how it goes with this next model.