Batch conversion of textures: Recomendations

[Bikerdude]

Evening

 

So like most mappers I enjoy the mapping but the .DDS, normal, specular workflow less so. So my tasks are as follows -

• find an application that can batch convert images to .DDS
• find an application that can batch convert images to normals
• find an application that can batch convert images to specular

 

Thus far I have found -

• MrNormal - this supposedly does conversion to normal and specular, but I found it slow and would crashed if you blocked internet access. And I wasen't able to test the batch function with the trial version. That and I couldn't figure out how to use the interface.
• Crazybump - very fast at creating normal maps, batch function kept crash the app though.
• Xnview - can batch convert into .DDS but I have tried this in the past and found some images get borked
• Gimp - the plugins I found don't produce correct ,.DDS files, a few times like Xnview the files have been borked
• Photoshop CS2 - using the nvidia plugin it produces flawless .DDS and normal files - but the whole workflow is slow & painfull at best.

What would perfect is an open-source or low cost commercial app or maybe a plugin for Gimp. Suggestions and idea's welcome.

[freyk]

For my application, that converts thief 1 texture files to dds-files, i have been looking for such an converter.
At the moment I use "convert" from ImageMagick.

But I don't know if it works, because i have not the knowledge to test these texture files.
What is your opinion about imagemagick's convert? Can i use this for my converter?
And should I convert the original pcx file to other texture-fileformats, as instructed in the tdm-wiki article the "How to add textures to the dark mod"?

Edited June 4, 2016 by freyk

[Bikerdude]

So just discovered 'AwesomeBump' but buggered if I can figure out how to use it - can't even figure how to use it...

[kingsal]

Have you checked out Compressonator?

 

http://developer.amd.com/tools-and-sdks/archive/the-compressonator/

It will batch compress any file into a DDS that works pretty well in doom.

 

However, I've had a few problems getting alpha channels working with this.

I ended up having to save the dds out using the nvidia PS plugin and then converting them in Compressonator. Strangely, raw DDS's from the nvidia plugin don't work in the engine for me...

 

 

My own process that seems to work is Photoshop / Crazybump/ Compressonator.

I save everything directly in fms/texture folder including high res .TGAs and even the .PSDs.

I'll then convert them to dds later and clean the directory up. This way I can save directly as a tga from photoshop and see it in-game.

 

Anyways, hope this helps.

Edited June 4, 2016 by kingsal

[nbohr1more]

njob seems to be the best image to normalmap utility for me but I don't believe it has any batch functionality?

I think that's because going from a 2D image to a 3D representation is a subjective art. njob gives you lots of tools

to do this and is pretty well tuned to producing good result out of box.

[Goldwell]

njob seems to be the best image to normalmap utility for me but I don't believe it has any batch functionality?

I think that's because going from a 2D image to a 3D representation is a subjective art. njob gives you lots of tools

to do this and is pretty well tuned to producing good result out of box.

That's the application I use for all my normal maps as well and it does the best job out of all the applications out there I've tested.

[demagogue]

The Compressenator for batch .dds conversion. I didn't have alpha problems once I got the values right, but according to the wiki, you can avoid alpha problems altogether if you convert from the .tif format.

 

njob seems to be the best image to normalmap utility for me but I don't believe it has any batch functionality?

 

Maybe I'm blind to it, but I can't see a download link or a way to get to a download link on that site, and I'm not in the mood to download it from some other dodgy looking site. Where do I get it?

[Bikerdude]

However, I've had a few problems getting alpha channels working with this, I ended up having to save the dds out using the nvidia PS plugin

njob seems to be the best image to normalmap utility for me but I don't believe it has any batch functionality?

@KIngsal, I had the same issue and did the same thing - but again its not batch processing, its the mapper doing each file by hand - slow & painfull.

@nbohr, have been using that also, but same issue above.

 

Compressionator, Photoshop, Gimp, nJob are all out of the picture because they can't batch process. And the issue I face unlike most authors is I'm the person importing new textures into the mod, and having to do all that by hand puts a serious crimp in my workflow, conversely motivation to do it in the first place.

 

@Dema I have emailed the guy as I cant find it either. In the meantime here copy - mega

[freyk]

I'm the person importing new textures into the mod, and having to do all that by hand puts a serious crimp in my workflow, conversely motivation to do it in the first place.

Or do what i do, write an shellscript for it:

See if the application has a commandline options and write a shellscript (powershell, bash, etc) that is using a foreach-loop.

For example: GIMP in batch-mode, Compressonator - Command Line Parameters - tdm article, etc.

Edited June 5, 2016 by freyk

[Bikerdude]

@Freyk, I cant program to save my life - it just makes my head hurt.

 

Due to the poor .DDS support via the even the latest plugin for gimp and the alpha borking in Compressionator - I am not confident in using either of those apps.

[freyk]

@Freyk, I cant program to save my life - it just makes my head hurt.

And i dont want to do mouseclicks everytime.

For example, a powershell that uses convert from imagemagick, that converts jpeg images to dds.

$texturefiles = Get-ChildItem "C:\bikerdude\mytextures" -Filter *.jpg -Recurse
Foreach ($texturefile IN $texturefiles){    
$FileOriginal = $texturefile.FullName    
$FileNew = $FileOriginal.replace(".jpg",".dds")    
echo "going to convert $FileOriginal to $FileNew"    
c:\imagemagick\convert.exe $FileOriginal -define dds:compression={dxt5} $FileNew
}

Edited December 30, 2016 by Bikerdude

[nbohr1more]

The Compressenator for batch .dds conversion. I didn't have alpha problems once I got the values right, but according to the wiki, you can avoid alpha problems altogether if you convert from the .tif format.

 

 

Maybe I'm blind to it, but I can't see a download link or a way to get to a download link on that site, and I'm not in the mood to download it from some other dodgy looking site. Where do I get it?

 

Looks like he took down the download link. Here is a wayback archive of the download that works: https://web.archive.org/web/20160328040221/http://charles.hollemeersch.net/sites/default/files/njob_v1_0_0.zip

[kingsal]

Biker- Are you looking for a program that can do all of these tasks? Diffuse/ spec / normal and save to dds? Or just ones that can automate each file type?

 

I could mess around with a PS action script to help with saving diffuse/ a generic spec/ and the editor jpg. Normals can't really be automated, as far as I know.

 

Im going to take another look at the nvidia plugin for Photoshop, there has to be a way to get usable DDSs out of it.

Edited June 5, 2016 by kingsal

[Bikerdude]

@Kingsal

 

As I understand it -

• Diffuse textures are just normal images (.JPG, TGA, etc), so dont need to do anything with those other then getting them into TDM friendly 1x2 or 2x2 resolutions.
• The primary reason we to convert to .DDS is to save on file size.
• And normal maps are to give the illusion of 3D surface where there are none, or giving existing models the same level of detail at lower draw cost.
• And finally specular to give reflections, shine and luminosity etc.

So for speed of workflow, I would like an app that can produce a normals and specular and give the option to save in .TGA, DDS or JPG. I can do all of the above using nJob, PS, Gimp/Paint.NET - which is fine when only working on a handful of files.

[nbohr1more]

I've had pretty good luck with ATI Compressonator for batch conversion in the GUI, though I haven't played with command-line conversions and (admittedly) the number

of textures was less than 100. Still, since we are supposed to critically review all textures for inclusion in TDM the idea of blindly converting vast numbers (greater than 100)

of textures is a little disconcerting. You might need to reawaken Serpentine in the lost temple of TDM IRC chat to discuss batch strategies...

[Bikerdude]

the idea of blindly converting vast numbers (greater than 100) of textures is a little disconcerting. You might need to reawaken Serpentine in the lost temple of TDM IRC chat to discuss batch strategies...

Any new textures would be vetted by the team before hand etc, but its usually me that has to do the legwork etc.

 

Got a linc to said IRC room - what what app do you use to access. Its been a while since I used IRC.

[nbohr1more]

Use a web browser:

 

https://webchat.freenode.net/

 

channel is #thedarkmod

[Goldwell]

@Bikerdude are you planning on adding some new custom textures for 2.04? or something else?

[Bikerdude]

I'm currently helping Melan with PD3, but I have a bunch of textures to work through and present to the team in due course, once we come up with a list they will be added to 2.05 etc.

 

The reason for starting thread, is because this is know issue for mappers in general - so if we can can come up with a speeding up the workflow so much the better.

 

@nbohr - thanks.

[Goldwell]

Damn I was hoping for some extra assets in 2.04 but I guess it's all bugfixes... still good of course but i'm guessing 2.05 is a very long way off considering the time between 2.03 and 2.04

[Bikerdude]

Looks like he took down the download link. Here is a wayback archive of the download that works: https://web.archive.org/web/20160328040221/http://charles.hollemeersch.net/sites/default/files/njob_v1_0_0.zip

Got a reply back from the author of nJob -

 

Hi,

Thanks for pointing that out. It was missed by the recent upgrade.

Should be available now.

Charles

[Bikerdude]

After a resent full wipe and reinstall of my desktop PC, I found the following app sitting in my gfx utils folder in my download folder -

 

- https://vvvv.org/contribution/dds-converter

 

Looks like it will do the job of converting to .DDS nicely, and @freyk it uses ImageMagik along with an nvidia exe :-)