Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!)

Patchmaking tutorials for NBA 2K11.

Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!)

Postby JaoSming on Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:47 pm

So, first things first, I use GIMP, it's free, so I use GIMP. I don't know anything about Photoshop so I will be unable to answer questions about it.

Download GIMP from here
http://www.gimp.org/

You will need a DDS Plug-in as well
http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/

Google will help you figure out how to install the plug-in.


So after you load up GIMP and choose to open a DDS file I get this dialog box.

Image

I uncheck the mip maps box to make things simpler and I don't care if that dialog ever comes back.

This is how your texture should look

Image

It is transparent because of a layer mask, so we should turn that off. In the layers bar, right click the layer, and choose to Add a Layer Mask. (this is also called the alpha channel)

Image

This will allow us to disable and edit the layer mask. This dialog box will pop up.

Image

We want to transfer the alpha channel to the layer mask.

Aaaaand nothing will change. Except now we have a few more options to play with if we right click the layer.

Image

If we click to [Show Layer Mask] it will look like this.

Image

If we click to [Disable Layer Mask] it will look like this.

Image

Note that unless you uncheck the [Edit Layer Mask] option you will be unable to edit the "real" texture (in this case the green jersey), you will just edit the Layer Mask.

For more information on Alpha Layers/Layer Masks check out this thread.
viewtopic.php?f=138&t=76405

For the sake of changing something, I selected the green of the jersey and terribly recolored it black. For tips on the tools available in GIMP, you should check out Google and YouTube, there are tons of tools and techniques that I am too bad at to teach others...thankfully, this being an open-source program, there are tons of resources as well.

Image

That image was taken with the Layer Mask both disabled and with the [Edit Layer Mask] unchecked.

After you are finished editing your texture you want to right click the layer again and [Apply Layer Mask]

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Your texture should go transparent again.

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Now it's time to save it, but it's not as easy as it sounds. If you are using the Mod Tool to import the texture back into an iff file you need to be sure to match the exact compression and dimensions of the original file. All the dds files also have mip maps, so you need to be sure to save with those generated as well. This information can be found in the bottom left corner of the Mod Tool.

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Knowing that this texture is a DXT5 compression and 1024, 512 and has mip maps will help with the next step.

Now if you just hit save in GIMP it will not allow you to edit any of the compression information, so we need to hit SAVE AS

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Once this dialog pops up you need to be sure that you have the .dds extension in the save box. Instead of having a drop down box that lets you choose what file type you want to save as, you need to manually type in the 3 letter extension like dds, png, bmp, jpg.

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Finally this last DDS dialog box will pop up asking you for compression and other parameters.

Image

We need to hit the drop down box to change the compression to DXT5 and check the Generate MipMaps box.

If no errors pop up, you should be all set to import this texture back into the iff file with the Mod Tool. For help with that, check out this thread.
viewtopic.php?f=138&t=80851


Let me know if there is anything else that needs clearing up.
Opinions are my own.

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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby Bnicolas13 on Wed Jun 08, 2011 4:57 pm

Thanks a lot for this (Y)

Can't wait to mess around with it now.
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby LebronTheKingJames on Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:58 am

thanks mane
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby thewhitemamba on Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:45 pm

Hey Jao, does this apply for CFs too?
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby JaoSming on Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:27 pm

yep, same process
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby MILKMANANT on Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:15 pm

Ok I tried this and my image didn't change at all. I guess I'm at the "real" texture part since I'm using a 2K10 uni.
So should I start following instructions where your real texture is and also how do you get that "Layers, Channels, Paths... etc" window to pop up?
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby JaoSming on Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:04 pm

load up the 2k10 texture, right click the layer, add layer mask, then add a mask texture (grey texture) from 2k11 or make your own, then apply it
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby MILKMANANT on Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:15 pm

JaoSming wrote:load up the 2k10 texture, right click the layer, add layer mask, then add a mask texture (grey texture) from 2k11 or make your own, then apply it

Looks like I got it! Thank you sir I'll check ingame.
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby MILKMANANT on Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:46 pm

It's perfect thanks for all your tutorials and guidance! :bowdown: :bowdown2: :bowdown: :bowdown2:
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby JaoSming on Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:13 pm

glad to hear it helped you (Y) (Y)
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby fumanchu on Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:24 pm

Jao, question....where can i get the texture for the jerseys? or is it by default in the game when you import the dds..
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby JaoSming on Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:19 pm

you get them from the different files in the game
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby fumanchu on Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:27 am

another question JOn, im trying to make a cyberface for my MP...using GIMP, i try to scale my cut image to fit the face im editing...when i scale, it scales the cut image but doesnt maintain low opacity so i can see the background to make it fit...any suggestions for this?
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby JaoSming on Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:05 am

scale it, see if it fits, if not, scale again, there may be a workaround for that but the trial and error method is all i know of and all ive used.
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby Franci27nba on Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:47 am

To edit courts, how can i add more dds (like to do other logos on the court)
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby JaoSming on Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:33 am

you can't. You have to find a court with the logos you need already in position by default

this will help with finding such courts - Screenshots of Every Floor in NBA 2K12
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Re: Beginners Guide to DDS files and GIMP (Alpha Layers too!

Postby Franci27nba on Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:48 pm

Thanks
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