Best Texture Formats

[Voar Tok 4]

In the various projects that I have done (for personal purposes) I've noticed that the BAT will allow a person to use images with a wide variety of different file extensions as a texture.  I've also noticed that there doesn't really seem to be a difference in the finished product with various types of textures used.  So, what kind of textures formats (for example, .jpg, .bmp .png) do you think are the best to use for texturing BATs and why?  Personally, I think that it might be .jpg's since they produce a much smaller file size than .bmp's, but I'm curious to find out what you all think.

[maetoch 0]

I use.jpg because i dont want to clutter my hard drive with large files, plus I make different textures by using the same texture over and over but change the hue and saturation. I read in another thread where someone was using.psd and wondered if it made any difference in the clarity but ive been to lazy to experiment myself.

[SimGoober 2,353]

File format doesn't seem to affect anything, but file size does.  The larger the file, the longer the render.  So I use JPGs (they are smaller), and rarely over 300x300 pixels.

[cowkilla 12]

jpgs often create artifacts, png is a good clean image with a nice small file size

[Voar Tok 4]

Date: 1/5/2006 4:22:00 PM Author: SimGoober File format doesn't seem to affect anything, but file size does.  The larger the file, the longer the render.  So I use JPGs (they are smaller), and rarely over 300x300 pixels.

That's the reason that I prefer .jpg's.  I couldn't remember, though if using .bmp's made a difference in the quality, but apparently not.  Anybody know what the scoop would be with a .png file?

 

cowkilla: Thanks for the info!

[TheCrybKeeper 301]

I use jpg.'s or bmp's.  png's seem to be okay.
 I always thought png's were comparable to jpg in size and quality?

[Jasoncw 11,941]

I modify my textures alot while working on the BAT, so I keep it in .psd for everything.  I suppose I could save everything as a .jpg right before rendering, but I'm too lazy. It seems like 3dsmax doesn't like .psd, so that might make me change my ways.

[cogeo 960]

In theory jpegs are worse because of their "lossy" compression (ie the compressed image cannot be 100% identical to the original, it loses some information, and this is why they are smaller), and yes, they do create some artifacts, but if you save them at high quality (this is parametric) you can achieve a very acceptable result (even as photo), plus BAT itself blurs the image quite a bit (you can often see colours bleeding).
So all formats are OK.
PNGs can contain alpha channels too (plus they are lossless).

[onlyplace4 605]

I personally save all of the texture I use as .tga ... must be a max thing as I find that most of the textures I use in there are targas. I will use jpgs only if I save them at 100% and at a large enough resolution, not forgetting of course the dpi setting (the higher the dpi the better the rendered quality). I save at 100% at 300 dpi, then if I need a smaller file I can easily convert it. However, 90% of my textures (over 6000 in total) are tgas. Just a personal preference I know, but it works for me

[Superstar 69]

Moved to BAT Workshop, better forum for this kind of topic

>>>>> Thread Moved <<<<<

[tungston 19]

I think the file format is kind of irrelevant for game use, since the game doesn't reproduce much in texture quality. It might make a difference if the model is for show. I use a variety of formats, as I borrow from different sources, I don't see any difference once the lot appears in the game. I have not noticed any difference in the file size of the finished product, and I don't fret over the render time as I don't think the textures contribute much to it.

[TheCrybKeeper 301]

I think you are correct there Tungston. My exporter slows down with the more complex polys, not the bmp's.
Me and Kwakelaar are testing out some 64bit bmp's in Gmax right now and they have not effected the export/render.
It seems, if you wish to speed up the creation process; you should try eliminating poly count, splines used, etc.
However, since SC4 uses pre-rendered images, to display the game, from what I have just learned, the BAT process and textures have no bearing on game speed or performance.

If you save a couple a gig of bmp's to one folder on the system; be careful and patient, with letting the system files load in gmax. Seems the bigger the folder the harder gmax chugs to get it open and have had a couple crashes from loading the large folder, but never from the textures themselves.

[Jasoncw 11,941]

Moved from BAT - Workshop Archive.