Okay, Microsoft has a software package which is rather larger (222mb). Anyways after you download and install in. Photoshop will then be able to load ,edit and/or save .DDS files.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4e825a37-0c94-4421-9ec8-156e52525d11&DisplayLang=en

Its that simple. I hope it helps. It did me.

There is also a specific Photoshop PlugIn to open and save DDS files.

It's handy as it is much smaller in size (only 3.8Mb)

Here is the link:

http://developer.nvidia.com/object/nv_texture_tools.html

There's also a plugin for GIMP that lets you do the same thing.

how handy.

Disregard this post. 'Twas an accident.

There's also a DDS converter program that lets you convert files from other formats into DDS.

Is this little plugin that Throttle linked to run only on computers with Nvidia graphic cards? (the download link is on Nvidia site...)

I have an ATI graphic card, and I really want to have this plugin...

I went to see if it was possible to download Microsoft's Photoshop plugin (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/DirectX_Extensions_for_Adobe_Photoshop.asp) by itself, but it looks like it's only available through downloading the entire DirectX SDK; which also apparently includes a couple Windows Explorer extensions--one for viewing texture files (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Texture_Viewer__Windows_Explorer_Extension.asp), the other for converting them (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Texture_Converter__Windows_Explorer_Extension.asp)--a stand-alone texture editor (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/DirectX_Texture_Editor.asp), and a command-line conversion tool (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Texture_Conversion_Tool.asp).

Oh yeah--Microsoft's Photoshop plugin requires Photoshop 7.0 or later; as for whether it works with Paint Shop Pro or not... Well, I'll get back to you on that, once I've fought the good fight with my copy of PSP 7 (which I sorta lost when I tried to get the Nvidia plugin to work). I'll see if I can get it to work in Illustrator too, for the heck of it.

I have another dds converter. If some like it just ask. It's used for another game called Dungeon Siege 2 as well for converting files to DDS. Works great there and no photoshop is needed.

That one would sound more useful if you still have it. Healz.

here is another one that can be used

http://eliteforce2.filefront.com/file/DDS_Converter;29412

Help! I try to load a game and when the game is in the middle of loading it the screen goes black and a window comes up withe that stupid error report thing and I can't start or load a game can someone please help me. :) It is driving me insane.:mad:

I have photoshop CS2 and downloaded the plugin to view and save dds. files. I was successful in viewing a Axeman dds. file, but it didn't look anything like an axeman, just a jumbled mess. I'm wanting to make a reference guide for Beyond The Sword with all the info plus some nice graphics. I figured using 3dsmax was really only for altering and modding graphics, but I'm just wanting to print the art as it is for my manual. Am I supposed to view the nif. files instead of dds.?

The dds file you viewed is just the texture for the the Axeman model. It's what gets "painted" onto the model.

anybody know of a tool for accessing dds files (or convert them into something else) that will on a mac?