DDS Button Graphics Question

[The_J]

Thinking about it: Maybe the button was made out of the button from another unit, and the mipmaps somehow stayed the same.

 

[10lire]

Mipmaps are a smaller version of the same picture that get saved within the same file. After opening the file, they might not be visible, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

for slower systems; there, a smaller version of the file is used to save memory on the graphics card. This will make things looks blurry and that's why some user made buttons are blurry (small mipmap resized) or small (mipmap in his original size) - so don't use mipmaps for buttons, at least not for buttons that get displayed in the civilopedia.

You can get rid of the mipmaps, if you open your button and save it as dds file again (save as, not just save), but taking care to disable mipmaps in the dialog that pops up during the saving process. If you use GIMP, you can't miss the dialog and the mipmaps, but your file shouldn't contain an alpha channel as GIMP obviously has trouble opening dds files with alpha channel. Alternatively, you should be able to do the same with Photoshop or dds converter.

There are several buttons with mipmaps in VD; they are shown smaller when graphic settings are low; I can't check in this way if my button has mipmaps because of my problem (Vanilla button is shown instead). I tried to open my button in Gimp and to save another copy; the option "Generate mipmaps" is still de-checked; does it mean that my button has no mipmaps? However the size of the new copy is 17 Kb instead of 5 Kb as the original. I load the new one in my mod, but the problem remains.

 

[cool3a2]

Well, what you said about GIMPs settings looks like there are no more mipmaps, but what you said about the files size points to the opposite. You could upload one of those files and I'll take a look at it.

 

[cml_nine]

Was interested in the last few posts about minimaps especially in GIMP. Have no idea what I'm doing when trying to edit or make buttons. If you save as .dds in GIMP and disable minimaps then the button's border disappears. Have been trying to use Buttonmaker 2.0 download but not getting much further. Basically this is becoming frustrating.

 

[cool3a2]

First of all: it's mipmap, not minimap. Anyways, your problem could be that you have different layers in your picture. dds doesn't support multiple layers, only multiple channels. But channels aren't of interest here, so don't mind for them yet. Now, if the buttons borders are in an own layer, it could be that GIMP discards that layer when saving as dds. Although I don't think so. But that's the only explanation I can think of. You could try to 'unify' all your layers and then save the file as dds without mipmaps. In GIMP, there are 3 windows as you now. Check the right one. There you can view the layers. Select the one on the top and right-click at it. From the opening popup, select the entry that unifies all layers. Don't know what it is called exactly, but I'm optimistic that you'll recognize it by your own. If that doesn't do it, the reason must be something different I'd say and the problem occcurs 'accidently' when saving without mipmaps.

You might also check the channels. They are in the same window as the layers, only in a different tab. If there is an alpha channel, remove it. You won't need it here anyways. Could be that the alpha channel makes your border transparent.

 

[Padjur]

@10lire when I look at your button it's very similier to a button I downloaded (sorry can't remember where found it on a goggle search) and edited with Gimp for my mod. I've attached it below, I don't know if its any use to you but your welcome to work away with it

Was interested in the last few posts about minimaps especially in GIMP. Have no idea what I'm doing when trying to edit or make buttons. If you save as .dds in GIMP and disable minimaps then the button's border disappears. Have been trying to use Buttonmaker 2.0 download but not getting much further. Basically this is becoming frustrating.

@ cml_nine Have you seen this excellent TUT from asioasioasio (it got me started making buttons with Gimp) you can download it from here http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=11116
One thing I have found with Gimp though, is that it does not handle DDS very well (even though you can get a DDS plugin for it), so I always edit in jpg with it and save in jpg then convert it to DDS with a graphics tool called DDS Converter 2.1.http://www.filefront.com/3577988/DDS-Converter-2-1.0/
So when you've done the button, merge visible layers and save it as a jpg (you should have a jpg image with one layer and three channels,no alpha channel, that gets merged into the jpg), then convert it into DDS with DDS converter 2.1

 

[10lire]

@10lire when I look at your button it's very similier to a button I downloaded (sorry can't remember where found it on a goggle search) and edited with Gimp for my mod. I've attached it below, I don't know if its any use to you but your welcome to work away with it

very much but I've raplaced that unit with another one..
However I have the same issue with other buttons; in a few day I will upload my civ and I hope people will give me feedback about..

 

[ChaosSlayer]

Save yourself the trouble. I found a button in one of those graphic compilation mods that you can use. I'm using the exact same unit and the button matches quite well.

If you still around, I am trying to get this button to work and no luck so far.
I have used original Cannon as a base for the new Culverin.
the in game model works fine, but button in game and in Civipedia still shows old cannon image

I have laced the culverin_button.dds file into:

BTS/assests/art/interface/buttons/

and in artdefines_unit.xml I changed cannon button path to new culverin path...

any ideas?