Texture formats - Revision history

EricChadwick at 12:43, 25 September 2017

2017-09-25T12:43:33Z

EricChadwick: Cross linking

2017-09-25T12:42:41Z

Cross linking

EricChadwick: /* Source Formats */ HDR is not a texture format

2015-08-12T14:19:46Z

‎Source Formats: HDR is not a texture format

EricChadwick: png isn't lossy

2015-04-09T11:55:56Z

png isn't lossy

EricChadwick: /* Preview Formats */ lossy

2015-04-08T23:53:58Z

‎Preview Formats: lossy

EricChadwick: more info

2015-03-16T18:06:16Z

more info

EricChadwick: removed redundant title, moved todo to Discussion page, better headings, simplified text.

2015-03-14T17:42:12Z

removed redundant title, moved todo to Discussion page, better headings, simplified text.

Throttlekitty at 17:34, 14 August 2014

2014-08-14T17:34:01Z

Throttlekitty: Created, TextureFormat and TextureFormatRuntime should be deleted.

2014-08-10T21:13:48Z

Created, TextureFormat and TextureFormatRuntime should be deleted.

New page

= Texture Formats =
todo: technical info: dimensions, bit depth, channels, pixel/texel, format(and page for format types).

== Standard Formats ==
In development, artists may have two sets of files: A format native to their image editor such as Photoshop's PSD, and an interim format for previewing work in a 3d application before exporting final images to a game-ready format.

* [[BMP]]
* [[EXR]]
* [[GIF]]
* [[HDR]]
* [[JPG]]
* [[PNG]]
* [[PSD]]
* [[TIF]]
* [[TDL]]
* [[TGA]]

== Runtime Formats ==
These are texture file formats that are used at runtime (in-game).

Texture file formats come in two basic categories: those that are used at runtime (in-game), versus those that are used by artists in general but have to be converted to be used "live" in-game.

To save memory, runtime textures often use compression. However typically a few very specific compression formats are supported in hardware. This means if you use they must be uncompressed when they're loaded off the hard drive or disc and into video memory to be used in-game, which in turn increases their memory cost. Hardware-supported compression saves memory, allowing the artist to use larger or more textures.

Runtime formats also commonly have pre-created [[Mipmap|mip levels]] stored in them, so the game engine doesn't have to create the mips on load, which helps to reduce the time it takes to load the game level.

* [[DDS]] is a versatile format with many features and is very common in PC games.
* [[3Dc]] and [[DXT]] and [[S3TC]] are compression methods most commonly found within the [[DDS]] format.
* [[BMP]] is uncommonly used for 3d assets due to lack of compression.
* [[JPG]] is notable for ease of use and compression.
* [[PNG]]
* [[TGA]] is rarely used in modern games
* [[PVR]]
* [[TPL]]
* [[VTF]] Valve Texture Format, used in Source Engine games.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 In game development, artists may have several sets of texture files:
 # Source files, native to an image editor such as Photoshop's PSD, stores all editing information such as layers, and high [[BitDepth]]s.
-# Preview files, for previewing on 3D models or importing into a level editor, does not store layers, usually only [[8 bit|BitDepth]].
+# Preview files, for previewing on 3D models or importing into a level editor, does not store layers, usually only [[BitDepth|8 bit]].
 # Runtime files, flattened and [[Texture_Compression|compressed]] files used directly by a game engine, often lossy so not good for editing.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 In game development, artists may have several sets of texture files:
-# Source files, native to an image editor such as Photoshop's PSD, stores all editing information such as layers, and high bit depths.
+# Source files, native to an image editor such as Photoshop's PSD, stores all editing information such as layers, and high [[BitDepth]]s.
-# Preview files, for previewing on 3D models or importing into a level editor, does not store layers, usually only [[8bpp]].
+# Preview files, for previewing on 3D models or importing into a level editor, does not store layers, usually only [[8 bit|BitDepth]].
-# Runtime files, flattened and compressed files used directly by a game engine, often lossy so not good for editing.
+# Runtime files, flattened and [[Texture_Compression|compressed]] files used directly by a game engine, often lossy so not good for editing.
 == Source Formats ==

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 * [[GIF]] (lossy, only 256 colors)
 * [[JPG]] (lossy)
-* [[PNG]] (lossy or lossless)
+* [[PNG]]
 * [[TGA]]
 * [[TIF]]

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 == Preview Formats ==
-Preview textures are only needed because most 3d tools do not properly support "source" texture formats. Preview files are usually not edited directly, they are always saved from source files. We have several [[PhotoshopTools#Export_Tools|Photoshop tools for exporting]] preview files quickly.
+Preview textures are only needed because most 3d tools do not properly support "source" texture formats. Preview files are usually not edited directly, they are always saved from source files. We have several [[PhotoshopTools#Export_Tools|Photoshop tools for exporting]] preview files quickly. Some of these are [[Lossy]] formats, meaning they add noise or other artifacts when saved.
 * [[BMP]]
-* [[GIF]]
+* [[GIF]] (lossy, only 256 colors)
-* [[JPG]]
+* [[JPG]] (lossy)
-* [[PNG]]
+* [[PNG]] (lossy or lossless)
 * [[TGA]]
 * [[TIF]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 == Source Formats ==
 * [[EXR]]
 * [[HDR]]
@@ Line 11: / Line 13: @@
 == Preview Formats ==
 * [[BMP]]
 * [[GIF]]
@@ Line 19: / Line 22: @@
 == Runtime Formats ==
-These are formats used directly by the game engine.
+Runtime texture formats are used directly by the game engine.
 * [[3Dc]]
@@ Line 29: / Line 34: @@
 * [[VTF]] Valve Texture Format, used in Source Engine games.
-To save memory, runtime textures often use compression. Specific compression formats are supported in hardware, which means they stay compressed as they are sent to the video card, which can save a significant amount of memory.
+Certain specific compression formats are supported in hardware, which means they stay compressed as they are sent to the video card, which speeds up memory bandwidth and can save a significant amount of space in memory.
 Runtime formats also commonly have pre-created [[Mipmap|mip levels]] stored in them, so the game engine doesn't have to create the mips on load, which helps to reduce the time it takes to load the game level.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:34, 14 August 2014
Line 35:		Line 35:
	* [[TPL]]		* [[TPL]]
	* [[VTF]] Valve Texture Format, used in Source Engine games.		* [[VTF]] Valve Texture Format, used in Source Engine games.
		+
		+	[[Category:Texturing]]