TEXTURE SIZES

 


 

 

Chapter 01 - Textures based on Epic S3TC originals

 

 

 

Epic S3TC textures in the excisting S3TC packages are almost without exception 1024 pixels x 1024 pixels (a few are smaller and a few are bigger). It is therefore pointless to go change the size of the texture, so if you are gonna use those as a base for the missing textures, than keep them at the original size.

A few remarks though, make the proper corrections if you are gonna use it as a base for other missing textures.

- Wrong DPI value
In general the DPI value can be anything like 72 DPI, 96 DPI, 128 DPI, end so on, it should be the first thing to correct. The correct DPI value is the same as the longest pixel side.

Some examples:

Size (in pixels)
DPI
1024 x 1024
1024
1024 x 2048
2048
2048 x 1024
2048
512 x 1024
1024
1024 x 512
1024

For the filesize it will have no difference at all, but especcially when you start to add them to the packages and you need to scale them to another size, than this will be very easy to do, by simply changing the DPI value, And on occasion Photoshop will block a change in size for some reason, keeping your DPI values as mentioned above will for sure prevent that ! Another good reason could be, sometimes we have to work as a team, if the textures are similar in setup than this will make joined effords alot more easelly.

- Bad tiling
It will not be the first time that i see Epic did a very poor job on making the textures tilable, this should be the second thing to correct, especially if you are gonna use that texture as a base for other textures.

- A must have tool for that is the Simple HalfWrap Photoshop filter, this enables you per layer to check if the tiling is correct, and make changes if needed. The filter can be found HERE

 

 

 

 

Chapter 02 - Textures created from scratch

 

 

 

If you go create your textures, always start big, if needed you can always scale your work down afterwards.

A minumum size for creating textures(and not just S3TC textures) is 2048 pixels x 2048 pixels by 2048 DPI. An even better size would be 4096 pixels x 4096 pixels by 4096 DPI. If your texture is not square than always make the longest side at least 2048 or 4096.

Some examples:

Size (in pixels)
DPI
or
Size (in pixels)
DPI
2048 x 2048
2048
4096 x 4096
4096
2048 x 1024
2048
4096 x 2048
4096
2048 x 512
2048
4096 x 1024
4096
1024 x 2048
2048
2048 x 4096
4096
512 x 2048
2048
1024 x 4096
4096

- Note: that DPI is always the same as the highest value, i won't effect the size of the file but if you want to scale down, simply change the DPI instead of the pixel values. In Photoshop you will notice this is a good workable trick.

 

Starting with 4096 pixels does give you a better headstart, because it enables you to add incredible small details, but the filesize will skyrocket too unfortunatelly. For the S3TC project i use 2048 myself. But if i would make textures for a new map than i would choose 4096 myself. Its up to you what to choose, as long as you don't go lower than 2048, but if you got the harddrivespace............


Chapter 03 - How big can the final texure be ?

 

 

 

After you are finished with a texture it needs to be added to a package, this however is still in the testingfase. I do know what the minimum limit is but not the maximum, furter tests will show how far it can go. Below are some lists that show what curently is possible:

 

This list below aplies to square textures and is based on size:

Original textures (BMP-file)
S3TC textures (DDS-file)
Size
DPI
Size
DPI
16 pixels x 16 pixels
16
128 pixels x 128 pixels
128
       
32 pixels x 32 pixels
32
256 pixels x 256 pixels
256
       
64 pixels x 64 pixels
64
512 pixels x 512 pixels
512
       
128 pixels x 128 pixels
128
1024 pixels x 1024 pixels
1024
       
256 pixels x 256 pixels
256
1024 pixels x 1024 pixels
2048
       
512 pixels x 512 pixels
512
1024 pixels x 1024 pixels
4096
       
1024 pixels x 1024 pixels
1024
1024 pixels x 1024 pixels
4096
       
2048 pixels x 2048 pixels
2048
2048 pixels x 2048 pixels
4096

 

 

 

This list below aplies to rectangle textures and is based on size:

Original textures
S3TC textures
Size
DPI
Size
DPI
16 pixels x 32 pixels
32
128 pixels x 256 pixels
256
32 pixels x 32 pixels
32
256 pixels x 128 pixels
256
       
32 pixels x 64 pixels
64
256 pixels x 512 pixels
512
64 pixels x 32 pixels
64
512 pixels x 256 pixels
512
       
64 pixels x 128 pixels
128
512 pixels x 1024 pixels
1024
128 pixels x 64 pixels
128
1024 pixels x 512 pixels
1024
       
128 pixels x 256 pixels
256
1024 pixels x 2048 pixels
2048
256 pixels x 128 pixels
256
2048 pixels x 1024 pixels
2048
       
256 pixels x 512 pixels
512
1024 pixels x 2048 pixels
2048
512 pixels x 256 pixels
512
2048 pixels x 1024 pixels
2048
       
512 pixels x 1024 pixels
1024
1024 pixels x 2048 pixels
2048
1024 pixels x 512 pixels
1024
2048 pixels x 1024 pixels
2048
       
1024 pixels x 2048 pixels
2048
1024 pixels x 2048 pixels
2048
2048 pixels x 1024 pixels
2048
2048 pixels x 1024 pixels
2048

 

Hugh note:

The actual S3TC size highly depends on how much a texture is likely to be seen in the game, the grass and rock textures i made are ALL added in the size 2048 x 2048. Simply because they do not apear that often in different variations at the same time. This aplies more to the grass than the rock textures i have to admit, but so far i have had no complains..........

The same goes for Masked elevator textures, they are there often, but rarerely you can see multiple elevators like that from one spot, the two elevators in DmDeck16 may very well pose a record amount of Masked elevator textures that are close to eachother.