Retexturing a model

[eberkain]

I'm pretty versed in using GIMP and I did a couple textures for myself for the Hangar mod no problem, those are just .png files.  I was thinking about retexturing a couple of the KW parts that I use so they fit in with VSR better, but those have .dds textures.  Opening one gives an image that is almost completely transparent with just some little wispy bits here and there and layers as mipmaps.  I see the same thing when looking at Vens textures.  Is this just how dds textures are stored?  Is it how the materials and textures are setup on the models?  How should I go about working with these?   Is there a tool to convert back and forth?  Not really sure where to start. 

 

[CobaltWolf]

Game textures for KSP typically store the specular channel information (ie, how shiny a given point on the surface should be) in the alpha channel (since most image formats only support RGBA). I don't remember what the solution to the issue is though. You need to somehow convert transparency to alpha channel. If possible, you don't want to load with mipmaps - see if you can uncheck that when you open the files.

[Nils277]

@eberkain When you open the image in GIMP, make sure to not import the mipmaps (i think it's an option you have to uncheck, when importing the dds texture). As CobaltWolf said, the alpha channel stores how shiny an object is. A lower value in the alpha channel results in a less shiny object.

After you imported the image do the following steps:

1. Right click on the layer and select "Add layer mask" and then select "Layer's alpha channel". This adds a greyscale image of the alpha channel to the right of the layer. This layer can be used the alter/change the alpha channel of the image.
2. Now, still having the default image selected, click on "Colors" and the on "Curves".
3. In the drop down menu of the "Curves" window select "Alpha" instead of "Value" and move the left dot of the curve to the top (this sets the alpha values of the original image to 255 making it opaque)
4. You will still see that the image is transparent, this is due to the Layer Mask. When you right click in the Layer and select "Disable Layer Mask" to see the image fully opaque.
5. To switch between the alpha channel and the colors you have the hold the "ALT" key and click on the right image (the layer mask)

Tips:

• To make sure that the texture only contains the alpha values from the layer mask, right click on the left image in the layer and select "remove alpha channel" once you are done with step 3.
• When you export the texture make sure that the layer mask is not disabled

Hope this helps

Edited February 22, 2018 by Nils277