NovaPunch 2.03a Texture Reduction Pack (Extreme)

[attosecond]

Updated to correct a few parts that lost alpha channel data during the conversion/downsizing process.

This is a texture reduction package for the NovaPunch 2.03a mod. NovaPunch is distributed and maintained by Tiberion with many contributions from frizzank.

You MUST have NovaPunch 2.03a installed to use this package.

This reduction pack frees up 427MB of the RAM footprint claimed by NovaPunch 2.03a running on a Windows platform. You WILL notice some loss of texture quality when viewing the parts at close range. Examples include: blurred-out lettering, fuzzy-looking rust patterns, less detail on engine nozzles, etc. When zoomed out so that the entire craft is visible, the quality loss in the textures is hard to discern on most parts.

If you enjoy the beautiful artwork from the NovaPunch collection and want to keep all the details, do not install this package. If you rarely spend time examining your craft from close range and are more concerned with freeing up RAM for other mods, then this is the right package for you.

To use:

1) Install NovaPunch 2.03a.

2) Download the texture reduction pack on SpacePort: click here (mirror download on MediaFire).

3) Unzip the archive into your KSP root folder. Agree to merging folders and overwriting existing items with new ones.

4) Important: Run the batch file “CleanNovaPunch.bat†located in your KSP root directory. This will remove any old textures that exist in other file formats.

To uninistall:

Delete your GameData\NovaPunch2 folder and re-install NovaPunch.

Following Tiberion′s preference, this work is licensed under .

This package contains model textures only and does not include any models, plugins, or other functionality of the NovaPunch mod.

Credits for the original work:

Original parts: NovaSilisko, SundayPunch, CaptainSlug, Tosh, Tiberion

Model, texture and config updates: bac9, frizzank and Tiberion

Screenshots:

Here's a look at some of the original textures:

Here's the same craft using the reduced textures:

Edited October 25, 2013 by attosecond
now with before and after screenshots

[Tiberion]

Just want to say I endorse this. Thanks!

Btw I noticed from the screenshot on spaceport and went back to check ingame, there are a few broken textures just coming out white.

the 2.5m NERVA, littlemother, Matriach engines

The 5-3.75m interstage plate, and 2 of the winglets. Maybe some more, not sure.

[attosecond]

Argh--I have to take my son to hocky practice in 5 minutes. I'll fix these once I get him home and in bed.

Just want to say I endorse this. Thanks!

Btw I noticed from the screenshot on spaceport and went back to check ingame, there are a few broken textures just coming out white.

the 2.5m NERVA, littlemother, Matriach engines

The 5-3.75m interstage plate, and 2 of the winglets. Maybe some more, not sure.

[Tiberion]

no worries man, I should have noticed them earlier.

[NathanKell]

Are you leaving the alpha channel in when there is one? That was my one dealbreaker with PolecatEZ's pack, that he was stripping them.

[Tiberion]

Are you leaving the alpha channel in when there is one? That was my one dealbreaker with PolecatEZ's pack, that he was stripping them.

The only thing using Alpha channels are a couple of the parachutes, and it looks like they did lose Alpha channel - its an easy fix though.

[NathanKell]

Wait, I know the Mini Quad Bertha does, and it kept its on the resize--I just checked. Weird.

[Tiberion]

Well, the parachutes are using alpha transparency specifically, to create the spaces between the 'cords' - the Odin flightpack has individual straps instead so its different.

Any alpha usage on engines is Frizzank's doing, I've only had to import a couple of those so far so I dunno why its different.

[NathanKell]

The alpha on engines is probably for specular strength channel.

Checking the 1.25 Bertha, yup, looks that way on the file it's used on. On the others it's just white. When you go to export the next NP, check with frizzank and kill the alpha channel on any texture that's not actually using it, that cuts texture memory in half per texture, basically. Wasted alpha is BAD.

[attosecond]

Found the problem with my downsampling / export method. It's too late to fix right now, but it'll get done tomorrow.

[attosecond]

OK, all better now. There were actually quite a few parts with alpha channel data that really shouldn't have had it. It's all back, and everything should be good. Let me know if you find any more weird-looking parts.

[RSF77]

Thanks.

Does this help with Novapunchs tendency to crash ksp?

[frizzank]

The alpha channel is used for the specular map. Making it all white will take out any details in the specularity.

[attosecond]

Isn't there another way, say putting the specular map in a separate layer and then flattening onto the white background layer? Maybe I'm just talking out my a%$--I really know very little about digital artwork creation.

[frizzank]

Your already down sizing the textures so removing the spec map is not that big of deal. I have an awesome display and a decent computer so I can see those details easily. But for those on lower end specs its not really going to make a difference, and will help with performance.

Ideally if you turn down the texture sizes in the settings for KSP it should be lowering the resolution of the loaded textures when you start but I think its just displaying a lower mipmap to the graphics card and keeping the full rez texture in memory. Its a shame because that would make things much easier and really help performance on low end machines.

[attosecond]

Another idea--how about using a stacked set of images for the textures, the same way you stack icons when compiling an executable. Put maybe three different sizes in each texture stack, and have KSP load only the texture size that's appropriate for the users' texture rendering settings. It would be easy enough to implement, if a bit tedious for mod creators to export or convert multiple sizes of textures.