[FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Stegei
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[FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by Stegei »

Terrain Textures in FS22 must have the following format:
*_diffuse.png: 4 Channel 8bit Texture with 1024x1024px (RGB: Color/Albedo, Alpha Channel: Blend-height (higher values lead to the layer being visible earlier when being blended with other layers))
*_normal.png: 4 Channel 8bit Texture with 1024x1024px (RG: XY components of the normalized normal map, B: Smoothness, A: Bump map/height for parallax-mappping/parallax-occlusion-mapping)

The *_diffuse.png can be converted with the GIANTS Texture Tool without any special attributes, the default values are already correct.
The *_normal.png needs a custom .gim file, since the default values are not correct for those.

The *_normal.gim file should look similar to this:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="no" ?>
<metadata>
    <normalMapFormat>rg</normalMapFormat>
    <roughnessChannel>b</roughnessChannel>
	<normalizeImage>false</normalizeImage>
	<normalizeMipmaps>true</normalizeMipmaps>
</metadata>
The format of the .dds for both textures should be BC7, with 9 mipmap layers (layer 0 to 8 ). The .dds files should be exactly 1.33MB (1’398’244 bytes), otherwise there is something wrong with the selected format.

Note that many tools can't read BC7 .dds files properly. Some of the tools we use internally to preview .dds files:
-Photoshop with the latest Nvidia Texture Tool Plugin or the Intel Texture Works Plugin
-RenderDoc
-GIANTS Editor Material Editor
-GIANTS Remote Debugger 9
Kiril
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by Kiril »

Can you show me the video?
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TopAce888
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TopAce888 »

Here is a Plug-In Pack with which you can create the appropriate normal map from a height map.
BoltBait's Plugin Pack (Effects - Object - Paste Alpha)
Last edited by TopAce888 on Sat Oct 15, 2022 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TheSuBBie
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TheSuBBie »

Better still, here is a free program which allows creation of all relevant maps Height, Normal, Specular as well as Metalness, Smoothnes, Edge and AO and also allows selection of which maps you want to use in the different RGB channels for your specular map

http://boundingboxsoftware.com/materialize/
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TopAce888 »

Yes, thats quiet a useful tool, but it isnt able to create a normal map for a terrain texture.
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TheSuBBie »

It is limited to file types BMP, JPG, TGA, Tiff, but you can easily create a terrain texture as a png open it in Materialize create the maps you require and then convert the png's using the TextureTool.
Or if using an ingame texture for another use which requires a normal and specular map, convert the texture to a png and then open in Materialize and create your maps.
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TopAce888 »

How do you add a height map as an alpha channel into a normal map with Materialize?
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TheSuBBie »

I suggested Materialize because it gives full editing control of textures, with previews whilst adjusting,

My workflow in creating textures is fairly straight forward,
Create a custom terrain texture in photoshop -save as png
Open png in Materialize - create height map, normal etc and adjust for maximum paralax displacement without disortion, adjusting Height, Normal, Metallic, Smoothnes, Edge, AO as required
Save Height,Diffuse,Normal and Specular maps as png -- Note, png's must be saved with a separate alpha channel)
Convert Diffuse to BC7 in TextureTool
Open normal map in photoshop and import height map into alpha channel (adjusting the red/green and blue channels as necessary) save as png and convert to BC7 again using TextureTool
Specular saved as a BC1

The paint.net method is certainly another option for saving texture maps as a BC7
Last edited by TheSuBBie on Mon Feb 14, 2022 3:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TopAce888 »

TheSuBBie wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 7:33 pm [...]
Open normal map in photoshop and import height map into alpha channel save as png and convert to BC7 again using TextureTool
Specular saved as a BC1
[...]
This information was missing. I thought you meant that I can create the appropriate normal map for the terrain texture in Materialize.

Anyways, it is necessary to create the BC7 texture with the texture tool.
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TheSuBBie »

Do apologise the last sentence ("The paint.net method is certainly another option for saving texture maps as a BC7") was not supposed to be included as I had already said the textures were saved as BC7 using the TextureTool.
Must start using the Full Editor and preview before posting

Edit:
It is worth repeating that when saving a texture .png that is to be converted to a BC7 texture in either the Texture Tool or FSIconGenerator22_1.0.0, it must be saved with a separate Alpha Channel otherwise errors will occur in both scripts.
redfield62
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by redfield62 »

Ok merci pour vos reponses
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by Ravlie »

So I read what you both wrote and I still can't seem to get _normal.png being converted to yellowish .dds how to do it properly? I put _diffuse.png's into texturetool without changing anything as said in this thread and as for _normals I copied code and run it for .gim and run them trough texturetool but in GE when I paint ground it's glossy, shiny and .dds is blueish. I don't have access to original files I have only png's so how to convert them properly so they turn into yellow ones?
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TopAce888 »

The texture only converts the file format from png to dds, it does not change the image itself. If your ground is too glossy then you have to edit the blue channel of your normal map file before converting it with the texture tool (the bluer, the glossier).
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by Ravlie »

Alright, so what's the right order in conversion from FS19 to FS22? I'm just a newbie when it comes to graphics, so far right now I run all the .dds trough paint.net and saved all as .png, top quality, 32b then resized to 1024 and everything works fine. Though even if everything works fine you'll probably say it's done wrong. I get no errors in GE and I can see textures so for me it works. ^^

When I converted .dds to .png using 32b I still had the alpha channel thingy probably so I don't really get why you said earlier to 'paste alpha' into .png I did tried running one trough it and it took really a while for only 1 .png and this removed the blank pixels from it but no idea what for if everything works even without using this.

Also this is new but how do you add the parallax, height thingy or whatever to flat texture? Like it is done with plough texture... just curious what's the file called and how it should be saved or just a small hint where can I look for this?
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Re: [FS22] Terrain Texture Format

Post by TopAce888 »

Technically, you did it the right way, but the normal map image of a FS19 ground texture isnt fully compatible with FS22, thats why the ground is so glossy. As I said, before converting with the texture tool, you have to adept the blue channel of the normal map. I suggest GIMP for this task. There you can select the channels separately.

As far as the height map concerns, I use the BoltBaitPack plug-in for paint.net as I mentioned some posts above. You copy the height map into the clipboard and then and in the normal map texture you select Effects - Object - Paste Alpha.
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