HELP! cockpit textures modding

Hi y'all.

SO, I am trying to mod the F-14 cockpit so the writings are much more visible in VR.

I have modified this file

HB_F14_CPT_RIO_L_BREAKERS_05.dds

It has a bunch of white writings on a transparent background.

but when I install the mod, I can see the new writings but all the background texture is pitch black.

As I edited,

1. I used a black layer to be able to read the writings, but then I removed it.

2. I compressed everything down in one layer and saved as .DDS file. Is there any particular setting in the file type that I need to save with?

3. I noticed there is a black halo around the original writings, like a smudge, which I have partially erased, but still there in most part.

4. BTW, I used paint.net

How to deal with the black texture then?

Thanks a lot,

Waze

The background isn't really transparent, it's a texture with 0% opacity.

The writings are both on the RGB channels and on the alpha (transparency).

As far as I understand, the RGB channels are used to show the texture in game, and the alpha is used for the red lightning.

On the left, RGB channels. On the right, the alpha (transparency).

I suppose you've overwriten the RGB texture while flattening all layers, making the background fully black.

I suggest you to :

1 - Disable the alpha channel

2 - Paint on the RGB channels to mask existing texts (you may have to use something else than a "simple" brush because the texture is not "flat")

3 - Add you own texts on a new layer.

4 - re-enable the alpha channel, disable RGB channels

5 - On the alpha channel, paint writings in black

6 - Copy the alpha of your texts on the alpha of the texture.

You have to save your texture in a "Color+alpha" preset. The best compression setting would be BC7, but I'm not sure it is compatible with paint.net. If you can't find BC7, use DXT5 (aka BC3, lesser quality) or uncompressed (aka 8.8.8.8, best quality but uses A LOT of storage).

The intel dds export plugin setting in photoshop :

Thank you much, great answer! Now I am struggling to make it work with GIMP, but at least you pointed me in the right way!

Specifically, I see that the alpha channel has black writing, which I suppose let the red cockpit light through.

But I can't quite work on it without affecting the RGB channels, and I cannot modify the RGB channels without affecting alpha... mmmh... I'll keep looking at tutorials!

I wish they worked like layers which can be independently modified. I guess I am not getting the logic here...

Thanks!

Have you read this (to import BC7 textures into Gimp) ? https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=236816

Could be interesting...

Channels are pretty annoying to edit... You'd better do all the work in layers, then copy their content to alpha.

IIRC, for the texts, once you've remove all previous texts in RGB and alpha channels :

(keep in mind I'm using photoshop, you'll have to adapt the procedure to Gimp)

1 - Write your texts (you'll end up with text objects, still editable)

2 - Once your texts are good, make a copy (sort them in groups, it would be much easier). You'll need to have a group with your RGB texts, and another one with "alpha" texts. Hide the RGB group.

3 - In the "alpha" group, modify all texts colors to white (or the opposite of your alpha background. Mine is white texts on black background)

4 - Pixelize all texts in this group, then merge layers. You should end up with all your white texts on a single transparent layer (white texts no longer editable).

5 - Select this layer content and ctrl+C

6 - Enable and select the alpha channel, disable RGB channels

7 - Paste in place

8 - Enable your RGB texts layers. Make sure RGB and alpha texts are exactly aligned.

Good luck ;)

problem is by doing this my file is twice the size.. original is 10.6mb then after the size is 21mb ? There is a compression problem any advice ? thx

No ?