I have managed to create a four channel image in PSP 8 and get it into the correct DDS format for Sims 3.

*edit* See post #33 for an updated version of these instructions that do not require the DDS plug-in

Here's what I did:

- Install the NVIDIA Legacy DDS Utilities from http://developer.nvidia.com/object/...ies_legacy.html
- Follow Misty's tutorial up to the point where you have filled in the NVIDIA options screen.
- Click "Set Profile Directory" and select the folder containing your image.
- Click "Save Profile" and name the profile "sims3.dpf".
- Click "Cancel".
- Save the image as a 24bit, uncompressed .TGA file.
- Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder containing your image.
- Type the following command:
- nvdxt -file *.tga -profile sims3.dpf
- Resume Misty's tutorial

Once you have done this once all you need to do for subsequent images is save them as 24bit, uncompressed .TGA files and issue the command again. You can replace "*.tga" with the name of your image to avoid converting every image in the folder every time nvdxt is run.

Yay, Feefa! Yesterday my brain was going in so many ways, and I was going to try the Legacy DDS plugin for PSP7 after the other one didn't work and then I really don't know what happened because I completely forgot to do that. Even so, I would never have known to do all of the other things you did to save it.

I'm too stubborn to give up until I've solved the problem and too mean to upgrade PSP.

I know that feeling! I don't upgrade things when the one I have works perfectly fine. I did upgrade to PSP9 a couple of years ago, after it had gone down in price, because its features work better for a lot of things I do. Even so, PSP7 is a very worthy graphics program as I'm sure PSP8 is.

I've been seriously considering upgrading my video card but can't spend a ton of money to do it so I was cruising NewEgg today and found one that will run circles around the one I have for only $50. We built this computer four years ago and this will be its first upgrade. There are just too many more important things to do with money than be all the time spending it software and computer upgrades.

Thank you very much Misty for this well-explained tutorial! Now I'm understanding all working with pattern just now!

You're very welcome, Missi!

I am really frusterated because i can make patterns in psp 9 now but it wont save as dds. I keep getting error saying 'plugin caused access violation' and i have searched the web but cannot seem to find much info on it..........Grrrrrr lol

I have gimp installed and i can open dds files in that, but i dont like gimps UI as i'm used to psp's. Gimp is well - just awkward!

P.s I also get the error when trying to open dds files with psp9

red_dragons : You should be able to use the PSP 8 method to create a DDS file without using the plug-in.

- Install the NVIDIA Legacy DDS Utilities from http://developer.nvidia.com/object/...ies_legacy.html
- Download the .ZIP archive attached to this message and extract the file in it into the same folder as your image
- Follow Misty's tutorial up to the point just before you save the DDS file.
- Save the image as a 24bit, uncompressed .TGA file or a Photoshop .PSD file.
- Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder containing your image.
- Type the following command replacing {your_filename} with whatever you named the file:
- nvdxt -file {your_filename} -profile sims3.dpf
- Resume Misty's tutorial

Red_Dragons, which version of the DDS plug-in are you using? I've managed to create myself quite a few errors but haven't seen that one.

I'm fairly certain if you're using PSP 9 you need the later version of the DDS plug-in, not the Legacy version. I have only tried the later version in PSP 9 and it worked so I didn't try the Legacy version.

Yay! I can't wait to try this! I posted a question in Delphy's thread about using PSP because I couldn't figure it out. Thank you so much!

omg soooo frustraited i seprate it but mine seprates under color not image cuz i have 7 not 9 so i go to combine back 2 gather and it says they all need to be the smae width and height but they are any suggestions am i doing it wrong or something i have gimp as well but cant figure out how to do this with gimp

Thank you soo much for this tut, Misty. Thanks to you I've been able to upload my very first (decent) pattern.

I can't thank you enough for your explanations, especially with the dds plugin for PSP.

ok, I am trying to use paint shop pro X2 and of course there is no dds save, is there a dds plugin that will work for me, BTW, the tutorial is great, made it all the way to the save dds, and got stop.

I'm sorry for late responses, everyone, but when I remember to check this thread daily there are no posts, then I forget to check for a few days and low and behold, the proverbial pot boiled over!

@ 1pinkmonkey: I haven't been able to work through this process in PSP 7 and make it work as well as it does in PSP 9 so I gave up on that. I'm not saying that it won't work, just that I don't know how to do it. It took all I could muster just to be able to learn this in PSP 9 and get it all put into a reasonably understandable tutorial. I believe that in HP's tutorial, she goes into some good detail on how to do this in GIMP so you may want to read that. I see she is re-writing the tutorial and I didn't take the time to read through what she has but it would be worth checking.

@ Nan: You are very welcome. I love the pattern you submitted, too!

@ John1946: Did you try the NVidia's DDS plug-ins from the site in the first post? There are two versions and I would assume the later one (not the Legacy version) would work with your version of PSP but I could be wrong. These plug-ins are only backward compatible so far, but they should be completely forward compatible.

thank you for this tutorial, when i first started messing with patterns, i completely looked this tute over, i thought it mightve been to difficult for me as a beginner, i used a bunch of other ones, now that i am knowledgeable on patterns somewhat, i found it irritating that i couldn't get certain parts of my patterns to look the way i wanted, this tute fixed that..so thanks!!! :D

Thank you so much for this!! The pictures are excellent!!

I have PSP as Photoshop is really expensive for non-professional work. I have PSP 11, it should still work though right? will the DDS plugin work in PSP11?

Thank you sooo much! Now I'm not saying it worked (not that it'd be you) but it saved okay. I just haven't tested it yet. Going to try one a bit more complicated then test both. It'll give me more practice with the tutorial

You write excellent tutorials and thank you for the pics! lol I'm very experienced with psp 9 but not so much with the channels, just layers & editing pics, etc.

The way I made the 4 sections was to create one more new image but that one was at 128 x128. It fit perfectly in corners I'd copy the square from that to the bigger one, changing colors as I went until I had 4 unique colored squares. I couldn't figure out how you made the squares so perfect in there even with my ruler turned on. lol

Thanks again!!

xts*

EDIT: They both worked great!! But only one *looked* great and that's the square one. lol. The strange pattern I tried works with "some" things but it's ideal to be centered but doesn't center on beds. Hey, thanks much!!

(ALL THE TIPS IN THE THREAD HELPED ME, THANKS EVERYONE!!)
My new pattern thanks to you guys!!

If you want it, it's at TheSims3 under Xts2009. http://www.thesims3.com/mypage/XTS2009 Thanks so much for all your help!!

Awesome tut. Can't wait to get home and try it! Thank you.

Hi feefa,

Thanks to you and misty.
Quick question.
When I open command prompt etc, I get error message:

'nvdxt' is not recognised as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

What am I doing wrong?

Hawkster, my memory is so bad I find myself referring back to my own tutorials at times just to do things right. :P

Which version of PSP are you using? Did you make sure to download the correct version of the plug-in for your PSP? I think I remember running into that error when trying to use the wrong version.

I have a more expanded version of this tutorial on our website here. I really need to somehow post that updated version here and get rid of this one. Too much to do and too little time to get it all covered but I am currently in catch-up mode so I just might get it done before much longer.

Hi Misty, Using PSP 8 - I have the Legacy plug-in (v3.02) it's the same one I get using the link feefa gave on this thread, but it does look different to your screen shot. (It only gives the option DDS.dds in the PSP drop down box whilst yours says D3D.dss I think.) Saving directly from PSP is ok if I only have RGB (using your tut, so thanks again) and save option Interpolated Alpha (DXT5), but wants to merge file if I try to add the Alpha channel.

Using feefa's amendment, similarly PSP8 wants to merge file if I try to save ARGB as a .tga, although it works as a .psd, but that command prompt doesn't seem to want to know. (Vista 64bit, not that I think it makes a difference?)
For patterns, RGB is not so bad - for clothing styles, there's just not a hope in hell - it sends the mannequin white!

Should I download the adobe .dds plug-in instead? And try it as though it's PSP 9?
Happy (Forth Bridge) catching up, btw!

PSP9, using latest plugin, no matter what I call the PlugIns folder or how I set up the plugins options, it completely refuses to acknowledge I have DDS plugins.

PSP7, using legacy plugins, does see them and offer DDS as a Save to... option. But it says "due to format of specified file, no alpha channels will be saved" and the program just closes.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Ok so this is a awsome tut I have managed to do things I have never ben able to do before and it even helped me understand paintshop pro 9 a whole lot more.



But, Im kinda having a problem and I can't find help for it. I am trying to edit a patern that I want some of the picture to be unchanged and others to be changable.

For Example




I would like to be able to change the outfit' s and the background but leave the rest alone

Is there a way of doing this?

Does anyone know how to get Paint Shop Pro 10 to recognise the file type? I downloaded and installed the relevant NVIDIA files, the installer placed them in programs/coral/Paint Shop Pro 10/plug ins but nothing is happening in the program, the file type is missing even after restarting the program and computer. I can do the rest of the tutorial, channel separation, alpha channel etc.. just when it comes to 'save as' there is no dds file type in the drop down box =[

Ok just found the answer which may or may not apply to many users having problems with it.. and the answer is simple, for my problem..
goto FILE > PREFERENCES > FILE LOCATIONS
in the FILE TYPES BOX find and higlight PLUG-INS
on the right you will see the location settings for plugins, use the '...' box to point to the differently spelled 'Plug-Ins' folder (one thing or another labels it as one word 'plugins') but if your folder is spelled 'Plug-Ins' this is how it should appear in the file locations pointer =]
Tick all boxes and click 'OK' job done, restart PSP and it should now appear in EFFECTS > Plug-ins and the save as menu =]