Constructor: Miscalculates Formats
by Depidesign · in Constructor · 04/15/2007 (12:42 pm) · 12 replies
First nd foremost... The Torque Constructor is great, One problem that seems to be growing amoung the community is the imports of images "in the power of 2" I use Photoshop and I've precisely formated all my images to 16x16, 128x128, & 512x512. What I've notice is that when I import these images into the constructor. The Torque constructor reades them one point under their format (i.e. the original 512X512 would be seen as 511x511).
About the author
Interactive Media Designer with experience in graphic design, motion graphic design, video editing, web design, and ui design. Applications of Choice: Adobe Creative Suite, Native-Instruments, Cakewalk Sonar,Sony Sound Forge, and FL Studio
#2
I will send you the image for further testing!!! Thanks for the help.
04/16/2007 (5:02 pm)
Sure, I will send you an e-mail... Where I se the error is when I place an image into the constructor using the materials>>Open Texture Browser>>Created a new Album>>Add the image>> Error Message: Adding Texture Warning!!! Warbibg the size of... the image name... is not a power of 2 OK button.I will send you the image for further testing!!! Thanks for the help.
#3
I then opened your image within Adobe Photoshop 5.5 (the latest version I have) and use the Image->Image Size... menu to check it out. From the Image Size window Photoshop is indeed reporting that the image is 513x513. And for what its worth, the Canvas Size is also 513x513 -- which is what you'd expect. So from my end the two applications are agreeing with each other.
And if I hover my mouse over the file within Windows' File Explorer the tool tip also indicates the dimensions to be 513x513.
- LightWave Dave
04/16/2007 (8:31 pm)
OK I've taken a look at the JPG file you sent me. As you mentioned, Constructor is indicating that the image is 513x513, and thus not a power of 2.I then opened your image within Adobe Photoshop 5.5 (the latest version I have) and use the Image->Image Size... menu to check it out. From the Image Size window Photoshop is indeed reporting that the image is 513x513. And for what its worth, the Canvas Size is also 513x513 -- which is what you'd expect. So from my end the two applications are agreeing with each other.
And if I hover my mouse over the file within Windows' File Explorer the tool tip also indicates the dimensions to be 513x513.
- LightWave Dave
#4
04/17/2007 (3:56 am)
I'm sorry, I used Adobe Illustrator (latest of Adobe CS2 Family) I will try Adobe Photoshop (version 9) see if it comes up with the same issues or resolves the issue. Again Thanks for the help!
#5
For you beginners out there like myself, use Phooshop in all your endeavors regarding the Torque Constructor. It works! If you're using the Illustrator, forget about it. Illustrators format is not Torque Constructor's format.
04/17/2007 (4:17 am)
Heads up GG fam:For you beginners out there like myself, use Phooshop in all your endeavors regarding the Torque Constructor. It works! If you're using the Illustrator, forget about it. Illustrators format is not Torque Constructor's format.
#6
I try to save PNGS from Photoshop 7 and I have no luck as it seems to compress them and then Torque doesn't like them and I can't find an option to make it not do it.
Secondly I save a PNG with an alpha layer and then I re-open it in something like ifranview to check it out and it's just RGB no alpha :(
so I've been saving them as PSD's and using Ifranview to save those as PNG RGB+A no compression and getting better results but, I think that in all of its glory Photoshop should be able to do it right, even with an extra plugin but without the help of a shareware app
04/17/2007 (5:47 am)
If any graphics guru's can answer this one for me I'll be stoked. How do you get photoshop to not compress the PNG's it saves, and also, how can you make it save the alpha layer on a PNG. I try to save PNGS from Photoshop 7 and I have no luck as it seems to compress them and then Torque doesn't like them and I can't find an option to make it not do it.
Secondly I save a PNG with an alpha layer and then I re-open it in something like ifranview to check it out and it's just RGB no alpha :(
so I've been saving them as PSD's and using Ifranview to save those as PNG RGB+A no compression and getting better results but, I think that in all of its glory Photoshop should be able to do it right, even with an extra plugin but without the help of a shareware app
#7
04/17/2007 (6:35 am)
You will want to use super png: tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/Editing_Beginner/Tools/SuperPNG
#8
04/17/2007 (4:17 pm)
Thanks, that was simple :) 
#9
04/17/2007 (4:30 pm)
@Jeff - or File->Save For Web->Png 24 bit works too.
#10
Save to web will work as long as you don't use actual alpha channels - it will export the image transparency as an alpha channel, but that will not lead to nearly as reliable results as hand-made alpha channels, and will be completely useless for alternate alpha uses such as shader specular mapping.
Ebonixs: Illustrator is a vector creation utility, so when you export you are converting your file to raster (pixelized) format. I would always take Illustrator created art through Photoshop if possible.
04/25/2007 (11:06 am)
Yes, for some reason Photoshop has never properly supported PNG export. The version of SuperPNG on TDN addresses this issue correctly.Save to web will work as long as you don't use actual alpha channels - it will export the image transparency as an alpha channel, but that will not lead to nearly as reliable results as hand-made alpha channels, and will be completely useless for alternate alpha uses such as shader specular mapping.
Ebonixs: Illustrator is a vector creation utility, so when you export you are converting your file to raster (pixelized) format. I would always take Illustrator created art through Photoshop if possible.
#11
Do not flatten it, do not save it as a copy. I just did this with a simple box. Upon reloading it appears with its
Alpha.
04/25/2007 (12:37 pm)
In Photoshop CS2,CS,7,5.5 to save an alpha for your PNG, you have to keep it on a seperated layer.Do not flatten it, do not save it as a copy. I just did this with a simple box. Upon reloading it appears with its
Alpha.
#12
SuperPNG plug was making photoshop 7 crash, I don't know if it was because of a corrupted download or because I also put the samle mikey.png in the plugin folder, but I downloaded the one from the TDN page and its works now.
During all my frustration, I found another PNG plugin apparently called PNGform, I can't tell you much about it other than it has a checkbox labled 'Save Alpha' when you save using it
you can check it out here's the link www.freephotoshop.com/Goodies/pngform.zip
04/25/2007 (12:57 pm)
Thats an awesome tip! I'll have to try that too...SuperPNG plug was making photoshop 7 crash, I don't know if it was because of a corrupted download or because I also put the samle mikey.png in the plugin folder, but I downloaded the one from the TDN page and its works now.
During all my frustration, I found another PNG plugin apparently called PNGform, I can't tell you much about it other than it has a checkbox labled 'Save Alpha' when you save using it
you can check it out here's the link www.freephotoshop.com/Goodies/pngform.zip
Associate David Wyand
Gnometech Inc.
Where within Constructor are you seeing the incorrect sizing values? What file format are you using? Would you be able to share one of these files?
Thanks.
- LightWave Dave