| name | fs25-texture-guide |
| description | Use when working with FS25 textures, DDS formats, normal maps, specular maps, texture naming conventions, or resolution guidelines. |
FS25 Texture Guide
Overview
Texture conventions and formats for FS25 modding. GIANTS Engine uses DDS textures with specific format requirements.
When to Use
- Creating or converting textures for a mod
- Choosing the right DDS format
- Setting up material textures (diffuse, normal, specular)
- Debugging texture issues (pink/missing textures)
DDS Formats
| Texture Type | Format | Suffix | Notes |
|---|
| Diffuse/Albedo | BC1 (DXT1) or BC3 (DXT5) | _diffuse | BC3 if alpha needed |
| Normal map | BC5 (ATI2/3Dc) | _normal | 2-channel (RG), NOT BC1 |
| Specular/Gloss | BC1 (DXT1) or BC3 (DXT5) | _specular | R=specular, A=gloss (if BC3) |
| Mask/Alpha | BC4 (ATI1) | varies | Single channel |
Important: Normal maps MUST be BC5. Using BC1/DXT1 for normals causes visible banding artifacts.
Naming Conventions
myVehicle_diffuse.dds
myVehicle_normal.dds
myVehicle_specular.dds
myVehicle_vmask.dds # vehicle color mask
myVehicle_dirt.dds # dirt overlay
Base game patterns:
store_ prefix for shop images
_ao suffix for ambient occlusion
_vmask for vehicle color mask (paintable areas)
Resolution Guidelines
| Asset Type | Typical Resolution |
|---|
| Large vehicle | 2048×2048 or 4096×4096 |
| Small implement | 1024×1024 or 2048×2048 |
| Placeable building | 2048×2048 |
| UI icon / store image | 256×256 or 512×512 |
| Terrain layer | 1024×1024 (tiling) |
- Always use power-of-two dimensions (256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096)
- Generate mipmaps for all 3D textures
- Store images do NOT need mipmaps
Material Setup in I3D
<Material name="vehicleMat" materialId="1"
customShaderId="2" customShaderVariation="colorMask">
<Texture fileId="1" />
<Normalmap fileId="2" />
<Glossmap fileId="3" />
</Material>
Shader Variations
| Variation | Use Case |
|---|
default | Standard opaque material |
colorMask | Paintable vehicle (uses vmask) |
alphaTest | Cutout transparency (foliage, fences) |
alphaBlend | Smooth transparency (glass) |
mirror | Reflective surfaces |
Color Mask (Vehicle Painting)
The _vmask.dds texture controls which areas are paintable:
- R channel: Primary color area
- G channel: Secondary color area (if supported)
- B channel: Tertiary / detail area
- White = fully paintable, Black = not paintable
Common Issues
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|
| Pink/magenta texture | Missing or wrong file path | Check <Files> paths in I3D |
| Blurry at distance | Missing mipmaps | Regenerate DDS with mipmaps |
| Normal map looks flat | Wrong format (BC1 instead of BC5) | Re-export as BC5 |
| Shiny/dark patches | Wrong specular format | Check specular is proper format |
| Texture seams | UV island padding too small | Add 4-8px padding between UV islands |
Tools
- GIANTS Editor: Built-in texture preview and material editing
- Paint.NET / GIMP: With DDS plugin for texture creation
- texconv (DirectXTex): Command-line DDS conversion
- Compressonator (AMD): DDS compression with preview