Try changing the extension on the end from .bnry to .dds. Some programs don't view it as a .DDS when extracted. If you're using a 64-bit operating system the DDS plugins don't play nice with Vista. I can't get it to open DDS files with the plugin either. It'll save alright but opening the DDS it just gives me the same error you get. I've just given up on using PSP until NVidia releases plugins that work on Vista 64-bit.

You can however open with GIMP, paste the DDS into PSP, do your editing and paste it back into GIMP for the save. The only problem with this is if you're doing something like clothing that has a blank background in some areas when it's pasted back into GIMP it's a solid color. So I just use the select tool to outline my image and fill the background with a solid color not present in the image. I find hot pink works pretty good for most things. Then I just use GIMPs color selection tool to select anything pink and delete it.

It took Regina's instructions below in order to get PSP to even use the plugins to save...

They have the .DDS extension, and I'm using Windows XP.

Edit: I've worked out the problem. For some reason, PSP hates DDS files with really long names. If I rename the files, they'll open without a problem.

Glad you got it worked out Syera. I'll have to give that a try. That's probably why it doesn't work for me either.

Edit. Yep, that was it. Thankfully, CTU extracted files work without renaming but textures extracted with other programs doesn't.

Syera and I were mulling over why the same files would open in my PSP but not hers. We just checked our version numbers and everything is identical there. That is weird.

It's good to know there's a work-around, though.

After re-reading through much of this thread and playing around with settings while saving the DDS, I have a few questions.

I started checking the file sizes of the DDS images and I've noticed that when I exported this latest texture its size was something like 37 kbs. When I saved it with the 8.8.8.8 setting it saved at 86 kb. When I played around with the settings HP recommended for skins, I wound up with a file size of 22 kb.

I realize on small files it's not going to make a huge difference, but I'm thinking about the likes of the money tree replacement texture. That file is over a meg in size and I want to be able to make the smallest package sizes possible.

Just experimenting with a shirt between uncompressed and DXT5 It makes about a huge difference in file size. The uncompressed file grew 3mb. You are correct using some form of compression would be advisable. Thanks for pointing that out. I'll make a revision to the tutorial and remove the PDF entirely since it's becoming outdated and I don't have the time to make all the revisions to it at the moment.

can you use photoshop

harryishere - Yes, you can use any program capable of handling DDS files. You'll need a plugin for Photoshop. Google "photoshop DDS plugin"

Thanks, Thomas, for confirming that! I was also wondering which file compression to use for various things, so is DXT5 good for this type of texture, then?

I'm not too sure about the various compressions but alot of the smaller textures seem to use DXT1. Clothing seems to use various compression for each individual file. I haven't really noticed much of a different between uncompressed any other setting using GIMP other than the file sizes being larger without compression.

Thank you, Thomas! I'll probably give it a shot tomorrow and see how it turns out ingame. I thought about doing it today then got wrapped up in other stuff. It's a pretty popular download, so if I can get a smaller package for it, the sooner the better to save more people from having to download it again.

TY so much!
Now I can make some eyes for my personal usage (and maybe if there good enough, the web site), and some other things, too!

Okay, so is their any way to search parts of names? Because going through hundreds of files looking for something isn't easy. Also, I just made new newspaper

This has a search feature. It should make find some thing easier provided EA named the texture something sensible.

Ok, so I've just finished 3 different recolours of baby bottles, without even a little problem!
This is so easy
I think I'm gonna upload them to the site!

sorry, but i don't have understand
where I export dds? I don't view the botton...
if I double click on file, i see the windows with details

You need to go up to File --> Export on the main window.

mhhh , but I don't have options export dds

It doesn't export them as DDS. You have to export as all files and change the .bnry to .dds although GIMP seems to open the .bnry files just fine other programs seem to have problems with it.

I am finally getting to be able to play with the compression. I've run a few tests at two different compressions and here are my results:

DTX 5 ARGB 8 8bpp interperolated alpha seems to be the best setting to save the default replacement textures. The file is reasonably sized (about 350 kb vs. 1.3 megs). The only problem I ran into with that setting (and I'm using S3PE) was that the first time I changed to the new file and started my game I got a crash to the desktop. Restarting after that worked perfectly. The first time I let it run through the load movie, the second time not. I can almost guarantee that the crash resulted in having replaced the older files rather than adding them to the game new because TS3 has to go through updating a bunch of stuff every time anything like this is updated.

File saved as DXT1 with no alpha loads, but of course it didn't save an alpha so doesn't display properly. File saved as DXT1 with 1 bit alpha crashes every time.

It seems to me that the DXT5 with the interpolated alpha is the setting to use.

thank you so much! I've created my first eyes for sims 3.

^__^

Misty, I've been reading around the place in this. From what I've read it depends on what youre saving, things like eyes don't have an alpha as such (from what I can make out) so it may be better to save them as DTX 3 or even DTX1. I'm sure it was HP who told me that. Items with an alpha are better saved as a DTX5.

I think it will be different dependant on the item you're making. This is so frustrating lmao

In post #17, I found out that I can edit skintone files. How do I create skintones for adult hairy men? I think that I have to edit AMbody files.

Well, you certainly wouldn't edit the AFbody.

Actually, there's a tutorial for default skintone replacements further down the page.

I have a question please. Would this work for the road textuers?