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Texture Tools - Image Editing

Essential tools for creating and editing textures for Fallout 4 mods.

Table of Contents

What are Texture Tools?

Texture tools are software applications used to create, edit, and optimize image files that are applied to 3D models in Fallout 4.

Understanding Textures

Textures are 2D images that wrap around 3D models to give them color, detail, and surface properties. They're essential for creating realistic and detailed mods.

Essential Software

Professional and free tools for creating and editing textures.

Adobe Photoshop

The industry standard for texture creation and editing:

  • Professional image editing capabilities
  • Advanced layer management
  • Powerful filters and effects
  • DDS plugin support for game textures

GIMP (Free Alternative)

A free, open-source alternative to Photoshop:

  • Similar functionality to Photoshop
  • Free to use
  • Good for beginners
  • Supports DDS format with plugins

Substance Painter

Professional 3D texturing software:

  • 3D painting directly on models
  • Procedural texturing tools
  • Material libraries
  • Export to various game formats

Texture Formats

Understanding the different texture formats used in Fallout 4.

DDS (DirectDraw Surface)

The primary texture format used by Fallout 4:

  • Supports compression (DXT1, DXT5, BC7)
  • Mipmap support for performance
  • Direct GPU loading
  • Smaller file sizes

Common DDS Formats

  • DXT1: RGB textures without alpha
  • DXT5: RGBA textures with alpha channel
  • BC7: High-quality compression (Fallout 4)
  • BC5: Normal maps

Texture Types

Different types of textures used in Fallout 4 materials.

Diffuse/Albedo

The base color texture that defines the object's appearance:

  • Contains color information only
  • No lighting or shadows
  • Usually in DXT1 or BC7 format

Normal Maps

Define surface detail and bump mapping:

  • RGB channels represent X, Y, Z normals
  • Creates illusion of surface detail
  • Usually in BC5 format

Specular Maps

Control how surfaces reflect light:

  • White = highly reflective
  • Black = no reflection
  • Gray = partial reflection

Roughness Maps

Control surface roughness in PBR materials:

  • White = rough surface
  • Black = smooth surface
  • Used in modern Fallout 4 materials

Workflow

Essential workflow for creating and optimizing textures.

Creating Textures

  1. Start with high-resolution source images
  2. Edit in your preferred software
  3. Create multiple texture maps (diffuse, normal, specular)
  4. Export to DDS format
  5. Test in-game

Optimization

  • Use appropriate texture sizes (512x512, 1024x1024, 2048x2048)
  • Choose correct compression format
  • Generate mipmaps for performance
  • Test on different hardware

Tools and Plugins

Essential plugins and specialized tools for texture work.

DDS Plugins

  • NVIDIA Texture Tools: For Photoshop
  • Intel Texture Works: Alternative DDS plugin
  • GIMP DDS Plugin: For GIMP users

Specialized Tools

  • CrazyBump: Normal map generation
  • Materialize: PBR texture creation
  • TexTools: Texture analysis and conversion

Best Practices

Follow these guidelines for professional-quality textures.

Texture Guidelines

  • Use power-of-2 dimensions (256, 512, 1024, 2048)
  • Keep file sizes reasonable for performance
  • Test textures on different lighting conditions
  • Use appropriate compression for each texture type
  • Maintain consistency across your mod

Next Steps

Continue your modding journey with these related topics.

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