Importing DDS image files

[GarethF]

Hi,

Whilst building my game i have to import several graphics into my label and check list interactions; quite often when i import the .dds file which looks fine in Photoshop into Thinking Worlds, it often comes out squashed, or smaller then required.
For example, with one image i have had to make it 1/3rd bigger vertically then it should be to allow it to look ok in Thinking Worlds. The image also looks different in the Label menu compared to within the actual game itself.

Screen 1 below shows my image within the editor, you can see how not all of the helicopter fits on the display, and it is also alot fatter. This is still only a very rough version.

Is this a regular problem, as i seem to have to just guess at sizes somewhat.

Regards,
Gareth

[cbibeau]

If I may, let me share my own experience with the same situation.

As explained in the Caspian tutorials, when importing new dds in Thinking Worlds, the proprtions of the object must fit within predefined sizes, which are exponential of 2. Those measurements are 2-4-16-32-64-128-256-512-1024-2048 etc...
Obviously, one gets stranded in a very limited choice of options when comes time to choose a size for the picture or image to be used; a too small 128 X 256 image might be too big at 512 X 1024...

I went around this little irritant by simply use whatever size picture I wanted to use, but modifing its canvas to the proper measurements described above. You just then select the background of your canvas, delete it before you save it and it will show as transparent once in Thinking Worlds.

For example I will open a picture 300 X 400 pixels in Paint.net, set the canvas to 512 X 512 pixels, then use a selection tool (like the magic wand) to select the white part of my background, and delete it. If you save it as dds, and then use it in one of the Thinking Worlds custom layout interaction, you will see the background appear as a teal color (indicating that it will be transparent). If you run your projects, you will see the final result as a non-distorded picture or drawing at the exact size and proportion you wanted to see at the beginning.

I hope this helps