Dds For Photoshop Mac

Download the DDS Plugin on the NVIDIA web site to download. Click the 'Download' Button, and select the 'Texture Tools for Adobe Photoshop'. Now you just have to decide between the 32-Bit and 64-Bit variant. GIMP doesn't support DDS file format by default. To work with Direct Draw Surface (DDS) files, you have to install a GIMP DDS plugin first. Just follow the steps below to learn how to download and install GIMP DDS plugin. Note: I have tested this plugin on GIMP 2.8, it was working fine. But it may cause some issues with other versions.

• How To Open Dds Files In Photoshop
• Photoshop Cc Dds Plugin
• Photoshop Dds File
• Dds For Photoshop Cc
• Photoshop Open Dds
• Photoshop Dds Plugin Download
• Photoshop Cs2 Dds Plugin

This is a tutorial on how to convert wow icons from their native .DDS file format into a usable .PNG format en masse, also removing outer borders and resizing to desired dimensions.
I learned how to do this semi-automatically in order to create the avatar gallery here (which has over 5000 warcraft icon images). I thought I would share my findings as I haven't yet seen any comprehensive tutorial on how to do it yet :)
You will need to install the following if you haven't already:

• Xnconvert (Cross platform)
• Photoshop (Cross platform)
• Optional for mac usersQLdds (allows you to see .DDS thumbnails in Finder, Preview, etc.)

Brief summary of the steps (more detailed instructions below):

• First we will automatically convert the .DDS files into resized .PNG files.
• Then we will automatically add a black background and canvas resize for each icon.
• Then we will automatically convert the .PSD files into slightly sharpened, compressed (web-ready) .PNG files.

1. Load the .DDS files into Xnconvert
Once you have donwloaded a suitable batch of .DDS files, locate them in the finder and load them into Xnconvert. Here are 62 battlegrounds achievements icons that I want to convert (that I will be using as an example). Note that they look weird and not at all like finished icons (because they haven't got any black background yet).
Loading the folder of the 62 .DDS files into Xnconvert:

How To Open Dds Files In Photoshop

2. Add a resize filter in Xnconvert
The original .DDS files are 76x76, by resizing them to 72x72, we are enhancing the quality of the image a little bit.
3. Provide an output folder, select .PNG as output and convert!
Once you hit 'Convert' it will convert and resize your icons and put them into the folder you specified as .PNGs. But we're not done yet :)

Photoshop Cc Dds Plugin

4. Open one of the new .PNG icons in Photoshop and create an 'Action'

Any one of the icons will do. You're then going to want to open the 'Actions' window and 'record' a set of steps.
Follow the .GIF below, it is basically saving a set of instructions which Photoshop will use later to automatically do this for every icon in the batch.
(Create new action, it starts recording, create new layer, move layer to background, fill with black).
(Canvas resize to 60x60 pixels and stop recording. Your action is now saved.)
5. Batch process the icons using Photoshop script
In Photoshop, go to File > Scripts > Image Processor and then follow the .GIF below.
When you hit 'Run', Photoshop will sequentially process each of the .PNG icons according to the 'Action' you made previously.
It may take a while depending on how good your computer is and how many icons you are processing.
Note that we deselected .JPEG because it's shit. So is .TIFF, so we select .PSD (and just convert it back to .PNG later).
6. Nice, we have 62 normal looking Warcraft icons. but they're in .PSD..
So let's change them back to .PNG and compress them for web to get the final product.

Photoshop Dds File

Go back to Xnconvert and load the freshly processed .PSD icons you made using Photoshop:

Dds For Photoshop Cc

Note that they have loads of bloaty metadata so we will remove that.

Photoshop Open Dds

DISABLE the 'Resize' filter we were using before, and then add two new filters (Clean all metadata and Sharpen 15%). This will prettify and compress the icons a bit.

Photoshop Dds Plugin Download

Finally, specify a new output folder, make sure the output is still .PNG, and convert those badboys:
7. Finished!

Photoshop Cs2 Dds Plugin

You should end up with your 62 icons in a new folder as swanky .PNGs ready for use for whatever you would like :)
Notice: I do not own or claim rights to the original artwork, which is by Blizzard Entertainment and not by myself.
Any questions, suggestions or other comments please feel free to leave a post!

Nice work teebling :)

Can we get one for .EBL files as well at some point?

Any one of the icons will do. You're then going to want to open the 'Actions' window and 'record' a set of steps.
Follow the .GIF below, it is basically saving a set of instructions which Photoshop will use later to automatically do this for every icon in the batch.
(Create new action, it starts recording, create new layer, move layer to background, fill with black).
(Canvas resize to 60x60 pixels and stop recording. Your action is now saved.)
5. Batch process the icons using Photoshop script
In Photoshop, go to File > Scripts > Image Processor and then follow the .GIF below.
When you hit 'Run', Photoshop will sequentially process each of the .PNG icons according to the 'Action' you made previously.
It may take a while depending on how good your computer is and how many icons you are processing.
Note that we deselected .JPEG because it's shit. So is .TIFF, so we select .PSD (and just convert it back to .PNG later).
6. Nice, we have 62 normal looking Warcraft icons. but they're in .PSD..
So let's change them back to .PNG and compress them for web to get the final product.

Photoshop Dds File

Go back to Xnconvert and load the freshly processed .PSD icons you made using Photoshop:

Dds For Photoshop Cc

Note that they have loads of bloaty metadata so we will remove that.

Photoshop Open Dds

DISABLE the 'Resize' filter we were using before, and then add two new filters (Clean all metadata and Sharpen 15%). This will prettify and compress the icons a bit.

Photoshop Dds Plugin Download

Finally, specify a new output folder, make sure the output is still .PNG, and convert those badboys:
7. Finished!

Photoshop Cs2 Dds Plugin

You should end up with your 62 icons in a new folder as swanky .PNGs ready for use for whatever you would like :)
Notice: I do not own or claim rights to the original artwork, which is by Blizzard Entertainment and not by myself.
Any questions, suggestions or other comments please feel free to leave a post!

Nice work teebling :)

Can we get one for .EBL files as well at some point?

I had no idea it'd be such a lengthy process! Fair play, dude!

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A question came up in the comments to my previous post:

Any suggestions on the best way to edit DDS files on a Mac?

The answer is simple: do not edit DDS files!!!

The problem is simple: DDS is a lossy compressed format. Every time you go from an uncompressed/losslessly compressed format (like PNG, TIFF, or BMP) to a lossy format (like DDS or JPEG) you are going to lose a little bit of image quality. So if you re-open your DDS, edit it, and resave, your graphics program is going to make a round trip and reduce quality.

Chrome remote desktop. Chrome remote desktop. Your desktop anywhere. Securely access your computer from your phone, tablet, or another computer. It's fast, simple, and free. Inside the Mac App Store, type 'Microsoft Remote Desktop' into the search bar at the top right hand portion of the window. The option you want is an orange icon with a computer monitor on it. Microsoft remote desktop for mac app store. When you download an app, it should work as promised. Which is why human App Reviewers ensure that the apps on the App Store adhere to our strict app review standards. Our App Store Review Guidelines require apps to be safe, provide a good user experience, comply with our privacy rules, secure devices from malware and threats, and use approved. Next look for Microsoft Remote Desktop in the App Store to download the new application on your Mac running OS X Yosemite or higher. Once installed you can skip the first run experience. In the menu click connections and choose the option to import connections from the other app.

Therefore the work flow should be:

1. Edit the original PNG or photoshop master file.
2. When done, re-export to DDS.

So each time you work, you work from a lossless or uncompressed master (like PNG or a gimp/photoshop file) and then re-export to DDS.

About Ben Supnik

Ben is a software engineer who works on X-Plane; he spends most of his days drinking coffee and swearing at the computer -- sometimes at the same time.