Thread Tools Display Modes
07-29-14, 09:03 AM   #1
sakurakira
A Chromatic Dragonspawn
 
sakurakira's Avatar
AddOn Author - Click to view addons
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 151
blp quality loss

I've looked at the various threads in this subforum and none of them really addressed my specific issue. My main goal is using blp as texture replacements (in the Interface folder), not in an addon, so I do need to use the blp format and can't use tga.

My main problem is a loss in quality when I convert png into blp. See attachment. My main method of conversion is BLP2PNG, but I've also tried using this Photoshop Plug-in, and also saving as a 32-bit tga and converting it to blp. All of these methods produce the same amount of quality loss, even when the source is 32-bit.

Is this just a problem native the the blp format, or is there some other conversion method I can use?
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	blpthing.jpg
Views:	622
Size:	205.4 KB
ID:	8158  
__________________
Arise, my champion!
  Reply With Quote
07-29-14, 11:10 AM   #2
Gethe
RealUI Developer
 
Gethe's Avatar
Premium Member
Featured
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 942
I've been using Blpc for conversion. It allows you to choose the compression method (e.g. Raw) in order to get the best results.
__________________
Knowledge = Power; Be OP

  Reply With Quote
07-29-14, 11:46 AM   #3
Duugu
Premium Member
 
Duugu's Avatar
AddOn Author - Click to view addons
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 851
Dito for http://www.wowinterface.com/download...Converter.html.
It provides an option to specify the compression.
  Reply With Quote
07-29-14, 01:50 PM   #4
sakurakira
A Chromatic Dragonspawn
 
sakurakira's Avatar
AddOn Author - Click to view addons
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 151
Thank you both for the responses. I've tried both of those programs out just now.

With Blpc the dxt 1, 3, 5 formats all saved fine and I can view them fine in XnView and Photoshop. Unfortunately raw1 showed nothing at all, and raw3 was corrupted when I tried to open them in XnView or PS (see attachment). I CAN view them within Blpc itself and they do show up in WoW. But I think being unable to view them outside of Blpc is rather odd. Any suggestions?

With BLPNG Converter I had the same issues. The indexed (256 color) and dxt compression saved and viewed fine, but the uncompressed had the same corruption found in the raw3 above.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	blpthing2.jpg
Views:	569
Size:	9.8 KB
ID:	8159  
__________________
Arise, my champion!
  Reply With Quote
07-29-14, 02:34 PM   #5
Phanx
Cat.
 
Phanx's Avatar
AddOn Author - Click to view addons
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 5,617
Originally Posted by sakurakira View Post
With BLPNG Converter I had the same issues. The indexed (256 color) and dxt compression saved and viewed fine, but the uncompressed had the same corruption found in the raw3 above.
I've noticed that many BLPs produced by BLPNG Converter appear corrupted in the Windows thumbnail preview, but they've all worked fine in WoW, so I'd tend to blame the preview handler, not the converter, for that particular issue.
__________________
Retired author of too many addons.
Message me if you're interested in taking over one of my addons.
Don’t message me about addon bugs or programming questions.
  Reply With Quote
10-22-14, 08:10 AM   #6
Digital_Utopia
A Flamescale Wyrmkin
 
Digital_Utopia's Avatar
AddOn Author - Click to view addons
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 110
For that image, I'd suggest Indexed mode, with 8-bit alpha if it has a drop shadow. Don't confuse the BLPs Indexed format with the limitations of a gif, as it's palette is only limited by the number of colors, and not which colors. So if you have a red button, all 256 colors could be a shade of red ...and so on.

DXT is a lossy format - a great way of keeping colorful model and object textures small and looking good, but it's absolutely horrible at interface elements where every pixel counts.

Obviously No compression would also give you a great result - but it would be the equivalent of using a BMP, and the massive file size that goes with it.

As far as the viewer goes - as well as BLP2PNG, there's one format combination they don't support. Which is the main reason I made BLPNG in the first place. The Corruption on the other hand, I'm not sure of the cause, and unless BLP Viewer has source code available, I'd have no way of knowing for sure.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
10-22-14, 08:14 AM   #7
Kkthnx
A Cobalt Mageweaver
 
Kkthnx's Avatar
AddOn Author - Click to view addons
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 247
I have to say BLP2PNG is the one to consider. I have been using it for months now. I have never had an issue with it. Images turn out great in-game.
__________________
Success isn't what you've done compared to others. Success is what you've done compared to what you were made to do.
  Reply With Quote

WoWInterface » Developer Discussions » Graphics Help » blp quality loss

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off