Image Tool Guide

[Guest Srgtroy]

While I know that the Image Tool is not that extensive, and that many of its functions are self-evident, I am wondering if there is any kind of guide out there to describe Image Tool in depth. For instance, what does 'outline image' or 'overlap' do and how are they used? There are other functions as well like 'fold edges', 'create fallback' and 'make guage' for example. I searched Google for a comprehensive guide but couldn't find one. Are there any out there?Thanks,Roy

[arno 1]

Hi Roy,No, I have never seen any documentation on these features. With the SDK comes no ImageTool specific documentation. And from testing the features you mentioned in never saw clearly what they are supposed to do. So my solution is to ignore them :).

[GaryGB 10]

Hi Roy:I have thus far been unsuccessful getting the FSX-SP2 SDK ImageTool.exe to respond to the normal CMD Mode methods to display help info.So I opened it in Quick View (remember that program from the install options in Windows 95 & 98? in the Hexadecimal Viewer Mode.Here's what I saw when "viewing" (read-only!) the ImageTool.exe from FSX-SP2 in my legally purchased copy of FSX Acceleration):Force batch processing.Batch processing is activated when any legal batch option is supplied on thecommand line; however, if the conversion is to be done purely using the defaultsthis option must be used.o-o [string]Specifies output file path and nameverbose-verboseTurns on verbose output during the batch process.brief-briefTurns off verbose output during the batch process.-noguiTurns off output during the batch process.tga-tgaThe output is in the targa format (.tga).Note: Not all formats can be expressed as a targa file. Notably, the DXT1 andDXT3 compressed image formats are not supported; furthermore, a lot of programscan not read all targa formats.Mipmap information is not saved with this format (use the bmp format instead)bmp-bmpThe output is in the bitmap format (bmp).Note: A lot of programs can not read all bmp formats. The most widely supportedformats are 8-bit and 24-bit.Mipmap information is saved with this format; however, this is specific to thefiles generated with this program. That means that if the file is opened withanother program (paint, photoshop) and saved again the mipmap information is lost.dds-ddsThe output is in the DirectX format (dds).Mipmap information is saved with this format.auto-autoThe output format is automatically picked.The image format used is picked depending on whether the image contains any alphainformation, or not. The formats chosen are as follows: 16-bit (565) - No alpha information present in source image. 16-bit (1555) - Single bit alpha information (chromakey) present in source image. 16-bit (4444) - Arbitrary alpha information present in source image.DXT1-DXT1The output format used is DXT1.This is one of the compressed texture formats supported by DirectX. It supports 1-bitalpha (i.e. colorkey) information. The resulting image uses only 4-bits per pixel;however, this comes at the cost of potential banding in the resulting picture.Note: This image format can only be written out in the bmp file format; furthermore,most programs can not read the bitmap files generated with this image format.DXT3-DXT3The output format used is DXT3.This is one of the compressed texture formats supported by DirectX. It supports 4-bitalpha information. The resulting image uses only 8-bits per pixel; however, this comesat the cost of potential banding in the resulting picture.Note: This image format can only be written out in the bmp file format; furthermore,most programs can not read the bitmap files generated with this image format.DXT5-DXT5The output format used is DXT5.This is one of the compressed texture formats supported by DirectX. It supports interpolatedalpha information. The resulting image uses only 8-bits per pixel; however, this comesat the cost of potential banding in the resulting picture.Note: This image format can only be written out in the bmp file format; furthermore,most programs can not read the bitmap files generated with this image format.PTC-PTC [quality,[alpha quality]]The output format used is PTC.PTC is a Microsoft proprietary lossy compression format. Very high compression ratiosare possible at the expense of some loss of image quality. The desired image qualitycan be specified by the optional quality parameter, where %g is the best quality and%g is the lowest quality. The quality of any alpha channel can be specified separately.The default quality is %g and the default alpha channel quality is %g.32-32The output format used is 32-bit (8-bits for the red, green, blue, and alpha channels).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.24-24The output format used is 24-bit (8-bits for the red, green, and blue channels).Note: This format does not contain an alpha channel; however, it is highly compatiblewith many other programs (paint, photoshop).4444-4444The output format used is 16-bit (4-bits for the red, green, blue, and alpha channels).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.444-444The output format used is 16-bit (4-bits for the red, green, blue, and alpha channels).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.565-565The output format used is 16-bit (5-bits for the red, 6-bits for the green, and 5-bitsfor the blue channel).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.1555-1555The output format used is 16-bit (5-bits for the red, green, and blue channels, and 1-bitfor the alpha channel).Note: Most programs will ignore the alpha channel in this format; furthermore, they havethe potential of corrupting the alpha channel when the image is opened and saved.555-555The output format used is 16-bit (5-bits for the red, green, and blue channels, and 1-bitfor the alpha channel).Note: Most programs will ignore the alpha channel in this format; furthermore, they havethe potential of corrupting the alpha channel when the image is opened and saved.1-1The output format used is 1-bit monochrome.8-8The output format used is 8-bitThis format uses a 256 entry colortable. Each entry in the colortable is 32-bits (8-bitsfor the red, green, and blue channels).Note: Most programs will ignore the alpha channel in the colortable; furthermore, they havethe potential of corrupting the alpha channel when the image is opened and saved.invert-invertThe alpha channel is invertedIf the image format contains alpha information the inverse of the original alpha channel iswritten out.createalpha-createalphaThe alpha channel is created using the RGB value of the upper left pixel of the imageOnly available with the -32 option.mip-mipGenerates mipmaps.The resulting image will contain mipmap information (prefiltered smaller versions of the sourceimage).Note: Mipmaps can only be written out in the bitmap (bmp) format; furthermore, the resulting filesare non-standard. That means when the file is opened in another program the mipmap information willnot show up. If the image format is one of the compressed texture formats (DXT1, DXT3) a shortermip chain will be generated, since these formats have a minimum size of 4x4 pixels.addmip-addmipLoad mips from the specified file.Note: The file name can be a wildcard to allow the addition of several mips at oncevflip-vflipVertical Flip.Flips the input image verticallynomip-nomipRemoves any mipmap information.The resulting image will be stripped of any mipmap information that may be present in the image.border-borderCreate a 1 pixel border around the imagehasborder-hasborderNeed Description.lm-lmNeed Description.tile-tileNeed Description.fold-foldFold the Edge colors for clamped texturesnofold-nofoldNeed Description.warning-warningEnables warnings.Generates warnings when a format that is incompatible with Flight Simlutar is encountered duringthe batch process.nowarning-nowarningSupresses warnings.No warning messages are generated during the batch process. Only use this if the resulting images arenot to be used with Flight Simulator directly.alpha-alphaAllow images with alpha informationThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that no warnings or errorswill be generated when images with alpha information are encountered during the verification process.noalpha-noalphaDisallows images with alpha informationThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that an error will begenerated when 8-bit images with alpha information are encountered during the verification process.stop-stopShow a warning dialogThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that an error dialog willbe displayed when a warning or error is encountered during processing. Further processing is paused untilthe error dialog is dismissed.nostop-stopSupress the warning dialogThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that no error dialog willbe displayed when a warning or error is encountered during processing. The error will still be noted inthe status window.verify-verifyVerifies the images for compatibility with Flight Simulator Instead of performing conversion the images are checked for validity. That means that each image is checkedfor valid dimensions (width and height must be a power of two, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 ... ), for valid image format(8-bit, 16-bit, DXT1, DXT3, or PTC), for existance of mipmap information (suppress with -nomip), and for existence ofalpha information in 8-bit images (suppress with -alpha).r-rRecursively traverse sub directoriesThis option allows the processing of entire directory trees. All directories in the tree are traversed. If nodirectory is specified as part of the input path the recursion starts at the current directory.e-e [string]Specify the file extensionThis option allows the user to override the file extension to use with the output file. If thisoption is omitted a default file extension is used. The defaults used are: .tga is used with the -tga option. .bmp is used with the -bmp option if no mipmaps are present. .mip is used with the -bmp option if mipmaps are present.?-? [string]Brings up the help topics.-? by itself brings up the index of help options. -? followed by the option (i.e. -? tga) brings upspecific information about that topic.gauge-gaugeOutput a bitmap to be used as a bitmap in a flight sim gauge (.gau) file.This option does special proccessing to preserve the (0,0,0) and (1,1,1) values.terrain-terrainOutput a bitmap to be used as a terrain texture file.This is the same as using the following switches: -border to create a 1 pixel border around the image -tile to indicate this image self tiles -mip to create mip maps -DXT1 to change the format to DXT1terrainphoto-terrainphotoOutput a bitmap to be used as a terrain photo texture file.This is the same as using the following switches: -hasborder the image already has a 1 pixel border -mip to create mip maps -DXT1 to change the format to DXT1imgui-imguiThe output format is a bitmap to be used by IMGUIredCorrection-redCorrectionThe red component of each pixel in each mip is modified by this value.greenCorrection-greenCorrectionThe green component of each pixel in each mip is modified by this value.blueCorrection-blueCorrectionThe blue component of each pixel in each mip is modified by this value.RedInAlpha-RedInAlphaPut the red component in the alpha channel and zero out the red component.Used in conjunction with DXT5 to give good compressed normal maps.Usage: imagetool [flags] Where flags are:-o [string] Specify output file name-batch Force batch processing-verbose Verbose output [DEFAULT]-brief Brief output-nogui No GUI-nobeep Turns off batch file beeping-tga Output files are in targa (tga) format-dds Output files are in DirectX (dds) format-bmp Output files are in bitmap (bmp) format [DEFAULT]-imgui Output format is to be used by IMGUI-auto Output format is picked automatically-DXT1 Output format is compressed DXT1-DXT3 Output format is compressed DXT3-DXT5 Output format is compressed DXT5-PTC [Q,[Qa]] Output format is compressed PTC-32 Output format is 32-bit-24 Output format is 24-bit-4444 Output format is 16-bit (4444)-1555 Output format is 16-bit (1555)-565 Output format is 16-bit (565)-8 Output format is 8-bit palletized [DEFAULT]-1 Output format is 1-bit monochrome-detail Output format is to be used as a detail texture-gauge Output format is to be used in a flight sim gauge-terrain Output format is to be used as a generic terrain tile-terrainphoto Output format is to be used as terrain photo scenery-border Create a 1 pixel border around the image-hasborder The image already contains a 1 pixel border-lm The image is a light map-tile The image self tiles-fold Fold the Edge colors for clamped textures-vflip Vertical flip-mip Generate mip maps [DEFAULT]-addmip [file] Add custom mip maps-nomip Do not generate mip maps-dither Use Floyd-Steinberg dithering when reducing color depth-nodither Do not use any dithering when reducing color depth-invert Invert the alpha channel-createalpha Create the alpha channel using the RGB value of the (0,0) pixel-warning Enable warnings (FS specific) [DEFAULT]-nowarning Disable warnings-verify Verify that the image matches the given settings-stop Show a warning dialog (only used with -verify) [DEFAULT]-nostop Do not show a warning dialog (only used with -verify) [DEFAULT]-alpha Allow alpha in the bitmap (only used with -verify)-noalpha Do not allow alpha in the bitmap (only used with -verify)-e [string] File extension to use given by [string]-r Recursively traverse the sub directories-? [string] Help on the topic given by [string]-fallback Builds a fallback texture that can be loaded much faster than the base image.-redCorrection Modifies the red component of colors in the mip chain-blueCorrection Modifies the blue component of colors in the mip chain-greenCorrection Modifies the green component of colors in the mip chain-RedInAlpha Put the red channel in the alpha channel and zero out redBatch processing only occurs if one of the command line options is supplied; otherwise,the images are opened in imagetool for manual processing.Imagetoold:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolbatch.cpp-batch-verbose-brief-nogui-nobeep-tga-bmp-dds-auto-DXT1-DXT3-DXT5-RedInAlpha-PTC-32-24-4444-444-565-1555-555-8-1-detail-gauge-gaugealpha-imgui-dither-nodither-invert-createalpha-mip-addmip-vflip-nomip-terrain-terrainphoto-border-hasborder-lm-tile-fold-nofold-warning-nowarning-alpha-noalpha-stop-nostop-verify-r-o-e-?-fallback-redCorrection-blueCorrection-greenCorrectionImage: %sFormat: %s (ILLEGAL FORMAT)Width: %d (NOT POWER OF TWO)Height: %dWarning (MISMATCH) (NOT A POWER OF TWO)YesNoMip: %sNoneColorkeyAlphaAlpha: %s, colorkey, alpha, mip"%s" %dx%d, %s%s%s%s---> FAILEDProcessing File: "%s"*.*_def.%s.%s.mip.bmp.tga_def.dds.ddsd:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolbitmap.cpprbCorrupted image dimensions.Could not read bitmap image data.wbCould not write bitmap file header.Could not write bitmap info header.Could not write FS info header.Could not write bitmap image data.d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolbuildborder.cppAdding BorderCopying ImageDithering ImageQuantizing ImageInverting Alpha ChannelCreating Alpha ChannelCalculating Alpha ModedestinationsourceCopy function not supported for %s image format.Dither function not supported for %s image format.Quantize function not supported for this image format.Invert function not supported for this image format.Alpha mode function not supported for %s images.Filtering image from %dx%d to %dx%d. p?FSX.BGL.STN.MOD.R8.R81.R82.0.1.PAL.HAZ.PCX.BMP.PIX.VIS.AIR.GAU.ICN.BIN.WAV.MDL.DLL.FS6.BND.NDL.PNL.ADV.SIM.LOG.VID.TMP.TXR.LES.CHL.DRV.SC1.CFG.MIS.QCB.FLT.CMG.TXT.PLN.DP.CDP.DYN.WX.FX.GSL.ABL.FSR.XML.CAB.ZIP.DAT.MIP.PDF.BRF.HTM.WT.WTB.CLD.ANIM.XMLX.RWD.DDS.FSSAVE.SPB.JPG.PNGFyFS?Zy;b?:E<?Filtering lightmap from %dx%d to %dx%d.D3DERR_CONFLICTINGRENDERSTATED3DERR_CONFLICTINGTEXTUREFILTERD3DERR_CONFLICTINGTEXTUREPALETTED3DERR_DEVICELOSTD3DERR_DEVICENOTRESETD3DERR_DRIVERINTERNALERRORD3DERR_DRIVERINVALIDCALLD3DERR_INVALIDCALLD3DERR_INVALIDDEVICED3DERR_MOREDATAD3DERR_NOTAVAILABLED3DERR_NOTFOUNDD3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORYD3DERR_TOOMANYOPERATIONSD3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDALPHAARGD3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDALPHAOPERATIOND3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDCOLORARGD3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDCOLOROPERATIOND3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDFACTORVALUED3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDTEXTUREFILTERD3DERR_WASSTILLDRAWINGD3DERR_WRONGTEXTUREFORMATE_OUTOFMEMORYE_FAIL(0): error : Failed to create D3D device! Return code: 0X%8.8XCouldn't write format descriptor.Couldn't write surface descriptor.Couldn't write image data.Aspect ratio of mip image (%4.2f) does not match aspectratio of original (%4.2f)Mip image too large for original.Dimensions of mip image (%dx%d) do not match requiredvalues (%dx%d) for level #%dRegenerating Mip Mapsd:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolimage.cpp.targa.psd.r8.raw.ppmUnrecognized image format.Creating Mip MapsAdding Mip Maps%s%s1-bit8-bit16-bit (1555)16-bit (565)16-bit (4444)24-bit32-bit32-bit AlphaUnknownErrorFolding ColorsSoftwareSITImageClassSimsImageToolImagePath%dAlld:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolimagetool.cppFailed to load the image:"%s"(%s)No file matched the pattern:"%s"MDICLIENTImage ToolReady.SITFrameClassSITPropertyClassERRORFailed to initialize COMAPPIDMscoree.dll66p] 606]FFMonochromeIndexedRGBd:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolimagewnd.cpp - all - %d%s%s @ %u%% (%s)This image already has a border. Apply effect again?Extracting Mip Maps%s_%d%sArialSave changes to image:"%s" before closing?d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolppm.cppPropertiesFile:Size:Width:Height:Format:Alpha:# Mip Levels:Displayed:allFile: "%s"Size: %d bytesWidth: %d pixelsHeight: %d pixelsFormat: %sAlpha: %s# Mip Levels: %dDisplayed: %sHas BorderFoldedSelf TilesLight MapCould not read bytes per row information from PSD file.Could not read compressed image data from PSD file.Could not read header from PSD file.PSD signature does not match. Not a valid PSD file.PSD version does not match. Not a valid PSD file.PSD files that only have a bit depth of 1 are not supported.Unsupported color depth.Could not read length of color mode data from PSD file.Could not read color mode data from PSD file.Could not skip color mode data in PSD file.Could not read length of image resources from PSD file.Could not skip image resources in PSD file.Could not read length of layer and mask info from PSD file.Could not skip layer and mask info in PSD file.Could not read compression method from PSD file.Could not read image data from PSD file.Unknown PSD compression method.PSD files that are in bitmap color mode are not supported.PSD files that are in grayscale color mode are not supported.Unsupported PSD color depth.PSD files that are in CMYK color mode are not supported.PSD files that are in lab color mode are not supported.PSD files that are in duotone color mode are not supported.Unknown PSD color mode.Compressing with PTCInitializing destination textureDecompressing PTC image...d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolr8.cppReadyDonemsctls_statusbar32msctls_progress32%sUnknown Error%d%%0Could not read TGA header.Could not read TGA image descriptor.Unsupported TGA image format.Could not read TGA palette.Unsupported TGA palette format.Could not read TGA image data.d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetooltga.cppCould not write TGA header.Could not write TGA palette.Could not write TGA data.%s..%s...KERNEL32GetDiskFreeSpaceExAd?QE4vx41Vl@hHUHope some of this may be of interest to you and others! ;-) GaryGB

[GaryGB 10]

OOPS... Last Post timed out on the edit mode; sorry for that!The CORRECTED edit for better forum formatting follows:Hi Roy:I have thus far been unsuccessful getting the FSX-SP2 SDK ImageTool.exe to respond to the normal CMD Mode methods to display help info.So I opened it in Quick View (supplied by Microsoft as an install option in Windows 95 & 98); I used it in the "View As Text" mode.Here's what I saw when "viewing" (read-only!) the ImageTool.exe from FSX-SP2 in my legally purchased copy of FSX Acceleration:NOTE: (ImageTool is in the SDK available with FSX Deluxe ONLY!)Force batch processing.Batch processing is activated when any legal batch option is supplied on thecommand line; however, if the conversion is to be done purely using the defaultsthis option must be used.o-o [string]Specifies output file path and nameverbose-verboseTurns on verbose output during the batch process.brief-briefTurns off verbose output during the batch process.-noguiTurns off output during the batch process.tga-tgaThe output is in the targa format (.tga).Note: Not all formats can be expressed as a targa file. Notably, the DXT1 andDXT3 compressed image formats are not supported; furthermore, a lot of programscan not read all targa formats.Mipmap information is not saved with this format (use the bmp format instead)bmp-bmpThe output is in the bitmap format (bmp).Note: A lot of programs can not read all bmp formats. The most widely supportedformats are 8-bit and 24-bit.Mipmap information is saved with this format; however, this is specific to thefiles generated with this program. That means that if the file is opened withanother program (paint, photoshop) and saved again the mipmap information is lost.dds-ddsThe output is in the DirectX format (dds).Mipmap information is saved with this format.auto-autoThe output format is automatically picked.The image format used is picked depending on whether the image contains any alphainformation, or not. The formats chosen are as follows: 16-bit (565) - No alpha information present in source image. 16-bit (1555) - Single bit alpha information (chromakey) present in source image. 16-bit (4444) - Arbitrary alpha information present in source image.DXT1-DXT1The output format used is DXT1.This is one of the compressed texture formats supported by DirectX. It supports 1-bitalpha (i.e. colorkey) information. The resulting image uses only 4-bits per pixel;however, this comes at the cost of potential banding in the resulting picture.Note: This image format can only be written out in the bmp file format; furthermore,most programs can not read the bitmap files generated with this image format.DXT3-DXT3The output format used is DXT3.This is one of the compressed texture formats supported by DirectX. It supports 4-bitalpha information. The resulting image uses only 8-bits per pixel; however, this comesat the cost of potential banding in the resulting picture.Note: This image format can only be written out in the bmp file format; furthermore,most programs can not read the bitmap files generated with this image format.DXT5-DXT5The output format used is DXT5.This is one of the compressed texture formats supported by DirectX. It supports interpolatedalpha information. The resulting image uses only 8-bits per pixel; however, this comesat the cost of potential banding in the resulting picture.Note: This image format can only be written out in the bmp file format; furthermore,most programs can not read the bitmap files generated with this image format.PTC-PTC [quality,[alpha quality]]The output format used is PTC.PTC is a Microsoft proprietary lossy compression format. Very high compression ratiosare possible at the expense of some loss of image quality. The desired image qualitycan be specified by the optional quality parameter, where %g is the best quality and%g is the lowest quality. The quality of any alpha channel can be specified separately.The default quality is %g and the default alpha channel quality is %g.32-32The output format used is 32-bit (8-bits for the red, green, blue, and alpha channels).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.24-24The output format used is 24-bit (8-bits for the red, green, and blue channels).Note: This format does not contain an alpha channel; however, it is highly compatiblewith many other programs (paint, photoshop).4444-4444The output format used is 16-bit (4-bits for the red, green, blue, and alpha channels).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.444-444The output format used is 16-bit (4-bits for the red, green, blue, and alpha channels).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.565-565The output format used is 16-bit (5-bits for the red, 6-bits for the green, and 5-bitsfor the blue channel).Note: Most programs can not read the files generated with this image format.1555-1555The output format used is 16-bit (5-bits for the red, green, and blue channels, and 1-bitfor the alpha channel).Note: Most programs will ignore the alpha channel in this format; furthermore, they havethe potential of corrupting the alpha channel when the image is opened and saved.555-555The output format used is 16-bit (5-bits for the red, green, and blue channels, and 1-bitfor the alpha channel).Note: Most programs will ignore the alpha channel in this format; furthermore, they havethe potential of corrupting the alpha channel when the image is opened and saved.1-1The output format used is 1-bit monochrome.8-8The output format used is 8-bitThis format uses a 256 entry colortable. Each entry in the colortable is 32-bits (8-bitsfor the red, green, and blue channels).Note: Most programs will ignore the alpha channel in the colortable; furthermore, they havethe potential of corrupting the alpha channel when the image is opened and saved.invert-invertThe alpha channel is invertedIf the image format contains alpha information the inverse of the original alpha channel iswritten out.createalpha-createalphaThe alpha channel is created using the RGB value of the upper left pixel of the imageOnly available with the -32 option.mip-mipGenerates mipmaps.The resulting image will contain mipmap information (prefiltered smaller versions of the sourceimage).Note: Mipmaps can only be written out in the bitmap (bmp) format; furthermore, the resulting filesare non-standard. That means when the file is opened in another program the mipmap information willnot show up. If the image format is one of the compressed texture formats (DXT1, DXT3) a shortermip chain will be generated, since these formats have a minimum size of 4x4 pixels.addmip-addmipLoad mips from the specified file.Note: The file name can be a wildcard to allow the addition of several mips at oncevflip-vflipVertical Flip.Flips the input image verticallynomip-nomipRemoves any mipmap information.The resulting image will be stripped of any mipmap information that may be present in the image.border-borderCreate a 1 pixel border around the imagehasborder-hasborderNeed Description.lm-lmNeed Description.tile-tileNeed Description.fold-foldFold the Edge colors for clamped texturesnofold-nofoldNeed Description.warning-warningEnables warnings.Generates warnings when a format that is incompatible with Flight Simlutar is encountered duringthe batch process.nowarning-nowarningSupresses warnings.No warning messages are generated during the batch process. Only use this if the resulting images arenot to be used with Flight Simulator directly.alpha-alphaAllow images with alpha informationThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that no warnings or errorswill be generated when images with alpha information are encountered during the verification process.noalpha-noalphaDisallows images with alpha informationThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that an error will begenerated when 8-bit images with alpha information are encountered during the verification process.stop-stopShow a warning dialogThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that an error dialog willbe displayed when a warning or error is encountered during processing. Further processing is paused untilthe error dialog is dismissed.nostop-stopSupress the warning dialogThis option only has meaning in conjunction with the -verify option. It means that no error dialog willbe displayed when a warning or error is encountered during processing. The error will still be noted inthe status window.verify-verifyVerifies the images for compatibility with Flight Simulator Instead of performing conversion the images are checked for validity. That means that each image is checkedfor valid dimensions (width and height must be a power of two, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 ... ), for valid image format(8-bit, 16-bit, DXT1, DXT3, or PTC), for existance of mipmap information (suppress with -nomip), and for existence ofalpha information in 8-bit images (suppress with -alpha).r-rRecursively traverse sub directoriesThis option allows the processing of entire directory trees. All directories in the tree are traversed. If nodirectory is specified as part of the input path the recursion starts at the current directory.e-e [string]Specify the file extensionThis option allows the user to override the file extension to use with the output file. If thisoption is omitted a default file extension is used. The defaults used are: .tga is used with the -tga option. .bmp is used with the -bmp option if no mipmaps are present. .mip is used with the -bmp option if mipmaps are present.?-? [string]Brings up the help topics.-? by itself brings up the index of help options. -? followed by the option (i.e. -? tga) brings upspecific information about that topic.gauge-gaugeOutput a bitmap to be used as a bitmap in a flight sim gauge (.gau) file.This option does special proccessing to preserve the (0,0,0) and (1,1,1) values.terrain-terrainOutput a bitmap to be used as a terrain texture file.This is the same as using the following switches: -border to create a 1 pixel border around the image -tile to indicate this image self tiles -mip to create mip maps -DXT1 to change the format to DXT1terrainphoto-terrainphotoOutput a bitmap to be used as a terrain photo texture file.This is the same as using the following switches: -hasborder the image already has a 1 pixel border -mip to create mip maps -DXT1 to change the format to DXT1imgui-imguiThe output format is a bitmap to be used by IMGUIredCorrection-redCorrectionThe red component of each pixel in each mip is modified by this value.greenCorrection-greenCorrectionThe green component of each pixel in each mip is modified by this value.blueCorrection-blueCorrectionThe blue component of each pixel in each mip is modified by this value.RedInAlpha-RedInAlphaPut the red component in the alpha channel and zero out the red component.Used in conjunction with DXT5 to give good compressed normal maps.These appeared to major command line switches too:Usage: imagetool [flags] Where flags are:-o [string] Specify output file name-batch Force batch processing-verbose Verbose output [DEFAULT]-brief Brief output-nogui No GUI-nobeep Turns off batch file beeping-tga Output files are in targa (tga) format-dds Output files are in DirectX (dds) format-bmp Output files are in bitmap (bmp) format [DEFAULT]-imgui Output format is to be used by IMGUI-auto Output format is picked automatically-DXT1 Output format is compressed DXT1-DXT3 Output format is compressed DXT3-DXT5 Output format is compressed DXT5-PTC [Q,[Qa]] Output format is compressed PTC-32 Output format is 32-bit-24 Output format is 24-bit-4444 Output format is 16-bit (4444)-1555 Output format is 16-bit (1555)-565 Output format is 16-bit (565)-8 Output format is 8-bit palletized [DEFAULT]-1 Output format is 1-bit monochrome-detail Output format is to be used as a detail texture-gauge Output format is to be used in a flight sim gauge-terrain Output format is to be used as a generic terrain tile-terrainphoto Output format is to be used as terrain photo scenery-border Create a 1 pixel border around the image-hasborder The image already contains a 1 pixel border-lm The image is a light map-tile The image self tiles-fold Fold the Edge colors for clamped textures-vflip Vertical flip-mip Generate mip maps [DEFAULT]-addmip [file] Add custom mip maps-nomip Do not generate mip maps-dither Use Floyd-Steinberg dithering when reducing color depth-nodither Do not use any dithering when reducing color depth-invert Invert the alpha channel-createalpha Create the alpha channel using the RGB value of the (0,0) pixel-warning Enable warnings (FS specific) [DEFAULT]-nowarning Disable warnings-verify Verify that the image matches the given settings-stop Show a warning dialog (only used with -verify) [DEFAULT]-nostop Do not show a warning dialog (only used with -verify) [DEFAULT]-alpha Allow alpha in the bitmap (only used with -verify)-noalpha Do not allow alpha in the bitmap (only used with -verify)-e [string] File extension to use given by [string]-r Recursively traverse the sub directories-? [string] Help on the topic given by [string]-fallback Builds a fallback texture that can be loaded much faster than the base image.-redCorrection Modifies the red component of colors in the mip chain-blueCorrection Modifies the blue component of colors in the mip chain-greenCorrection Modifies the green component of colors in the mip chain-RedInAlpha Put the red channel in the alpha channel and zero out redBatch processing only occurs if one of the command line options is supplied; otherwise,the images are opened in imagetool for manual processing.Imagetoold:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolbatch.cpp-batch-verbose-brief-nogui-nobeep-tga-bmp-dds-auto-DXT1-DXT3-DXT5-RedInAlpha-PTC-32-24-4444-444-565-1555-555-8-1-detail-gauge-gaugealpha-imgui-dither-nodither-invert-createalpha-mip-addmip-vflip-nomip-terrain-terrainphoto-border-hasborder-lm-tile-fold-nofold-warning-nowarning-alpha-noalpha-stop-nostop-verify-r-o-e-?-fallback-redCorrection-blueCorrection-greenCorrectionImage: %sFormat: %s (ILLEGAL FORMAT)Width: %d (NOT POWER OF TWO)Height: %dWarning (MISMATCH) (NOT A POWER OF TWO)YesNoMip: %sNoneColorkeyAlphaAlpha: %s, colorkey, alpha, mip"%s" %dx%d, %s%s%s%s---> FAILEDProcessing File: "%s"*.*_def.%s.%s.mip.bmp.tga_def.dds.ddsd:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolbitmap.cpprbCorrupted image dimensions.Could not read bitmap image data.wbCould not write bitmap file header.Could not write bitmap info header.Could not write FS info header.Could not write bitmap image data.d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolbuildborder.cppAddingBorderCopying ImageDithering ImageQuantizing ImageInvertingAlpha ChannelCreating Alpha ChannelCalculating Alpha ModedestinationsourceCopyfunction not supported for %s image format.Dither function not supported for %s image format.Quantize function not supported for this image format.Invert function not supported for this image format.Alpha mode function not supported for %s images.Filtering image from %dx%d to %dx%d. p?FSX.BGL.STN.MOD.R8.R81.R82.0.1.PAL.HAZ.PCX.BMP.PIX.VIS.AIR.GAU.ICN.BIN.WAV.MDL.DLL.FS6.BND.NDL.PNL.ADV.SIM.LOG.VID.TMP.TXR.LES.CHL.DRV.SC1.CFG.MIS.QCB.FLT.CMG.TXT.PLN.DP.CDP.DYN.WX.FX.GSL.ABL.FSR.XML.CAB.ZIP.DAT.MIP.PDF.BRF.HTM.WT.WTB.CLD.ANIM.XMLX.RWD.DDS.FSSAVE.SPB.JPG.PNGFyFS?Zy;b?:E<?Filtering lightmap from %dx%d to %dx%d.D3DERR_CONFLICTINGRENDERSTATED3DERR_CONFLICTINGTEXTUREFILTERD3DERR_CONFLICTINGTEXTUREPALETTED3DERR_DEVICELOSTD3DERR_DEVICENOTRESETD3DERR_DRIVERINTERNALERRORD3DERR_DRIVERINVALIDCALLD3DERR_INVALIDCALLD3DERR_INVALIDDEVICED3DERR_MOREDATAD3DERR_NOTAVAILABLED3DERR_NOTFOUNDD3DERR_OUTOFVIDEOMEMORYD3DERR_TOOMANYOPERATIONSD3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDALPHAARGD3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDALPHAOPERATIOND3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDCOLORARGD3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDCOLOROPERATIOND3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDFACTORVALUED3DERR_UNSUPPORTEDTEXTUREFILTERD3DERR_WASSTILLDRAWINGD3DERR_WRONGTEXTUREFORMATE_OUTOFMEMORYE_FAIL(0): error : Failed to create D3D device! Return code: 0X%8.8XCouldn't write format descriptor.Couldn't write surface descriptor.Couldn't write image data.Aspect ratio of mip image (%4.2f) does not match aspectratio of original (%4.2f)Mip image too large for original.Dimensions of mip image (%dx%d) do not match requiredvalues (%dx%d) for level #%dRegenerating Mip Mapsd:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolimage.cpp.targa.psd.r8.raw.ppmUnrecognized image format.Creating Mip MapsAdding Mip Maps%s%s1-bit8-bit16-bit (1555)16-bit (565)16-bit (4444)24-bit32-bit32-bit AlphaUnknownErrorFolding ColorsSoftwareSITImageClassSimsImageToolImagePath%dAlld:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolimagetool.cppFailed to load the image: "%s"(%s)No file matched the pattern:"%s"MDICLIENTImage ToolReady.SITFrameClassSITPropertyClassERRORFailed to initialize COMAPPIDMscoree.dll66p] 606]FFMonochromeIndexedRGBd:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolimagewnd.cpp - all - %d%s%s @ %u%% (%s)This image already has a border. Apply effect again?Extracting Mip Maps%s_%d%sArialSave changes to image:"%s" before closing?d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolppm.cppPropertiesFile:Size:Width:Height:Format:Alpha:# Mip Levels:Displayed:allFile: "%s"Size: %d bytesWidth: %d pixelsHeight: %d pixelsFormat: %sAlpha: %s# Mip Levels: %dDisplayed: %sHas BorderFoldedSelf TilesLight MapCould not read bytes per row information from PSD file.Could not read compressed image data from PSD file.Could not read header from PSD file.PSD signature does not match. Not a valid PSD file.PSD version does not match. Not a valid PSD file.PSD files that only have a bit depth of 1 are not supported.Unsupported color depth.Could not read length of color mode data from PSD file.Could not read color mode data from PSD file.Could not skip color mode data in PSD file.Could not read length of image resources from PSD file.Could not skip image resources in PSD file.Could not read length of layer and mask info from PSD file.Could not skip layer and mask info in PSD file.Could not read compression method from PSD file.Could not read image data from PSD file.Unknown PSD compression method.PSD files that are in bitmap color mode are not supported.PSD files that are in grayscale color mode are not supported.Unsupported PSD color depth.PSD files that are in CMYK color mode are not supported.PSD files that are in lab color mode are not supported.PSD files that are in duotone color mode are not supported.Unknown PSD color mode.Compressing with PTCInitializing destination textureDecompressing PTC image...d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetoolr8.cppReadyDonemsctls_statusbar32msctls_progress32%sUnknown Error%d%%0Could not read TGA header.Could not read TGA image descriptor.Unsupported TGA image format.Could not read TGA palette.Unsupported TGA palette format.Could not read TGA image data.d:bt1202privatecoretoolsimagetooltga.cppCould not write TGA header.Could not write TGA palette.Could not write TGA data.%s..%s...KERNEL32GetDiskFreeSpaceExAd?QE4vx41Vl@hHUAnd near the bottom of my scrolled viewing display I also saw:Image Files (*.bmp;*.tga;*.psd;*.r8;*.ppm;*.dds)*.bmp;*.tga;*.psd;*.r8;*.ppm;*.ddsBitmap (*.bmp)*.bmpTarga (*.tga)*.tgaPhotoshop (*.psd)*.psdRaw(*.r8)*.r8PPM (*.ppm)*.ppmDDS (*.dds)*.ddsAll Files (*.*)*.*Image Files (*.bmp;*.tga;*.dds)*.bmp;*.tga;*.ddsBitmap (*.bmp)*.bmpTarga (*.tga)*.tgaDDS (*.dds)*.ddsAll Files (*.*)*.*???j@X e h8kPmhnpq ( @gXp 0 @ P ` p s |}~4ZpPPPa&FileA&Open Ctrl+OB&CloseD&Save Ctrl+SESave &As...FSave A&llGE&xit&Image&FormatH1-BitI8-BitJ16-Bit (555)K16-Bit (565)L16-Bit (444)M24-BitN32-BitODXT 1PDXT 3QDXT 5RPTCSelf &Tiles&Light MapΑ Channel|Invert}Quantizeo&Create from U/L Pixel&Mip Color Correction&Red&Green&BlueV&Create MipMapsC&reate FallbackAdd &Border Pixels[Add &MipMapsFold &EdgesMake &GaugeMake &Gauge w/ AlphaW&Extract MipMaps &Undo Ctrl+Z&View&Mip Maps^&All Ctrl+A&Prev Ctrl+Left&Next Ctrl+Right_&1 Ctrl+1`&2 Ctrl+2a&3 Ctrl+3b&4 Ctrl+4c&5 Ctrl+5d&6 Ctrl+6e&7 Ctrl+7f&8 Ctrl+8g&9 Ctrl+9h1&0 Ctrl+0i11j12k13l14m15n16o17p18q19r20YΑ Channel~Zoom &In Ctrl+UpZoom &Out Ctrl+Down&Zooms&50%t&100%v&200%z&400%{&Custom&Fix Zoom Ratio&Tile Image Ctrl+TOut&line Image Ctrl+LOverla&p&None&1&2&3&4&5&6&WindowT&Cascade Shift+F5Tile &HorizontallyTile &Vertically Shift+F4CClose &All]Property BoxStatus Bar&HelpU&About Image ToolPA"About Image ToolMS Shell DlgPACES Image Tool© 1999-2004 Microsoft CorporationP2OK/Zoom FactorMS Shell DlgPe2OKPe2Cancel"PMmsctls_updown32Spin PFPHZoom To: PABatch ProcessMS Shell DlgPnPoP|t msctls_progress32ProgressP2CancelPA,Batch ProcessMS Shell DlgPD2CancelPmsctls_progress32Progress1/Color CorrectionMS Shell DlgPe2OKPe2Cancel"PMmsctls_updown32Spin PFPHColor Correction:fPTC Compression QualityMS Shell DlgP2OKP2CancelPmsctls_trackbar32PKFLowest quality, highest compressionPaKFHighest quality, lowest compression(PPQuality (color channels)P0msctls_trackbar32P(Quality (alpha channel)P5Opens an existing imageCloses the active imageCloses all open imagesSaves the active image&Saves the active image with a new nameSaves all opened imagesQuits the application5Converts the active image to a 1-bit monochrome image6Converts the active image to an 8-bit palletized image`Converts the active image to a 16-bit image (1-bit alpha, 5-bits red, 5-bits green, 5-bits blue)TConverts the active image to a 16-bit image (5-bits red, 6-bits green, 5-bits blue)aConverts the active image to a 16-bit image (4-bits alpha, 4-bits red, 4-bits green, 4-bits blue)RConvert the active image to a 24-bit image (8-bits red, 8-bits green, 8-bits blue)`Convert the active image to a 32-bit image (8-bits alpha, 8-bits red, 8-bits green, 8-bits blue),Arranges the windows as nonoverlapping tiles)Arranges the windows as overlapping tiles.Displays the program information and copyright%Creates mip maps for the active image'Extracts mip maps from the active image8Toggles viewing of the alpha channel of the active image(Adds custom mip maps to the active imageToggles display of status barToggles display of property boxPA.Displays the image at 50% of its original size'Displays the image at its original size/Displays the image at 200% of its original size/Displays the image at 400% of its original size#Displays the image at a custom size#Displays the image at a larger size$Displays the image at a smaller sizePACould not open file %s."Could not read bitmap file header.Illegal bitmap file identifier."Could not read bitmap info header.Could not read bitmap palette. Could not read bitmap bitfields. Unsupported bitmap image format.%Internal error in file %s at line %d.Out of memory. Could not read r8 (raw) pallete.#Could not read r8 (raw) image data.Tile the image in the Window.5Keep the image size the same when changing Mip Level.Flight Simulator XI'll bet Microsoft Windows' own NotePad or even a 3rd party tool could be used to make oneself a nice *.HLP or *.CHM documentation for one's legally purchased copy of ImageTool ! ;-) Hope some of this may be of interest to you and others! :-) GaryGB

[GaryGB 10]

This Just In... (I read the "documentation" above!):-lol At a CMD prompt in the c:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator X SDKSDKEnvironment KitTerrain SDK subfolder for the SDK type:ImageTool.exe -?You'll get a "help" message; curiously, it's text can't be copied from the (graphical?) message box. :-roll (Use to grab a screenie to paste into Windows "Paint") GaryGB

[Guest nat2005]

Hi,While I was searching for 'Imagetool' and 'Alpha' on the forums I came across this post. I'm not entirely sure if it's the right board to be asking my question - so if it isn't I apologise in advance.I have just converted all my AI textures to DXT3 with MipMaps using Meatwaters Batch Command. A wonderful little tool, must have saved me hours! Having just read on various forums that AI Textures without an Alpha Channel can cause stutters in FS9 I opened a couple to find they indeed did not have an Alpha Channel. Does anyone know if it would be possible to use a batch command to provide me with a list of all the textures that don't have an Alpha Channel (ie, in Imagetool they show ALPHA:None) so that I could then go on to add an alpha channel to them manually? It would take an age if I had to open each texture individually to see if it has one or not.Thanks,Nat

[arno 1]

Hi,Why would you want to do that? If the texture does not have an alpha channel that in general means it does not need any. Adding an alpha channel to a texture will make parts of them transparent, that is not something you would like to do without a purpose.Also converting all your textures to DXT3 is no guarantee for good performance either. For many textures, the ones that use no alpha channel or only a 1 bit alpha channel, using DXT1 gives you the same graphical result, but with half the memory usage. So better performance in the end.

[Guest nat2005]

Hi,Thanks for the quick reply.My main reason for wanting to add Alpha Channels is to give the AI models the reflective look, obviously only to those models that support it, as in adding an alpha channel to one that doesn't support it would, as you say, turn them transparent. Also, if my understanding of DXT3 is correct, I'm sure there is a difference between having no Alpha Channel to having a completely white alpha channel (DXT3)?Although, I'm glad you pointed that out about DXT1, it means i can convert all those textures of non-reflective models to DXT1.Thanks again,Nat