Battlezone Forums

Some general questions about the .dxtbz2 files.

I know there for textures but what do they do?

Why are they only in 1.3?

How can I make them for my textures?

Thanks.

They are files pre-processed to be faster and better for the graphics card.

The 1.3 download site contains a link to modder data, this contains the image files that generated the dxtbz2 files, and the xsi files that generated the msh files. While MSH files are generated from XSIs by BZ2, dxtbz2 files are generated by the DXT BZ2 generator, also downloadable from the same place as the 1.3 patch and the modder data.

The use of this one single format of texture also reduced issues with two textures of the same name with different extensions.

Can you give me a link to the dxtbz2 generator download site?

http://matesfamily.org/bz2/index.html

Its the last download on the page

Thanks worked perfect.

Hey another question.

Where is the dxtbz2 file specified? Is it in the odf file or the xsi?

The textures for 3D models are specified on the model. The textures for the terrain are specified on the map's TRN file. The textures for weapons effects and unit icons and some various other things and such are specified on the appropriate ODF file for that thing.

DXTBZ2 is just a conversion that needs to be done on any graphics file you want to use. So for example if your weapon specifies to use 'myeffect.tga' then you need to generate a dxtbz2 file for it (myeffect.dxtbz2). You can also specify the object/effect to use the dxtbz2 file directly. If you are distributing your work you can include the source images in the distribution (if you want) but you must also include the DXTBZ2 files for those images since that's what BZ2 will actually use now.

IIRC the filename used in the ODF for a model or texture doesn't actually matter. I've seen ODFs refer to a .tga file, when the actual image is in .pic, but they still work perfectly. Similarly, ODFs normally call for a .xsi model, yet sometimes the model is in .x format.

Hell, if you look at the XSIs for BZ2, you'll see the directory the models refer to is completely wrong. It might help to see it is that the game only cares for the filename; the bit after the last "/" and before the last ".".

For a model it is in the xsi. If you are using dxtbz2, which you should be, you might as well define it there as a dxtbz2.
XSI open with any text editor and thus can be searched through by just about anything.

My models normally refer to *.psd or *.png, but once they get into the game it doesn't matter.