Which DDS preset should I start with?

The preset already selected is labeled Photoshop / livery editing (32-bit, no mipmaps). It keeps alpha if your PNG or JPG has alpha. Choose DXT5, labeled Game texture — DXT5 / BC3 (alpha), when a game texture should keep transparency. Choose DXT1, labeled Game texture — DXT1 / BC1 (opaque), when the picture should be solid.

Will the transparent parts stay transparent?

The livery preset keeps alpha when the source has it. DXT5 keeps alpha as well, which is why its label says alpha. DXT1 removes alpha, so pick that preset when you want an opaque texture. Start from a PNG if the holes matter, and check an edge after you download the DDS.

What are the mipmaps in this export?

The page always passes mipmap levels of 0, so the DDS carries the base texture. That is true for the livery preset and for both game presets. You get the image you added, encoded for the preset you picked, without a stack of smaller levels added on top. The file is still a DDS, and the header is checked.

Which images can I convert to DDS?

ImageToDdsConverter accepts JPG and PNG. Add the picture, pick the preset, and download one DDS. A PNG is the comfortable choice when you need alpha kept by the livery preset or by DXT5. A JPG is a comfortable choice for DXT1, because a JPEG is already a solid picture. The conversion runs in the browser.

How do I know the DDS file is valid?

The download is validated. A real file begins with the DDS mark, the four characters and the space a DDS header uses. If the output is too small, the conversion rejects it so you can try again. Local ImageMagick writes the file, and you can open the result in the project that asked for the texture.

Can I convert a whole folder of textures?

You get a proper DDS from the JPG or PNG you added, with the preset and the alpha behavior you picked. Each run encodes one image. Save that file, then add the next texture and choose the preset again. The header check still applies to every download.

Image to DDS Cluster

PNG to DDS: a texture from a PNG or a JPG

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You need a PNG or a JPG saved as a DDS texture you can drop into a project. Add the image, leave the livery preset or pick a game texture, and download the DDS from this browser. ImageToDdsConverter accepts JPG and PNG. The preset already selected is labeled Photoshop / livery editing (32-bit, no mipmaps). That preset keeps alpha when the source image has it, which is what you want for a livery, a decal, or a panel with a soft edge. Two game presets sit beside it. DXT5 is labeled Game texture — DXT5 / BC3 (alpha), and it keeps alpha. DXT1 is labeled Game texture — DXT1 / BC1 (opaque), and it removes alpha, so choose it for a picture that should be solid. The page always passes mipmap levels of 0, which means the file carries the base texture. The work runs in local ImageMagick, in the browser, and the download is one DDS. Before you save, decide whether the holes in the picture should survive. A PNG with transparency wants the livery preset or DXT5. A solid JPG, or a texture that should ignore transparency, can take DXT1. After the download, the file is checked: the header must be a real DDS, beginning with the DDS mark, and a file that is too small is rejected so you are warned instead of saving a stub. Open the result in the tool that will use it and glance at the edges. You came for one texture, and that is the file you leave with.

A DDS preset that matches how the texture will be used

The livery preset you start on

The default preset is labeled Photoshop / livery editing (32-bit, no mipmaps). It is the right first choice when you are painting a skin, a panel, or any texture where the source might carry transparency. If the PNG or JPG has alpha, this preset keeps it. If the source is a solid picture, you still get a DDS of that picture. The page sends mipmap levels of 0, so the file is the base image, which keeps the export focused on the texture you can see at full size. Local ImageMagick builds the file in the browser. Add a JPG or a PNG, leave this preset selected if it matches the job, and download.

DXT5 when the texture needs alpha

Choose the preset labeled Game texture — DXT5 / BC3 (alpha) when the texture is headed for a game and the transparent parts should remain. DXT5 keeps alpha, so a soft edge, a gap, or a faded decal can stay a gap. This is the preset to reach for when a material uses that alpha, and when a solid block of color would be the wrong result. The same mipmap setting applies: levels are 0, the base texture. Bring a PNG that already has the transparency you want, because the converter keeps what is there rather than inventing a new mask. Export, then look at an edge in the place the texture will actually be shown.

DXT1 when the picture is opaque

The preset labeled Game texture — DXT1 / BC1 (opaque) removes alpha. Use it for a texture that should be solid: a wall, a photo plate, a panel with no holes. If the source had transparency, that transparency is cleared on this preset, which is the point of choosing an opaque game texture. JPG files are already solid pictures, so DXT1 agrees with them. PNG files with a real cutout belong on the livery preset or on DXT5 instead. The output is still one DDS, checked for a valid header. The magic at the start of the file is DDS, and a result that is too small is rejected before you treat it as finished.

How it works

1
Add a JPG or a PNG
This converter accepts JPG and PNG. Add the texture you want to encode. One image is the run. If the picture has transparency you care about, start from a PNG that already shows that alpha.
2
Pick the preset for the job
Leave the livery preset when you want 32-bit editing and alpha kept if the source has it. Choose DXT5 to keep alpha in a game texture, or DXT1 when the texture should be opaque. Mipmap levels stay at 0.
3
Download and trust the header check
Export the DDS. Local ImageMagick writes the file in the browser. The header is validated, the file begins with the DDS mark, and a result that is too small is rejected so you can run it again.

Use cases

A livery or a skin with a soft edge

Start on the default preset. It keeps alpha when the PNG has it, and the label points at livery editing, which is the usual home for this kind of texture.

A game texture that needs a hole

DXT5 / BC3 keeps alpha. Use it when foliage, a decal, or a UI plate has to stay partly see-through in the material that will read the DDS.

An opaque plate

DXT1 / BC1 removes alpha and suits a solid image. A JPG of a wall or a printed panel is a natural match for that preset.

Problems we solve

The holes disappeared

DXT1 removes alpha. If the texture needed those holes, switch to the livery preset or to DXT5, both of which keep alpha when you need it, and export again from the PNG.

The download was rejected

The header is checked, and a file that is too small is rejected. Run the export again from the JPG or PNG. A valid file begins with the DDS mark.

Related guide

Trust & technology

Local ImageMagick

The DDS is built in the browser with ImageMagick. Your JPG or PNG stays on the device while the preset, the alpha choice, and the base texture are written.

A checked DDS header

The output magic is DDS, with the space a real DDS header carries. The file is validated, and a result that is too small is turned away instead of handed to you as finished.

Frequently asked questions

Image to DDS