Hi everybody,
Thank you to Wolf and to OldFlak for the useful informations provided in this important topic.
It inspired me to write a small program with Dark Basic Pro.
Rem Dark Basic Pro Project: marcus (Game Guru Forum Member : mikeven)
Rem Project Name : big_image_builder.dbpro
Rem Created: Monday, January 19, 2021
Rem ***** Main Source File *****
Sync On
cls
sync
my_images_folder$ = "E:\Marcus\Desktop\now\textures\"
my_images_prefix$ = "tex"
image_number = 10
my_images_extension$ = ".bmp"
big_bitmap = 1
Create Bitmap big_bitmap , 4096, 4096
small_bitmap = 2
no_stretching_no_filter_no_colorkey_retain_alpha = 3
D3DFMT_DXT5 = 5
for x = 0 to 3
for y = 0 to 3
image_file_name$ = my_images_folder$ + my_images_prefix$ + str$(image_number) + my_images_extension$
Load Bitmap image_file_name$ , small_bitmap
Copy Bitmap small_bitmap, 0,0,1024,1024,big_bitmap, 1024 * x, 1024 * y, 1024 * (x+1), 1024 * (y+1)
Delete Bitmap small_bitmap
image_number = image_number + 1
next y
next x
Set Current Bitmap big_bitmap
get image image_number,0,0,4096,4096, no_stretching_no_filter_no_colorkey_retain_alpha
Set Current Bitmap 0
Save Image "my_big_image.png", image_number , D3DFMT_DXT5
end
Edited on 2021-01-21 : This is a second version of that small program with which the alpha transparency is correctly copied in the big image.
Rem Dark Basic Pro Project: marcus (Game Guru Forum Member : mikeven)
Rem Project Name : big_image_builder.dbpro
Rem Created: Thursday, January 21, 2021
Rem ***** Main Source File *****
my_images_folder$ = "E:\Marcus\Desktop\now\textures\"
my_images_prefix$ = "tex"
image_number = 10
my_images_extension$ = ".png"
big_bitmap = 1
Create Bitmap big_bitmap , 4096, 4096
Set Current Bitmap big_bitmap
pixel_perfect_quality = 1
transparency = 1
no_stretching_no_filter_no_colorkey_retain_alpha = 1
draw_to_screen = 0
D3DFMT_DXT5 = 5
for x = 0 to 3
for y = 0 to 3
image_file_name$ = my_images_folder$ + my_images_prefix$ + str$(image_number) + my_images_extension$
Load Image image_file_name$ , image_number, pixel_perfect_quality
paste image image_number, 1024 * x, 1024 * y, transparency
image_number = image_number + 1
next y
next x
get image image_number,0,0,4096,4096, no_stretching_no_filter_no_colorkey_retain_alpha
Set Current Bitmap draw_to_screen
Save Image "my_big_image.dds", image_number , D3DFMT_DXT5
end
This is the link to Movavi Cloud (secured and anonymous access, available during 30 days) to a small video (downloadable, 32 seconds, 9 MBbytes, HD) showing the workflow :
http://cloud.movavi.com/show/lzjgYwtc0iq891XmrTNPG4KdVDeypHLI
Personally I could use this kind of large bitmap not only for GG terrain mapping but also to create UV maps for houses and buildings (or any other mesh compatible with this kind of uniform textures).
