Choosing an image format
Though the VTF image format provides support for a wide range of
image data formats, there are only a handful of image data formats you
are likely to use. These formats and their criteria are described
below:
- BGR888: use this format for textures with no alpha channel and very fine gradients (i.e. normal maps or light halos).
- BGRA8888: use this format for textures with an alpha channel and very fine gradients (i.e. normal maps or light halos).
- DXT1: use this format for typical textures with no alpha channel.
- DXT3: use this format for typical textures with an alpha channel with sharp gradients.
- DXT5: use this format for typical textures with an alpha channel with smooth gradients.
- I8: use this format for black and white textures with no alpha channel and very fine gradients (i.e. light halos).
- IA88: use this format for black and white textures with an alpha channel and very fine gradients (i.e. smoke or light halos).
- RGBA16161616F: use this format for HDR textures.
- UV88: use this format for DuDv ( maps.
