_______________________________________________________________________

  T X D  T o o l  1.1

  ReadMe.txt

  8th June 2002

_______________________________________________________________________

 CONTENTS
__________

	GENERAL INFORMATION
	INSTALLATION
	HELP
	FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
	HISTORY
	CONTACT INFORMATION

_______________________________________________________________________
 
 GENERAL INFORMATION
_____________________

GTA3Mods presents... TXD Tool! :p

Features:
+ Full support for paletted (8bit) and 32bit GTA3 Textures...
- Render Texture
- Render Alpha Channel
- Export Texture
- Export Alpha Channel
- Import Texture
- Import Alpha Channel
+ Auto colour reduction for importing images with over 256 colours into
a paletted (8bit) texture.
+ Auto resizing for importing images with different dimentions to the
texture.
+ Full support for working with textures inside GTA3 Archives.
+ Auto GrayScaling code for use with importing alpha channels.
+ Optional file association with *.TXD and *.IMG files.

Happy Modding! :)

_______________________________________________________________________
 
 INSTALLATION
______________

Extract the zip archive to any directory and run 'TXDTool.exe'.

_______________________________________________________________________
 
 HELP
______

This is only a breif help section, proper help will come in a later
version. If you need help that's not here, goto the editing forums at
www.GTA3Forums.com - somebody there will be happy to help :).


  Complicated textures and alpha channels don't mix...

If you've been getting an error while importing a texture or alpha
channel into a paletted (8bit) texture, it's because you're using too
many colours/transparency levels.

A paletted texture can only have 256 combinations of colour and 
transparency. I've added code to reduce the amount of colours if over
256 but making this work with transparency too could make some ugly
looking textures because of the amount of colours reduced. This is why
i've left it upto you to reduce the colours in your prefered image
editing program.

If you're definatly not over the limit but still getting this error,
make sure you're importing the correct size image... if the size of
the imported image needs to be lowered to fit the texture this can
cause a mixing of the colours which will sometimes increase them.


In future i'm going to add code to clear a texture or alpha channel but
for now if you wish to remove an alpha channel just make a solid white
bitmap and import it as the alpha channel.

_______________________________________________________________________
 
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
____________________________

Q. I get an error while importing a texture/alpha about colour and
transparency levels, why?

A. Look up. There's info on this in the HELP section of this document.


Q. When will you have 16bit texture support?

A. 'Soon'. It's not high on my priority list because i've only seen a
few textures in 16bit and they aren't the type you would edit
(reflection maps, etc.).


Q. Do images I want to use as an alpha channel have to be GrayScale?

A. No, there's code inside TXDTool to convert it.


Q. Will you teach me how to make textures/skins?

A. No. I'm not good with graphics :). A good place to get help would
be GTA3Forums.com in the graphics or editing forums.


Q. I've found a bug! What should I do?

A. Send me details at Spooky@GTA3Mods.com - Please include your system
specs and operating system.

NOTE: This is for bugs with TXDTool only! Please don't email me with
details on GTA3 bugs, I can't do anything about them.


Q. I've made a texture modification, how can I send it to people?

A. Well, if you've edited a TXD file from inside a GTA3 Archive you
need to extract the TXD out, theres a few tools around todo this
including my own "IMG Extractor" (See GTA3Mods.com). At the time i'm
writing this though, the IMG Extractor can't insert files into GTA3
Archives so you'll have to use a different tool for that. I do however
have plans for a small texture injector that you can distribute with
your mods, keep an eye on GTA3Mods.com for it!


Q. A texture dictionary inside gta3.img is displaying scrambled
textures, why?

A. illspirit noticed this in "ISLANDLODCOMINDNT.TXD". It doesn't seem
to be a TXD file at all, i'll investigate more when I have the time.


Q. I've imported a texture without backing up, can you send me the
original?

A. No! Didn't you see the warning?! You'll have to reinstall GTA3 to
get the originals back. Pay more attention to warnings in future.

_______________________________________________________________________
 
 HISTORY
_________

 + 1.1
 - Added better GUI
 - Added faster archive reading code
 - Fixed RGB<->BGR bug in 32bit textures
 - Fixed small WinNT file association bug
 - Fixed "slow listbox" problem :)

 + 1.0 Beta
 - First major release.
 - Added importing of alpha channels into paletted (8bit) textures
 - Added Auto-View option
 - Added Options screen
 - Added optional file associations
 - Added colour reduction code for use with importing
 - Added image resizing code for use with importing
 - Added GrayScaling code for importing alpha channels

 + 0.9 (Private)
 - Added importing of textures and alpha channels into 32bit textures
 - Added importing of textures into paletted (8bit) textures
 - Added code for working inside GTA3 Archives

 + 0.6
 - Added rendering of paletted (8bit) and 32bit alpha channels

 + 0.5 (Private)
 - Added rendering of paletted (8bit) and 32bit textures 

 + 0.3 (Private)
 - Added rendering of 32bit textures

 + 0.1
 - First ever release.
 - Lists all textures in a texture dictionary

Note: Seems like a lot of versions :) but a few were on the same day.

_______________________________________________________________________
 
 CONTACT INFORMATION
_____________________

Website: www.GTA3Mods.com
Forums: www.GTA3Forums.com
Mail: Spooky@GTA3Mods.com
IRC: chat.planetz.net #GTA3

Note: Do not email me with questions like "How do I fly the dodo", use
the forums for that sort of question.

_______________________________________________________________________

This software and documentation 
 Copyright  2002 GTA3Mods.com