Links:Graphic Applications

2D Graphic and Animation Applications

GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)

"GIMP is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring."

• Homepage: http://www.gimp.org
• License: GNU-GPL
• Operating systems: "Available for Windows, Linux, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X."
• Extras you may need: Plugin repository got just about all of them either hosted or linked, use search.
  • DDS (see below). normalmap - create RGB normalmaps. Texturize - create large and natural textures from a small sample. And/or Resynthesizer - produce a larger version of a texture, make an image tilable, remove unwanted features, apply themes to images. Some Linux repositories have these four. Seamless texture maker - a little script making just about any image tileable without too obvious stitches or blur.

INKSCAPE . Draw Freely

"INKSCAPE is a Linux & Windows vector graphics editor (SVG format) featuring transparency, gradients, node editing, pattern fills, PNG export, and more. Aiming for capabilities similar to Illustrator, CorelDraw, Visio, etc."

• Homepage: http://www.inkscape.org
• License: GNU -GPL
• Operating systems: "All 32-bit MS Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP), All POSIX (Linux/BSD/UNIX-like OSes), Linux, OS X"
• Extras: If you need any, try on Plugin Top.

LunarCell

LunarCell is a Photoshop compatible plugin that allows you to create instant planets. Create fractal, reality-based, or just strange worlds in seconds. It includes real clouds downloaded from weather satellites and comes with dozens of presets, and you can design your own planets too. LunarCell also generates maps for 3D animation, fantasy mapmaking, and QuickTime 5 cubic VR.

• Homepage: http://www.flamingpear.com/lunarcell.html
• License: Commercial

Spacescape

Free program for making space skyboxes.

• Homepage: http://alexcpeterson.com/spacescape
• License: MIT
• Operating systems: Windows

Mandelbulber

"Mandelbulber is an experimental application that helps to make rendering 3D Mandelbrot fractals much more accessible. A few of the supported 3D fractals: Mandelbulb, Mandelbox, BulbBox, JuliaBulb, Menger Sponge, Quaternion, Trigonometric, Hypercomplex, and Iterated Function Systems (IFS). All of these can be combined into infinite variations with the ability to hybridize different formulas together."

• Homepage: http://mandelbulber.com/ (also available via some Linux repositories)
• License: GNU -GPL
• Operating systems: "32-bit and 64-bit for Windows, Linux, and Mac (Intel & PPC)"

2D Graphic Converters

GIMP DDS Plug-In

This is a plugin for GIMP version 2.x. It allows you to load and save images in DirectDraw Surface (DDS) format.

• Homepage: http://registry.gimp.org/node/70
• License: GNU GPL
• Operating systems: Windows, Linux

nVidia Texture Tools

Tools (nvcompress, nvddsinfo, ...) for manipulating graphic files and optimize them for the graphic card.

• Homepage: http://developer.nvidia.com/object/texture_tools.html
• License: MIT License
• Operating systems: Windows, Linux
• Binaries and source (version links might be out of date, please check homepage for downloads)
  • Windows: http://developer.download.nvidia.com/tools/texturetools2/NVIDIA_Texture_Tools_2.04.1016.0025.exe
  • Source: http://nvidia-texture-tools.googlecode.com/

xNormal

Application to generate normal, ambient occlusion, parallax displacement, and relief maps.

• Homepage: http://www.xnormal.net/
• License: ?
• Operating systems: Windows, Linux under development
• Binaries and source
  • Windows: http://www.xnormal.net/Downloads.aspx
  • Source: http://www.xnormal.net/Developers.aspx

Image Viewers

• IrfanView (freeware for Windows) supports the DDS image file format. You may want to add the string "|IMAGE|TEXTURE" at the end of the option "Load custom file types" under "Options/Set file associations" for smooth browsing of VS image and texture files.
• KDE's image libraries (version >= 3.3.0) support reading the DDS file format, so e.g. gwenview, kview and konqueror can view texture files.
• XnView is a multiplatform - Windows, Linux (also available via GetDeb repository), Mac OS - viewer/browser/convertor. Has a lot of useful side functions: it can bookmarks library, pre-cache, toggle alpha channel in preview and thumbnail with a simple key combo, read DDS files "as is" and batch rename or convert formats with two clicks.

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Links:Sound_&_Music_Applications

Links

Links:3D_Applications