How to Open DDS File

DDS Format Description
A DDS file, also known as a Microsoft DirectDraw Surface file, is a type of raster image that is stored in the DDS container format. The DDS format, developed by Microsoft, is specifically designed for compressing data using the S3 Texture Compression (S3TC) algorithm.

DDS files contain both compressed and uncompressed pixel formats. These files are stored in the memory of the graphics card in a compressed state, allowing them to be decompressed in real-time by the hardware. It is important to note that due to the use of lossy compression, the resulting texture will have reduced detail and color information compared to the original version.
DDS files can be represented either as three 8-bit bands, which correspond to the RGB color model, or as four 8-bit bands, which correspond to the RGBA color model. The support for RGB/A depends on the compression type used in the original DDS file.

The available options for writers allow for the management of the compression method and quality of the DDS files' output. These options have an impact on both the performance of writing and the size of the files.


How to Open DDS File
With Handy Viewer software you can open DDS file with ease.
In addition to DDS format Handy Viewer allows you to view 150+ image and video formats.

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