Textures (.paa, .edds, .tga)

DayZ uses PAA for model/material textures and EDDS for GUI resources such as imageset atlases. TGA and PNG are source artwork formats; the output format depends on the asset pipeline. This chapter covers the formats, naming conventions, resolution rules, and conversion workflow.

Texture Formats Overview

DayZ uses four texture formats at different stages of the development pipeline:

Format	Extension	Role	Alpha Support	Used At
PAA	`.paa`	Runtime game format (compressed)	Yes	Final build, shipped in PBOs
EDDS	`.edds`	Engine texture resource used by GUI	Yes	Workbench and shipped GUI atlases
TGA	`.tga`	Uncompressed source artwork	Yes	Artist workspace, Photoshop/GIMP export
PNG	`.png`	Portable source format	Yes	UI textures, external tools

The general workflow is: Source (TGA/PNG) --> DayZ Tools conversion --> PAA (game-ready).

PAA Format

PAA (PAcked Arma) is the native compressed texture format used by the Enfusion engine at runtime. GUI resources can instead reference EDDS textures; do not convert every resource to PAA indiscriminately.

Characteristics

Compressed: Uses DXT1, DXT5, or ARGB8888 compression internally depending on alpha channel presence and quality settings.
Mipmapped: PAA files contain a full mipmap chain, generated automatically during conversion. This is critical for rendering performance -- the engine selects the appropriate mip level based on distance.
Power-of-two dimensions: The engine requires PAA textures to have dimensions that are powers of 2 (256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096).
Read-only at runtime: The engine loads PAA files directly from PBOs. You never edit a PAA file -- you edit the source and re-convert.

Internal Compression Types

Type	Alpha	Quality	Use Case
DXT1	No (1-bit)	Good, 6:1 ratio	Opaque textures, terrain
DXT5	Full 8-bit	Good, 4:1 ratio	Textures with smooth alpha (glass, foliage)
ARGB4444	Full 4-bit	Medium	UI textures, small icons
ARGB8888	Full 8-bit	Lossless	Debug, highest quality (large file size)
AI88	Grayscale + alpha	Good	Normal maps, grayscale masks

When You See PAA Files

Inside unpacked vanilla game data (dta/ and addon PBOs)
As the output of TexView2 conversion
As the output of Binarize when processing source textures
In your mod's final PBO after building

EDDS Format

EDDS is an engine texture format used by the GUI resource pipeline. Shipped imagesets reference .edds atlases, for example gui/imagesets/dayz_gui.imageset. Keep these references and their resources together when packaging a GUI mod.

Use Workbench to manage GUI texture resources. Use TexView 2 or ImageToPAA for TGA/PNG-to-PAA conversion when authoring model materials. A generic DDS export is not automatically an EDDS resource, and the PAA build workflow below does not imply an automatic EDDS-to-PAA conversion.

TGA Format

TGA (Truevision TGA / Targa) is the traditional uncompressed source format for DayZ texture work. Many vanilla DayZ textures were originally authored as TGA files.

Characteristics

Uncompressed: No quality loss, full color depth (24-bit or 32-bit with alpha).
Large file sizes: A 2048x2048 TGA with alpha is approximately 16 MB.
Alpha in dedicated channel: TGA supports a proper 8-bit alpha channel (32-bit TGA), which maps directly to transparency in PAA.
TexView2 compatible: TexView2 can open TGA files directly and convert them to PAA.

When to Use TGA

As your master source file for textures you author from scratch.
When exporting from Substance Painter or Photoshop for DayZ.
When the DayZ-Samples documentation specifies TGA as the source format.

TGA Export Settings

When exporting TGA for DayZ conversion:

Bit depth: 32-bit (if alpha is needed) or 24-bit (opaque textures)
Compression: None (uncompressed)
Orientation: Bottom-left origin (standard TGA orientation)
Resolution: Must be power of 2 (see Resolution Requirements)

PNG Format

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is widely supported and can be used as an alternative source format, particularly for UI textures.

Characteristics

Lossless compression: Smaller than TGA but retains full quality.
Full alpha channel: 32-bit PNG supports 8-bit alpha.
TexView2 compatible: TexView2 can open and convert PNG to PAA.
UI-friendly: Many UI imagesets and icons in mods use PNG as their source format.

When to Use PNG

UI textures and icons: PNG is the practical choice for imagesets and HUD elements.
Simple retextures: When you only need a color/diffuse map with no complex alpha.
Cross-tool workflows: PNG is universally supported across image editors, web tools, and scripts.

Bohemia documents PNG and uncompressed 24/32-bit TGA as source formats in Arma: Texture Naming Rules. The filename suffix selects conversion rules in TexConvert.cfg.

Texture Naming Conventions

DayZ uses a strict suffix system to identify the role of each texture. The engine and materials reference textures by filename, and the suffix tells both the engine and other modders what type of data the texture contains.

Common Suffixes

Suffix	Full Name	Purpose	Typical Format
`_co`	Color / Diffuse	The base color (albedo) of a surface	RGB, optional alpha
`_nohq`	Normal Map (High Quality)	Surface detail normals, defines bumps and grooves	RGB (tangent-space normal)
`_smdi`	Specular / Diffuse-Inverse	Stores specular intensity and power; diffuse is derived from the specular inverse	RGB channels encode separate data
`_ca`	Color with Alpha	Color texture where the alpha channel carries meaningful data (transparency, mask)	RGBA
`_as`	Ambient Shadow	Ambient occlusion / shadow bake	Grayscale
`_mc`	Macro	Large-scale color variation visible at distance	RGB
`_no`	Normal Map (Standard)	Lower quality normal map variant	RGB
`_mca`	Vegetation macro resource	Used by vanilla TreeAdv materials; interpret channels through the shader, not as a generic cutout mask	Shader-dependent
`_dt`	Detail	Tiling detail texture for close-up surface variation; average color should sit near 0.5 and mipmaps fade the texture out with distance	RGB
`_lco`	Layer Color	Terrain satellite/layer color	RGB
`_lca`	Layer Color Alpha	Layer-color alpha variant (`layer_color_alpha` in TexConvert.cfg)	RGBA
`_mask`	Material Mask	RGB mask for multimaterial blending	RGB
`_dtsmdi`	Detail / Specular / Diffuse-Inverse	SMDI variant retaining detail in red	RGB
`_ads`	Ambient / Diffuse Shadow	Green stores ambient shadow; blue stores diffuse shadow	RGB

Texture Map Types describes channel meanings by shader. For trees, macro alpha can carry lighting information; it is not necessarily transparency. For example, the vanilla b_rosa_canina_1s asset uses an _mca resource in a TreeAdv material and also has a separate _ca texture. Use the matching material to interpret the resource.

Self-illumination is configured through material properties such as emmisive[]; do not invent an _li stage in the Super shader.

Naming Convention in Practice

A single item typically has multiple textures, all sharing a base name:

data/
  my_rifle_co.paa          <-- Base color (what you see)
  my_rifle_nohq.paa        <-- Normal map (surface bumps)
  my_rifle_smdi.paa         <-- Specular/metallic (shininess)
  my_rifle_as.paa           <-- Ambient shadow (baked AO)
  my_rifle_ca.paa           <-- Color with alpha (if transparency needed)

The _smdi Channels

The SMDI texture stores specular data with diffuse derived from its inverse. The HQ Normal Maps documentation and installed TexConvert.cfg define the channels:

Channel	Data	Range	Effect
R	Constant	255	Set to white; the converter writes 1 here
G	Specular intensity	0-255	Controls the specular contribution
B	Specular power multiplier	0-255	Modulates the material specular power; white preserves the configured power

The _nohq Channels

Author normal maps with tangent-space RGB normals. This table describes source data, not the packed PAA bytes:

Channel	Data
R	X-axis normal (left-right)
G	Y-axis normal (up-down)
B	Z-axis normal (toward viewer)
A	Source opacity where the shader uses it; not specular power

The installed normalmap_hq conversion rule writes 1-R into output alpha and 1-A into output red, while preserving green and blue. Do not paint a specular-power mask into _nohq alpha.

Resolution Requirements

The Enfusion engine requires all textures to have power-of-two dimensions. Both width and height must independently be a power of 2, but they do not have to be equal (non-square textures are valid).

Valid Dimensions

Size	Typical Use
64x64	Tiny icons, UI elements
128x128	Small icons, inventory thumbnails
256x256	UI panels, small item textures
512x512	Standard item textures, clothing
1024x1024	Weapons, detailed clothing, vehicle parts
2048x2048	High-detail weapons, character models
4096x4096	Terrain textures, large vehicle textures

Non-Square Textures

Non-square power-of-two textures are valid:

256x512    -- Valid (both are powers of 2)
512x1024   -- Valid
1024x2048  -- Valid
300x512    -- INVALID (300 is not a power of 2)

Resolution Guidelines

Weapons: 2048x2048 for the main body, 1024x1024 for attachments.
Clothing: 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 depending on surface area coverage.
UI icons: 128x128 or 256x256 for inventory icons, 64x64 for HUD elements.
Terrain: 4096x4096 for satellite maps, 512x512 or 1024x1024 for material tiles.
Normal maps: Same resolution as the corresponding color texture.
SMDI maps: Same resolution as the corresponding color texture.

Warning: If a texture has non-power-of-two dimensions, the engine will either refuse to load it or display a magenta error texture. TexView2 will show a warning during conversion.

Alpha Channel Support

The alpha channel in a texture carries additional data beyond color. How it is interpreted depends on the texture suffix and the material shader.

Alpha Channel Roles

Suffix	Alpha Interpretation
`_co`	Usually unused; if present, may define transparency for simple materials
`_ca`	Transparency mask (0 = fully transparent, 255 = fully opaque)
`_nohq`	Source opacity where the shader uses it; not specular power (see The _nohq Channels)
`_smdi`	Usually unused
`_mca`	Shader-dependent macro data; tree macro alpha can carry lighting, not a generic cutout mask

Creating Textures with Alpha

In your image editor (Photoshop, GIMP, Krita):

Create the RGB content as normal.
Add an alpha channel.
Paint white (255) where you want full opacity/effect, black (0) where you want none.
Export as 32-bit TGA or PNG.
Convert to PAA using TexView2 -- it will detect the alpha channel automatically.

Verifying Alpha in TexView2

Open the PAA in TexView2 and use the channel display buttons:

RGBA -- Shows the final composite
RGB -- Shows color only
A -- Shows alpha channel only (white = opaque, black = transparent)

Converting Between Formats

TexView2 (Primary Tool)

TexView2 is included with DayZ Tools and is the standard texture conversion utility.

Opening a file:

Launch TexView2 from DayZ Tools or directly from DayZ Tools\Bin\ImageToPAA\TexView.exe.
Open your source file (TGA or PNG).
Verify the image looks correct and check dimensions.

Converting to PAA:

Open the source texture in TexView2.
Go to File --> Save As.
Select PAA as the output format.
Choose the compression type:
- DXT1 for opaque textures (no alpha needed)
- DXT5 for textures with alpha transparency
- ARGB4444 for small UI textures where file size matters
Click Save.

Batch conversion via command line:

batch

REM ImageToPAA uses positional source and destination arguments.
"P:\DayZ Tools\Bin\ImageToPAA\ImageToPAA.exe" "source_co.tga" "output_co.paa"

Binarize (Automated)

When Binarize processes your mod's source directory, it converts referenced source textures to PAA. AddonBuilder also offers -binarizeAllTextures to process TGA/PNG textures that are not referenced by a model or listed in textures.lst. Keep EDDS GUI resources in their own pipeline.

Binarize conversion flow:

source/mod_name/data/texture_co.tga
    --> Binarize detects TGA
        --> Converts to PAA with automatic compression selection
            --> Output: build/mod_name/data/texture_co.paa

Manual Conversion Table

From	To	Tool	Notes
TGA / PNG	PAA	TexView 2 / ImageToPAA	Model/material workflow; retain the suffix
PAA	TGA / PNG	TexView 2	Export for inspection; prefer original artwork for editing
PSD	TGA / PNG	Image editor	Export artwork before texture conversion

Texture Quality and Compression

Compression Type Selection

Scenario	Recommended Compression	Reason
Opaque diffuse (`_co`)	DXT1	Best ratio, no alpha needed
Transparent diffuse (`_ca`)	DXT5	Full alpha support
Normal maps (`_nohq`)	DXT5	Uses the normal-map channel packing in TexConvert.cfg
Specular maps (`_smdi`)	DXT1	Usually opaque, RGB channels only
UI textures	ARGB4444 or DXT5	Small size, clean edges
Vegetation macro (`_mca`)	Match the source resource	Shader-dependent data; not a generic cutout mask

Quality vs. File Size

Format        2048x2048 approx. size
-----------------------------------------
ARGB8888      21.3 MiB   (uncompressed, including mipmaps)
DXT5           5.3 MiB   (including mipmaps)
DXT1           2.7 MiB   (including mipmaps)
ARGB4444      10.7 MiB   (including mipmaps)

In-Game Quality Settings

Players can adjust texture quality in DayZ's video settings. The engine selects lower mip levels when quality is reduced, so your textures will look progressively blurrier at lower settings. This is automatic -- you do not need to create separate quality levels.

Real-World Examples

Weapon Texture Set

A typical weapon mod contains these texture files:

MyMod_Weapons/data/weapons/m4a1/
  my_weapon_co.paa           <-- 2048x2048, DXT1, base color
  my_weapon_nohq.paa         <-- 2048x2048, DXT5, normal map
  my_weapon_smdi.paa          <-- 2048x2048, DXT1, specular / diffuse-inverse
  my_weapon_as.paa            <-- 1024x1024, DXT1, ambient shadow

The material file (.rvmat) references these textures and assigns them to shader stages.

UI Texture (Imageset Source)

MyFramework/data/gui/icons/
  my_icons.edds             <-- GUI sprite atlas resource

UI textures are often packed into a single atlas (imageset) and referenced by name in layout files. Use a matching vanilla imageset as a template for texture resources and image rectangles.

Terrain Textures

terrain/
  grass_green_co.paa         <-- 1024x1024, DXT1, tiling color
  grass_green_nohq.paa       <-- 1024x1024, DXT5, tiling normal
  grass_green_smdi.paa        <-- 1024x1024, DXT1, tiling specular
  grass_green_mc.paa          <-- 512x512, DXT1, macro variation
  grass_green_dt.paa          <-- 512x512, DXT1, detail tiling

Terrain textures tile across the landscape. The _mc macro texture adds large-scale color variation to prevent repetition.

Common Mistakes

1. Non-Power-of-Two Dimensions

Symptom: Magenta texture in-game, TexView2 warnings. Fix: Resize your source to the nearest power of 2 before converting.

2. Missing Suffix

Symptom: Material cannot find the texture, or it renders incorrectly. Fix: Always include the proper suffix (_co, _nohq, etc.) in the filename.

3. Wrong Compression for Alpha

Symptom: Transparency looks blocky or binary (on/off with no gradient). Fix: Use DXT5 instead of DXT1 for textures that need smooth alpha gradients.

4. Forgetting Mipmaps

Symptom: Texture looks fine up close but shimmers/sparkles at distance. Fix: PAA files generated by TexView2 automatically include mipmaps. If you are using a non-standard tool, ensure mipmap generation is enabled.

5. Incorrect Normal Map Format

Symptom: Lighting on the model looks inverted or flat. Fix: Ensure your normal map is in tangent-space format with DirectX-style Y-axis convention (green channel: up = lighter). Some tools export OpenGL-style (inverted Y) -- you need to invert the green channel.

6. Path Mismatch After Conversion

Symptom: Model or material shows magenta because it references a .tga path but the PBO contains .paa. Fix: Materials should reference the final .paa path. Binarize handles path remapping automatically, but if you pack with -packonly (no binarization), you must ensure the paths match exactly.

Best Practices

Keep source files in version control. Store TGA/PNG masters alongside your mod. PAA files are generated output.
Match resolution to importance. A rifle the player holds deserves 2048x2048. A can on a shelf can use 512x512.
Always provide a normal map. Even a flat normal map (128, 128, 255 solid fill) is better than none -- missing normal maps cause material errors.
Name consistently. One base name, multiple suffixes: myitem_co.paa, myitem_nohq.paa, myitem_smdi.paa.
Follow the suffix-specific conversion rule. DXT1 uses half the storage of DXT5, but normal maps and alpha textures need the appropriate channel packing and quality.
Use atlas textures for UI icons. Pack related icons into an atlas and reference named rectangles from an imageset.
Create color variants via hiddenSelectionsTextures[] instead of duplicating P3D models. Swap only the _co.paa.
Watch VRAM usage. A single 4096x4096 DXT5 texture uses ~21 MB of GPU memory with mipmaps. Prefer 1024 or 2048 for most items.
Two mods retexturing the same vanilla item via hiddenSelectionsTextures[] will conflict -- last loaded wins.

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Part 3: GUI System	Part 4: File Formats & DayZ Tools	4.2 3D Models

Textures (.paa, .edds, .tga) ​

Texture Formats Overview ​

PAA Format ​

Characteristics ​

Internal Compression Types ​

When You See PAA Files ​

EDDS Format ​

TGA Format ​

Characteristics ​

When to Use TGA ​

TGA Export Settings ​

PNG Format ​

Characteristics ​

When to Use PNG ​

Texture Naming Conventions ​

Common Suffixes ​

Naming Convention in Practice ​

The _smdi Channels ​

The _nohq Channels ​

Resolution Requirements ​

Valid Dimensions ​

Non-Square Textures ​

Resolution Guidelines ​

Alpha Channel Support ​

Alpha Channel Roles ​

Creating Textures with Alpha ​

Verifying Alpha in TexView2 ​

Converting Between Formats ​

TexView2 (Primary Tool) ​

Binarize (Automated) ​

Manual Conversion Table ​

Texture Quality and Compression ​

Compression Type Selection ​

Quality vs. File Size ​

In-Game Quality Settings ​

Real-World Examples ​

Weapon Texture Set ​

UI Texture (Imageset Source) ​

Terrain Textures ​

Common Mistakes ​

1. Non-Power-of-Two Dimensions ​

2. Missing Suffix ​

3. Wrong Compression for Alpha ​

4. Forgetting Mipmaps ​

5. Incorrect Normal Map Format ​

6. Path Mismatch After Conversion ​

Best Practices ​

Navigation ​

Textures (.paa, .edds, .tga)

Texture Formats Overview

PAA Format

Characteristics

Internal Compression Types

When You See PAA Files

EDDS Format

TGA Format

Characteristics

When to Use TGA

TGA Export Settings

PNG Format

Characteristics

When to Use PNG

Texture Naming Conventions

Common Suffixes

Naming Convention in Practice

The _smdi Channels

The _nohq Channels

Resolution Requirements

Valid Dimensions

Non-Square Textures

Resolution Guidelines

Alpha Channel Support

Alpha Channel Roles

Creating Textures with Alpha

Verifying Alpha in TexView2

Converting Between Formats

TexView2 (Primary Tool)

Binarize (Automated)

Manual Conversion Table

Texture Quality and Compression

Compression Type Selection

Quality vs. File Size

In-Game Quality Settings

Real-World Examples

Weapon Texture Set

UI Texture (Imageset Source)

Terrain Textures

Common Mistakes

1. Non-Power-of-Two Dimensions

2. Missing Suffix

3. Wrong Compression for Alpha

4. Forgetting Mipmaps

5. Incorrect Normal Map Format

6. Path Mismatch After Conversion

Best Practices

Navigation