cannot open file "BackgroundCube_skybox.dds" with my Gimp

[maxi_franke]

Hello
My Gimp is ready to open .dds - files.
But if i try to open "BackgroundCube_skybox.dds" or "BackgroundCube_skybox_prefiltered.dds" in the game-textures, it gives an error-message...

Why this?

[orb]

These DDS files aren't standard textures, but cube maps. It's 6 different textures in each direction (optionally with mipmaps) packed into a single file, and not a single texture (with mipmaps).

The GIMP DDS filter doesn't support this. You need to use a tool which supports cube maps and extract 6 these separate textures in order to edit of them in GIMP.

[maxi_franke]

what free tool can do that?

[orb]

If I remember correctly, DxTex from DirectX SDK can do that just fine. There are likely other, but I haven't checked them.

[maxi_franke]

where i can download the DxTex tool?

[orb]

DxTex isn't available separately. It can be downloaded only with DirectX SDK.

You can try searching for any other standalone tools. However I can't recommend any, as I haven't checked any them (while I've been using DxTex for making any cube maps instead):
https://www.google.com/search?q=dds+cube+map+tools

[maxi_franke]

i can open other cubemaps with gimp. then it shows me the 6 faces of the cube as different graphic-layers.
so i have no more ideas, why i cannot open theese two.
i found an application, that opens cubemaps on a 3D-sphere, what i can rotate and view from outside and inside.
but this also cannot open these two maps.
it can open other dds-cubemaps, ones that also can be opened in gimp.

If i draw in "BackgroundCube.dds" (the one, i can open with gimp) and resave it as cubemap, i see my drawings in the game.
Why there are "BackgroundCube_skybox.dds" and "BackgroundCube_skybox_prefiltered.dds" in the folder too?