DDS stands for DirectDraw Surface. The format was developed by Microsoft for storing image data compressed with the S3 Texture Compression algorithm. The data can be decompressed and rendered by Graphics Processing Units using the DirectX set of standard functions and commands.
DDS files are lossy raster images if compressed but they can also be used to store uncompressed data. The DDS format was developed mainly to be used with applications which render images in real-time such as computer games. DirectDraw surface files are often used for storing video game textures, models and environments. Also, since most video cards offer DirectX support natively, DDS files are recommended for lower memory usage.
Other .DDS file extensions
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ZOMG
2010-04-14 14:06:19
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A .dds is an image format commonly used in games such as Fallout 3 and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy. It supports transparency and can be relatively small while maintaining it's quality.
It can be edited in programs such as Gimp (confirmed on Gimp 1.0 and above) and Paint.NET.
