Image uploading question

I've taken a load of photos in-world, saved them to my PC for editing and just tried to upload them back into SL.

I saved tham as .TGA images (32 bit) but none will upload. When I request upload the preview screen shows that grey and white check pattern. I tried uploading one anyway but got nothing. These images are about 2.5mb.

However, it will let me upload the original .BMP images. These are about 3 or 3.5 mb.

So, no problem I guess. But I just wanted to know if there is any disadvantage in uploading as BMP rather than TGA? I guess I won't be able to make them translucent (alpha or whatever the techical term is!), but that's not a problem.

Will the quality of the uploaded image be as good?

If I'm not mistaken, you only need to use 32bit TGA files if you are uploading images that contain alpha areas. It sounds like your alpha channel is at full alpha and blanking out all the actual image. You could use 24bit TGA, or BMP, or plain old JPG really.

My understanding is no matter how good your image files are, the viewer will reduce them to JPEG2000 in the upload process.

Personally I use JPG for all the textures I upload, unless they contain alpha in which case I use 32bit TGA.

-Atashi

Thanks Atashi. I uploaded the BMP files last night and they were fine. I should have known that the system would automatically reduce all files to a single format (so the original format doesn't matter), but all this technical stuff has me, to steal your sig, 'frequently befuddled'.

Thanks again!