There're DXT3 textures on the distribution (errata: on the fillesystem - errata's errata: is really on the distribution), but KSP likes DXT1 and DXT5 only

[Lisias]

Fellow Kerbonaut Nophallus reported on Forum:

I am having a issue with the propellers turning black when fully spooled.

Welp, it seems to have fixed itself after I installed another mod (OPT).

I had restarted the game few time and they were still turning into black discs, then I installed that other parts mod and now they look fine.

MODLIST

KSP: 1.12.5 (Win64) - Unity: 2019.4.18f1 - OS: Windows 10  (10.0.0) 64bit
ClickThroughBlocker - 2.1.10.21
Harmony - 2.2.1
Toolbar - 1.8.1.1
ToolbarControl - 0.1.9.11
AIES_Patches - 0.0.1.3
ASET Consolidated Agency - 2.0.2
ASET Consolidated Props Pack - 2.0.7
Astronomer's Visual Pack - 4.1.3
B9 Aerospace Procedural Wings - 0.45.1
BetterTimeWarpContinued - 2.3.13
Chatterer - 0.9.99.2788
Contract Configurator - 2.9.2
DE_IVAExtension - 1.2
Distant Object Enhancement (DOE) /L - 2.1.1.16
Environmental Visual Enhancements - Redux - 1.11.7.2
Firespitter - 7.17
ForScience - 1.6
FreeIva - 0.2.18.4
RasterPropMonitor - 0.31.13.4
KAX - Kerbal Aircraft Expansion /L - 2.8.1
Kerbal Engineer Redux - 1.1.9
Kopernicus - 1.12.1.206
AdvancedFlyByWire - 1.8.4.1
KSP-AVC Plugin - 1.4.1.9
KSPCommunityFixes - 1.35.2
ModularFlightIntegrator - 1.2.10
Docking Port Alignment Indicator - 6.10
PlanetShine - 0.2.6.6
Procedural Parts - 2.5.9
ReStock - 1.4.5
ReStockPlus - 1.4.5
Shabby - 0.3
ButtonManager - 1.0.1.1
SpaceTuxLibrary - 0.0.8.6
VesselModuleSave - 1.0.1.2
Alternate Resource Panel - 2.11
TexturesUnlimitedFX - 1.0.7.1
VesselViewerContinued - 0.8.9
Waterfall - 0.9
WaterfallRestock - 0.2.3
Waypoint Manager - 2.8.4.2
[x] Science! - 6.0.2 

Evidences

• 
• KSP.log
• MMPatch.log
• ModuleManager.ConfigCache

[Lisias]

Hypothesis

• I don't use anything from OPT, and I really doubt OPT would use anything from KAX - so apparently OPT "fixed" the problem by collateral effect.
• Or perhaps something else that you had installed together OPT, but since you were intending to install OPT, you associated the fix to OPT.

[Lisias]

From the user's log, I found:

[LOG 19:46:41.480] Load DDS texture: KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropBlu
[WRN 19:46:41.480] LOAD FAILED : DDS: The 'DXT3' format isn't supported, use DXT1 for RGB textures or DXT5 for RGBA textures
[WRN 19:46:41.487] Duplicate PNG texture 'KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropBlu' with extension 'png' won't be loaded
[LOG 19:46:41.498] Load DDS texture: KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropChk
[WRN 19:46:41.498] LOAD FAILED : DDS: The 'DXT3' format isn't supported, use DXT1 for RGB textures or DXT5 for RGBA textures
[WRN 19:46:41.506] Duplicate PNG texture 'KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropChk' with extension 'png' won't be loaded
[LOG 19:46:41.517] Load DDS texture: KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropRed
[WRN 19:46:41.517] LOAD FAILED : DDS: The 'DXT3' format isn't supported, use DXT1 for RGB textures or DXT5 for RGBA textures
[WRN 19:46:41.523] Duplicate PNG texture 'KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropRed' with extension 'png' won't be loaded

But I didn't found anything like that on the logs I get from my test beds. Absolutely weird...

[Lisias]

Yep, mine is working fine:

[LOG 03:06:27.111] Load(Texture): KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropBlack
[LOG 03:06:27.678] Load(Texture): KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropBlu
[LOG 03:06:27.841] Load(Texture): KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropChk
[LOG 03:06:27.997] Load(Texture): KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropRed
[LOG 03:06:28.159] Load(Texture): KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialProp_NRM
[LOG 03:06:28.535] Load(Texture): KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialProp_txr

[Lisias]

Hummm... WAIT!

I found PNG and DDS for some textures on the KAX 2.8.1.0 distribution package!

I removed the PNG files, leaving the DDS. But still they loaded fine again. So I'm not the source of the borkage.

[Lisias]

Oukey, there's no other explanation. Something converted the KAX's DDS's to DXT3, or perhaps converted the PNG files into DXT3 instead of DXT1 - this issue is completely unrelated to KAX.

Yes, there's another explanation - I borked the second test without being aware.

[Lisias]

The duplicated textures are already fixed on the DEV branch, so this is something that was already tackled down.

Found the commit: 7fbbafe

[Lisias]

Hummm.... KSPCF is installed, and I know it optimizes the textures for quicker loading... It worth a try.

[Lisias]

YES, IT WAS KSPCF!!!

Found this on my KSP.log from my KSPCF test bed:

[LOG 03:25:45.116] Load DDS texture: KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropBlu
[WRN 03:25:45.117] LOAD FAILED : DDS: The 'DXT3' format isn't supported, use DXT1 for RGB textures or DXT5 for RGBA textures
[WRN 03:25:45.117] Duplicate PNG texture 'KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropBlu' with extension 'png' won't be loaded
[LOG 03:25:45.144] Load DDS texture: KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropChk
[WRN 03:25:45.144] LOAD FAILED : DDS: The 'DXT3' format isn't supported, use DXT1 for RGB textures or DXT5 for RGBA textures
[WRN 03:25:45.217] Duplicate PNG texture 'KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropChk' with extension 'png' won't be loaded
[LOG 03:25:45.469] Load DDS texture: KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropRed
[WRN 03:26:24.211] LOAD FAILED : DDS: The 'DXT3' format isn't supported, use DXT1 for RGB textures or DXT5 for RGBA textures
[LOG 03:26:24.439] [ModuleManager] INFO: Loading Physics.cfg
[WRN 03:26:24.447] Duplicate PNG texture 'KAX/Parts/KAX_radialProp/radialPropRed' with extension 'png' won't be loaded

KSP.log

[Lisias]

So, this is what's happening:

• The latest KAX was published with some textures both in PNG and DDS format.
  • Other than wasting disk space, nothing bad happens - the DDS textures are loaded before the PNG, saving the time of the conversion
• KSPCF when finds PNG files, converts them into DDS to save time, and rewrote the PartLoader to ignore the PNGs files.
• But, by some reason, the damned thing converted the PNG into DXT3, not to mention it ignored the presence of the distributed DDS, overwritting it with the borked one!

Next KAX release will not have duplicated textures, so I hope this problem will not be triggered again by KAX - but KSPCF clearly have a bug, and they should not be overwritting 3rd party assets!

[Lisias]

Closing this so.

[Lisias]

WRONG

I indeed shoved DXT3 DDSs in the distribution.

[Lisias]

This is a bug, being masked silently by how KSP (stock) load things. KSPCF was the messenger that I ended up shooting by mistake.

[Lisias]

Fixed on commit 9d9c10b.

[Lisias]

On a (hopefully) final note, thanks for the KSPCF guys for (properly) diagnosing the problem, and my apologies for shooting the messenger.

On the bright side, a change request on KSPCF were create to prevent further mishaps like this one.