DDS to PCX Converter
Convert DDS to PCX in your browser. DDS files usually come from DirectX games, game mods and texture tools such as NVIDIA Texture Tools and Intel's texture plugin; PCX is the better fit for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools. You get a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
DDS expected · other image formats also work
How to use DDS to PCX
- 1
Add your DDS files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
Pick the colour that replaces transparent areas, since PCX has none.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .pcx files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for dds to pcx
Where the PCX goes next
PCX opens in GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools.
PCX next to DDS
Both sides are lossless, so the size depends on how well the PCX encoder handles this picture compared with the DDS's block compression (BC1 to BC7, also called DXT) or uncompressed RGBA.
Written without a lossy pass
The PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels decoded from the DDS arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
DDS vs PCX
What changes from DDS to PCX
Encoding: the DDS uses block compression (BC1 to BC7, also called DXT) or uncompressed RGBA; PCX uses byte-wise run-length encoding, and the download is a run-length encoded PCX: 8-bit indexed when the image has 256 colours or fewer, otherwise 24-bit RGB.
Bit depth: 8 bits per channel for common texture formats in the DDS; PCX allows 1, 2, 4 or 8 bits per pixel with a palette, or 24-bit as three 8-bit planes, and the PCX written here has 8-bit indexed or 24-bit RGB.
Colour: RGB(A); normal maps and packed masks store data rather than colour in the DDS; PCX supports a 16 or 256-colour palette, or 24-bit RGB, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the DDS stores it as alpha inside the compressed blocks (BC2, BC3, BC7) or a 1-bit cut-out (BC1); the PCX has none, so transparent areas are filled with the colour you choose.
Other images: the DDS can hold mipmaps, cubemap faces or texture arrays; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the DDS can carry a 128-byte header (plus a DX10 header) describing the pixel format, nothing about the picture; PCX can carry only a 128-byte header with the resolution, but nothing is copied across.
About DDS
DDS is a GPU texture format used by DirectX games. It stores block-compressed textures (DXT/BC) and mipmaps that graphics cards decode directly.
A DDS file starts with 'DDS ' and a 124-byte header giving the size, mipmap count and pixel format: a FourCC such as DXT1 or DXT5, or 'DX10' followed by an extra header naming a DXGI format. The largest mipmap comes first.
DDS files usually come from DirectX games, game mods and texture tools such as NVIDIA Texture Tools and Intel's texture plugin.
About PCX
PCX is the image format of ZSoft's PC Paintbrush, the standard for DOS paint programs, scanners and games before GIF and BMP took over. It compresses with a simple run-length scheme.
A PCX file has a 128-byte header (the byte 0x0A, version, encoding, bits per pixel, image window, DPI, a 16-colour palette and the number of colour planes), then RLE-compressed scanlines; 256-colour files end with the byte 0x0C and a 768-byte palette.
When converting DDS to PCX makes sense
PCX is the better choice for DOS-era software, retro games and old fax or scanner tools, while DDS suits game textures and mods.
PCX strengths: Read by most legacy and modern viewers; Simple, lossless run-length compression. Drawbacks to weigh: Poor compression for photographs; No transparency; Obsolete outside retro software.
Limitations
- Only the top-level image (the largest mipmap of the first surface) is converted; smaller mipmaps and other cubemap faces are left out.
- Normal maps and packed masks hold data rather than colours, so they look purple or odd as ordinary pictures.
- PCX's run-length compression suits flat-colour art; photographs barely shrink.
- Transparency is flattened onto the background colour, since PCX has no alpha channel.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting DDS to PCX lose quality?
PCX is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Not carried over: any mipmaps.
What happens to transparency when converting DDS to PCX?
DDS stores transparency as alpha inside the compressed blocks (BC2, BC3, BC7) or a 1-bit cut-out (BC1). PCX has no alpha channel, so transparent pixels are composited onto a solid colour, white unless you pick another. To keep transparency, convert to PNG, WebP or AVIF instead.
Which apps open PCX files?
GIMP, IrfanView, XnView, ImageMagick, Paint Shop Pro and DOSBox-era tools. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.