> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.gta.clothing/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.gta.clothing/basics/essential-knowledge/texture-optimizer.md).

# Texture Optimizer

Learn about the project wide Texture Optimizer

## Introduction

The **Texture Optimizer** scans every texture variation and every embedded texture in the project at once, shows you exactly what would change, and applies the whole plan in one run.

This is the bulk counterpart to the per texture dialog described in [Optimizing Clothes](/basics/essential-knowledge/optimizing-clothes.md). Use that dialog when you want to hand tune one texture, and this window when you want the project to be consistent.

{% hint style="info" %}
The window, the scan, the preview and the report are available to everyone. Advanced texture settings and per-texture overrides are visible but read-only without an active Advanced or Ultimate license, including in Project Settings. UV controls require Ultimate to edit. The primary action names the tier it needs and checks before anything is written. Optimizing a **selection** of textures needs any active license. **Whole project runs and every UV action require Ultimate.**
{% endhint %}

## The workflow

1. **Scan**. DCT reads every texture in the project and builds a plan. On a large project this takes a while, so a **Cancel** button sits beside the scan progress. Cancelling is an ordinary outcome: the scan stops, the rows already on screen stay as they are, and the progress text says the scan was cancelled.
2. **Review the plan**. Every row shows a thumbnail and what the rule would do to that texture.
3. **Optimize** a selection or everything.
4. **Read the report**, which compares before and after.

Progress names each file as it is processed, and every result is verified after it is written.

Opening a **Fix** action from the Error List selects the affected item and starts from recommended settings for the requested repair. A mipmap fix keeps the existing format and dimensions while completing the supported chain. Saved bulk filters and exclusions for the selected scope do not hide the repair. Review the plan, including any protected textures and their skip reasons, then select **Optimize**.

## Rules and presets

Expand **Rules** to review the setup. **Show advanced options** opens an additional expander for channel filtering, per-role formats and other detailed controls.

The rules are written in plain language and cover:

* **Compression**: choosing a suitable format, with an option to stay within DirectX 11 compatible formats.
* **Dimensions**: bringing oversized textures down to a sensible size.
* **Mip maps**: generating the levels a texture is missing.
* **Power of two sizing**: see [Textures and Power of Two](/cloth-modding/textures-power-of-two.md).
* **Embedded texture cleanup**: removing unused embedded textures and repairing wrong names or invalid samplers.

Presets cover the common cases. **Advanced settings** let you override the decision for an individual texture.

## Cropping wasted UV space

Clothing ported from other games often wastes most of a large texture on empty space, because the meshes only sample a small region of it. Downscaling such a texture loses detail on the part you actually use.

**UV crop and remap** solves this properly: it crops the texture to the region the meshes really sample and remaps the mesh UVs to match. The result keeps the original detail at a fraction of the size.

* An aligned crop avoids resampling the retained pixels. Output compression, resizing rules and mip generation can still change the result.
* It changes a drawable's texture variations, its embedded maps and its companion models **together, all or nothing**, so nothing is left half converted.
* It can be excluded per drawable.
* It is undoable like any other Texture Optimizer run.

A **Wasted UV space** finding warns you when a drawable is in this state. You can reach the fix from the drawable context menu, from the Texture Optimizer rules, or straight from that finding in the Error List.

For UV cropping, include the drawable and all its texture variations, or run the whole-project optimizer. A run opened only for selected texture variations cannot remap the model, even when the UV rule is checked; its plan explains why cropping was skipped.

{% hint style="warning" %}
UV cropping requires the **Ultimate** edition, because it rewrites mesh data as well as textures.
{% endhint %}

## Undoing a run

The files replaced by a run stay available until the project's stored data is cleaned, so **Undo this run** can put them back. Running **Optimize & cleanup project data** from the Project Actions removes those files and ends that option. See [Durty Cloth Projects](/basics/useful-to-know/durty-cloth-projects.md).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Check optimized clothing in game before keeping it. Compression artifacts and colour shifts are easy to miss in a preview.
{% endhint %}