The DDS format which is proprietary of the DirectX software is mainly used in the field of game development. The format is easy to read and write. The format can save data both compressed and uncompressed, with or without mipmaps. The DDS format is supported by other tools, such as Direct3D. Creation of a DDS file is associated with difficulties, and even proprietary DirectX software may fail to provide high quality results. Converting bitmaps to DDS is possible with ImageConverter Plus. The software can create standard portable DDS files. Creation of a DDS file provides 4:1 compression ratio, which saves RAM. DDS supports alpha channels. Transparency is represented by a black-to-white gradated version of the image, where white is opaque and black is transparent (and all the shades in between). Please note that DDS is not really used for storing images. The use of DDS is intended for 3D graphics only.