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Convert HDR to TGA - Game Textures & 3D Assets Made Simple

Transform Radiance HDR images to TGA format for game engines and 3D applications.

Step 1: Upload your files

You can also Drag and drop files.

Step 2: Choose format
Step 3: Convert files

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Why Convert HDR to TGA?

HDR files store high dynamic range image data with floating-point precision, capturing luminance values far beyond standard formats. But when you need textures for game engines or 3D applications, TGA is often the required format.

TGA (Truevision Graphics Adapter) has been an industry standard in game development since 1984. It supports alpha channels, maintains quality without compression artifacts, and works directly with Unity, Unreal Engine, and virtually every 3D modeling tool.

How to Convert HDR to TGA

  1. Upload your HDR file - Drag and drop or click to select your Radiance HDR image
  2. Confirm TGA as output - TGA is pre-selected for texture-ready output
  3. Download your file - Get your converted TGA, ready for game engines and 3D tools

The entire process happens in your browser. No software to install, no account required.

HDR vs TGA: Technical Differences

Understanding what changes during conversion helps you get better results:

  • Dynamic range - HDR stores 32-bit floating-point color data with an extended luminance range. TGA uses 8-bit channels (24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA), so tone mapping compresses the range
  • Color depth - HDR captures far more gradations between light and dark. TGA's 16.7 million colors handle most visual content well
  • Alpha channel - TGA fully supports 8-bit alpha transparency, preserving any transparency data from your source
  • File size - TGA files are typically larger than compressed formats but smaller than raw HDR data

In our testing, converted TGA files maintain excellent visual quality for texture work, with tone mapping that preserves important details in both highlights and shadows.

Common Use Cases

Game Development Textures

Game engines like Unity and Unreal prefer TGA for texture imports. If you have HDR environment maps or lighting references, converting to TGA makes them usable in your project pipeline.

3D Modeling and Rendering

Software like Blender, Maya, and 3ds Max handles TGA natively. When sharing HDR assets with collaborators using different tools, TGA ensures compatibility.

Archiving HDR Content

Need to share HDR renders with clients who lack HDR viewing software? TGA provides high-quality output that opens anywhere while preserving alpha channels.

When to Use a Different Format

TGA excels for game textures and 3D work, but other formats might suit your needs better:

  • HDR to PNG - Better for web use with smaller file sizes and broad browser support
  • HDR to JPG - Ideal for photos and general sharing where alpha channels are not needed
  • HDR to EXR - Preserves full dynamic range for VFX compositing workflows

Choose TGA when you need uncompressed quality with alpha channel support for professional 3D pipelines.

Works on Any Device

Our converter runs entirely in your browser:

  • Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • No plugins or software installation required

Upload your HDR files and get TGA output in seconds, from any computer with a web browser.

Pro Tip

When converting HDR environment maps to TGA for game engines, consider splitting into separate diffuse and specular maps first. This gives you more control over how the lighting data is used in your materials.

Common Mistake

Expecting TGA to preserve the full dynamic range of HDR data. TGA uses 8-bit channels, so extremely bright highlights will be clipped. For compositing work where you need full range, convert to EXR instead.

Best For

Game developers importing HDR lighting references or environment maps into Unity, Unreal, or other engines that prefer TGA format for texture assets.

Not Recommended

VFX compositing or color grading workflows where you need the full dynamic range of the original HDR. Use EXR format to preserve floating-point data for post-production work.

Frequently Asked Questions

HDR (High Dynamic Range) files, specifically Radiance HDR format, store images with floating-point color data that captures a much wider range of brightness levels than standard formats. They're commonly used in 3D rendering, photography, and lighting simulations.

TGA (Truevision Graphics Adapter) is a raster image format popular in game development and 3D graphics. It supports 8, 16, 24, or 32 bits per pixel, includes alpha channel support, and works directly with game engines like Unity and Unreal without compatibility issues.

Some dynamic range information is compressed during conversion since TGA uses standard 8-bit color channels while HDR stores floating-point data. However, tone mapping preserves visual quality, and for most texture and 3D work, the TGA output looks excellent.

Yes. TGA supports 8-bit alpha channels (32-bit RGBA total), so any transparency data in your HDR source is preserved in the converted file.

Absolutely. TGA is one of the preferred formats for both Unity and Unreal Engine texture imports. Your converted files will work directly in these game engines without additional processing.

TGA is preferred in game development pipelines because it's uncompressed (no encoding time), universally supported by 3D tools, and handles alpha channels reliably. PNG works well for web use but TGA is the industry standard for textures.

TGA files are uncompressed, so a 1920x1080 image with alpha will be approximately 8MB. Without alpha (24-bit), around 6MB. File sizes are predictable based on resolution.

Yes. Upload several HDR files and convert them all to TGA in one batch. This is useful when processing multiple textures or environment maps for a project.

Yes. Conversion happens locally in your browser - files are not uploaded to external servers. Your HDR assets remain on your device throughout the entire conversion process.

We support Radiance HDR files (.hdr and .pic extensions), which use RGBE encoding to store high dynamic range data. These are the standard HDR formats from 3D rendering software and HDRI photography.

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