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Image MIME Reference
KTX2

Khronos Texture 2.0

image/ktx2
VS

AutoCAD Slide

image/vnd.sld
SLD

A complete technical comparison of Khronos Texture 2.0 and AutoCAD Slide — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

Equal browser support

Feature Support

Feature KTX2 SLD
Transparency (Alpha) Yes ✕ No
Animation Support ✕ No ✕ No
Progressive Loading ✕ No ✕ No
HDR Support Yes ✕ No
EXIF Metadata ✕ No ✕ No
ICC Color Profile ✕ No ✕ No
Khronos Texture 2.0
image/ktx2
Extension
.ktx2
Container KTX 2.0
Compression Basis Universal (ETC1S / UASTC) / Zstandard (zstd) Supercompression / Uncompressed
Algorithm
ETC1SUASTCZstandard (zstd)Raw GPU Formats (ASTC, BCn)
Color Depth 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit (Float)
Developed by Khronos Group
Released 2021
Magic Bytes
AB 4B 54 58 20 32 30 BB 0D 0A 1A 0A
Full KTX2 reference →
AutoCAD Slide
image/vnd.sld
Extension
.sld
Container AutoCAD Slide Container
Compression Uncompressed (Vector Instructions)
Algorithm
None
Color Depth 8-bit (AutoCAD Indexed Color)
Developed by Autodesk, Inc.
Released 1980s
Magic Bytes
41 75 74 6F 43 41 44 20 53 6C 69 64 65 0D 0A 1A 00
Full SLD reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser KTX2 SLD
Chrome Chrome
✕ ✕
Firefox Firefox
✕ ✕
Safari Safari
✕ ✕
Edge Edge
✕ ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
KTX2

KTX2 Strengths

  • Universal hardware compatibility: write once, transcode anywhere to the target GPU's preferred format (ASTC, BC7, PVRTC, etc.)
  • Drastically reduces transmission size over networks thanks to Basis Universal and Zstandard supercompression
  • Seamless integration with the glTF ecosystem for optimized 3D asset delivery
Limitations
  • Requires WebAssembly (Wasm) decoders and JavaScript loaders for web viewing, increasing initial application payload slightly
  • Encoding textures into high-quality Basis Universal UASTC can be computationally intensive and slow
  • Zero support in traditional 2D image viewers or native OS previews
SLD

SLD Strengths

  • Allowed for instantaneous loading of highly complex architectural and engineering blueprints on low-memory MS-DOS systems
  • Easy-to-parse binary structure containing simple opcodes for drawing vectors and polygons
Limitations
  • Completely obsolete and heavily fragmented, largely replaced by PDF and lightweight web-based DXF viewers
  • Destructive 'snapshot' format irrevocably strips all useful, editable CAD geometry data from the original drawing
  • Zero support in web browsers or standard image processing libraries

When to choose which format

KTX2
Use KTX2 when…
  • glTF 3D Models (KHR_texture_basisu)
  • WebGPU and WebGL Applications
  • Game Engines (Unity, Unreal, Godot)
  • Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
SLD
Use SLD when…
  • Legacy AutoCAD Slideshows
  • AutoCAD Custom Icon Menus
  • Historical CAD Archival

More comparisons

KTX2 vs ACES → SLD vs ACES → KTX2 vs APNG → SLD vs APNG → KTX2 vs AVCI → SLD vs AVCI → KTX2 vs AVCS → SLD vs AVCS → KTX2 vs AVIF → SLD vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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