kojak747

I've finished updating all the billboards and after umpteen texture edits this is where I'm at. The only thing I'd like to improve if at all possible are the snow billboards. I'm using Billboard 2 with normals and hand edited the billboard textures. How do they look to you? Good enough, or room for improvement?

I want to improve my normal maps over my current PhotoShop generated ones, and am looking at using xNormal as per the instructions in DynDOLOD/Docs/trees.ultra/DynDOLOD-Trees.html. I used the included treelod.exe from Docs\trees.ultra\tools\billboard creator\ with the command line options -square -format:8888. I can generate all four images with top,bottom, left and right lighting. They are all the same size and are square aspect ratio. However, when I place the images in xNormal, it looks like this - https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/341090804611285003/585606067426295887/unknown.png With the above files, my generated normal, looks like this The next piece of info in the manual says - "Then trim the normal map texture to match the aspect ratio of the diffuse billbaord texture." - Unless I misunderstand, that info pertains to editing the normal map after it has been successfully created. If you can shine any light on this that would be great. Cheers Link to dds for xnormal files

That fixed it, thankyou so much! I've never been so happy to see a clean log:)

It is yes. Everything appears to work in game just fine though.

Quick question - I've got this error popped up in my DynDOLOD log. The billboard isn't found at a non existent path or something. Not sure how to proceed. Also, I've updated the tree mod, many fixes, and new ultralods for SFO snowpines. LVTHSTreePineForestSnow01 [TREE:1700AA8B] meshes\spooknik\landscape\trees\lvttreepineforestsnowheavy01.nifBillboard not found <textures\terrain\lodgen\myrkvior.esp\lvttreepineforestsnowheavy01_0000aa8btextures\terrain\lodgen\myrkvior.esp\lvthstreepineforestsnow01_0000aa8b.dds>, 3D LOD found LOD4: meshes\dyndolod\lod\trees\lvttreepineforestsnowheavy01_4bb8c642passthru_lod.nif

Results: IT WORKS! https://imgur.com/a/3Wu50cK This is not a fair comparison however - Something went wrong with xNormal so I had to resort to PhotoShop to create the normals. There are a few options I will explore in the PS DDS export settings when creating the normal maps, I'm certain they can be improved. Overall though, it is a big improvement and Billboard2 appears to work very well with my NLA based setup. Thankyou. Now I'm much closer to the correct lighting levels, the tree billboard textures saturation is too high. I can do it in PS via batch edit, but if I wanted to edit it directly on the DyndolodTreeAtlas, I was going to edit the area in the blue box? Would that work? This is not how the final setup will be, I just want to edit the atlas directly to save time. Once I get the values I'm after I will edit the billboards directly. Also, Ignore the transparent areas in the pine trees (in the blue box) - I'm experimenting at the same time to see if I can 'let more light in' so to speak. Cheers edit: I also noticed that the billboard size changed when running Billboard2 and doubled in size. I disabled any associated [billboard].txt files for the billboards.

Thanks, got that working, but I'm having a bit of trouble locating the actual billboard nif (the X plane one). Do you know where it resides?

I'm getting some weird offset stuff going on in xNormal - did you ever come across this problem https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/380787785604268033/583422674412371970/unknown.png

Hi Sheson, I'm trying to improve these billboards to look less blobby and am going through a few ideas on things to try. https://imgur.com/kNGvkIK I'm wondering if there was much much less detail, would the billboard look less 'blobby'. I thought about decimating the mesh, but it's only 4 triangles. If it were more, could a decimated billboard mesh have more holes in it i.e let more light through. Another way I thought of removing detail is to remove (make transparent) parts of the billboard, something like an offset checker pattern so you still retain the tree outline and some detail in the middle. I also tried an 8 bit filter in Photoshop, but it didn't make any difference. I tried Static tree at LOD8 and it fixes it but the performance hit is too much. Could a set of heavily (90%=>) decimated ultra lods be a thing at LOD8? Thanks in advance.

IT WORKS!!! I ended up having to edit the DynDOLOD tree Atlas, but I gave it a new name and updated the paths in the passthru nifs as you suggested. Interestingly, out of all the colour tweaks I attempted, 'levels/contrast' in PS by far had the biggest effect on the leaf texture colours and helped me add more 'noise' to the ultralods helping them balance with the loaded models. Thankyou :) Pic> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/270539024584671233/582243832070930432/enb_2019_05_26_15_02_26_17_result.jpg

Hey Sheson, I've managed to get all the ultralods and billboards up and running for that tree mod I'm working on and I'm trying to resolve a few remaining issues. Currently, my pineforest tree 01-05 come from Lush Vanilla Trees and I'm using it's associated ultra lods. Those passthru.nifs get their textures from textures\dyndolod\lod\dyndolodtreelod.dds I want to use an alternate lod texture for those passthru.nifs. The texture I want comes from Enhanced Vanilla Trees. Their lod textures come from an alternate location, textures\lod\TreePineForestBranchComp.dds The reason I want to do this is because the ultralod textures for LVT are too bright, whereas the ultralod textures for EVT are perfect and achieve the effect I am after. I have tried editing dyndolodtreelod.dds in PS and copy/pasted the EVT LOD texture over it. Yes it makes a difference, but it's not working properly and looks wrong. Other things I might try... I've considered simply using the EVT ultralod meshes and textures in place of the LVT stuff, but that would mean a mis-match in meshes, which you notice as they change from ultralod to loaded model. I also wondered if DynDOLOD has an option in an ini file somewhere for me to control the brightness of the tree ultralod textures, kinda like the billboard brightness control, but I'm still searching for that. Also, I did see there was mention of a 3rd slot for a texture for lighting control but I've yet to work out what that does. If you have any advice for me that would be great. Pics LVT Ultra LODS too bright https://imgur.com/QOPI4q5 EVT Ultra LODS perfect https://imgur.com/EBURIQR EVT Ultra LODS Closeup of LOD texture https://imgur.com/WSXWYl7

IT WORKED! I changed the paths in the other blocks and it looks great. Always wondered how skinned trees work. TIL. Thanks :)

Hey Sheson, This isn't a DynDOLOD issue, but I'm working on a tree mod and came across an unusual bug with a tree model. I thought I'd ask you as you know waaay more about trees than me. What I'm trying to do is re-texture treepineforestsnowL02.nif and treepineforestsnowL05.nif from an old version of SFO. I'm re-purposing treepineforestsnow02 and re-routing the texture paths in the nif to point to treepineforestbranchcompsnowL.dds In game, the fully loaded model is working correctly, but if you get too close, another, green texture pops into view instead. If you have any ideas what's going on and could point me in the right direction that would be great, or if you have time to look at that files, that would be immense! Thanks Kojak Vid>https://vimeo.com/331574710 Files> https://mega.nz/#!s50igCpQ!3ICJ8SCZCuZ6ONFrl7kQ7FbK7rBOCmV7JAokGtGxP0o

It Worked! Thankyou. Also, there's another mod I found that might be worth including in the gamemode*mod_worldignore.ini file for DynDOLOD. It's Tamriel reloaded Mountains and rocks. In LOD, the custom textures for it's rocks stand out like a sore thumb. Ignoring it reverts to vanilla, and the issue is resolved. https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/58960/

Tried it, didn't work > https://imgur.com/a/SCChekq also, FWIW, I am using Dyndolod 254 x64 on MO216 (Classic)

I had exactly the same issue and decided that 32 bit MO plus 32 bit DynDOLOD can't handle larger load orders, in recent versions anyway. I want to set it up like Sheson suggested but I already have MO2 installed for SSE. So I would need another MO2 install for 64bit LE. How the hell do you do that?

Hi Sheson, I have got The Blue Palace terrace Mod installed and it replaces the LOD model of the Blue palace with the full model. The upshot is, at night you can't see the glow windows from the palace. Any idea how I can work round this? Thanks in advance Blue Palace Terrace PICS > https://imgur.com/a/iH8HT0n

Switching to the x64 version fixed it. I had the same problem on LE so tried the x64 version also - which fixed it. Thankyou!

I have done something wrong and DynDOLOD SSE keeps crashing during generation. It happens at the same time on consecutive runs. I searched for the error and ended up here. I searched for the hex value mentioned in the error in SSEEDIT and came up with nothing? Here's a link to the log https://pastebin.com/8uXh6bq0 Thankyou.

Thankyou! That all worked. I ended up using a custom glow nif that was a bit larger, less bright and more orange. Whilst it worked, and looked OK from afar, I still had the unavoidable and jarring issue of the glow mesh switching to the LOS LIGHT source as you moved through the world. Oh well, you live and learn. Thanks for all your help. Cheers

Tried numerous things and I can't get these the LOS neverfade LIGHTS to show up. There are 620 of them btw. What if I try another way through a DynDOLOD rule? Would that be worth doing i.e. if i get it to work, and end up having to make 620 rules, would it be something you might include in future DynDOLOD rules? https://imgur.com/Pwaz6VV https://imgur.com/qCvkJMD

That's what i had read and followed and still got nothing. So weird. Dyndolod_tes5.ini FakeLightsMinScale=1 and FakeLightsChildWorldMinScale=1 (256). the LOS LIGHT radius=512. The Neverfade flag is set on all the LOS LIGHT references. Nothing is conflicted in Tes5EDIT. Still no FX Glow meshes attached to the LOS bulbs beyond the edge of the loaded cell. Oh wait...Do I need to select FXGlow in the DynDOLOD GUI/advanced tab?

Am I doing something wrong here? Looking through Lanterns Of Skyrim, his LIGHT references already have the NeverFade flag set. Does that mean they never fade across the whole of Skyrim, or NeverFade to the edge of the currently loaded cell? Because I don't see any Lanterns Of Skyrim LIGHT bulbs as LOD. I can stand at the top of High Hrothgar at night and the bulbs from LOS are not visible. Also, I understand that the candle flames from the LOS Lanterns can be viewed as LOD. I don't require that option. It's just the LIGHT references I'm concerned about. Or am I doing something wrong? If not, what would I need to do in order to view the LIGHT references as LOD? I know you can set enable fake lights in parent worlds which would attach the glow mesh to them (and everything else) but I don't want that. I want to just allow the fxglow mesh to run solely on the Lanterns Of Skyrim LIGHT bulbs. I realize you can create a neverfade rule in the rules section, but there are 620 LIGHT references in the LOS plugin. 620 Never fades...will that kill performance? Or am i doing something wrong?

I tested the various options extensively and found that the mesh rule/nif option worked best. [Skyrim LODGen] LODGen1=skyship_static.nif,,,,,Unchanged,0 LODGen2=skyship_stopped.nif,,,,,Unchanged,0 That allowed all the models to function correctly without issue. I included the rule in an ini file per your suggestion and included it with the mod folder in a folder called DynDOLOD at the texture/mesh folder level. I selected high rules during DynDOLOD generation, the rules were recognized and DynDOLOD completed without issue. I have uploaded the rule to a separate file for the current release but will include it within the main mod folder for the next main release. Thanks for your help, super helpful as always, appreciate it :) :)

Hi Sheson, I managed to get the LOD working for the flyable model of the Dev Aveza airship. It all functions correctly, but there is an incompatibility with DynDOLOD. With the Airship mod included in a DynDOLOD run and DynDOLOD active, whilst in flight, the ship disappears and reappears every few seconds. It also affects the LOD and the only solution I have found is to exclude the Airship mod during the DynDOLOD process. However, there is a lot of stockade and walkway meshes on the cliff facade belong to the airship mod, which looks great with DynDOLOD, so I'm wondering if you have any ideas how to keep those walkway meshes etc, whilst allowing the ship to function correctly. As a temporary fix, I can include the rule DA_Skyship.esp=TamrielWorld in DynDOLOD_*_mod_world_ignore.txt Here's a link to the file, if you get a chance to have a look that would be super helpful. > https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/93296 Cheers