Microstutter with DynDOLOD installed

[DrShloickerstein]

I noticed a consistent microstutter when I started testing my attempt at a fully modded Skyrim build. It is only present in exteriors. After trying many different enb and driver settings I found that running a save without DynDOLOD installed eliminated the microstutter completely. I tried generating a DynDOLOD output with the low, rather than medium, setting but this made no difference.

 

 I am running a large load order but the only mod relevant to DynDOLOD is the Skyrim Flora Overhaul (basic).

 

[spoiler=Load Order] 0 0 Skyrim.esm
1 1 Update.esm
2 2 Dawnguard.esm
3 3 HearthFires.esm
4 4 Dragonborn.esm
5 5 Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch.esp
6 6 Skyrim Project Optimization - No Homes - Full Version.esm
7 7 Falskaar.esm
8 8 Wyrmstooth.esp
9 9 Campfire.esm
10 a UnlimitedBookshelves.esp
11 b ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
12 c WM Flora Fixes.esp
HighResTexturePack01.esp
HighResTexturePack02.esp
HighResTexturePack03.esp
Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp
STEP Vanilla Optimized Textures - Standard.esp
STEP DLC Optimized Textures - Standard.esp
Modern Brawl Bug Fix.esp
13 d Guard Dialogue Overhaul.esp
14 e Weapons & Armor Fixes_Remade.esp
15 f Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp
16 10 TouringCarriages.esp
17 11 Cutting Room Floor.esp
18 12 Hothtrooper44_Armor_Ecksstra.esp
19 13 Hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp
20 14 Guard Dialogue Overhaul - IA and CRF.esp
21 15 Immersive Weapons.esp
22 16 Unique Uniques.esp
23 17 Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.esp
24 18 PerkusMaximus_Master.esp
25 19 PerMa Expansion 1 - Wintermyst.esp
26 1a PerkusMaximus_Mage.esp
27 1b PerkusMaximus_Thief.esp
28 1c PerkusMaximus_Warrior.esp
29 1d BetterQuestObjectives.esp
30 1e Appropriately Attired Jarls Redux.esp
31 1f Dead Body Collision.esp
32 20 dD - Realistic Ragdoll Force - Realistic.esp
33 21 dD-No Spinning Death Animation Merged.esp
34 22 SkyUI.esp
35 23 iHUD.esp
36 24 RaceMenu.esp
37 25 Chesko_LoreBasedLoadingScreens.esp
38 26 ViewableFactionRanksBothDLC.esp
39 27 TakeNotes.esp
40 28 iActivate.esp
41 29 vAutosaveManager.esp
42 2a AMatterOfTime.esp
43 2b Beards.esp
44 2c Brows.esp
45 2d Helgen Reborn.esp
46 2e 3DNPC.esp
47 2f EnhancedLightsandFX.esp
48 30 ELFX - Exteriors.esp
49 31 Prometheus_No_snow_Under_the_roof.esp
50 32 AmazingFollowerTweaks.esp
51 33 Combat Evolved.esp
52 34 aMidianBorn_ContentAddon.esp
53 35 SMIM Merged Plugins.esp
54 36 Complete Alchemy & Cooking Overhaul.esp
55 37 Breezehome_Fully_Upgradable.esp
56 38 Immersive Citizens - AI Overhaul.esp
57 39 Relationship Dialogue Overhaul.esp
58 3a Point The Way.esp
59 3b TheChoiceIsYours.esp
60 3c NonEssentialChildren.esp
61 3d Book Covers Skyrim.esp
62 3e Thieves Guild Requirements.esp
63 3f FarmhouseChimneys.esp
64 40 EmbersHD.esp
65 41 iNeed.esp
66 42 RealisticWaterTwo.esp
67 43 AOS.esp
68 44 YOT - Your Own Thoughts.esp
69 45 SPTConsistentOlderPeople.esp
70 46 Invisibility Eyes Fix.esp
71 47 FarmhouseChimneysFalskaar+Wyrmstooth.esp
72 48 Paper World Map - Wyrmstooth.esp
73 49 RealisticWaterTwo - Wyrmstooth.esp
74 4a RealisticWaterTwo - Legendary.esp
75 4b RDO - iAFT Patch.esp
76 4c High Level Enemies.esp
77 4d CACO Patches Merged.esp
78 4e Frostfall.esp
79 4f Immersive Horses.esp
80 50 RDO - Immersive Horses Patch.esp
81 51 SkyrimImprovedPuddles-DG-HF-DB.esp
82 52 Craftable Horse Barding.esp
83 53 RealisticWaterTwo - Waves - Wyrmstooth.esp
84 54 3DNPC Alternative Locations.esp
85 55 3DNPC Don't Call Me Dragonborn.esp
86 56 Skyrim Flora Overhaul.esp
87 57 Touring Carriages Patches.esp
88 58 PilgrimsDelight.esp
89 59 The Paarthurnax Dilemma.esp
90 5a Immersive Music.esp
91 5b ELFXEnhancer.esp
92 5c imp_helm_legend.esp
93 5d ORM-Arvak.esp
94 5e GQJ_DG_vampireamuletfix.esp
95 5f DeadlySpellImpacts.esp
96 60 Helgen North Gate Fix.esp
97 61 No Snow Under The Roof - CRF Patch.esp
98 62 Gildergreen Regrown.esp
99 63 dD - Enhanced Blood Main.esp
100 64 dD-Dragonborn-Dawnguard-EBT Patch.esp
101 65 BlockSparkles.esp
102 66 Equipping Overhaul.esp
103 67 Prometheus_NSUTR Falskaar Dock.esp
104 68 Chesko_Step418_SN.esp
105 69 Footprints.esp
106 6a WondersofWeather.esp
107 6b Better Dynamic Snow.esp
108 6c Moss Rocks - Legendary.esp
109 6d SFO - Dragonborn.esp
110 6e TradeBarter.esp
111 6f Auto Unequip Ammo.esp
112 70 Better Stealth AI for Followers.esp
113 71 Traps Make Noise.esp
114 72 VioLens.esp
115 73 AmazingFollowerTweaks-3DNPC.esp
116 74 RDO - Invisbility Eyes Fix Patch.esp
117 75 RealisticWaterTwo - Waves - Falskaar.esp
118 76 RealisticWaterTwo - Falskaar.esp
119 77 SFMFollower.esp
120 78 Immersive Horses - Hearthfire Patch.esp
121 79 Immersive_Horses_AFT_Patch.esp
122 7a RDO - Cutting Room Floor Patch.esp
123 7b No Snow Under the Roof - 3DNPC Patch.esp
124 7c dovahkiinrelax.esp
125 7d High Level Enemies - Dawnguard.esp
126 7e NARC-Falskaar.esp
127 7f DeadlyDragons.esp
128 80 NARC-FalskaarConsistencyPatch.esp
129 81 NARC-ImmersiveHorsesConsistencyPatch.esp
130 82 JZBai_CrossbowManualReload.esp
131 83 SimplyKnock.esp
132 84 PerkusMaximus_SimplyKnock.esp
133 85 Paper World Map - Falskaar.esp
134 86 Skyrim Particle Patch for ENB - Flame Atronach Fix.esp
135 87 High Level Enemies - Dragonborn.esp
136 88 High Level Enemies - Falskaar.esp
137 89 ClimatesOfTamriel Falskaar.esp
138 8a 3DNPC Followers Perk Addon - PerMa Edition.esp
139 8b Watercolor_for_ENB_RWT.esp
140 8c Vividian - Weather Patch CoT - AOS.esp
141 8d TrueStorms.esp
142 8e YOT - Frostfall Module 3.0.esp
143 8f YOT - iNeed.esp
144 90 Climates of Tamriel - Dawnguard and Dragonborn Patches Merged.esp
145 91 TrueStorms-ClimatesOfTamriel.esp
146 92 mintylightningmod.esp
147 93 MintyLightningMod_COT_Patch.esp
148 94 PerMa-Content Addon Patch.esp
149 95 PerMa_USLEEP master patch.esp
150 96 Wyrmstooth - PerMa Patch.esp
151 97 Vividian Weather Patch Cot AOS - True Storms CoT Patch.esp
152 98 Enhanced Blood - IWIE Patch.esp
153 99 NARC Falksaar - Deadly Dragons Patch.esp
154 9a Wyrmstooth - RW2 - Paper World Map Patch.esp
155 9b RDO - iAFT - Immersive Horses Patch.esp
156 9c RW2 - ELFX Patch.esp
157 9d Skysan_ELFX_SMIM_Fix.esp
158 9e ELFX_2_0_BFU_Patch.esp
159 9f The Choice is Yours - Immersive Citizens Patch.esp
160 a0 Civil War Cleanup.esp
161 a1 Falksaar - SFO.esp
162 a2 ICH - Helgen Reborn Patch.esp
163 a3 RDO - CACO Patch.esp
164 a4 AOS Patches.esp
165 a5 NotSoFast-MainQuest.esp
166 a6 Book Covers Skyrim Patches.esp
167 a7 LessIntrusiveHUD.esp
168 a8 Prometheus_NSUTR BDS Patch.esp
169 a9 GoToBed.esp
170 aa GoToBed - Hearthfire coffins fix.esp
171 ab Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp
172 ac Better Quest Objectives Patches.esp
173 ad FarmhouseChimneysLAL+CRF.esp
174 ae Cutting Room Floor Patches.esp
175 af Immersive Citizens - ELFXEnhancer patch.esp
176 b0 Alternate Start Patches.esp
177 b1 Pre PaMa WAFR CCF CCOR Wintermyst Patch.esp
178 b2 Pre PaMa Patch - Improved Closefaced Helmets Patch.esp
179 b3 Pre PaMa Patch - AOS Patch.esp
180 b4 Warburg's 3D Paper World Map - Texture 1.esp
181 b5 warburg's 3d paper world map - dawnguard.esp
182 b6 Warburg's 3D Paper World Map - Dragonborn.esp
183 b7 Warburgs - USLEEP Patch.esp
184 b8 Merge Patch (Core Setup).esp
185 b9 Bashed Patch, 0.esp
186 ba Unlimited Bookshelves Patches.esp
187 bb Combat Evolved - Post Merge Patch.esp
188 bc CACO - Post Merge Patch.esp
189 bd CACO Patches - Post Merge Patch.esp
190 be Post Bashed Patch LVL.esp
191 bf USLEEP Post Bashed Patch.esp
192 c0 iActivate Patch (Core Setup).esp
193 c1 PatchusMaximus.esp
194 c2 Post_PatchusMaximus_GiantsAIFix.esp
195 c3 Dual Sheath Redux.esp
196 c4 Dual Sheath Redux Patch.esp
197 c5 FNIS.esp
198 c6 SolitudeExterior.esp
199 c7 WhiterunExterior.esp
200 c8 DynDOLOD.esp

 

 

 Sorry I haven't got more information but I'm really not sure what to do about this. I can't find any mention of this in the faq or in other forums so I made my own thread. Thanks for any help :).

[sheson]

Check the Performance section in the manual DynDOLOD\Docs\DynDOLOD_Manual.html

 

Make sure that you are not the victim of the 4GB VRAM limit of Windows 8/10.

 

Test with default/good Skyrim/SkyrimPrefs inis. I suggest to use BethINI

 

Lots of active LOD trees can cause micro stutter when the third person camera crosses cellborders (show borders with tb in console). Crossing cell borders in first person is perfectly fine.

Lower the fTreeLoadDistance to 0 in the DynDOLOD MCM Settings page and see if that changes anything. Consider disabling vanilla tree LOD and instead use static LOD for tree LOD, see DynDOLOD\Docs\trees.ultra\DynDOLOD-Trees.html

 

If there is stutter when a new row of cells are loaded or LOD levels change in the distance

a) lower distances of Static Object LOD and the Terrain LOD multiplier on the DynDOLOD MCM Settings page

b) adjust ENBoost ReservedMemorySizeMb in its performance overlay. Set it to 0 and then increment it until loading stutter is at a minimum

Edited October 24, 2016 by sheson

[DrShloickerstein]

 Sorry probably should have mentioned that I am running Windows 7 (I created a dual boot just for Skyrim :D) so the 4gb limit should not be a problem; besides, while running Skyrim Performance Monitor I do not ever seem to go above 3.5gb of RAM or VRAM anyway.

 

 After resetting my ini files and reinstalling DynDOLOD with the latest version the stuttering seems to have been reduced substantially (at 256mb reserved); I've noticed that it's almost absent in exteriors (some is always to be expected anyway, of course) but seems worse in the cities, at least in Windhelm where I tested. Nevertheless, I think it's at an acceptable level now, thanks for your input. :)

 

 Do you mind, though, if I ask you about general stability as well? Not sure if I'm allowed to sidetrack my own thread :p or if I should ask considering this is in DynDOLOD support :D. I'll just paste this into a new thread if you prefer. Just that I'm getting random CTDs on save load, cell load and in exteriors and cities (not sure about interiors with limited testing so far); they're not that often but I'm not sure what's causing them. Like I said RAM and VRAM do not exceed 3.5gb according to SPM and memory blocks log showed Block 1 reaching a maximum of 496mb before my latest crash in Windhelm (that's after about 20 minutes of running around the map at ground level). I use your memory patch through SKSE. I don't think this is a load order issue as I spent a long time going through conflicts in xEdit and resolving them to the best of my ability. I suppose the next step will be to try Papyrus Logging. Thanks for any advice on this :)

[sheson]

Sorry probably should have mentioned that I am running Windows 7 (I created a dual boot just for Skyrim :D) so the 4gb limit should not be a problem; besides, while running Skyrim Performance Monitor I do not ever seem to go above 3.5gb of RAM or VRAM anyway.

 

 After resetting my ini files and reinstalling DynDOLOD with the latest version the stuttering seems to have been reduced substantially (at 256mb reserved); I've noticed that it's almost absent in exteriors (some is always to be expected anyway, of course) but seems worse in the cities, at least in Windhelm where I tested. Nevertheless, I think it's at an acceptable level now, thanks for your input. :)

 

 Do you mind, though, if I ask you about general stability as well? Not sure if I'm allowed to sidetrack my own thread :p or if I should ask considering this is in DynDOLOD support :D. I'll just paste this into a new thread if you prefer. Just that I'm getting random CTDs on save load, cell load and in exteriors and cities (not sure about interiors with limited testing so far); they're not that often but I'm not sure what's causing them. Like I said RAM and VRAM do not exceed 3.5gb according to SPM and memory blocks log showed Block 1 reaching a maximum of 496mb before my latest crash in Windhelm (that's after about 20 minutes of running around the map at ground level). I use your memory patch through SKSE. I don't think this is a load order issue as I spent a long time going through conflicts in xEdit and resolving them to the best of my ability. I suppose the next step will be to try Papyrus Logging. Thanks for any advice on this :)

I suggest to look into crash fixes. It can produce a meaningful error messages for some crashes and eliminate some others. In addition it can also replace the default heap memory allocation with its UseOSAllocators setting (see its ini, description etc) which can result in faster loading and smoother cell transition as well.

[DrShloickerstein]

 Alright thanks I'll give it a try. I was just a bit put off by some of the descriptions in the ini that made it sound rather experimental, for example:

 

"; Info: Crash happens during loading, no idea. Might be related to rendering.

 ; Address: D822D8

 ; Solution: Tried patch something but it probably doesn't work."

 

which is enabled by default :D. I'll see if it helps anyway though.

[sheson]

Alright thanks I'll give it a try. I was just a bit put off by some of the descriptions in the ini that made it sound rather experimental, for example:

 

"; Info: Crash happens during loading, no idea. Might be related to rendering.

 ; Address: D822D8

 ; Solution: Tried patch something but it probably doesn't work."

 

which is enabled by default :D. I'll see if it helps anyway though.

Just disable any of the fixes you don't like.