Dynamic Distant Objects LOD - DynDOLOD 2.27

[sheson]

A newer version of DynDOLOD is available

 

DynDOLOD 2.22/2.23/2.24/2.25/2.26/2.27 minor version update post | Major version update Post | Skyrim Special Edition

 

What’s New?

 

This update includes general performance and stability improvements for DynDOLOD.exe, TexGen.exe and LODGen.exe. See change log below for more info.

 

There is no need to update LOD generated by earlier versions just because the tools have been updated. See Full update post for 2.xx update instructions

 

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TexGen.exe now offers changing the texture output formats for advanced users. Leave at default for typical use. To change the texture format of the texture atlases created by DynDOLOD.exe edit its INIs. See docs\DynDOLOD_TexGen.html for more info.

 

DynDOLOD.exe and LODGen.exe now offer to generate LOD Level 32 static object LOD without billboard trees, which can be used for the map. See docs\trees.ultra\DynDOLOD-Trees.html for more info.

 

All tools have been updated to support Skyrim SE. This is in beta and limited for obvious and well known reasons. It should only be used by experienced DynDOLOD users. See docs\DynDOLOD_Manual_SSE.html for more info. It explains the key differences and similarities, as well as the new features introduced by Skyrim SE and its bugs/problems.

 

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Skyrim

 

Mods Requiring DynDOLOD

Enhanced Landscapes - Winter Edition - Includes billboards and LOD textures that need to overwrite vanilla billboards and DynDOLOD Resources - Core Files textures. If LOD textures are generated with TexGen.exe, they should always overwrite everything else.

Winter Aspen Billboards

 

Verified working out of the box - added/updated meshes and/or textures

Helarchen Creek

Realistic Boat Bobbing

Skysight - Simply Bigger Trees - Billboards

Dragon Bridge

 

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DynDOLOD 2.26 - Download from Mega | DynDOLOD 2.26 - Download from Mega

 

DynDOLOD Resources 2.22 for Skyrim - Download from Mega

 

DynDOLOD Resources SE 2.22 for Skyrim SE - Download from Mega

 

DynDOLOD Patches 2.23 for Skyrim - Download from Mega

 

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[spoiler=Changelog DynDOLOD 2.22]

General performance and stability improvements - for real

DynDOLOD.exe - fixed sometimes using wrong glow LOD when using original LOD assignments

DynDOLOD.exe - added RemoveUnseenZShift to ini for same setting in LODGen.exe export file

DynDOLOD.exe - added Level32 switch to ini for same switch in LODGen.exe export file, see docs\trees.ultra\DynDOLOD-Trees.html

DynDOLOD.exe - added FlatLODVertexColor to ini to set vertex color of flat LOD, see docs\trees.ultra\DynDOLOD-Trees.html

DynDOLOD.exe - added FlatLODColorVariance to ini to randomly change vertex color of flat LOD, see docs\trees.ultra\DynDOLOD-Trees.html

DynDOLOD.exe - added StaticLODDiffuseFormat, StaticLODNormalFormat, TreeLODDiffuseFormat and TreeLODNormalFormat to ini to set texture atlas formats

DynDOLOD.exe - added TreeLODAverageColor to ini to replace black transparent parts of billboards with the average tree color - works only with alpha channel output formats

DynDOLOD.exe - added TreeLODBackgroundTexture to ini to replace black transparent parts of billboards with a texture - works only with alpha channel output formats

DynDOLOD.exe - shrink normal map texture atlas to 4x4 pixels if all pixels are identical

DynDOLOD.exe - added beta support for SSE, start with -SSE command line argument

DynDOLOD.exe - added a check to verify DynDOLOD Resources for the current game mode are installed

TexGen.exe - sync updates with DynDOLOD.exe

TexGen.exe - added output format options for diffuse and normal textures

TexGen.exe - fixed cases of not consequently using lowercase for comparisons

TexGen.exe - added generation for riftenstonewall02lod.dds

TexGen.exe - added generation for tundradriftwoodbark01lod.dds

TexGen.exe - fixed generation of rubblepilelod.dds

TexGen.exe - fixed generation of fxdirtmound01lod.dds

TexGen.exe - removed the need for temp files in game data folder

TexGen.exe - added beta support for SSE, start with -SSE command line argument

TexGen.exe - added fallback to Texconv.exe for reading in case DDS format is not natively supported

Texconv.exe - new - custom silent version, prints errors only

LODGen.exe - added support reading SSE LOD nif

LODGen.exe - added export Mode=SSE

LODGen.exe - added support for BSA version 0x69

LODGen.exe - added lz4 decompression

LODGen.exe - added GameMode=textureslist to generate a list of textures with UV in between atlas tolerance

LODGen.exe - added command line parameter gamemode to overwrite gamemode in export file

LODGen.exe - updated lz4 package to latest version

LODGen.exe - better error message in case required Redistributable is missing

LODGen.exe - added Level32=True, uses *.nif from LOD level 16 if 4th entry is not set to create LOD Level 32 bto

LODGen.exe - added RemoveUnseenZShift=[float] to adjust terrain height when removing unseen faces

LODGen.exe - added vertex color support for flat LOD, column 8 and 9 in FlatTextures file

LODGen.exe - some minor speed improvements and clean up

LODGen.exe - use assembly version in log

DynDOLOD_Manual.html - all docs updated for new game mode

DynDOLOD_Manual_SSE.html - new

DynDOLOD-Shortcut.txt - new

DynDOLOD-Trees.html - added info about static object LOD level 32 for map

DynDOLOD-Trees.html - added info for vertex colors for 2D tree LOD in static LOD for Skyrim SE

DynDOLOD Resources - updated/added meshes/textures for better compatibility with mods

DynDOLOD Resources SE - new - meshes in new Skyrim SE format - removed options/assets that currently do not apply to Skyrim SE

DynDOLOD Patches - fixed a typo in Wizard.txt

 

 

[spoiler=Changelog DynDOLOD 2.23]

DynDOLOD.exe - fixed some default INI settings

DynDOLOD Patches - update Beyond Reach billboards to be also for arnima.esm

 

 

[spoiler=Changelog DynDOLOD 2.24]

DynDOLOD.exe - check LODGen log and write result to DynDOLOD log, so it is more obvious if something went wrong

LODGen.exe - fixed error reading BSTriShapes with no vertices/triangles

LODGen.exe - apply UVScale and UVOffset shader values to model before merging

 

 

[spoiler=Changelog DynDOLOD 2.25]

DynDOLOD.exe - fixed a memory corruption sometimes causing nasty things

DynDOLOD.exe - fixed an error trying to check a non existing LODGen log

LODGen.exe - fixed FO4 export mode not working correctly

LODGen.exe - updated lz4 package and supporting libraries to latest version

 

 

 

[spoiler=Changelog DynDOLOD 2.26]

LODGen.exe - fixed a crash caused by a missing serialization

 

 

[spoiler=Changelog DynDOLOD 2.27]

DynDOLOD.exe - fixed trying to check LODGen logfile after wait times out

DynDOLOD.exe - fixed not reading billboard txt file from BSA

LODGen.exe - updated lz4 package and supporting libraries to latest version

LODGen.exe - fixed sometimes not reading BA2 files correctly

 

 

 

 

 

See Full update post for full changelog, fully detailed update instructions and updated compatibility information for Skyrim mods.

 

DynDOLOD 2.21

 

Skryim typos may be intentional as long as Skyrim SE has severe visual and game breaking bugs

[sheson]

Guys, i think i found the problem...

 

I created LOD's for my SSE mods pack, placed output folders and .esp file in game folder. Laucnhing game for test. Everything is ok? - unfortunately no. As soon as i got a closer to Whiterun - game crashed. I deleted all DynDOLOD files, and run game again. Everything is stable. Where to look for the problem? A DynDOLOD logs is fine, all operations completed as normal.

 

Link to my DynDOLOD latest logs and output files (2 archive): https://yadi.sk/d/ao6BatqC3GPsHw

 

 

P.S. Sorry for my bad English, i from Russia.

First get a legal copy of the game.

 

Then do some more selective troubleshooting.

Only disable *.esp.

Only disable all textures

Only disable tree LOD.

Only disable static LOD

 

In case of the esp is causing trouble, I suggest to run DynDOLOD.exe (which is a modified xEdit.exe) with the -l:Russian language switch, so it matches the installed language of the game.

And/Or maybe try the Delocalize plugin function of xEdit on the esp

[SilverRaven]

The problem in the DynDOLOD .esp file. When i deleted or disabled it - game worked stable. esp file important for work? What are its functions? How do delocalized output .esp file?

 

P.S. I'm using this bat file for run DynDOLODx64.exe:

@echo off

@DynDOLODx64.exe -sse -cp:utf-8 -l:russian

 

The folder where i launching DynDOLOD - its full unpacked copy (with game archives) of my Steam Skyrim SE folder. I don't use Steam folder for my mods pack - its a backup. Also and for "classic" Skyrim version.

[sheson]

The problem in the DynDOLOD .esp file. When i deleted or disabled it - game worked stable. esp file important for work? What are its functions?

The esp is required so LOD works correctly, adds copies of object from child city worlds that now have LOD to the parent world and adds a couple neverfades. This is all explained in the included documentation.

 

How do delocalized output .esp file?[/font]

It is in the right click window Other / Localization of xEdit. I doubt it will change anything.

 

P.S. I'm using this bat file for run DynDOLODx64.exe:

@echo off

@DynDOLODx64.exe -sse -cp:utf-8 -l:russian

Yes, that should create a correctly localized plugin.

 

The folder where i launching DynDOLOD - its full unpacked copy (with game archives) of my Steam Skyrim SE folder. I don't use Steam folder for my mods pack - its a backup. Also and for "classic" Skyrim version.

G:\The Elder Scrolls V SE unpacked\ is not a valid installation path for the game. xEdit/DynDOLOD do not support invalid paths/setups.

 

 

The problem is probably a corrupt nif (which most likely is from one of the other mods) which is used for neverfade LOD.

 

The next troubleshooting step would be to methodically remove parts of data from the esp with xEdit, while at the same time keep a copy of a version with that data which still causes problems.

 

It goes like this: remove half the data. If it works then go back to the earlier copy and remove the other half. The resulting esp should still cause problems. You continue this until you have narrowed down to the data causing the problem, always keeping a copy of the previous step.

 

In this case we only need to looks at worldspace data. So, remove all worldspaces from the esp, to see if it works.

 

If that is the case, use backup file and remove one worldspace at the time to narrow it down to a single worldspace.

 

Once you know which worldspace it is, remove groups, then sub-groups until you have a single sub-group.

 

Then remove batches of cells until you narrowed down to single cell.

 

Then remove single references until you narrowed it down to a single reference.

 

Then check the base record for the nif it uses. Replace that nif with its vanilla version / fix the nif. Or remove the base record and references using it in case the nif can not be fixed.

 

If removing worldspaces does not work, then you are out of luck with that current setup.

[SilverRaven]

I found problem source - it is wrhouseshack01.nif. But my mods not changing this mesh. Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch chage only wrhouseshack01destroyed.nif. Perhaps I should delete an option "Has Distant LOD" for him in DynDOLOD.esp?

Edited March 31, 2017 by SilverRaven

[sheson]

I found problem source - it is wrhouseshack01.nif. But my mods not changing this mesh. Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch chage only wrhouseshack01destroyed.nif. Perhaps I should delete an option "Has Distant LOD" for him in DynDOLOD.esp?

There are no other reports and I also have no problem with the original file meshes\architecture\whiterun\wrbuildings\wrhouseshack01.nif from Skyrim Meshes0.bsa.

Double check the bsa/file maybe it has no errors. Otherwise just remove the reference.

Edited March 31, 2017 by sheson

[SilverRaven]

I found the true cause of the problem - it's Northfires Photoreal Mountains.esp. He conflicts with the DynDOLOD, because they both use the same data. I tried to merge their into SSEEdit (using merge plugins script) - but unsuccessfully. Changing the order of loading of these plugins can help. But I'm not sure it will solve all problems.

Edited April 1, 2017 by SilverRaven

[sheson]

I found the true cause of the problem - it's Northfires Photoreal Mountains.esp. He conflicts with the DynDOLOD, because they both use the same data. I tried to merge their into SSEEdit (using merge plugins script) - but unsuccessfully. Changing the order of loading of these plugins can help. But I'm not sure it will solve all problems.

Which install option of Northfires Photoreal Mountains has a plugin? I only ever saw textures so far in any of the downloads?

 

There really shouldn't be conflicts between plugins and DynDOLOD.esp. DynDOLOD.esp is created with the data from plugins in the load order to create overwrite records if needed.

Problems can happen if plugins have invalid data or errors.

Edited April 1, 2017 by sheson

[SilverRaven]

Which install option of Northfires Photoreal Mountains has a plugin? I only ever saw textures so far in any of the downloads?

 

There really shouldn't be conflicts between plugins and DynDOLOD.esp. DynDOLOD.esp is created with the data from plugins in the load order to create overwrite records if needed.

Problems can happen if plugins have invalid data or errors.

Yes, this is the right link. This plug-in expands the list of used textures and changes the data of all static mesh for mountains and large stones. But the Worldaspase category conflicts with DONDOLOD, although it includes most of the Northfires Photoreal Mountains.esp data. Changing the order of loading plugins helps. For now. This will not affect the operation of the DynDOLOD plug-in?

[sheson]

Yes, this is the right link. This plug-in expands the list of used textures and changes the data of all static mesh for mountains and large stones. But the Worldaspase category conflicts with DONDOLOD, although it includes most of the Northfires Photoreal Mountains.esp data. Changing the order of loading plugins helps. For now. This will not affect the operation of the DynDOLOD plug-in?

None of the 7 downloads has a plugin esp, but only textures. If you created a custom plugin, then make sure it does not contain errors.

 

Make sure the load order is sorted correctly before generating LOD and the DynDOLOD.esp from scratch for that load order.

 

Then there simply can be not be any conflicts in DynDOLOD.esp, because when the DynDOLOD.esp is created from scratch, the last overwrite record from the highest plugin is copied to create the overwrite in DynDOLOD.esp.

[SilverRaven]

Sorry, my mistake, this correctly link: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/74389/?

 

Version for SE don't contain esp file and additional textures. Perhaps the author has not had time to prepare it.

Edited April 2, 2017 by SilverRaven

[sheson]

Sorry, my mistake, this correctly link: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/74389/?

 

Version for SE don't contain esp file and additional textures. Perhaps the author has not had time to prepare it.

I suggest to only use Skyrim SE version of mods and plugins or learn how to properly convert them.

 

I advice against using it. It unsets vanilla LOD definitions and also doesn't carry forward some other data from DLC / unofficial patch.

In any case it should be overwritten by as many mods as possible, including DynDOLOD.esp as it corrects the LOD mistakes in the esp.

 

I can not replicate any CTD with that esp (either with the DynDOLOD.esp you uploaded earlier or with one create myself and just this mod)

I suspect it has to do with the install combination of whatever meshes/textures are installed with it.

Edited April 2, 2017 by sheson

[SilverRaven]

Well, I'll leave it at the end of the plug-ins download list. I wanted to adapt it to DynDOLOD manually via SSEEdit, but it would take a long time.

[sheson]

Well, I'll leave it at the end of the plug-ins download list. I wanted to adapt it to DynDOLOD manually via SSEEdit, but it would take a long time.

When it is at the end when generating from scratch, then at least all its data will be also in DynDOLOD - with the required LOD flag updates.

[SilverRaven]

When it is at the end when generating from scratch, then at least all its data will be also in DynDOLOD - with the required LOD flag updates.

Ok, I understood. Thanks for your answers and support.  

[elwaps]

Hey sheson, hey everyone

 

I recently ran into a problem. I'm currently building my final Skyrim Classic setup which already approaches 200 esps with over 300 mods (using MO). A few 'versions' of my build ago, DynDOLOD stopped working quite literally, it always crashed. I've already identified and got rid of several other errors, now only one is left: LodgeneratorCMD stopped working.

 

Details

• MO 1.3.11
• DynDOLOD Standalone 2.24
• DynDOLOD Ressources 2.22
• TES5Edit 3.2 (renamed FO4Edit)
• Enhanced Vanilla Trees with Generator 1.6.9/1.3.9BG
• Windows 7 64bit on a SSD exclusively running for Oldrim
• i7 3930K, 16GB DDR3

 

Already tried

• Deactivating Antivirus
• Setting C:\DynDOLOD Output as output folder
• Reinstalling Standalone before running
• Reinstalled Ressources before running
• Clearing output-folder before running
• Clearing cache-folder before running
• Checking and resolving errors in other mods with TES5Edit
• Not even generating Bashed Patch before running DynDOLOD
• Checking for activated BirdsHFClean.esp but its not installed yet

 

I'm actually using the ultra option, setting TreeLOD=0 and (for the first time) TreeFullFallBack=1.

 

I've read about the earlier case of the 'stopped working' problem and tried to running the worldspaces seperately. First I tried everything but Tamriel and it instantly worked and was finished within 3 minutes. After that I tried running Tamriel alone and it crashed again after about 7 minutes. I'm currently waiting for it to finish as it seems to continue despite the crash, in the end it will be about 18 minutes (running on a 6 core/12 threads 3930K with 16GB & SSD).

Looking at the behavior it seems that at some point the process is running out of memory or something. Might be me using MO which doesn't support the x64 version of DynDOLOD running through it, forcing me to use the x86 version which probably has narrow memory limits?!

 

/edit

It actually was 18 minutes before it finished. It did finish with another error tho:

Error in unit 'functions' on line 390: 'end' expected but End of File found.

 

/edit2

TexGen worked flawlessly, now trying to launch with the damaged DynDOLOD output activated.

 

I'd be greatful for any advice.

 

And by the way - thanks for making this awesome tool. Once I first got it running with 3D LODs I was laughing hard at everyone telling me tree popping would never be eliminated and Skyrim instantly looked 2 years younger than it already did in its heavily modded state. Not to speak about your great support in here. Big thumbs up!

 

Error Screenshot

 

Modwatch Profile

 

Modlist Info

+ Main Mod

++ Addons/Extensions

+++ Patches for other Mods

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dummies separating the Sections

 

I try to keep it tidy, hope this helps (or at least looks cool) 

Edited April 10, 2017 by elwaps