xLODGen - Terrain LOD beta 110 for FNV, FO3, FO4, FO4VR, TES5, SSE, TES5VR, ENDERAL, ENDERALSE

[sheson]

"But, I am more curious about personal experience from players."

LOD only matches the load order it was generated for, so LOD should be generated for every load order, just like plugins are cleaned and patched.

 

If you find a terrain LOD mod with good terrain LOD textures that match your load order use it. Otherwise generate terrain LOD textures - it is a long process that might require some retries/time to have satisfactory results.

 

Generate terrain LOD meshes for the load order at least for LOD Level 4 with protect cell border checked.

[kranazoli]

LOD only matches the load order it was generated for, so LOD should be generated for every load order, just like plugins are cleaned and patched.

 

If you find a terrain LOD mod with good terrain LOD textures that match your load order use it. Otherwise generate terrain LOD textures - it is a long process that might require some retries/time to have satisfactory results.

 

Generate terrain LOD meshes for the load order at least for LOD Level 4 with protect cell border checked.

Shortly:

 

Just DynDOLOD is not enough. That's you wrote.

So, DynDOLOD is not instead of xLODGEN.

 

xLODGEN + DynDOLOD is required.

 

That's how I summarize your info.

 

Right?

 

 

 

Which one is prefered for LOD4?

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that's, how I run TexGen:

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by kranazoli

[sheson]

Shortly:

 

Just DynDOLOD is not enough. That's you wrote.

So, DynDOLOD is not instead of xLODGEN.

 

xLODGEN + DynDOLOD is required.

 

That's how I summarize your info.

 

Right?

 

 

Which one is prefered for LOD4?

 

 

And that's, how I run TexGen:

 

 

As I keep saying: use xLODGen to generate terrain LOD first and then TexGen and DynDOLOD for object and tree LOD.

 

The exact options and settings to use depend on your load order, system, setup and personal preferences. For terrain LOD check this thread for discussions or discuss with the authors of the guides.

 

For TexGen I usually see no reason to change the defaults.

[kranazoli]

As I keep saying: use xLODGen to generate terrain LOD first and then TexGen and DynDOLOD for object and tree LOD.

 

The exact options and settings to use depend on your load order, system, setup and personal preferences. For terrain LOD check this thread for discussions or discuss with the authors of the guides.

 

For TexGen I usually see no reason to change the defaults.

Ok. Thank You!

"Sry", for my questions.

 

xLODGEN and DynDOLOD is needed. That's how I got everything you wrote. Using just DynDOLOD is not enough.

 

"use xLODGen to generate terrain LOD first and then TexGen and DynDOLOD for object and tree LOD."

 

That's how TUCOGUIDE suggets LOD generating.

Edited March 13, 2019 by kranazoli

[kranazoli]

Ok. Thank You!

"Sry", for my questions.

 

xLODGEN and DynDOLOD is needed. That's how I got everything you wrote. Using just DynDOLOD is not enough.

 

"use xLODGen to generate terrain LOD first and then TexGen and DynDOLOD for object and tree LOD."

 

That's how TUCOGUIDE suggets LOD generating.

It's meeee again! :)

 

Sry, in the meantime I had an another question:

 

Just now DL-ed the xLODGen beta 41 - based on xEdit-4.0.1o RC5 for 4.0.2

And I see there are BC7 Quick format for LOD generator. If I am not mistaken earlier version didn't have type of format.

 

Which one is better to use for xLODGEN?

 

1.) DXT1 or

2.) BC7 Quick

 

I ask it, cause you wrote:

 

"For TexGen I usually see no reason to change the defaults."

 

And TexGen default format is BC7 Quick.

 

So, with the newer version of xLODGEN we have the option to use BC7 Quick for xLODGEN and TexGEN, as well?

 

Thank You!

 

PS: Slowly run out of my questions...

[sheson]

It's meeee again! :)

 

Sry, in the meantime I had an another question:

 

Just now DL-ed the xLODGen beta 41 - based on xEdit-4.0.1o RC5 for 4.0.2

And I see there are BC7 Quick format for LOD generator. If I am not mistaken earlier version didn't have type of format.

 

Which one is better to use for xLODGEN?

 

1.) DXT1 or

2.) BC7 Quick

 

I ask it, cause you wrote:

 

"For TexGen I usually see no reason to change the defaults."

 

And TexGen default format is BC7 Quick.

 

So, with the newer version of xLODGEN we have the option to use BC7 Quick for xLODGEN and TexGEN, as well?

 

Thank You!

 

PS: Slowly run out of my questions...

 

We just discussed a bit about this a few days earlier https://forum.step-project.com/topic/13451-xlodgen-terrain-lod-beta-for-fnv-fo3-fo4-fo4vr-tes5-sse-tes5vr-enderal/page-34?p=233697&do=findComment&comment=233697

[kranazoli]

We just discussed a bit about this a few days earlier https://forum.step-project.com/topic/13451-xlodgen-terrain-lod-beta-for-fnv-fo3-fo4-fo4vr-tes5-sse-tes5vr-enderal/page-34?p=233697&do=findComment&comment=233697

Thank You Sheson!

 

I got the answer to my question:

 

"With the latest update, BC1 (DXT1) will probably have sufficient quality for both terrain diffuse and normal textures while using the least amount of video memory."

 

That's more than enough for me. I'll use xLODGEN with DXT1 (as I did before).

[kranazoli]

"Here are suggestion to start without going crazy and that should be quick enough to generate:
 
Set quality of meshes for LOD4 to 5 and then +5 for each next level. Or just set levels 8/16/32 to 10.
Check protect cell borders (yes it fixes the ugly terrain drops at outer cell borders that still exist in Fallout 4).
Use the max vertices setting only if you want to hard limit max file size.

Set Optimize Unseen to off forfirst generation, so you have something to compare to later.
Start experimenting with on or a value of 500 for LOD32 and compare coastlines and file size to other settings. Check Specific Chunk and drop down to 32 and set SW to test with a specific file with lots of water, river etc.
 
Set texture sizes to 512 for a start. Larger sizes and large world spaces will take a considerable time (like 15 to 30 minutes or more easily). Each higher resolution means quadruple the work.
Use DXT1 for diffuse and 565 for normal. Check mipmaps and raise steepness, uncheck Bake normal maps.
 
For now, leave the Brightness, Contrastand Gamma at 0 and 1.0 respectively. It seems that only Skyrim CK and Skyrim SE CK are manipulating the intensity of the textures to adjust for the noise.dds and the god awful "improved" snow shader of Skyrim SE (just turn that thing off, really). If textures seem too dark in the game, brighten the noise.dds instead or vice versa. That way you can get perfectly matching LOD textures that look just like the textures in the loaded cells. For Skyrim a good average color of the noise texture seems to be around #C0. See below for a couple noise texture downloads.
 
If you want to test larger texture sizes, use the chunk option to limit the number of textures that need to be generated. For example, check [x] Specific chunk, leave thedrop down empty and set WS to the lower left cell coordinate of an 32x32 area, like 0, 0. It will then generate all textures up to 31,31. Not all worldspaces have their origin at 0,0 so you will have to check already generated meshes/texture filenames for their lower left coordinates."

 

Hi,

 

I understood we have xLODGEN to generate Terrain LOD, cause DynDOLOD does not "makes" it.

I understood we should use DXT1 for xLODGEN.

 

The only thing I am not sure, which is approx. the best settings for each LOD? (LOD4; 8; 16; 32)

 

Use DXT1 for diffuse and 565 for normal.

 

It seems to me odd. 565 for normal? Not 256?!

 

As I have earlersaid I use Guides, and I guess maybe your 1st response will be ask the Guide Author!

(Totally undertsand)

 

But, it looks to me, that xLODGEN settings at TUCOGUIDE very similar, what you recommend. The only main difference is:

 

Set quality of meshes for LOD4 to 5 and then +5 for each next level. Or just set levels 8/16/32 to 10.

 

I don't know how familiar you are with TUCOGUIDE.

But I am really curious what your opinion about how hwor she(?) set each LOD parameter?

 

 

 

 

 

Really Thank You!

[sheson]

 

It seems to me odd. 565 for normal? Not 256?!

This is a compression format for textures. There is no compression format called 256.

In either case, the compression format 565 does not work with Skyrim Special Edition on Windows 7. In that case use DXT1 or BC7.

 

The exact options and settings to use depend on your load order, system, setup and personal preferences. For terrain LOD check this thread for discussions or discuss with the authors of the guides.

 

As I have suggested before, I you wonder about which settings to use, the best method is to generate a small area of textures with different setting and compare results in the game themselves.

Edited March 16, 2019 by sheson

[kranazoli]

This is a compression format for textures. There is no compression format called 256.

In either case, the compression format 565 does not work with Skyrim Special Edition on Windows 7. In that case use DXT1 or BC7.

 

The exact options and settings to use depend on your load order, system, setup and personal preferences. For terrain LOD check this thread for discussions or discuss with the authors of the guides.

 

As I have suggested before, I you wonder about which settings to use, the best method is to generate a small area of textures with different setting and compare results in the game themselves.

1.) Just now noticed, I had to update my signature.

2.) We have discussed for xLODGEN DXT1 is better than BC7

 

Where can I set that 565 for normal? I do not see any option like that...

 

MEA CULPA!

 

 

That compression format is suggested for every "level" of LOD?

Edited March 16, 2019 by kranazoli

[kranazoli]

This is a compression format for textures. There is no compression format called 256.

In either case, the compression format 565 does not work with Skyrim Special Edition on Windows 7. In that case use DXT1 or BC7.

 

The exact options and settings to use depend on your load order, system, setup and personal preferences. For terrain LOD check this thread for discussions or discuss with the authors of the guides.

 

As I have suggested before, I you wonder about which settings to use, the best method is to generate a small area of textures with different setting and compare results in the game themselves.

Just now went through the whole topic, "read every comment", I thought the problem is with me, but after I read and saw all the comments, I calmed.

No exact ino, at all. Everybody just suggets sezzings, but nothing specific settings.

 

So, at least, my question and comments very similar to the others...

 

Strange! Or just me found is strange... I can't decide. Now, I'll try that 565 compression format, cause I am on Win10.

[kranazoli]

Hi Sheson,

 

I know you are fed up with me, and I am boring.

But I made something else. Another approch of xLODGEN; SSELODGen; and TES5LOEDGen...

 

As far as I know, there are several, maybe majority of Skyrim players use Skyrim, not Skyrim SSE.

 

Why? For instance, more advanced ENB Binary; and almost the most important thing, first person view issues with SSE. (and there are several others...)

 

So, I looked through all the biggest Guide for Skyrim LE version. And every Guide just use DynDOLOD. No other LOD Generator, just DynDOLOD + TexGen.

 

For me, this is very interesting, cause I guess, this file is for Oldrimversion: TES5-Terrain-Tamriel.esm

 

I am the onyone, who found it interesting?!

 

 

Thanks!

[sheson]

Hi Sheson,

 

I know you are fed up with me, and I am boring.

But I made something else. Another approch of xLODGEN; SSELODGen; and TES5LOEDGen...

 

As far as I know, there are several, maybe majority of Skyrim players use Skyrim, not Skyrim SSE.

 

Why? For instance, more advanced ENB Binary; and almost the most important thing, first person view issues with SSE. (and there are several others...)

 

So, I looked through all the biggest Guide for Skyrim LE version. And every Guide just use DynDOLOD. No other LOD Generator, just DynDOLOD + TexGen.

 

For me, this is very interesting, cause I guess, this file is for Oldrimversion: TES5-Terrain-Tamriel.esm

 

I am the onyone, who found it interesting?!

 

 

Thanks!

The public version of xLODGen terrain LOD beta is about a year old.

 

It adds terrain LOD generation for many different games. The list of supported games is in the title of this thread.

 

If you have concerns about 3rd party guides not being updated to make use of the latest features of tools, maybe make a suggestion to their authors.

Edited March 17, 2019 by sheson

[kranazoli]

The public version of xLODGen terrain LOD beta is about a year old.

 

It adds terrain LOD generation for many different games. The list of supported games is in the title of this thread.

 

If you have concerns about 3rd party guides not being updated to make use of the latest features of tools, maybe make a suggestion to their authors.

I just mentioned TES5, no other games interest me. And didn't say at all about other games support. How does it come here?

 

How old the other Skyrim(!) one: SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm

 

Thank You!

[sheson]

I just mentioned TES5, no other games interest me. And didn't say at all about other games support. How does it come here?

 

How old the other Skyrim(!) one: SSE-Terrain-Tamriel.esm

 

Thank You!

It is all the same age.