xLODGen - Terrain LOD beta 132 for FNV, FO3, FO4, FO4VR, TES5, SSE, TES5VR, ENDERAL, ENDERALSE

[niston]

Here's my LODGen_log.txt; There are no errors as far as I can discern: https://x0.at/I79.txt

The settings:

This is what the generated LOD looks like:

I've got these plugins activated for LOD generation:

• FO4LODGen-DLCCoast.esp
• FO4LODGen-DLCNukaWorld.esp
• FO4LODGen-DLCWorkshop03.esp
• FO4LODGen-FullModelLOD.esp
• FO4LODGen.esp
• NeuraLOD_Resources.esp

It makes no difference if I keep them activated or not during playtesting, albeit I understand they are only useful during LOD generation.

I don't use any LOD mods at all. No super-duper-ultra-high-res textures or some such either.

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by niston

[sheson]

1 hour ago, niston said:

Here's my LODGen_log.txt; There are no errors as far as I can discern: https://x0.at/I79.txt

The settings:

This is what the generated LOD looks like:

I've got these plugins activated for LOD generation:

• FO4LODGen-DLCCoast.esp
• FO4LODGen-DLCNukaWorld.esp
• FO4LODGen-DLCWorkshop03.esp
• FO4LODGen-FullModelLOD.esp
• FO4LODGen.esp
• NeuraLOD_Resources.esp

It makes no difference if I keep them activated or not during playtesting, albeit I understand they are only useful during LOD generation.

I don't use any LOD mods at all. No super-duper-ultra-high-res textures or some such either.

 

You uploaded the LODGen_log.txt, not the xLODGen_log.txt (FO4LODGen_log.txt).

Set a dedicated output folder as explained in the first post.
Do not install the game into special Windows folders like programs Filesx86.

The listed plugins, especially NeuraLOD is a LOD mod that replaces LOD assets.

For reference to have LOD, a reference needs to exist in the load plugins. The reference needs to use  base record that defines LOD models. Those LOD models and their textures need to exist in the load order either loose files or BSA filled. The loose files and BSA files need be loaded by the tools. That includes being able to access folders, read and write files.

Make sure the INI settings for the LOD Distances are not messed up and there is merely a problem that only shows in the game

[niston]

Investigating one of the missing pieces of Overpass "HWDoubleEndCapR02" (0x7485b) in Cell 0xdbe0, I load my entire load order in xEdit and navigate to this record:

It appears there are no overrides to this piece from any mod in the LO. There are 3 LOD levels with 2 different meshes defined.

Next, I load all the BA2 archives in my Data folder into BSA Browser and query each and every BA2 for "HWDoubleEndCapR02_LOD". Expectedly, I get a hit in Fallout4 - Meshes.BA2:

I toggle through the rest of the loaded BA2, and there are no more hits for that piece. Apparently, nothing from any mod BA2 is overriding these vanilla LOD meshes.

Next, lets see if there are any loose files in Meshes\LOD\Landscape\Roads... 

Nope; The respective folder does not even exist in the file system. At this point, it is pretty safe to assume that there are no overrides to the vanilla LOD meshes for this piece, at all.

So let's investigate one of these LOD meshes in Nifskope, to see what materials or textures it uses:

Querying for HWOverpassLOD.BGSM on all the BA2 archives in the Data Folder:

One hit is returned for Fallout4 - Materials.BA2.

Another hit is returned for FO4LODGen - Main. No other hits can be found in any BA2, pertaining to this file.

Checking for any file system overrides:

Nope. It is pretty safe to assume at this point that the material file from FO4LODGen - Main is being used, since the FO4LODGen.esp is lower in the LO than the Fallout4.esm.

Let's take a look at this BGSM:

Checking for the respective textures:

and

The filesystem doesn't have any loose files overriding this either, as I don't have a LOD folder under textures:

So let's inspect the textures in that NeuraLOD BA2:

Yep, they're there and can be loaded, by paint.net at least.

Now, after doing all these checks, I don't see why my generated LOD is generally very incomplete and specifically missing this particular piece of Overpass.

 

 

[sheson]

38 minutes ago, niston said:

Now, after doing all these checks, I don't see why my generated LOD is generally very incomplete and specifically missing this particular piece of Overpass.

If you want to verify if assets are actually available in the loader for xEdit/xLODGen, use the xEdit Asset Browser (CTRL+F3). I am explaining how these work so you can troubleshoot as you did. You do not need to post screenshots to proof that to me.

Check a generated BTO if it includes all the LOD or not, to double check if the issue is in the game or not.

No xLODGen log, yet. We could check it for example if the required BA2 are being loaded or if there are any additional errors or warnings.
Fix the already identified problems of not using a dedicate output folder and the game being installed into a special windows folder. Since I already mentioned access, read/write, make sure that no antivir blocks that.

 

[niston]

Because there were only 3 of 4 LOD level meshes defined in the vanilla record for this overpass piece, I've made a small plugin with a single override:

Then I simply copied the level 2 mesh name into level 3.

The result after regenerating the LOD:

The particular piece appeared in the Object LOD and apparently, we are looking at Level 3 Object LOD.
On a side note, re Terrain - The water appears to be missing in this particular cell for some reason, but I have not investigated this yet.

In any case, I find all this very strange.
Because, when we look at the very same LOD Level 3 scenery in vanilla, it looks like this:

Perhaps an option to use lower level LOD mesh if higher level is undefined could be useful?

Only other way I see is to manually check all the records in vanilla and copy level 2 into level 3 if they are missing the level 3 definition.

 

NB: I don't post screenshot as "proof". But maybe your eyes can spot something I'm missing.

Edited May 18, 2021 by niston

[sheson]

4 minutes ago, niston said:

In any case, I find all this very strange.
Because, when we look at the very same LOD Level 3 scenery in vanilla, it looks like this:

 

Perhaps an option to use lower level LOD mesh if higher level is undefined could be useful?

Only other way I see is to manually check all the records in vanilla and copy level 2 into level 3 if they are missing the level 3 definition.

 

NB: I don't post screenshot as "proof". But maybe your eyes can spot something I'm missing.

As I mentioned already:
"Make sure the INI settings for the LOD Distances are not messed up and there is merely a problem that only shows in the game"

That last screenshot is not showing LOD level 32. The higher LOD levels are supposed to have less LOD objects.

 

[niston]

Both screenshots are taken in the same way:

- I'm in Goodneighbor
- I type tfc
- I navigate up, turn about 180° and move a little bit forward roughly towards the North

First screenshot was taken with generated LOD active.
Second screenshot was taken with vanilla LOD active.

Since there were no other changes by me other than to delete the generated LOD files (meshes/terrain and textures/terrain) between first and second screenshot, I must assume we are looking at the same LOD level in both screenshots.

What is the significance of the INI settings? Do they influence LOD generation? They are unchanged between both screenshots if that matters? I have these settings:

fShadowLODMaxStartFade=1500.0
fSpecularLODMaxStartFade=2000.0
fLightLODMaxStartFade=3500.0
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=5500.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=7500.0000
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000
fDecalLOD0=800.0000
uLockedObjectMapLOD=16
uLockedTerrainLOD=32
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=20
fLODFadeOutMultItems=5
bReflectLODObjects=1
bReflectLODLand=1
bReflectLODTrees=1

Not sure if something's wrong, but wouldn't that affect also the vanilla screenshot then?

Edited May 18, 2021 by niston

[sheson]

6 minutes ago, niston said:

I must assume we are looking at the same LOD level.

While that seems logical, it isn't showing vanilla LOD level 32. Object LOD level 32 has merely a dozen high rises and the Zeppelin.

[niston]

That makes kind of sense what you say.
However weird it seems that the Overpass is not shown in LOD Level 32 then? I mean, you could probably see these structures from space...

The question then is, why the discrepancy? What makes it apparently switch to another LOD level when using the generated LOD? Especially when the difference is just mesh and texture files?

Edited May 18, 2021 by niston

[sheson]

6 minutes ago, niston said:

That makes kind of sense what you say.
However weird it seems that the Overpass is not shown in LOD Level 32 then?

The question then is, why the discrepancy? What makes it apparently switch to another LOD level when using the generated LOD?

The distances for the LOD levels are defined the Prefs.INI [TerrainManager]. The content of LOD meshes does not change how they are loaded or their distances in which they are displayed.
You may have a mod that changes LOD distances.

[niston]

1 minute ago, sheson said:

The distances for the LOD levels are defined the Prefs.INI. The content of LOD meshes does not change how they are loaded or their distances in which they are displayed.
You may have a mod that changes LOD distances.

But that ultimately fails to explain the difference we see, doesn't it?
There is absolutely no change to any of those settings and the load order for first and second screenshots is exactly the same. The only difference is the generated LOD files.

 

[sheson]

1 minute ago, niston said:

But that ultimately fails to explain the difference we see, doesn't it?
There is absolutely no change to any of those settings and the load order for first and second screenshots is exactly the same. The only difference is the generated LOD files.

Have you done this yet?
"Check a generated BTO if it includes all the LOD or not, to double check if the issue is in the game or not."

Known issues:
LOD was generated into the data folder instead of a dedicated output folder. It is anyone guess what the mod manager did do the actual generated files and were they really ended up.
Game is installed in a special Windows folder. Access, read/write might be blocked.

[niston]

How do I check a BTO (what is a BTO?) if it includes all the LOD or not?

 

[sheson]

6 minutes ago, niston said:

How do I check a BTO (what is a BTO?) if it includes all the LOD or not?

 

A *.BTO is a object LOD NIF that can be opened with NifSkope. They are in Meshes\Terrain\Commonwealth\Objects\*.BTO

The first number 4/8/16/32 is the LOD Level 0/1/2/3. It is the row/column number of cells a file covers. E.g. 4 x 4 = 16 cells for the nearest LOD level.
The other two numbers are the x, y coordinates of the lower left (SW) cell of the file.

[niston]

Ok, let me regenerate the LOD.

I will then check the 32.* BTO file in nifskope, to see if it looks like what I'm seeing in game with the generated LOD active, yes?