DynDOLOD Beta for Skyrim Special Edition, Skyrim VR and Enderal SE 2.98

[MyHouseATL]

The INI configurator of MO has nothing to do with DynDOLOD and its command line parameters, or how MO starts executables and applies command line arguments.

Then I don't know what it could be.  DynDOLOD isn't the only program not detecting my SE.  DynDOLOD does have the -sse argument.  I was able to create DynDOLOD files, and had no other problems with SSEEDIT\Merge Plugins before I upgraded MO2 to 2.14.  Now I can't.

[sheson]

Then I don't know what it could be.  DynDOLOD isn't the only program not detecting my SE.  DynDOLOD does have the -sse argument.  I was able to create DynDOLOD files, and had no other problems with SSEEDIT\Merge Plugins before I upgraded MO2 to 2.14.  Now I can't.

If DynDOLOD runs in TES5 mode it was not started with the -sse command line argument.

 

MO 2.14 has been out for a week now and it seems to works fine for everybody. This is probably an MO installation or setup error, maybe caused by game/MO being in Program Files x86 or DynDOLOD/MO installed into game folders.

Edited August 10, 2018 by sheson

[Pegasus33]

A possible glitch outside Whiterun. First image is before DynDOLOD and the second is after, showing new rocks that clip with the city wall. You can actually use the rocks to reach the wall and look inside at the LODs. To ensure this wasn't to do with any other mod I tested with a basic load order - just the USSEP and DyndoLODs requirements.

 

https://ibb.co/iWZ7t9

https://ibb.co/gMA2RU
 

Sorry if this is working-as-intended, search came up with nothing.

Edited August 11, 2018 by Pegasus33

[sheson]

A possible glitch outside Whiterun. First image is before DynDOLOD and the second is after, showing new rocks that clip with the city wall. You can actually use the rocks to reach the wall and look inside at the LODs. To ensure this wasn't to do with any other mod I tested with a basic load order - just the USSEP and DyndoLODs requirements.

 

https://ibb.co/iWZ7t9

https://ibb.co/gMA2RU

 

Sorry if this is working-as-intended, search came up with nothing.

The rock is added by the vanilla game to the inside of the city. So it needs to be on the outside as well and have LOD.

[MyHouseATL]

If DynDOLOD runs in TES5 mode it was not started with the -sse command line argument.

 

MO 2.14 has been out for a week now and it seems to works fine for everybody. This is probably an MO installation or setup error, maybe caused by game/MO being in Program Files x86 or DynDOLOD/MO installed into game folders.

You where close.  I knew better than to run from Program Files.  Turns out, it's not a good idea to dump MO2 into the SkyrimSE folder.  That is how I installed it.  So, I guess I'll move everything outside the root folder and see if that fixes it.

[Greg]

It's rather unfortunate that a lot of places in the 'net recommend installing Mod Organizer in the game folder. This used to work fine with Mod Organizer 1.x even if it cluttered the game folder unnecessarily, but Mod Organizer 2's virtual file system doesn't work quite right if it's in the game folder. This may eventually get fixed, but I still prefer keeping the game folder as clean as possible..

[sirjesto]

It's rather unfortunate that a lot of places in the 'net recommend installing Mod Organizer in the game folder. This used to work fine with Mod Organizer 1.x even if it cluttered the game folder unnecessarily, but Mod Organizer 2's virtual file system doesn't work quite right if it's in the game folder. This may eventually get fixed, but I still prefer keeping the game folder as clean as possible..

Yeah I hadn't looked at videos about MO installation for a few years, but one of the first ones I looked at installed it in the skyrim directory. It was from a year ago.

The "latest" one that I watched was from March of this year and it didn't show to install it in the Skyrim directory, so yeah there is a lot of conflicting information out there.

 

[Shadriss]

I wouldn't say conflicting so much as out of date - as mentioned, in the 1.X versions, it didn't matter, and though it's never been recommended here on STEP, there wasn't anything inherently wrong with AFAIK. That's changed with MO2, and now it does matter... most folks just assume that what was good in the original must be good for the follow up is all.

[JonnyWang33]

Sheson, I was just working with some of my low triangle meshes for grass. I realized you can end up with many more triangles by intersecting them with each other. In other words, I can create a tree lod model with only 3 panes, but make it look like it has a dozen. Still need two tree lod atlases though or the butterflying will be...

 

 

Actually, this might solve the butterflying too. Will let you know. 

[sheson]

Sheson, I was just working with some of my low triangle meshes for grass. I realized you can end up with many more triangles by intersecting them with each other. In other words, I can create a tree lod model with only 3 panes, but make it look like it has a dozen. Still need two tree lod atlases though or the butterflying will be...

 

 

Actually, this might solve the butterflying too. Will let you know. 

We already can feed LODGen.exe with different versions of billboard meshes (your own NIF template) were it then sets the billboard texture. I "just" need to add multiple textures replacement and their atlas creation and a proper way to define all the resources so they are picked up automatically. No ETA, though. Can be still a while out.

 

Adding normalmaps to billboards can improve them a lot (more) than just adding additional sides.

 

Have a look at Simplygon. It can create multiple billboards for a tree but also impostors (new triangles with new textures faking small pieces of flora/leafs/branches - like a truer 3D LOD tree), which can be a solution to high-res trees. I am trying to establish how to create an automatic workflow since Simplygon does not know NIF so right now there is importing/exporting via 3DS Max or Blender involved.

 

Simplygon is free for non commercial use and now can be installed as a local application (only Windows 10 though... but that is what we have virtual machines for). 

 

BTW, textures for the same object/tree should always be on the same atlas, otherwise you can not utilize batching. If there are more textures for other object they go on the next atlas.

Edited August 15, 2018 by sheson

[Zanderat]

I was doing some experimenting and tried instead of using billboards to let DynDOLOD generate its own LOD for the trees.  I double clicked on the trees entry and changed the values for LOD 8 and LOD 16 from "billboard" into LOD 8 - "LOD 8" and LOD 16 - "LOD 16".  Seemed to work and look excellent.  So, the question is:  what is going on here?  I thought billboards were needed?  Or is DynoLODGEN generating its own billboards and if so, why bother with custom ones?  Thanks!

[sheson]

I was doing some experimenting and tried instead of using billboards to let DynDOLOD generate its own LOD for the trees.  I double clicked on the trees entry and changed the values for LOD 8 and LOD 16 from "billboard" into LOD 8 - "LOD 8" and LOD 16 - "LOD 16".  Seemed to work and look excellent.  So, the question is:  what is going on here?  I thought billboards were needed?  Or is DynoLODGEN generating its own billboards and if so, why bother with custom ones?  Thanks!

DynDOLOD does not generate LOD models. It uses the models it finds in the load order based on the rule settings for the LOD Levels.

DynDOLOD may on occasion re-uv (typically full models) on the fly in case of tiled UV and the texture being available on the atlas. In that case it may slightly simplify the model (combines adjacent triangles that have the same normal - e.g. planes) - but there is no true decimation.

 

If you wonder what tree uses which LOD asset for a LOD level, check the DynDOLOD log for the Static tree LOD used meshes and billboards report.

You will notice in this case that the same 3D tree LOD model is used for all LOD levels.

 

If you wonder how the LOD Level settings work, have a look at DynDOLOD_Mod_Authors.html

 

The important piece of the puzzle is that 3D tree LOD models typically do not have a LOD level identifier _0/_1/_2 in their filename. Without that a LOD model applies to all LOD levels.

 

So your rule is basically the same as setting Static LOD 4 for all LOD levels.

I can only wonder at the size of LOD and how long it took to compute, the amount of data the game has to load and deal with. Does the map load with all those 3D LOD trees?

Edited August 15, 2018 by sheson

[Zanderat]

I am actually having no issues.  That's why I was asking.  Hence the question of why even use billboards.  Thought maybe I should be struggling!  LOL!

 

Haven't tested the whole map.  But the wooded areas around Riverwood are fine.  FPS is 40-50ish with no hitching.  My rig is somewhat current (Nvidia GTX 1070 (8 gig vram), AMD 8350, 24 gig DDR3, SSD).

 

It took roughly 25 minutes to complete DynDOLOD generation.

Edited August 15, 2018 by Zanderat

[soupdragon]

The Katariah LOD model is not unloading. I noticed it when adding animations to the full model the lod model "pops through" the deck of the full model when its yawing.

[sheson]

The Katariah LOD model is not unloading. I noticed it when adding animations to the full model the lod model "pops through" the deck of the full model when its yawing.

Check the form id of that model and see if it belongs to DynDOLOD or if another plugin adds its.