DynDOLOD.esp causing CTD upon quicksave, autosave and hard save

[TsarTalvin]

Hi Sheson,

 

I had DynDOLOD up and running just fine until recently, when my Skyrim SE suddenly started to crash whenever I would save (quicksave, autosave, or hard save) with DynDOLOD.esp activated in MO2. If the plugin is not active, then there is no crash on save. Whenever I attempt to save (whether indoors or outdoors), I would see the spinning wheel in the bottom right corner spins once before the game CTD's. In addition, afterwards, there would be a complete .skse co-save in my save folder, but only an ess.tmp for the actual save file. I can't find any information on anyone else having this issue. I have .NET script framework and SSE Engine Fixes installed if that helps, but the crash log for the former only says: "Unhandled native exception occurred at 0x7FF6816FAB51 (SkyrimSE.exe+136AB51) on thread 76316!". Have you ever heard of such a thing happening with DynDOLOD? Do you have an ideas as to what I could do/check?

 

In addition, after I RTFM and read the readme, I went back and checked the DynDOLOD logs and found no missing meshes. I also enabled the papyrus debug log for DynDOLOD, but could find no trace of any attempts to load a possibly broken mesh within the last second before the CTD occurs. 

 

Also, I don't know if this is relevant at all, but the crashes started appearing as soon as I defeated the dragon and dragon priest at Shearpoint.

 

My load order is at: https://modwat.ch/u/...iIchiro/plugins.

 

Thanks in advance,

TsarTalvin

[sheson]

This seems to be a general problem with something in Skyrim as you will find similar reports for many load orders that do not include DynDOLOD.

 

There are many posts and discussions around Skryim and Skryim Special Edition crashing when saving. Sometimes people have success with using older saves that work fine and killing the player, then loading a problematic save and kill the player again and then can save again.

 

The DynDOLOD plugins contain data that was copied from other plugins, keep their changes and then make a few simple updates for LOD.

So far there have been no problems with DynDOLOD and saving games.

Makes sure the LOD was generated for the current load order and no plugins or their order change in the meantime.

It is also possible that a resource limit reached and just removing certain plugins elevates the issue.

 

After removing DynDOLOD and making a clean save and then add the DynDOLOD plugins again, does the issue return immediately?

 

Test if the issue can be replicated in a new game. Run around and fast travel in worlds that have dynamic LOD.

 

Find a save that still works and compare to a problematic save.

Enable and check the papyrus log for messages about scripts being dumped. The engine might be overloaded

Check the saves for active scripts.

 

Try DynDOLOD DLL as an alternative to PapyrusUtil. This involves a clean save procedure and maybe cleaning the save with a save tool.

 

Install .NET Script Framework to get a better crash log that might us more about the issue.

Edited February 28, 2019 by sheson

[dookie]

Hi, I'm having a similar issue with Dyndolod SSE, although it's not only with saves.  Moreover, it doesn't CTD, instead it crashes to title screen.  (probably something to do with VM scripting).  Sometimes it happens when exiting an interior to exterior whilst the game is trying auto-save.  Sometimes it happens when I'm horse riding or fast traveling.  I thought it was another mod, but I did the clean save procedure, removed those mods, and the only thing that prevents the crashes from occurring is disabling Dyndolod.

 

Since it's rather inconsistent, sometimes it's the auto-save, sometimes it's entering another exterior cell (i.e. exiting doors, riding, fast traveling); I thought it was a memory limitation issue, but I'm using the medium setting for textgenx64 and dyndolod64, whereas the game was fine with both BethINI and default HIGH graphical settings.  I tried lowering the settings of Dyndolod within MCM a little, but that doesn't help either.

 

For further reference, what LOD settings should I apply in the INI files?  The manual says I should leave them as default, but that's a bit ambiguous. Regardless, fooling with the settings didn't fix the issue, only disabling DynDOLOD helped.  I suppose Dyndolod overwrites those settings when loaded properly anyway.

 

I don't mind crashing now and then, but there's certain sections of the map (e.g. around Solitude) where it happens so frequently to where I cannot progress at all.  I'm going to regenerate the textures and LODs again, and if it still doesn't work, I'll try to enable debug logs and post what it does. 

 

Should I also try Dyndolod DLL instead of Papyrus?  The documentation doesn't seem to indicate which is better or worse for whatever specifications or detail the differences besides "DynDOLOD DLL is made specifically for the use with DynDOLOD, with its own simplified text file data format."

 

Thanks for the work.  And, thanks for continuing support.  I'll try to remember to update.

[sheson]

There is no need to change any SKyrm INI settings for DynDOLOD. Use BethINI default/presets. 

 

Never heard of the game just quitting to the main menu. That almost sound like function that does it.

 

You also have to understand that in years of supporting DynDOLOD there are no such cases. DynDOLOD alone simply does not do any of these things.

 

The LOD mod generated with the DynDLOD patcher is really simple and straight forward and almost all problems originate from data and assets from other mods that are used by DynDOLOD.

 

In case mods from Skyrim are used make sure they have all been converted to Special Edition.

Make sure plugins are sorted properly and there are no errors in the load order.

Post/upload the log from the generation.

 

Have SSE Engine Fixes and .NET Framework installed (to have some decent crash logs)

 

Do some troubleshooting. Do all test with new game. Starting from main menu with coc Whiterun is sufficient.

 

Yes if you like disable PapyrusUtil and use DynDOLOD DLL instead. It most likely will not make a difference.

 

The LOD mod has static object and tree meshes and textures. Hide the meshes/textures folder to see if it makes a difference.

 

DynDOLOD plugins are very simple and have most of their data copied from the plugins in the load order. See if problem happen when not load DynDOLOD.esp but keeping DynDOLOD.esm. If you are convinced there is an issue with the data in DynDOLOD.esp it can typically be narrowed down on by removing records in a binary search. I will explain more if it gets to that.

 

It make also is a good test to generate a LOD mod only for the vanilla game and essential mods. We know things work fine with vanilla and also large load orders compiled by the modding guides. Then slowy add groups of mods to see when the problem starts to happen.

Edited March 15, 2019 by sheson

[dookie]

Thanks for the quick response. 

 

Yes, it's very strange that it crashes to the main menu. 

 

I generated the Medium textures, LODs, and plugins again.  "coc Whiterun" in a new game shows no problems, but I wasn't having much trouble with that area anyway, only very occasionally when exiting interior cells and/or auto-saving.  I tried using the DynDOLOD DLL and its scripts, without PapyrusUtil; but you're right, it made no difference.  It doesn't matter whether only DynDOLOD.esm is loaded and DynDOLOD.esp is not either.

 

It happens when going from East Empire Company docks north towards the pirate ship (Dainty Sload) every time.  If I fast travel to the pirate ship, sometimes it's fine.  The screen lighting/brightness glitches, and I'm forced to the title screen.  There's a spot going underneath Solitude where I can reproduce it happening every time.  The exit to Main Menu glitch happens in other locations as well; but I usually close the program, reload, and play through.

 

Since it more often occurs in specific locations, I think it may be due to either Realistic Lighting (RLO) or Realistic Water Two, although they work together fine without DynDOLOD. 

I'm going to try generating the LODs and plugins without candle, glowfx, or fake glow.  And, try using the High or Low preset instead of Medium.

 

Looking through DynDOLOD_SSE_log.txt, it doesn't show any obvious errors.  It just says LODGenx64.exe and DynDOLOD Worlds completed successfully.  I'll upload it along with SKSE debug log if I can't resolve the issue with further testing.  Thanks again for the help.

[dookie]

Update

1) installed ENB and disabled its effects (i.e. UsePatchSpeedhackWithoutGraphics=true), and now instead of forced exit to title screen, it CTDs.  lol  :D

Unrelated: I don't think that ENBlocal.ini setting works anymore because there was a performance drop, and shaders+lighting were definitely affected.

 

2) removed RLO, ran TexGen and DynDOLOD with 256 max tile size, still crashes.

 

There's something going on with that spot near the pirate ship, Dainty Sload, facing away from it towards the tree-filled snowy mountains towards the sky, coming from Solitude.  And, I made it worse because now it CTD more in other areas as well.  I don't think I have any other mods affecting that area besides perhaps SMIM.  Next, I'm going to try to remove Realistic Water Two.

 

Still, the only thing that prevents the crashes/exits is disabling DynDOLOD completely, both .esm and .esp.  I'm going to keep fooling with it.  Maybe a new playthrough is the only way. 

[sheson]

Do the tests for invalid/missing meshes as explained in the readme.

 

Do not assume what mods do or not do, change or not change.

 

ENBoost is not really a thing with Skyrim Special Edition AFAIK.

 

This sounds a bit like an odd load order with many different things mangled together causing problems. Consider following a proper modding guide from the ground up.

Edited March 16, 2019 by sheson

[dookie]

"I don't think" means I'm not certain, so I wasn't assuming much.  By now, I've looked through the load order carefully and spent more spare time fooling with this than I'd like.  I'm using a very similar load order as someone who recommended DynDOLOD (in fact, with fewer other mods).  I've removed most mods and generated again, like you suggested.  Sometimes it seems to work, but I want to continue the save with the mods I had.

 

There were never messages at the bottom of the DynDOLOD_SSE_log referring to deleted references or missing models.  I've searched looking for instances of "root block... NiNode" and "...check if using NifScope..." etc.  

Of course, Windows event crash logs don't tell much.  I'm using SSE Engine fixes and have had .NET Framework installed.

 

The only things I haven't done yet is set to debug and comb through papyrus logs, since I was changing the load order and generating again with different settings. 

 

Yes, following a modding guide probably would have helped, but at this point, I just want to continue playing when I can.  I'll try do more testing later this weekend.  If I find something in the logs, I'll post it.   Thanks.