Help me to understand

[Soulmancer]

So I am a bit curious.  some mods that change objects and landscapes include lods, some do not.  A mod like HD LOD offers LODs for Noble skyrim specifically, yet you still need to run DynDoLOd for them to work properly.

 

Does DynDoLod not generate the appropriate lods based on the textures in that mod?

 

I am just kinda wondering the difference between running DynDoLoD say for Noble skyrim both with and without having the HD Lod mod installed with it.

 

What about city or mountain overhauls that include no LODs or files for LOD generation?

 

Thx

 

 

[sheson]

From DynDOLOD_TexGen.html:

This [...] doesn't work for pre-rendered textures like the town LOD textures, distant mountain peaks or glaciers for example. Having a look at the object LOD source textures like textures\lod\wrbuildingslod01.dds for town buildings and comparing them to tileable landscape textures makes it clear. The town LOD textures are rendered from the full models and not a simple derivative of a full texture. They were then processed with an image program to create the final LOD textures.

Read DynDOLOD_Manual.html "How LOD works in Skyrim"

LOD only works and looks correctly for the load order it was build for.

Object LOD supermeshes are build from LOD models, the object LOD texture atlas is build from single LOD source textures - some of which are updated automatically by TexGen and some which are pre-rendered and would need to be updated manually. 2D tree LOD is build from billboards. Terrain LOD is build from data found on LAND records and full landscape textures.

>Does DynDoLod not generate the appropriate lods based on the textures in that mod?

DynDOLOD uses whatever single LOD source textures are installed. DynDOLOD Resources typically contains new and updated LOD models and single source LOD textures for vanilla Skyrim and only a few select mods.

AFAIK Noble Skyrim Mod HD-2K does not contain any LOD assets.

HD LODs Textures SE contains manually updated single LOD source textures, many of which that can not be created automatically by TexGen.

>What about city or mountain overhauls that include no LODs or files for LOD generation

If there are no LOD assets shipping with a mod, then changes will only be reflected in the single LOD source textures that can be updated automatically by TexGen.

[Soulmancer]

So for example... this mod.

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/28950

 

specific lod files would need to be created for dyndolod to generate the appropriate lods?

[sheson]

So for example... this mod.

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/28950

 

specific lod files would need to be created for dyndolod to generate the appropriate lods?

The vanilla pre-rendered object LOD textures that are used by the LOD models for those buildings would need to be updated regardless of the used LOD generator, yes.

[Soulmancer]

So would TexGen + DynDoLod handle something like this ok?

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/30507

Because I notice almost no mountain mods have specific LOD files for generation other then Majestic Mountains.

[sheson]

If there are no LOD assets shipping with a mod, then changes will only be reflected in the single LOD source textures that can be updated automatically by TexGen.

Distant mountains for the higher LOD levels use pre-rendered textures that can not be automatically updated.

Visually check the vanilla textures in the textures/lod folder. The pre-rendered textures are obvious.

[Oliver]

If there are no LOD assets shipping with a mod, then changes will only be reflected in the single LOD source textures that can be updated automatically by TexGen.

 

Distant mountains for the higher LOD levels use pre-rendered textures that can not be automatically updated.

 

Visually check the vanilla textures in the textures/lod folder. The pre-rendered textures are obvious.

How I can make pre-rendered textures in the textures/lod folder if use for example city retexture without pre-rendered lod textures ?

Edited May 5, 2020 by Oliver

[sheson]

You use a 3D program like 3DSMax or Blender to render models to texture. Or our poor mans solution like we do create billboard by making screenshots in NifSkope.

However, since we do not have the sources for the pre-rendered textures you would first have to create models/views that mimic the side views required.

Or you just try to edit the existing textures in PhotoShop/Gimp.

If it were easy we would have come up with something in the past 6 years.

[Soulmancer]

Is there an easy way to check which textures would require specific lods to properly matched?

is it basically extracting the BSAs? and looking in the vanilla lod directories?

I am just looking in HD Lod SE currently to see what it provided for, but I notice like... Fort Dawnguard has lods while castle volkihar does not based on that. unless that's what dlc01_castleextlod01 is.

so would something like this, should it have an lod folder?  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/10710

[sheson]

On 8/28/2020 at 4:19 PM, Soulmancer said:

Is there an easy way to check which textures would require specific lods to properly matched?

is it basically extracting the BSAs? and looking in the vanilla lod directories?

I am just looking in HD Lod SE currently to see what it provided for, but I notice like... Fort Dawnguard has lods while castle volkihar does not based on that. unless that's what dlc01_castleextlod01 is.

so would something like this, should it have an lod folder?  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/10710

Typically, any LOD texture that is not part of TexGen output.

It is trivial to look up which LOD textures are used by the LOD models for Castle Volkihar.

Get the Form ID of the base record used by one of the castle buildings. For example 0200DD58 for CasExtFrontLeftTower01.
Looking up the base record in xEdit shows it uses DLC01\Lod\Castle\DLC01CasExtFrontLeftTower01_LOD_0.nif for all 3 LOD levels.
Checking the NIF file with xEdit Asset Browser shows it uses textures\dlc01\lod\DLC01_CastleExtLod01.dds
Looking at the texture it looks pre-rendered.
It is not part of TexGen output, which means it is not automatically generated for the load order.

In case a base record has no LOD models assigned, look up the zeroed (first two digests for plugin order 00) Form ID of the base record in DynDOLOD\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD\cache\DynDOLOD_SSE_lodgen.txt

[Soulmancer]

Illustrious whiterun just uploaded some LOD textures.  I do notice they are missing matching normal textures, something that HD Lod SE provides... Is this problematic or largely irrelevant?

[sheson]

On 11/14/2020 at 6:24 PM, Soulmancer said:

Illustrious whiterun just uploaded some LOD textures.  I do notice they are missing matching normal textures, something that HD Lod SE provides... Is this problematic or largely irrelevant?  

Simple logic applies:
There are vanilla normal map LOD textures that will be used if they are not overwritten.

It is very likely that the updated diffuse LOD textures does not change what they actually depict - just their color, thus the normal map does not need updating.

Simply looking at the textures in an image viewer should tell you everything you want to know.

[Soulmancer]

This is not something that is or could ever be remedied in the latest Alpha is that correct? This is simply not possible for Dyndolod to ever do without the appropriate base textures?

It is a bit soul crushing since most authors don't or won't create these textures.

[sheson]

1 hour ago, Soulmancer said:

This is not something that is or could ever be remedied in the latest Alpha is that correct? This is simply not possible for Dyndolod to ever do without the appropriate base textures?

It is a bit soul crushing since most authors don't or won't create these textures.

From the first post of DynDOLOD 3 alpha:
"Generate some pre-rendered object LOD textures, including all cities."

From ..\DynDOLO\docs\help\TexGen.html:
"Note that the list of rendered object LOD textures is not covering all vanilla rendered object LOD textures. It can update the rendered object LOD textures for the walled cities and most structures. However, far away mountains, icebergs and glaciers are not yet covered. If a mod makes changes to these relevant full textures, it should also include updated pre-rendered object LOD textures."

[Soulmancer]

I can't believe I missed that... you are amazing!

Does this mean there is little reason to download optional LOD files for city stuff.  Such as those includes for the Great Towns/Villages.  Rally's solstheim settlements or HD Lod SE for Noble in favor of using Texgen?

I do use Majestic Mountain and Glacierslab which include LODs for the ones texgen cannot create.

Thanks 

 

[sheson]

The  conflicts column of MO2 will show you if all files of a mod are being overwritten or not.