ACCEPTED High Hrothgar Fixed (by Outpowner)

[Mousetick]

Discussion topic:
High Hrothgar Fixed by Outpowner
Wiki Link

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Also install the Optional File - ELFX Patch

Keep the window pane from this, overriding DynDOLOD Resources version, which is too bright

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Are you sick of mesh fixes yet?

Excerpt from the mod blurb:

Quote

This mod fixes numerous issues with the vanilla High Hrothgar meshes. Most prominently, however, it adds windows to the outside model of High Hrothgar. Besides, it adds countless UV fixes, resolves clashing vertex colors and removes vertex doubles.

Installation: download 'High Hrothgar Fixed' main file and 'High Hrothgar Fixed - ELFX Patch' optional file, install both, overwrite the first with the second or keep separate as you wish.

Compatibility: according to the MA, the meshes can safely overwrite USSEP, SMIM, Unofficial Material Fix. Can safely overwrite ELFX with the accompanying patch. The only remaining conflict is with DynDOLOD Resources, which is discussed in details further below.

Please refer to the Nexus page for screenshots of a few fixes. Here is one I caught while wandering inside:

Vanilla > STEP > STEP + High Hrothgar Fixed

[Mousetick]

Conflict with DynDOLOD Resources - specifically the 'High Hrothgar Window Glow' option in its FOMOD:

This mod also adds windows to the exterior of High Hrothgar, but they glow very dimly compared to DynDOLOD Resources and have a different glow tint. As with anything that tries to fill a void left over by vanilla, the replacement can deviate more or less from vanilla, and is quite subjective.

Here are some comparison screenshots:

• Vanilla is pure vanilla
• STEP is STEP base (DynDOLOD Resources, including 'High Hrothgar Window Glow') + DVLaSS + Relighting Skyrim + a mod to make nights darker
• HHF is same as previous + High Hrothgar Fixed overwriting DynDOLOD Resources

Daylight Vanilla > STEP > HHF

Night STEP > HHF

I had more screenshots but I've reached my quota. So maybe later.

Anyway, personally I find the DynDOLOD window a little on the bright side, which doesn't make sense when the interior is so dark. With DynDOLOD Resources' glowing window option High Hrothgar lights up like a Christmas tree, day or night. Also the glow color isn't consistent with the color of the light inside.

The window conflict is in one single mesh: /meshes/architecture/highhrothgar/highhrothgarentrance01.nif. So if one wants to keep the DynDOLOD version, this mesh should be hidden in this mod.

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Mousetick

[z929669]

Looks promising ... I don't see any window glow in what I assume are the LOD screens though. I'm not at my gaming PC now, but is the DynDOLOD resources file replacing the full texture for this? That mod should only be providing LOD resources and should not affect the full textures at all.

Marked for Testing.

[Mousetick]

4 hours ago, z929669 said:

is the DynDOLOD resources file replacing the full texture for this? That mod should only be providing LOD resources and should not affect the full textures at all.

It's replacing the full model mesh. It's also providing a LOD mesh, some textures (which may or may not be used, unclear at this point), and it's patching Skyrim.esm for... something. It's all part of the ''High Hrothgar Window Glow' FOMOD option, this add-on is intended to be used with DynDOLOD's 'Glow window' feature I think. The window texture itself which is the same in all cases is provided by the Rustic Windows mod: /textures/architecture/highhrothgar/hhwin02.dds.

I need to investigate some more and perform some more tests.

[Mousetick]

I'm pulling my hair over a weird issue with one of the meshes: /meshes/architecture/highhrothgar/highhrothgarfloor01.nif.

NifSkope Vanilla mesh + textures > this mod's mesh + vanilla textures

Notice the gap between the top stair and the floor in both screenshots above (you can also see some of the fixes this mod's mesh applies compared to vanilla, but that's not the point).

In-game Vanilla mesh + textures > this mod's mesh + vanilla textures

With vanilla mesh, the gap at the seam doesn't show in-game. With this mod's mesh, the gap is still visible (e.g. at the cursor). This is using a plain vanilla game, no mods other than SkyUI and ASLAL.

I don't understand. Any idea why the textures with the vanilla mesh join at the gap, while they don't in NifSkope?

 

 

[z929669]

20 minutes ago, Mousetick said:

I'm pulling my hair over a weird issue with one of the meshes: /meshes/architecture/highhrothgar/highhrothgarfloor01.nif.

NifSkope Vanilla mesh + textures > this mod's mesh + vanilla textures

Notice the gap between the top stair and the floor in both screenshots above (you can also see some of the fixes this mod's mesh applies compared to vanilla, but that's not the point).

In-game Vanilla mesh + textures > this mod's mesh + vanilla textures

With vanilla mesh, the gap at the seam doesn't show in-game. With this mod's mesh, the gap is still visible (e.g. at the cursor). This is using a plain vanilla game, no mods other than SkyUI and ASLAL.

I don't understand. Any idea why the textures with the vanilla mesh join at the gap, while they don't in NifSkope?

I think it is the UV map on the mesh. Looks like it wasn't done right in this mod. Also note the texture on the crack at far bottom left. Again, looks like a UV mapping issue with this mod vs vanilla Looks like this mod did fix that. I think the gap is still there in both shots, but not as evident in vanilla.

I assume the same exact textures are used in all of the above, and the only diff is the mesh (not mesh texture paths)

[Mousetick]

Thanks for your input.

12 hours ago, z929669 said:

I think it is the UV map on the mesh. Looks like it wasn't done right in this mod.

I think you must be right, but there are no polygons in the gap where texture UV would be applied. There is a "void" between the steps and the floor (screenshots showing vanilla meshes):

Also isn't NifSkope supposed to be WYSIWYG? What is seen in-game matches what is shown in NifSkope with the mod meshes, but not with the vanilla meshes.

12 hours ago, z929669 said:

I assume the same exact textures are used in all of the above, and the only diff is the mesh (not mesh texture paths)

Yep, using vanilla textures with identical pathnames from Skyrim's BSA(s). I also tried with a 4K texture replacer, vanilla meshes > mod's meshes:

12 hours ago, z929669 said:

I think the gap is still there in both shots, but not as evident in vanilla.

If you look at the 2 screenshots above, you can see the gap on the right one, with the bottom of the pillar and the snow on the "ground" showing through.

I think I'm going to ask about this issue on Nexus, but I'd like to make sure I'm not missing anything stupidly obvious beforehand.

[z929669]

7 hours ago, Mousetick said:

Thanks for your input.

I think you must be right, but there are no polygons in the gap where texture UV would be applied. There is a "void" between the steps and the floor (screenshots showing vanilla meshes):

Also isn't NifSkope supposed to be WYSIWYG? What is seen in-game matches what is shown in NifSkope with the mod meshes, but not with the vanilla meshes.

Yep, using vanilla textures with identical pathnames from Skyrim's BSA(s). I also tried with a 4K texture replacer, vanilla meshes > mod's meshes:

Yes, should be close to WYSIWYG, but not exactly due to lighting/weather ... but these screens look like very different textures than your previous from NifSkope. Either way, there is definitely no mesh in that black area (and same is true of vanilla mesh), so it must be UV map wizardry covering this up in the game. The 'fix' may correct the map in one place only to exacerbate the issue in this area, IDK.

7 hours ago, Mousetick said:

If you look at the 2 screenshots above, you can see the gap on the right one, with the bottom of the pillar and the snow on the "ground" showing through.

I think I'm going to ask about this issue on Nexus, but I'd like to make sure I'm not missing anything stupidly obvious beforehand.

I see what you mean. Overall, the 'fix' is better, but not really fixed. I think the mesh needs edits, so maybe the MA only messed with UV mapping in this mod and didn't do any mesh work?

[TechAngel85]

If the mesh was altered, it could be as simple as the verts aren't in the same place vs the vanilla mesh. This would cause a gap due to the placement of the object in the CK, rather than it being the mesh. Obviously the mesh should match vanilla to prevent such issues, but simply bumping the X/Y position of the object will correct it (though that requires a plugin to do).

[z929669]

I vote to accept this for 2.1.0

[Mousetick]

Sorry I kind of dropped the ball on this one. I see the same gap issue I previously noticed in my testing, or something very similar, has been reported in the bugs section on Nexus and the MA has been "looking at it" for quite a while now.

Nevertheless, I've kept it in my load order ever since I installed it for testing. I think it's a significant improvement overall compared to vanilla, as it fixes a lot more than it breaks, and the gap is barely noticeable (at least with my setup).

[Mousetick]

Reminder of conflict detailed in this earlier post:

This mod adds actual windowpanes to the High Hrothgar window openings whereas there are just black holes of nothingness in vanilla. These windowpanes emit a very faint glow suggesting there is some light inside, but not much, which is consistent with the interior.

DynDOLOD Resources does the same via its 'High Hrothgar Window Glow' FOMOD option but the windowpanes emit a brighter glow.

You'll need to decide which one you prefer.

Personally I turned off the DynDOLOD Resources option because it becomes useless when this mod overwrites it, and I wanted to keep this mod's version.

 

[z929669]

I think we can mark this as accepted.

[TechAngel85]

36 minutes ago, z929669 said:

I think we can mark this as accepted.

I agree. Installing main file and ELFX patch.

[z929669]

On 5/6/2022 at 4:48 PM, Mousetick said:

Reminder of conflict detailed in this earlier post:

This mod adds actual windowpanes to the High Hrothgar window openings whereas there are just black holes of nothingness in vanilla. These windowpanes emit a very faint glow suggesting there is some light inside, but not much, which is consistent with the interior.

DynDOLOD Resources does the same via its 'High Hrothgar Window Glow' FOMOD option but the windowpanes emit a brighter glow.

You'll need to decide which one you prefer.

Personally I turned off the DynDOLOD Resources option because it becomes useless when this mod overwrites it, and I wanted to keep this mod's version.

 

Agree

16 hours ago, TechAngel85 said:

I agree. Installing main file and ELFX patch.

Installing this without hiding files so that this overrides DynDOLOD Resources window pane is preferable, IMO

 

Marking accepted with notes to these effects in the OP.