DynDOLOD 3 - Is This As Good As Trees Get?

[Phlunder]

If you use Billboard4 (use it for LOD8 and 16) you usually don't have to mess with brightness settings, so revert them to default. The brightness difference compared to full models mainly comes from backlighting, as regular billboards (Billboard1) are not double-sided. Not sure what you mean with red boxes? Provide a screenshot and logs if possible.

I personally use Billboard4 in all LOD stages, its very performance friendly and looks great, and everything can be generated by TexGen on the fly, so the resources all look consistent.

[mooit]

47 minutes ago, Phlunder said:

If you use Billboard4 (use it for LOD8 and 16) you usually don't have to mess with brightness settings, so revert them to default. The brightness difference compared to full models mainly comes from backlighting, as regular billboards (Billboard1) are not double-sided. Not sure what you mean with red boxes? Provide a screenshot and logs if possible.

I personally use Billboard4 in all LOD stages, its very performance friendly and looks great, and everything can be generated by TexGen on the fly, so the resources all look consistent.

I was editing over my last reply, after the P.S. please have a look...

THANKS

P.S. If you read over the posts, I mentioned red boxes I placed around the screen shots, for the trees in that distance, that I was trying to make them look better.

Edited June 26, 2022 by mooit

[Phlunder]

1 hour ago, mooit said:

I was editing over my last reply, after the P.S. please have a look...

THANKS

P.S. If you read over the posts, I mentioned red boxes I placed around the screen shots, for the trees in that distance, that I was trying to make them look better.

Ah, now I get what you mean with red boxes, okay. There are no Level3 LODs for trees, so it will fall back to regular billboards in object LOD. Not sure what you mean with better distance? LOD16 is the furthest LOD step for object LOD, so the furthest you will be able to see them. If you don't want a visual difference between LOD8 and LOD16, use Billboard4 for both. Again, usually Billboard4 doesn't require you to make any brightness changes, they blend pretty perfectly with any lighting situation, so make sure to revert the tweaks you made.

[z929669]

7 hours ago, mooit said:

Ok on the settings...

Woo, time until it's zipped up, 49 mins. on a Ryzen 5 5600X LOL

9.96GB

THANKS

P.S. Ok time to go test...

I never archive my output, since I have plenty of drive space.

6 hours ago, mooit said:

Oh my gosh, Level0/1/2 for LOD4/8/16 chokes a 3080...

LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Billboard1 is what I was using, where the trees out in the distance on the mountains, I put the red boxes around, don't look so great.

So between these two setups, is there anything in the middle that might make a difference?

THANKS

P.S. After making this reply, I changed my settings to;

LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Level3

These settings now appear to be slightly better at greater distance, the trees looking out in the mountains at Whiterun appear more visible.

Here's the pic with the red boxes I posted before. ( I know this pic is a bit more hazy, but the trees do look slightly better now.

 

LOD16/Level3 is better distance than LOD16/Billboard1?

Level# always uses 3D trees in object LOD, whereas Billboard# always uses billboards. As mentioned, you can fine tune your TexGen lighting for billboards and use Billboard4 at distance. Increase direct lighting and decrease ambient while increasing TreeMSAlphaThreshold in TexGen_SSE.ini to improve blotchy,  'flat' looking billboards.

[mooit]

So if I'm understanding correctly, then these would be the best settings to use?

LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Billboard4

Phlunder, with Billboard4 in all LOD stages, you don't notice any difference in quality, I mean, I would assume there would be a slight distance drop? Hmm

I'm really trying to figure out what tree mod(s) give the best closeup and distance 3D views? Is EVT still the way to go, and if so,  small, large, lush, what options best in DynDOLOD with EVT?

Thanks a lot z929669 and Phlunder for your help, greatly appreciated.

Edited June 26, 2022 by mooit

[z929669]

As mentioned, EVT Lush is what we use for Step. Level0/Billboard4/Billboard1 is what we recommend, since LOD16 is hardly noticeable. Billboard1 is very close to Billboard4 anyway. Either way, increasing the TexGen alpha for tree billboards makes them look a little better, depending on the mod.

[mooit]

Ok on EVT...

TexGen Alpha? 

This is what I used before on TexGen

 

THANKS

Edited June 27, 2022 by mooit

[z929669]

1 hour ago, mooit said:

Ok on EVT...

TexGen Alpha? 

This is what I used before on TexGen

 

THANKS

TreeMSAlphaThreshold in TexGen_SSE.ini

[mooit]

Ok, I'm switching to Enhanced Vanilla Trees SE-Custom Trees 2K lush small.

Is there a recommendation for the TreeMSAlphaThreshold I should use?

THANKS

Edited June 27, 2022 by mooit

[Phlunder]

7 hours ago, mooit said:

Phlunder, with Billboard4 in all LOD stages, you don't notice any difference in quality, I mean, I would assume there would be a slight distance drop? Hmm

A distance drop? What are you referring to?

[mooit]

45 minutes ago, Phlunder said:

A distance drop? What are you referring to?

Since z929669 mentioned, these are the recommendations. 'Level0/Billboard4/Billboard1', and LOD16 is hardly noticeable.

I guess that answers it...

THANKS

Edited June 27, 2022 by mooit

[Phlunder]

I disagree, even LOD16 being Billboard1 is noticeable as they are brighter than anything else. I don't see the point of saving performance there, as Billboard4 is practically zero impact. In the end, the results and preferences are what you find works best for your setup. There is no "one right way".

[mooit]

I understand about the 'no right way', I was just trying to understand if there was a difference is all.

I just wasn't sure if these settings;

'LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Billboard1'

If LOD16 could be bumped slightly, for a slightly better distance?

THANKS

Edited June 27, 2022 by mooit

[Phlunder]

1 hour ago, mooit said:

If LOD16 could be bumped slightly, for a slightly better distance?

Sorry, I am still not sure what you are referring to. The "bump" is an improvement to the visuals in LOD16? As already mentioned, this is the furthest LOD step for object LOD (which is what ultra trees use) so the difference what you use there will be very minor. Call me crazy there, but the backlighting issue for Billboard1 was even apparent to me in LOD16, so I chose to just use Billboard4 there too.

4 hours ago, mooit said:

Is there a recommendation for the TreeMSAlphaThreshold I should use?

128 is a good starting point.

[mooit]

128 THANKS