DynDOLOD 3.00 Alpha 180

[z929669]

@sheson

Just reporting back to follow up on my issues with TexGen bombing coming back to DynDOLOD after all relevant mods have finally been updated since 1.6.640. No logs posted, since I'm only reporting confirmatory findings FYI.

See my system specs in signature.

• My TexGen OpenGL issue was resolved by downgrading to AMD v22.5.1 drivers (thanks to Windows Update for updating my system drivers without my permission. I disabled driver updates through GP and the relevant system process directly ... I should still get OS and MS software updates)
• My extreme processing times for a well-used and understood mod list with respect to DynDOLOD were resolved with aid of a statement in your FAQs that GFX driver bloatware can cause this issue (presumably by misidentifying one or more of the DynDOLOD processes as actual GFX processes and running some n/a routines during runtime)
  • Note that I have used a couple of alpha versions in the past that caused similar or related performance issues without ever understanding why, but they were almost always resolved in the next alpha release. Since I only update my drivers once or twice a year (WU GFX driver update was only a recent Win 11 issue for me), I presume that something in (or not in) the app code might conditionally trigger this issue of "mistaken identity". Obviously, I'm grasping for anything sensible, since IDK.
  • Cleaning out my GFX drivers and reinstalling using the AMD Adrenaline "Driver only" option completely resolved (Identical DynDOLOD runs that required well over an hour or more went back down to 37 minutes where they belong (including occlusion at 3 quality, terrain underside at 8 quality, and HD grass at 60%, mode 1). Arguably, this is the fastest I have experienced. Previous alphas (< 100) required between 30-50 minutes typically for the Step mod list (depending on if I ran occlusion).

---

PS: I'm using DynDOLOD defaults for all of the memory-management and related threads settings ... and latest alpha 106.

[sheson]

1 hour ago, LouAshfield said:

Hello,

I am trying to run TexGen and DynDOLOD through MO2 for Skyrim AE GOG version.

I added the arguments to the 2 executables in MO2, but I keep getting this error below.

I already have a Skyrim.ini in the documents folder, so I dunno what else am missing. Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance.

Moved to the DynDOLOD 3 Alpha thread. See the first post which log and debug log to upload when making posts.

The message is self explanatory.
The INI file is missing from its default location at c:\Users\ealaa\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\Skyrim.ini.

Use the "Click on this link for additional explanations and help for this message" to open https://dyndolod.info/Messages/INI-Files
In case existing files can not be accessed, add an exception to whatever it is that is blocking access.

If the shown path is not correct, fix the wrong path you set for the -m command line argument.

[LouAshfield]

8 minutes ago, sheson said:

Moved to the DynDOLOD 3 Alpha thread. See the first post which log and debug log to upload when making posts.

The message is self explanatory.
The INI file is missing from its default location at c:\Users\ealaa\Documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition GOG\Skyrim.ini.

Use the "Click on this link for additional explanations and help for this message" to open https://dyndolod.info/Messages/INI-Files
In case existing files can not be accessed, add an exception to whatever it is that is blocking access.

If the shown path is not correct, fix the wrong path you set for the -m command line argument.

I already checked the link and saw those instructions, or else I wouldn't have asked.

The file path is clear and opens if I simply copy/paste it into the file explorer, and I can even open the ini directly that way. Nothing is blocking TexGen nor DynDOLOD from getting through it. Plus they both run as adminstrator, and the ini file has full permissions for admin, so I dunno what else is there to do about that.

Kindly find attached the logs, but couldn't find a bugreport.text file.

 

DynDOLOD Logs.rar

[sheson]

9 hours ago, LouAshfield said:

I already checked the link and saw those instructions, or else I wouldn't have asked.

The file path is clear and opens if I simply copy/paste it into the file explorer, and I can even open the ini directly that way. Nothing is blocking TexGen nor DynDOLOD from getting through it. Plus they both run as adminstrator, and the ini file has full permissions for admin, so I dunno what else is there to do about that.

Kindly find attached the logs, but couldn't find a bugreport.text file.

 

DynDOLOD Logs.rar 2.58 kB · 0 downloads

Test the same command line arguments with xEdit.

Edit: Do not install DynDOLOD into special Windows folders like c:\users\... 
https://dyndolod.info/Installation-Instructions
Use 7-Zip to unpack the DynDOLOD Standalone archive into a new and empty 'DynDOLOD' directory that is outside of special OS folders like 'Programs Files' or 'Program Files (x86)', User, Documents, Desktop, Download and also not in SteamApps, game, Data or any mod manager folders. For example C:\Modding\DynDOLOD\.

[vektor9999]

9 hours ago, sheson said:

https://dyndolod.info/Help/Ultra-Tree-LOD#3D-Tree-LOD-Brightness

Thanks a lot Sheson, i admit i was too lazy on that one. But you are always here to help

[markuskarttunen]

Hello Sheson, thank you for DynDOLOD and especially it's Hybrid tree LOD feature. Its a game changer and allows for near-seamless transition of LOD and full models without tanking performance. I have a question/request on it, I have no idea if it's possible though but thought I'd ask. Would it be possible for TexGen to generate the hybrid tree trunk renders from all 4 sides instead of 2 and apply them on their respective one-sided planes if template4.nif is selected as the flatnif? This would make them more consistent on tree models that have a very "chaotic" trunk geometry (eg. ReachCliffTree01 pictured here). Thank you for your time

[LouAshfield]

14 hours ago, sheson said:

Test the same command line arguments with xEdit.

Edit: Do not install DynDOLOD into special Windows folders like c:\users\... 
https://dyndolod.info/Installation-Instructions
Use 7-Zip to unpack the DynDOLOD Standalone archive into a new and empty 'DynDOLOD' directory that is outside of special OS folders like 'Programs Files' or 'Program Files (x86)', User, Documents, Desktop, Download and also not in SteamApps, game, Data or any mod manager folders. For example C:\Modding\DynDOLOD\.

I think I understand what went wrong on my end...
I had a couple of issues; mainly OneDrive was taking over my folders. I didn't realize that until xEdit kept referencing the ini file in OneDrive, so I removed it and got my files back in place ((I don't even use OneDrive )).

Now I got TexGen working fine and it's doing its thing ((Got an error/warning about Vilja & DBM in the middle, but at least it's working)), and I trust DynDOLOD will follow suit as well.

However, xEdit still refuses to work with the same arguments as TexGen, and keeps going to "...documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition" for the ini file, when it should be "...documents\My Games\Skyrim Special Edition GOG". I think it might have something to do with the registry or such. I already have some mods/dlls that still export to "...\Skyrim Special Edition" . I will look into that later since I have no need for xedit ATM.

Oh, and yes, I install my modding tools in a folder I call "Games" directly in the c drive, so I am good on that front too.

Anyways, thank you Sheson for your help ((And your patience XD)). Can't promise I will name my firstborn after you, but maybe my 2nd or 3rd could do ((If I get this far one day :D))

[sheson]

3 hours ago, markuskarttunen said:

Hello Sheson, thank you for DynDOLOD and especially it's Hybrid tree LOD feature. Its a game changer and allows for near-seamless transition of LOD and full models without tanking performance. I have a question/request on it, I have no idea if it's possible though but thought I'd ask. Would it be possible for TexGen to generate the hybrid tree trunk renders from all 4 sides instead of 2 and apply them on their respective one-sided planes if template4.nif is selected as the flatnif? This would make them more consistent on tree models that have a very "chaotic" trunk geometry (eg. ReachCliffTree01 pictured here). Thank you for your time

I am not really convinced it is useful doing this, since the silhouette will still be the same. Unless you have lots of trees that would benefit from that, just use an (optimized) 3D trunk like tundradriftwood01passthru_lod_0.nif in DynDOLOD Resources or use Simplygon to make an actual LOD representation.

[markuskarttunen]

12 minutes ago, sheson said:

I am not really convinced it is useful doing this, since the silhouette will still be the same. Unless you have lots of trees that would benefit from that, just use an (optimized) 3D trunk like tundradriftwood01passthru_lod_0.nif in DynDOLOD Resources or use Simplygon to make an actual LOD representation.

Yeah the silhouette only gets broken with these wonky trunks where it takes a sharp turn one way and the turn doesn't get mirrored on the side that wasn't rendered from. On my LO that'd basically just be reachtrees and reachclifftrees so 4 trees in total, which admittedly doesn't warrant a big change in the rendering process that works perfectly fine with the straight trunks most trees have. Thanks for your time and I'll get to decimating some reachtreetrunks

[sheson]

34 minutes ago, markuskarttunen said:

Yeah the silhouette only gets broken with these wonky trunks where it takes a sharp turn one way and the turn doesn't get mirrored on the side that wasn't rendered from. On my LO that'd basically just be reachtrees and reachclifftrees so 4 trees in total, which admittedly doesn't warrant a big change in the rendering process that works perfectly fine with the straight trunks most trees have. Thanks for your time and I'll get to decimating some reachtreetrunks

There is an update for the next alpha version about the trunks. They were not placed 100% correctly (x,y shift was wrong). So if you face the billboard plane directly back/front or left/right it should match the tree very closely regardless.

Try generating trunks with the TexGen version from this post https://stepmodifications.org/forum/topic/17510-dyndolod-300-alpha-106/?do=findComment&comment=266132 to see if they are placed better.   

[markuskarttunen]

51 minutes ago, sheson said:

There is an update for the next alpha version about the trunks. They were not placed 100% correctly (x,y shift was wrong). So if you face the billboard plane directly back/front or left/right it should match the tree very closely regardless.

Try generating trunks with the TexGen version from this post https://stepmodifications.org/forum/topic/17510-dyndolod-300-alpha-106/?do=findComment&comment=266132 to see if they are placed better.   

Interestingly, as far as I can see I didn't notice any shift (as in moving the billboard along any axis) but rather a whole turn from the side view, which does look better though; pictured here. I haven't touched the trunk nor the crown models between these two runs. From afar it looks rather good now unless zoomed in from an angle, which I don't think is possible to counter with a model like this on hybrids, but I think I'm going to release a stripped down 3D version of the trunk anyway.

[sheson]

2 hours ago, markuskarttunen said:

Interestingly, as far as I can see I didn't notice any shift (as in moving the billboard along any axis) but rather a whole turn from the side view, which does look better though; pictured here. I haven't touched the trunk nor the crown models between these two runs. From afar it looks rather good now unless zoomed in from an angle, which I don't think is possible to counter with a model like this on hybrids, but I think I'm going to release a stripped down 3D version of the trunk anyway.

Yes, that is totally wrong/flipped and will be fixed in the next alpha. Generate LOD with this text version of LODGen again. https://mega.nz/file/oJJkQQAb#HX-qd-P7pJJi2c-BItUzq1qSeEunwXV988G3k5GnQQ4 and it should all match

[markuskarttunen]

53 minutes ago, sheson said:

Yes, that is totally wrong/flipped and will be fixed in the next alpha. Generate LOD with this text version of LODGen again. https://mega.nz/file/oJJkQQAb#HX-qd-P7pJJi2c-BItUzq1qSeEunwXV988G3k5GnQQ4 and it should all match

I'd love to come back with results on this one but unfortunately AMD has decided to bless me with the blackscreen-treatment with that version of LODGen. I've got the latest recommended drivers but this just happens on some versions of dyndolod, I've decided to live with it until I get around buying a 4090 or any other card with drivers that don't crash daily.

[sheson]

18 minutes ago, markuskarttunen said:

I'd love to come back with results on this one but unfortunately AMD has decided to bless me with the blackscreen-treatment with that version of LODGen. I've got the latest recommended drivers but this just happens on some versions of dyndolod, I've decided to live with it until I get around buying a 4090 or any other card with drivers that don't crash daily.

LODGen does not use any DIrectX, OpenGL etc. functions.

[markuskarttunen]

7 minutes ago, sheson said:

LODGen does not use any DIrectX, OpenGL etc. functions.

Really? I've thought it'd have a lot of GPU stuff going on as if I blackscreen during a lod generation it happens right after the little lodgen window pops up, pushes a couple level 4 lods and everything goes black.