Rally's Torchbugs (by Rallyeator)

[TechAngel85]

Discussion topic:
Rally's Sparkling Torchbugs by Rallyeator
Wiki Link

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Looks like a good mesh and texture replacer with ENBSeries Complex Particle Lights compatibility. Covers both torchbugs and bliss bugs, including their jars. These are currently vanilla textures in Step. Acceptance of this would allow dropping:

 

[z929669]

I will test with both main Files and the jars optional.

Are the torchbugs too big? If so, then the size reduction may be warranted.

[TechAngel85]

22 hours ago, z929669 said:

I will test with both main Files and the jars optional.

Are the torchbugs too big? If so, then the size reduction may be warranted.

They're not too big for anything game-wise. It would be a personal preference.

[z929669]

I haven't found the time to test this against Rudy's mod using ENB (see OP) under our 2.2.0 guide. If anyone cares to do so, please post screens for vanilla, Step 2.2.0, and this mod replacing Rudy's. This would be an easy add for 2.3 once verified.

[z929669]

I removed all screens from this post, because I mucked up at least one of my testing scenarios (and corresponding screen). Leaving the post for context, but please ignore everything.

 

Step 2.2.0 torchbugs (and blissbugs) use vanilla textures and modified vanilla meshes provided by Rudy HQ - More Lights for ENB SE - Torchbugs and Moths to enable ENB lighting effects. Blissbugs also use vanilla textures and modified vanilla meshes provided by Elytra and Bliss Bug ENB Light in the same manner as Rudy's. Both mods use essentially low-poly vanilla meshes with some added shader flags and similar adjustments for ENB compatibility.

Rally's does the same thing, but also provides HR textures, which seem to be overkill for the size of these bugs. Rally's meshes are superior though, IMO.

Here's some test screens (L to R) of the torchbug under Step 2.2.0 with changes introduced by this mod (Rally's) and TMD Jars. 'ENB' is Step Heavy. NEW compare is simply Rally's (this mod) with it's textures hidden so that only its meshes are used:

1. No ENB (vanilla torchbug in jar)
2. No ENB (Rally's torchbug in jar)
3. ENB (Rudy's torchbug in jar)
4. ENB (Rally's torchbug in jar)
5. Rally's meshes, vanilla textures, ENB NEW compare

 

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1. Step 2.2.0, ENB
2. Rally's, ENB
3. Rally's meshes, vanilla textures, ENB NEW compare

 

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With TMD Jars + ENB:

1. ENB (Rudy's torchbug)
2. ENB (Rally's torchbug)
3. Rally's meshes, vanilla textures, ENB NEW compare

 

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There's some ENB bugginess with Rally's torchbug and with both torchbugs in the TMD jars... the nearest part of the bug is very clear at times, while the other parts are faded.

I prefer the TMD Jars over vanilla though. The vanilla glass is good, but man are those jars shaped like a Minecraft cartoon with all the jaggies ... hard to see in these screens.

I really couldn't care less about this mod and am saddened that it took me two hours to get this evidence.

... that is to say, I don't think this is a bad mod. I just don't think torchbugs are large enough to matter texture-wise. As long as they glow, I'm happy.

It's worth mentioning that the light trail is added by Rally's, which is nice.

[DoubleYou]

I prefer what we are currently using from those compares. Yes, this mod is higher poly, but the bugs are so small that the main thing I notice is that the "smoothing" of the texture/model makes them too smooth. I don't see the clear bends of the legs that are present in vanilla. I don't see the lines of the spiracles, as they are now smooth.

[z929669]

8 hours ago, DoubleYou said:

I prefer what we are currently using from those compares. Yes, this mod is higher poly, but the bugs are so small that the main thing I notice is that the "smoothing" of the texture/model makes them too smooth. I don't see the clear bends of the legs that are present in vanilla. I don't see the lines of the spiracles, as they are now smooth.

I agree with this.

[z929669]

I added a new compare to my post and a description at the beginning. In game, the new compare scenarios look best, IMO.

The smoothing problem still persists with the higher-poly model in jars though.

[z929669]

I removed all screens from this post, because I mucked up at least one of my testing scenarios (and corresponding screen). Leaving the post for context, but please ignore everything.

After further investigation, it looks like the vanilla jar mesh (USSEP modified) does not allow ENB lighting effects to pass through the jar. We only see this with Rally's versions of the bugs in jar OR with TMD Jars:

Vanilla torchbug + vanilla jar + ENB (note that no bug light is striking the table top, whereas it does in the following three screens)

 

Vanilla torchbug + TMD jar + ENB (note that Rally's [this mod] is NOT installed in this shot)

 

Rally's torchbug mesh + vanilla jar + ENB

 

Rally's torchbug mesh + TMD jar + ENB

 

 

So... It's the ENB-compatible jar that causes the 'smoothing' issue of the firefly in the jar and not the firefly mesh.

IMO, the smoothing problem is an acceptable trade-off for the ENB effect of light passing through the jar.

 

For reference WITHOUT ENB:

vanilla jar

 

TMD jar (note The TMD jar is 'thick' relative to the vanilla jar, hence the refraction effect warping the bug.)

 

TMD jar (Rally's installed without ENB support)

 

 

The TMD jar is 'thick' relative to the vanilla jar, hence the refraction effect warping the bug. ENB effects coupled with Rally's version of the TMD jar makes the thickness even so the refraction effect is negated.

I prefer the TMD jar (both with and without ENB), so I will post another topic for that mod.

In summary, I vote to 'accept' this mod and simply not use its textures.

[DoubleYou]

I'm not sure that I can really tell that there is a difference with the bug itself though when stripping the textures away. The jar change I can see, but not really the bug change. I can see a light trail behind the bug... not sure how I feel about that... but that's mostly it.

[z929669]

12 minutes ago, DoubleYou said:

I'm not sure that I can really tell that there is a difference with the bug itself though when stripping the textures away. The jar change I can see, but not really the bug change. I can see a light trail behind the bug... not sure how I feel about that... but that's mostly it.

Well, one of my screens was wrong, so now I mistrust every compare I've posted. The issue is that for testing without ENB, I must disable ENB itself (remove binary + assets), disable the post-processing modgroup, and I must install this mod with no ENB options and either vanilla jars or TMD jars. Couple this with hiding textures and the like, it's easy to muck up testing scenarios. This is why I don't entirely trust my assessments and configs for all screens presented.

I'm going to start over

[z929669]

I will post more deliberatively the proper compares I can stand behind 100%... not until tomorrow though, as I'm too disappointed that I spent all this time today and yesterday for naught

[z929669]

I'm unable to get the TMD jars option to work as expected under vanilla lighting (no post-processing configured). It seems to be an issue with Rally's fireflyinjar.nif (CRC32: 5693C535) having massive refraction without ENB. I don't think it's a FOMOD problem.

 

TMD Jars itself works fine and is my basis of reference.

 

I posted a bug report on the Nexus with details to reproduce.

[z929669]

I'm aborting testing on this one, since this mod effectively requires ENB to function properly. We need everything to work with and without ENB.