GUIDE [WIP] DDSopt & Texture Overhauls

[z929669]

Discussion thread:
DDSopt Guide by STEP
Wiki Link

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GET DDSopt:
Github Pre-release versions
Official Nexus versions (select pre-release update 4)

[Kelmych]

I was looking at the SR:LE instructions for optimizing vanilla textures and I notice that the optimized textures are stored as loose files directory in a new folder (e.g., HRDLC1 Optimized) inside the Mod Organizermods folder . If MO allows that then the DDSopt guide can be edited to mention that when using MO the archiving step for the vanilla textures can be bypassed and the texture folders can be directly copied to the Mod Organizermods directory. The archiving step takes a long time to complete, and if it isn't needed with MO it would save a lot of the time in performing the vanilla optimization.

 

Also, has anyone else tried using MO to extract the vanilla textures? EssArrBee mentioned a problem with this a while ago, but only DoubleYou responded. This would save some time in optimizing the vanilla textures since MO seems quicker than BSAopt/DDSopt in doing this.

[EssArrBee]

Lots of files were missing. I think almost a gigs worth of stuff didn't even show up in the extracted BSA. I'd be weary of using it in it's current form unless it somehow detects duplicates and errors with on the fly corrections. That would be amazing by the way.

[Octopuss]

Does anyone else see elven quiver in purple? I originally thought it was a problem of some mod, but seeing as the texture is only present in vanilla textures and then hires pack, both of which were run through the optimization process from the wiki, I started thinking it could be related to that.

Any ideas are welcome.

[phazer11]

What mods are you using that affect quivers. Any archery mods? You might also try redownloading chesko's quiver f you're using that.

[Octopuss]

Nope, absolutely none that would touch textures. I do have the Closer quivers and...something mod, which I've reinstalled today (and I made sure I set FOMOD preference to false in MO this time), and it's still purple :(

I've realized a while ago that Unofficial hires patch has a file the elven quiver as well, though. They look identical, but the one from the patch is almost twice as small. The resolution is the same and they look absolutely identical... I don't know what to make of this.

Edited March 13, 2014 by Octopuss

[EssArrBee]

DDSopt and BSAopt should be safe repacking any other game that isn't Skyrim right? I know that Beth changed something in the BSAs, but that wasn't for other games, so it should work.

[Octopuss]

What's the general opinion about DDSOpting of the vanilla textures and using unofficial hires patch? I mean, doesn't it overwrite some of the optimized textures, possibly creating some problems? For example, like the elven quiver texture bug I am experiencing?

And to make double sure, the plugins now present in the patch, are they used for anything else than changing load order of the patch?

[Kelmych]

We've always assumed that any textures in Unofficial Skyrim patches, including the Unofficial Hires Patch, are sufficiently optimized. Often their texture and mesh changes fix problems that optimization by itself can't.

 

Like the HRDLC plugins, the plugin in the UHRP only loads the BSA and isn't needed if the BSA is extracted in Mod Organizer. The other USP plugins have a lot of content and are needed.

[Octopuss]

I might be wrong here, but I think MO treats BSAs as loose files anyway, and from the looks of it, you don't even need to check them in the archives tab - I still see files overwritten in the conflicts tab of the mod's properties.

[Kelmych]

MO typically creates loose files from the vanilla BSAs. It doesn't do this automatically for BSAs in mods including UHRP.

[Octopuss]

But if the files in a BSA weren't "active", there wouldn't be any conflicts showing up?

[phazer11]

Um... you sure about that Kelmych?

[EssArrBee]

Ask DY for the exact process or Tannin. That whole confuses everyone else.

[Kelmych]

Um... you sure about that Kelmych?

Well, it does seems to allow a choice on whether the vanilla DLC and HRDLC BSAs are extracted or kept as BSAs. What I was primarily trying to mention was that mod BSAs can be extracted or left as BSAs, and that the USP BSAs like UHRP are just like any other mod.

[phazer11]

Oh I can understand the mod .bsa's but I've never seen an option to extract the vanilla .bsas unless you point Mod Organizer to them and unless the new Mod Organizer version suddenly starts asking you if you want to unpack any .bsa's from the Skyrim folder to Mod Organizer's mod folder...