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)

[Nearox]

Um, hello?

HELLO?! Might help if you provide examples.

[Octopuss]

One example I could find (I don't remember which folders they were when I first posted):

hrdlc2texturesdlc01architecturedawnguarddfloor01.dds

is not present in the resulting hires optimized textures folder, but is in Dawnguard optimized textures instead.

[Kelmych]

All the textures in the HRDLC are replacement textures. The original, typically lower resolution texture, is in Skyrim - textures or one of the addon DLC BSAs. There are thus always two copies in the overall set of Vanilla textures of any texture in the HRDLC. As explained in "Vanilla HRDLC Texture Problems" in the of this guide tab, there are many textures in the HRDLC that are exact duplicates (same resolution, ...) of the ones in Skyrim - textures or one of the addon DLC BSAs. The list of these is in the "1_HRDLC_Clean.bat" batch file which is used to eliminate these duplicates. "hrdlc2texturesdlc01architecturedawnguarddfloor01.dds" is one of many such duplicates that are deleted. No textures are ever moved across any of the folders during optimization.

[phazer11]

So, I went through the guide today and noticed that a good portion of the landscape normals are either not put into the Vanilla Normal Map folder or are not covered by the DLC (was going for half landscape normals), so it looks like I'll have to go back into the extracted folder and do a filter from them.

[Kelmych]

Currently the "2_Pre-optimization_2.74.bat" file does not copy 512x512 or smaller tangent space normal maps from STD or the DLC (but not the HRDLC) into "Vanilla Normal Maps". There are a few 1Kx1K compressed normal maps that are not copied because of the difficulty in identifying them except by using the explicit texture names (I can find 2 in textureslandscapemountains and 1 in textureslandscape; I might have missed some). The smaller and medium normal maps were not put in the "Vanilla Normal Maps" folder since some users wanted to be able to choose the 50% reduction option or choose the reduce to 1Kx1K option when reducing the larger tangent space normal maps. If the 1Kx1K normal maps are included and you want to reduce them to 512x512 then all these normal maps would be reduced to 512x512. This might be preferable for users who want to reduce the normal maps resolution. If this is desired then all the normal map textures can be put into "Vanilla Normal Maps"; the batch file can easily be changed to do this.

[Kelmych]

An initial version of a QuickStart guide for use with optimizing Fallout New Vegas vanilla textures and mod textures has been added as a new tab in the DDSopt guide. It includes batch files, very similar in function to those used with Skyrim textures in the DDSopt guide. It is intended to be used with SRB's "Fear and Lathing in New Vegas" guide.

 

As always, comments and/or constructive edits are appreciated.

[nomar]

What about the "ignore borders on optimizing", which setting should be used and what does it affect?

[Kelmych]

The figure seems to be missing. It should be the 1px option.

[EssArrBee]

The first step in the DDSopt setup says to make sure that step 1.B in the STEP is completed. Pretty sure that should be changed. I'm thinking that is for the game dropdown.

I've been using version pre 5 instead of 4, does it matter? I don't even know where I got it from.

[alt3rn1ty]

 

I've been using version pre 5 instead of 4, does it matter? I don't even know where I got it from.

 

You probably got the old Pre5b uploaded 17 Oct 2012 https://github.com/Ethatron/ddsopt/downloads

 

The most recent version is Update 4 uploaded 31 Jan 2013 https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5755/?

 

Ethatron was having problems with Github, and switched to uploading the more recent updates to Nexus, since Github came back he has not updated those files. So Nexus Update 4 is the latest and greatest.

[Kelmych]

Step 1B from the STEP guide is mentioned because DDSopt, like some other utilities, needs the registration keys for the game to be available. It would be better to include a different way to do this without direct reference to the STEP guide. What would be a better way to describe how to do this?

 

There have been reported problems with the older DDSopt so you should definitely get the most recent version.

[DoubleYou]

If all it needs are the registry keys, than simply do a notice like I do for Mod Organizer and change it for DDSopt:

Warning:Before launching DDSopt, launch the game at least once so all configuration settings are available.

[EssArrBee]

Step 1B from the STEP guide is mentioned because DDSopt, like some other utilities, needs the registration keys for the game to be available. It would be better to include a different way to do this without direct reference to the STEP guide. What would be a better way to describe how to do this?

 

There have been reported problems with the older DDSopt so you should definitely get the most recent version.

I don't know a better way, but many don't own or use Skyrim, so that is the issue I have. I may need to see if it works without Oblivion or Skyrim installed.

 

If all it needs are the registry keys, than simply do a notice like I do for Mod Organizer and change it for DDSopt:

Warning:Before launching DDSopt, launch the game at least once so all configuration settings are available.

 

What if you only have Fallout?

[Kelmych]

Before using DDSopt on a game this needs to be done. If you use it for Falllout NV then do this before using it with Fallout NV? If later you want to use it with an additional game then run that game at least once.

[EssArrBee]

What I'm getting at is DDSopt does not have a Fallout setting for the game dropdown. It says automatic, oblivion, and skyrim.

 

This is a problem for Fallout only owners isn't it?