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)

[frihyland]

Those lower mip levels that were manually modified obviously you want to keep, since there isn't an easy way to tell that, I suggest you keep them, that's why the parameter was added.

[Kelmych]

Thanks. That's what I thought. It means I'll need to do 2 passes with DDSopt, one using the parameters that were posted earlier that remove the lowest mip level on all textures and a second pass with just the non-1:1 textures with DDSopt configured to keep the lowest mip level. The I'll copy the results of the second pass over the results of the first. At this point I don't know how to identify the non-1:1 textures other than manually (i.e., I don't think I can configure DDSopt to do it automatically).

[bitdman]

I'm up to step (4),of the ddsopt optimization "texture filters" and I'm stumped. first off I typed in*.png and clicked apply and nothing is in the bottom window. I deleted png and clicked apply and the textures from DLC1 and DLC2 are there and checked is this right? Also I'm not sure what to do for the rest of step (4) the corrupted files. The term "wildcard filter" as it relates to DDSopt has me confused.

 

Is the STD folder supposed to be loaded with the DLC1&DLC2 folders at this point? And should I have already installed the DLC fix 1.3b files?

 

FYI I've done a fresh install and am following the SIG and DDSopt guide

 

Since I did not have the 1.3b fix installed do I need to repeat steps 1-5 with DLC1 & DLC2? In the DDSopt guide prior to going on to the "Repair" section?

[i think I have the answer to the above questions. I just need advice on the last question]

 

To "filter" the list of files in step (4) do I delete them from the folder or just uncheck the box in ddsopt?

[Kelmych]

I did this process a few weeks ago and I used the directions from the messages in this thread which are similar to the steps on the wiki. The directions on use of the *.png filter are for the vanilla Skrim Textures. DLC1 and DLC2 don't seem to have any png files so you don't need that step for them.

 

I used the batch files that z929669 linked in his message on June 30, and the steps in that message, to extract and then merge the DLC 1/2 and the 2 fixes. I used DDSopt v80pre3 as z929669 discussed in his message (and in another message provided a link for) rather than the released version. I'm not sure whether z929669 kept the optimized vanilla textures as loose files or as a .bsa . I kept the optimized DLC as a loose files folder which I load with Wrye Bash and I put the optimized vanilla textures in a .bsa . I'm not sure what the best way to handle the optimized vanilla texture files is since Bethesda clearly wants everything to be a bsa file but currently Wrye Bash can't deal with these.

 

Does this help - I probably didn't answer all your questions but I didn't follow the exact process on the wiki since the process in the messages seemed slightly simpler? I'm sure z929669 can provide better guidance than I can, of course.

[bitdman]

Thank you Kelmych! I spent a good part of the day reading over this thread. Unfortunately i've come away with more questions than answers. I'm still not sure though how to handle the files that are listed in step 4 of DDSopt optimization, it says these files will be corrupt if run through DDSopt. Some of them are now colored.

[Kelmych]

If you have already extracted files from the bsa into into individual files in a folder before running DDSopt, then you can simply copy the original .png files into the output folder. If you are directly creating a bsa file as the output, you could do a 2nd pass in DDSopt with only the .png files checked and the parameters set to copy them without changing them.

 

As I understand it, the .dds files mentioned in the Wiki in step 4 are only a problem with the released version of DDSopt; the v80pre3 version I mentioned does not have a problem with those dds files so you don't need to exclude them. It also provides better looking textures.

[z929669]

I updated the OP to aid newcomers in using the latest DDSopt release.

 

I'll eventually get around to adjusting the DDSopt Guide to the new release based on posts indicated in the OP.

 

@MadWizard25 or Vond:

Go ahead and update the Guide if you want, as I will not be able to do so for at least a month

[gwoody79]

Thank you for this.

I really wanted to use DDSopt but found sorting through the comments for instructions a bit complicated so I took the easy and lazy way out by using Optimizer Textures. I have no complaints with OT (fast and easy tool to use), but seems most agree DDSopt is better and more efficient way to go.

 

With Optimizer Textures you could just direct program to Skyrim Data folder and it did the rest for you. Forgive my noob question, but planning to DDSOpt the Texture Pack Combiner. I was wondering if the mods included should be done inidividually beforehand, or can I use DDSOpt after running all the mods through the TPC? Does it matter?

 

Again, I thank you for updating this to make it easier for us new DDSOpt users.

[Kelmych]

After I read a few key messages from z929669 (albeit several times) I found that using DDSopt wasn't as hard as I thought it might be; I'm sure these messages can help with providing some of the editing needed in the Wiki guide.

 

I still have a concern about one line in the Optimizer Textures description where it says it resizes textures; this is likely to be difficult to do properly.

[z929669]

Thank you for this.

I really wanted to use DDSopt but found sorting through the comments for instructions a bit complicated so I took the easy and lazy way out by using Optimizer Textures. I have no complaints with OT (fast and easy tool to use), but seems most agree DDSopt is better and more efficient way to go.

 

With Optimizer Textures you could just direct program to Skyrim Data folder and it did the rest for you. Forgive my noob question, but planning to DDSOpt the Texture Pack Combiner. I was wondering if the mods included should be done inidividually beforehand, or can I use DDSOpt after running all the mods through the TPC? Does it matter?

 

Again, I thank you for updating this to make it easier for us new DDSOpt users.

You can run on all, but there can be unexpected effects on certain textures, so prepare to identify some oddities and to reference the log to see what DDSopt did with the faulty texture results. Then simply replace those with the originals and notify us on this thread which textures did not convert correctly.

 

If Ethatron ever comes back, he will likely use that list to further refine optimization or at least add them to the exclusion list.

[gwoody79]

The "pre-rrelease III (v0.8.0)" link from OP doesn't direct to a download. Is the most up-to-date DDSOpt version found in the link on page 16 (post 115) of this thread? About to dig in and try her out once sure I got the most recent version.

[z929669]

The "pre-rrelease III (v0.8.0)" link from OP doesn't direct to a download. Is the most up-to-date DDSOpt version found in the link on page 16 (post 115) of this thread? About to dig in and try her out once sure I got the most recent version.

OP link is fixed now :P

[Besidilo]

Nope, did not reverse The first is NOT more full in the least, sorry to say. Look carefully at both the tree in the foreground as well as in the background & quickly flip back and forth between the two. Also note the other plants and rocks, especially in the distance. The image on the right has more detail, and more foliage

 

The proof would be to compare in Compressonator.

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Left is vanilla, right is DDSoptPre3 and right is diff (SOME diff is due to juxtaposition of some tree branches, but that only applies to the tree in the foreground [and the water to some degree maybe] but NOT trees & rocks in the background.)

 

[Note that I produced these using ultra settings in SKR Options] [Also note the frame-rate diff between Vanilla and DDSopt-ed using ultra settings!]

https://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/140752

https://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/140754

[z929669]

Nope, did not reverse The first is NOT more full in the least, sorry to say. Look carefully at both the tree in the foreground as well as in the background & quickly flip back and forth between the two. Also note the other plants and rocks, especially in the distance. The image on the right has more detail, and more foliage

 

The proof would be to compare in Compressonator.

---

Left is vanilla, right is DDSoptPre3 and right is diff (SOME diff is due to juxtaposition of some tree branches, but that only applies to the tree in the foreground [and the water to some degree maybe] but NOT trees & rocks in the background.)

 

[Note that I produced these using ultra settings in SKR Options] [Also note the frame-rate diff between Vanilla and DDSopt-ed using ultra settings!]

https://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/140752

https://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/140754

Not sure what we are looking at here. there appears to be an FPS diff, but I see no apparent quality diff.

[stoppingby4now]

He's using the site to provide a comparison of the images (Vanilla is default image, mouseover is DDSOpt image). I didn't know about that site, but it's really handy for providing online comparisons.