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)

[z929669]

Has anyone tried DDSOpting the textures from Dawnguard or Hearthfire yet? I'm thinking of trying it now with the latest version.

Please do (and let us know the result)

[Neovalen]

Here are the logs using 0.8.0 Preview Update 1 from the Nexus with the settings recommended in this thread.

 

Summaries for those who don't want details:

Final report "D:\Working\Vanilla Optimized":
 processed files: 18580
 modified textures: 18531
 skipped textures: 10
 fixed textures: 0
 fixed files: 0
 broken files: 0 (0 without fixed ones)
 planar (1x1) textures: 3324
 changed texture formats: 3542
 i/o delta: -170473947 bytes
 tex delta: -170473947 bytes

Final report "D:\Working\HRDLC1 Optimized":
 processed files: 1173
 modified textures: 1173
 skipped textures: 10
 fixed textures: 0
 fixed files: 0
 broken files: 0 (0 without fixed ones)
 planar (1x1) textures: 0
 changed texture formats: 21
 i/o delta: -18220452 bytes
 tex delta: -18220452 bytes

Final report "D:\Working\HRDLC2 Optimized":
 processed files: 1397
 modified textures: 1397
 skipped textures: 10
 fixed textures: 0
 fixed files: 0
 broken files: 0 (0 without fixed ones)
 planar (1x1) textures: 0
 changed texture formats: 3
 i/o delta: -10227398 bytes
 tex delta: -10227398 bytes

Final report "D:\Working\Dawnguard Optimized":
 processed files: 3123
 modified textures: 3108
 skipped textures: 0
 fixed textures: 0
 fixed files: 0
 broken files: 0 (0 without fixed ones)
 planar (1x1) textures: 934
 changed texture formats: 936
 i/o delta: -41013456 bytes
 tex delta: -41013456 bytes

Final report "D:\Working\Hearthfire Optimized":
 processed files: 143
 modified textures: 143
 skipped textures: 0
 fixed textures: 0
 fixed files: 0
 broken files: 0 (0 without fixed ones)
 planar (1x1) textures: 26
 changed texture formats: 29
 i/o delta: -1311864 bytes
 tex delta: -1311864 bytes

[Ethatron]

It sounds like you are suggesting that these very small mip-levels (below 4x4) do not supply any significant quality information to the rendered image in-game and that eliminating these 3 2 lower levels will provide some measure of performance gain with no perceptible cost of quality. If so ...

Q1.1:  Why does DDSopt only strip the one (1x1 only) and not the three lower mip-levels from the compressed output?

 

A1.1: Hm, DDSopt only omits creating smaller mips for uneven dimensions (drop 1x1 and 1x2 for a 1x4 texture), which is sort of a middle-ground. It's also not a perfect heuristic, a 1x256 texture would not recieve any mips at all. But, you know, the effects of one or the other or the 4x4 rule are so tiny that it's really more something for an academic discussion without any significance for everyday replay. You certainly can't measure it with a tool.

[z929669]

Got it, thanks for the detail ... more to come, but in the meantime, Happy New Year! (toss one back for me)

 

OP updated

[z929669]

@Ethatron

 

Q.2: In the DDSopt output, there are several lines that make up the Final Report. Ex:

 

Final report "D:\Skyrim Mods\Mod_Working\DDSopt\out":

 processed files: 48

 modified textures: 27

 skipped textures: 0

 fixed textures: 0

 fixed files: 0

 broken files: 0 (0 without fixed ones)

 planar (1x1) textures: 0

 changed texture formats: 16

 i/o delta: -36413610 bytes

 tex delta: -21670756 bytes

 

The information contained in certain of these is pretty obvious; however, a couple of variables are somewhat unclear as to what can be gleaned (highlighted). Could you briefly describe these and provide an example or two of values that might raise and eyebrow versus those you would expect (e.g., a previously "optimized" texture set might yield a very different result than an "un-optimized" texture set or even a result from applying constraints). I have seen very large positive bytes for i/o as an example.

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EDIT: also want to know if the following resources will help us to understand some of the basics of texture compression (in order to better equip us to maximize our comprehension of your responses :P ):

 

https://mines.lumpylumpy.com/Electronics/Computers/Software/Cpp/Graphics/index.php

 

https://doc.spatial.com/index.php/Texture_Mapping

 

https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2496/texture_compression_techniques_and_.php

[Neovalen]

Found a texture that is causing issues when optimized:

 

 

textures/clutter/scrollworktrim02.dds (causes black and white blotches in game on the standing stones)

[uLoop]

DDSopt corrupts sign textures, for example textures\clutter\signage\riverwood\riverwoodsleepinggiantinn01.dds, it is almost completely black ingame. Other similar signs (inns, traders, etc.) could also be affected, but I have not tested that yet.

[z929669]

DDSopt corrupts sign textures' date=' for example textures\clutter\signage\riverwood\riverwoodsleepinggiantinn01.dds, it is almost completely black ingame. Other similar signs (inns, traders, etc.) could also be affected, but I have not tested that yet.[/quote']

Thanks for the info. I will try to reproduce ... one of these days. Unless someone else can try to reproduce this *issue*

[Kelmych]

Most of my textures have been run through DDSopt including the sign textures. I'll look at some of the sign textures ingame and see what they look like.

 

I've been looking a the new AOF HD Tree LODs that are being considered for STEP. I got the 2K compressed LOD and the uncompressed LOD. When I ran DDSopt using the default parameters on the DXT5-compressed 2K LOD. DDSopt fixed the mipmaps but didn't change the texture itself. I also ran it on the uncompressed 4K texture to see if DDSopt might produce a better texture than the 2K one provided in the mod. The resulting texture looks very different than both the original uncompressed and the 2K compressed LOD (which are quite similar). If useful I can post screenshots, but since it is only one texture it might be easier for you to simply recreate it.

[z929669]

Screens are never unappreciated by the likes of me ;)

[Kelmych]

I looked at the vanilla texture sleeping giant sign and the one produced by DDSopt (edit: as it turns out, using DDSopt v080 pre5b, prior to the most recent version on nexus). I don't see much difference using a texture viewer such as the preview mode in DDSopt. If I look at it with IrfanView, however, it looks black as Irfanview isn't a true DDS viewer. Ingame the sign doesn't seem that dark to me. I looked at night with some mage light and in the morning (7am) and it didn't seem very dark. It is a little darker that some other signs, but it isn't hard to read at least in my game the way it is setup.

[Neovalen]

This is driving me nuts, does anyone know what the texture file is for the Mora Tapinella world model? It's showing up black and when I uninstall the optimized textures it's fine again I just can't find it to exclude it.

 

Moratapinellabits is the inventory model but for the life of me can't find the world model.

[z929669]

This is where RefScope for Skyrim would come in really handly... wish someone would make that

[Neovalen]

That would be a godsend.

[uLoop]

I looked at the vanilla texture sleeping giant sign and the one produced by DDSopt. I don't see much difference using a texture viewer such as the preview mode in DDSopt. If I look at it with IrfanView' date=' however, it looks black as Irfanview isn't a true DDS viewer. Ingame the sign doesn't seem that dark to me. I looked at night with some mage light and in the morning (7am) and it didn't seem very dark. It is a little darker that some other signs, but it isn't hard to read at least in my game the way it is setup.[/quote']

 

This is how optimized textures look on my end. I used the 0.8 prerelease from Nexus.