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]

so it only took 3 hours to optimize ^^

and so far the results are not bad at all! :D

by the way. in the DDSopt guide in the benchmarking section there should be a number indicating the memory improvement from vanilla to optimized! just as a little bonus!

 

 

Still a WIP ;)

[z929669]

Finally getting around to DDSopting by vanilla textures in preparation for next step.

 

On extracting HRDLC1 I get an error that failed to copy 'placeholder.txt". Does that matter?

 

EDIT: on HRDLC2 got same message for "\textures\architecture\placeholder.txt", "\textures\clutter\placeholder.txt" and in "\textures\dungeon\placeholder.txt"

 

I assume it doesn't so may be good to add this to the guide to future users are concerned (unless I am doing something wrong!)

 

 

Did you have "Unselect inappropriate" ticked under Settings? A few of the options are undocumented, so I can only guess what they do. It seems that this would potentially prevent non-image files from being selected and processed. Confirmation could confirm that this is or is not the case.

 

 

 

Thanks

[blacksol]

Yes "Unselect inappropriate" was ticked under Settings - DDSopt ran overnight and so still open on my PC (now morning here) and so still same settings.

 

Also, didn't know I was a wiki editor until I checked by emails after posting in the forum

[z929669]

Yes "Unselect inappropriate" was ticked under Settings - DDSopt ran overnight and so still open on my PC (now morning here) and so still same settings.

 

Also, didn't know I was a wiki editor until I checked by emails after posting in the forum

 

 

Check to the left, under your name ;)

 

 

 

Actually, the instructions to configure all DDSopt settings come after extraction of BSAs, so is it possible that this was not ticked during extraction (i.e., do you remember having to tick that one before DDSopt'ing)?

[z929669]

Also did you guys notice that this has become part of this now? And that it has a new master?

 

oh and how do I know whether this batch thing actually worked?

i just kept pressing enter and eventually it closed by itself. was that it?

 

Is this thing really supposed to take about 15 hours of optimization? :(

 

 

see this post in reference to the above revelation ... changed with wiki to reflect

[doveman]

Thought I might as well do the Optimisation for the new STEP, but I got a bit confused when opening the HighResTexturePack02.bsa as the bottom window still seems to reference the files in the folder selected there, which was still set to Vanilla Extracted\HRDLC1\ I'd expect the bottom window to just show the files contained in the BSA selected in the top window, so perhaps a note about this confusing behaviour might be worth adding to the Wiki to save other poor souls getting confused like I did.

 

I don't really understand why the "Repair the HRDLC Textures" section links to another page either. Surely it's all part of the same process and would be better all together on one page? Wherever they are, perhaps the instructions could be a bit better organised as well, as if someone's going to use Full 1024 (AKA Standalone) they don't need to download the HRDLC, but it only mentions that at Step 8, so if someone was following the instructions they'd have wasted their time downloading and optimising the HRDLC!

 

So maybe the guide could be setup to show

a) steps to follow if using a 512MB card (or maybe <1GB), which I guess would be 1 - Optimise the Standard Textures, 2 - Install Full 1024 (AKA Standalone)

b) steps to follow if using a >1GB card, i.e. 1 - Download and extract the HRDLC, 2 - Download the HRDLC fix, the HighResTexturePack DLC Tweaks and the modified bat file edit the paths in the latter and run it to patch the DLC files, 3 - Optimise and recompress the Standard and DLC textures.

 

I'm not clear if using the HRDLC Optimised versions Hybrid (1024+2048) or Hybrid + Vanilla normal maps is a simpler alternative to b) but if so perhaps that should be mentioned as some people might prefer to avoid all the mucking about with DDSopt.

 

EDIT: Having said that, looking at the tables it doesn't look worth it to optimise the STD textures anyway, so if not using the HRDLC it's probably only necessary to Install Full 1024 (AKA Standalone). Even optimising the HRDLC only seems to save 20-30MB and the only real benefit seems to come from using hybrid 1024 + 2048 or hybrid + vanilla normal maps, so perhaps it's a waste of time using DDSopt and we should just advise people to use HRDLC Optimised, which also incorporates the HRDLC fixes.

[z929669]

Thought I might as well do the Optimisation for the new STEP, but I got a bit confused when opening the HighResTexturePack02.bsa as the bottom window still seems to reference the files in the folder selected there, which was still set to Vanilla Extracted\HRDLC1\ I'd expect the bottom window to just show the files contained in the BSA selected in the top window, so perhaps a note about this confusing behaviour might be worth adding to the Wiki to save other poor souls getting confused like I did.

 

I don't really understand why the "Repair the HRDLC Textures" section links to another page either. Surely it's all part of the same process and would be better all together on one page? Wherever they are, perhaps the instructions could be a bit better organised as well, as if someone's going to use Full 1024 (AKA Standalone) they don't need to download the HRDLC, but it only mentions that at Step 8, so if someone was following the instructions they'd have wasted their time downloading and optimising the HRDLC!

 

So maybe the guide could be setup to show

a) steps to follow if using a 512MB card (or maybe

b) steps to follow if using a >1GB card, i.e. 1 - Download and extract the HRDLC, 2 - Download the HRDLC fix, the HighResTexturePack DLC Tweaks and the modified bat file edit the paths in the latter and run it to patch the DLC files, 3 - Optimise and recompress the Standard and DLC textures.

 

I'm not clear if using the HRDLC Optimised versions Hybrid (1024+2048) or Hybrid + Vanilla normal maps is a simpler alternative to b) but if so perhaps that should be mentioned as some people might prefer to avoid all the mucking about with DDSopt.

 

Some good points made, but the "other page" is fri's Skyrim Installation Guide, so we can address some of your points there as well (but not going to reproduce fri's work in the DDSopt guide.

EDIT: Having said that, looking at the tables it doesn't look worth it to optimise the STD textures anyway, so if not using the HRDLC it's probably only necessary to Install Full 1024 (AKA Standalone). Even optimising the HRDLC only seems to save 20-30MB and the only real benefit seems to come from using hybrid 1024 + 2048 or hybrid + vanilla normal maps, so perhaps it's a waste of time using DDSopt and we should just advise people to use HRDLC Optimised, which also incorporates the HRDLC fixes.

 

I disagree emphatically. There are big gains to be had if using SKYHD and to a lesser extent some of the others. The effects are cumulative as well. In addition to FPS gain, you also get other optimizations that are well worth it. (read the guide's intro).

[frihyland]

First paragraph of the DLC install answers all of your questions."if you have less than 1GB VRAM, this texture upgrade may be too much"

"If you are lazy and have concerns about your VRAM, you can skip to step 8 below"

 

Not really much I can do if you skip the intro and just start following the steps. Perhaps the confusion is arising from jumping from the ddsopt guide to here.

 

I recommend either copying the whole section into the guide or sending them here to follow every step and come back to ddsopt guide at step 6 and than back again to finish out 7,8. Personally I think its better to have the info in only one place so we don't end up reinventing the wheel and also giving differing advice.

 

The optimization with ddsopt are completely optional and are intended for the diehard who wants to wring every bit of graphic beauty out without compromising performance.

[doveman]

Some good points made' date=' but the "other page" is fri's Skyrim Installation Guide, so we can address some of your points there as well (but not going to reproduce fri's work in the DDSopt guide.[/quote']

 

Thanks. I personally feel it's a lot easier for people to follow if all the steps are on one page, rather than having to jump back and forth between two, but it's not my call.

I disagree emphatically. There are big gains to be had if using SKYHD and to a lesser extent some of the others. The effects are cumulative as well. In addition to FPS gain, you also get other optimizations that are well worth it. (read the guide's intro).

 

I was talking about STD and HRDLC, not the others like SKYHD where there clearly are substantial gains (in some areas at least, others don't reduce much or at all until going to Hybrid or Hybrid+Vanilla).

[z929669]

 

Some good points made' date=' but the "other page" is fri's Skyrim Installation Guide' date=' so we can address some of your points there as well (but not going to reproduce fri's work in the DDSopt guide.[/quote'']

Thanks. I personally feel it's a lot easier for people to follow if all the steps are on one page, rather than having to jump back and forth between two, but it's not my call.

 

I disagree emphatically. There are big gains to be had if using SKYHD and to a lesser extent some of the others. The effects are cumulative as well. In addition to FPS gain, you also get other optimizations that are well worth it. (read the guide's intro).

I was talking about STD and HRDLC, not the others like SKYHD where there clearly are substantial gains (in some areas at least, others don't reduce much or at all until going to Hybrid or Hybrid+Vanilla).

 

Fri said it best:

 

 

"The optimization with ddsopt are completely optional and are intended for the diehard who wants to wring every bit of graphic beauty out without compromising performance."

[z929669]

First paragraph of the DLC install answers all of your questions."if you have less than 1GB VRAM, this texture upgrade may be too much"

"If you are lazy and have concerns about your VRAM, you can skip to step 8 below"

 

Not really much I can do if you skip the intro and just start following the steps. Perhaps the confusion is arising from jumping from the ddsopt guide to here.

 

I recommend either copying the whole section into the guide or sending them here to follow every step and come back to ddsopt guide at step 6 and than back again to finish out 7,8. Personally I think its better to have the info in only one place so we don't end up reinventing the wheel and also giving differing advice.

 

The optimization with ddsopt are completely optional and are intended for the diehard who wants to wring every bit of graphic beauty out without compromising performance.

 

 

I will look into making the DDSopt guide more SIG friendly :P

[doveman]

[First paragraph of the DLC install answers all of your questions."if you have less than 1GB VRAM, this texture upgrade may be too much"

"If you are lazy and have concerns about your VRAM, you can skip to step 8 below"

 

Not really much I can do if you skip the intro and just start following the steps. Perhaps the confusion is arising from jumping from the ddsopt guide to here.

Well it clearly doesn't answer all my questions (who's not reading properly now ;) ) but I accept that paragraph does contain some warnings. I think it could be more helpful though. For instance "The exception is that if you have less than 1GB VRAM, this texture upgrade may be too much for your GPU, so apply it and the following options with cautious optimism.". Either the HRDLC+STEP will work on 1GB cards or it won't, so it would be more useful to advise one way or the other. As for "If you are lazy and have concerns about your VRAM, you can skip to step 8 below", I don't think it's helpful to suggest people who'd rather download one of the HRDLC Optimised packs, rather than go through all the hassle of following the steps manually when no specific or significant benefit is identified are lazy (and indeed using HRDLC Optimised seems the sensible choice in terms of reducing VRAM usage).

 

The optimization with ddsopt are completely optional and are intended for the diehard who wants to wring every bit of graphic beauty out without compromising performance.

Fair enough, in that case it might be best to keep it on a separate page and not copy it to the Skyrim Installation page, but also DLC - step 6 on that page should make it clear that for most people doing the optimizations is unnecessary and can be skipped.

[frihyland]

[First paragraph of the DLC install answers all of your questions."if you have less than 1GB VRAM, this texture upgrade may be too much""If you are lazy and have concerns about your VRAM, you can skip to step 8 below"

 

Not really much I can do if you skip the intro and just start following the steps. Perhaps the confusion is arising from jumping from the ddsopt guide to here.

 

Well it clearly doesn't answer all my questions (who's not reading properly now ;) ) but I accept that paragraph does contain some warnings. I think it could be more helpful though. For instance "The exception is that if you have less than 1GB VRAM, this texture upgrade may be too much for your GPU, so apply it and the following options with cautious optimism.". Either the HRDLC+STEP will work on 1GB cards or it won't, so it would be more useful to advise one way or the other. As for "If you are lazy and have concerns about your VRAM, you can skip to step 8 below", I don't think it's helpful to suggest people who'd rather download one of the HRDLC Optimised packs, rather than go through all the hassle of following the steps manually when no specific or significant benefit is identified are lazy (and indeed using HRDLC Optimised seems the sensible choice in terms of reducing VRAM usage).

 

 

The optimization with ddsopt are completely optional and are intended for the diehard who wants to wring every bit of graphic beauty out without compromising performance.

Fair enough, in that case it might be best to keep it on a separate page and not copy it to the Skyrim Installation page, but also DLC - step 6 on that page should make it clear that for most people doing the optimizations is unnecessary and can be skipped.

 

 

SIG edited for clarity and additional options added. @Z I need a specific place to link to in the ddsopt guide for step 6, any recommendations?

[venkman781]

z - Just need some clarification.

In section 2.4 - Texture Fixes, you extract the two fixed texture files from the link into their respective folders within the optimized STD textures folder, right?

 

If that's the case, let me know and I'll add a line or two in the wiki providing that direction.

[doveman]

SIG edited for clarity and additional options added. @Z I need a specific place to link to in the ddsopt guide for step 6, any recommendations?

Nice, I think it's much more helpful now :)