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)

[rootsrat]

Yeah, I got enlightened at some point, when reading this x time ;)

 

A suggestion: maybe calling them "mixed-resource BSAs from DLCs " is a bit misleading to a newbie like me, as the term DLC may also appeal to High Res DLC. Possibly expand on this a bit, so it is clear what mixed resources are.

 

Ok, so now when I fully (lets say so, for on a newbie level) undeerstand the process - can we use DDSopt to optimise any of the other BSAs that are left in the Data folder?

[z929669]

Since reducing the size of normal maps seems provide a good tradeoff between performance improvements and graphics quality based on the results using some of the STEP mods' date=' I wonder whether we should include this as an option in our discussion of optimizing the vanilla BSAs in the DDSopt and Texture Overhaul guide. Many of the vanilla textures are overwritten, but there still a lot of vanilla (including HRDLC) textures that remain even after the STEP mods are added.[/quote']

Yes. In fact, I am actually capping all vanilla textures to 1024 as I reprocess with the new HRDLC trio. This actually helps a lot without any noticeable diff (I have a 1 GB VRAM limit). I do keep the 2k color maps for all modified textures though.

[z929669]

Hey z,

 

I just noticed in the DDSopt Guide that you added screenshots for the Behave menu settings.

 

For this particular image (Foliage-map opacity), the value is set to 2.0x.

https://wiki.step-project.com/images/5/59/DDSopt_Fig2b.jpg

 

In your old post #430, the value was set to 4.0x.

https://forum.step-project.com/showthread.php?tid=228&pid=15687#pid15687

 

I was wondering if 2.0x is definitely the new value we should be using? I have been using 4.0x all along, so was just curious what the change in value will do to the foliage...make it better, worse, slight difference?

 

 

Also for @Ethatron, as I was looking at that title I noticed the word foilage was misspelled in DDSopt in a couple places; the I and L are transposed. See here for reference:

https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/foliage?s=t

I found that 4.0x added too much to distant trees, making them look blotchy and under-detailed. 2.0x works out to be ideal as it adds fullness, but not too much. I discovered this during my SFO escapades. ;)

 

Glad you clarified. We should point to the DDSopt Guide as the definitive source (and I suppose I could update the OP :sigh: )

 

EDIT: Looks like I already am pointing to the wiki from the OP :P ... Will go on to update #430

[Kelmych]

Since reducing the size of normal maps seems provide a good tradeoff between performance improvements and graphics quality based on the results using some of the STEP mods' date=' I wonder whether we should include this as an option in our discussion of optimizing the vanilla BSAs in the DDSopt and Texture Overhaul guide. Many of the vanilla textures are overwritten' date=' but there still a lot of vanilla (including HRDLC) textures that remain even after the STEP mods are added.[/quote'']

Yes. In fact, I am actually capping all vanilla textures to 1024 as I reprocess with the new HRDLC trio. This actually helps a lot without any noticeable diff (I have a 1 GB VRAM limit). I do keep the 2k color maps for all modified textures though.

I'll add this to the guide. I've just finshed a series of edits to the guide, and with the new BSAs and information on 1/2 size normal maps I have an opportunity to continue doing so :D.

[Kelmych]

I went through the differences list for the updated HRDLC 1&2 and found the following overlaps with the HD_Texture_DLC_Fix and the two HRDLC Tweaks. In all these overlap cases the updated HRDLC has the at least as good or higher resolutions than those in HD_Texture_DLC_Fix or the HRDLC_tweaks. I thus assume we should use the HRDLC versions when there are overlaps. We'll need to modify the batch files referenced in the guide that are used to update/repair HRDLC 1&2. Should I do this or should z do it (since he posted the original batch file)?

 

Here are the overlaps between the new Bethesda additions to HRDLC 1&2 and HD_Texture_DLC_Fix:

actors\parthurnax\parthurnax.dds

clutter\woodfires\woodfires01_g.dds

clutter\choppingblock\choppingblock01bloody.dds

 

everything in armor\dragonbone\

everything in armor\draugr\

everything in armor\dragonbone\

everything in armor\dragonpriesthelm\ (except helmet_corundrum.dds which is only in the HD_Texture_DLC_Fix)

 

 

There is only one overlap with the HRDLC_Tweaks, armor\draugr\femaledraugrboots_n.dds, which is also in the HD_Texture_DLC_Fix (the version in tweaks was better)

 

There are still a lot of files in the HD_Texture_DLC_Fix and HRDLC_Tweaks that are not updated in the newly released HRDLC 1&2.

[Kelmych]

I went through the HRDLC_Fix.bat and HRDLC_Fix-START.bat, that were used to cleanup the HRDLC1&2, and created updated versions for HRDLC1-3. I'll post them when I've had a chance to test them.

[z929669]

I went through the HRDLC_Fix.bat and HRDLC_Fix-START.bat' date=' that were used to cleanup the HRDLC1&2, and created updated versions for HRDLC1-3. I'll post them when I've had a chance to test them.[/quote']

Sorry, I am a bit lost as to the problem/solution...

 

Are you saying that the new versions of HRDLCs 1 & 2 are fixed, are not fixed, are partially fixed, or fixed and improved? Assume that there are still problems or is the BAT even necessary at this point?

[Kelmych]

I went through the HRDLC_Fix.bat and HRDLC_Fix-START.bat' date=' that were used to cleanup the HRDLC1&2' date=' and created updated versions for HRDLC1-3. I'll post them when I've had a chance to test them.[/quote'']

Sorry, I am a bit lost as to the problem/solution...

 

Are you saying that the new versions of HRDLCs 1 & 2 are fixed, are not fixed, are partially fixed, or fixed and improved? Assume that there are still problems or is the BAT even necessary at this point?

Most of the problems have not been fixed. If you look at the DIFF file that was posted you will see what was fixed, most of which was in the \armor directory. They improved the textures in the DIFF list and put them in the correct directory. Almost all of the rest of the problems remain. There are still duplicates across HRDLC1 & 2, with the STD textures, etc. They moved the \actor directory to HRDLC3 but left some of the problems. They didn't fix any of the textures in the HRDLC that I could see that were fixed in the DLC Tweaks (except one), so all except one of those replacements still apply. I edited the batch file that fixes the HRDLC including adding HRDLC3, deleting the small number of lines that were not needed and did a little editing because of Bethesda fixes, and some other small changes. I left the bulk of it there since that is the part that applies the fixes using the Tweaks textures. The HRDLC_Fix_START.bat and HRDLC_Fix.bat files (edited) are still needed and the one that does the actual fixing isn't a whole lot smaller. I'm testing it to make sure it works.

[Kelmych]

Here is a beta version of the batch files used to cleanup and repair the 3 HRDLC. While Bethesda did fix some of the problems in the original HRDLC, there are still a lot of fixes needed. The description of how to use these batch files is found at the beginning of the DDSopt Optimization tab of the DDSopt and Texture Optimization guide. Also read the readme file included with the batch files. There are now 3 HRDLC so there need to be three folders: HRDLC1, HRDLC2, and HRDLC3. The other two folders needed are the same as in the guide. When all the folders are setup, run  HRDLC_Fix-START_rev.bat and look at the two log files that result. If it runs successfully, the HRDLC_Fix_rev_ERROR.log will be empty and the three HRDLC files will be ready for optimization as described in the guide. This batch file ran successfully for me.

 

If you follow the guide and remove the placeholder.txt files during extraction, there will be some errors in the error log, but these can be ignored. The batch file also removes these in case they are still there or a user didn't perform that step during extraction.

 

Note: with the release of the Unofficial High Resolution Patch (see discussion in Mod suggestions and reviews thread), the approach for preparing the updated HRDLC is being changed a little in the guide. There will be a new batch file soon that only does removal of duplicates. 

[Zayvion]

Any chance of a video tutorial/guide rather than just text? (As seen https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt_%26_Texture_Overhauls#tab=DDSopt_Optimization)

 

It doesn't seem like the written guide is 100% updated for the new High Res dlc we got. As in step 7 of the "Optimize the Textures" section, states making 3 archives, where it should be 4 now? 3 HRDLC and 1 STD.

 

Plus, I find it overall a little hard to follow, or that may just be because it's 1.31am.

[haelfix]

I too am a little confused about the issue.  I gather there are some of the old problem textures that are still appearing in the new HRDLC1-3.   My question is, are they replaced in STEP anyway?

[Kelmych]

Any chance of a video tutorial/guide rather than just text? (As seen https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt_%26_Texture_Overhauls#tab=DDSopt_Optimization)

 

It doesn't seem like the written guide is 100% updated for the new High Res dlc we got. As in step 7 of the "Optimize the Textures" section, states making 3 archives, where it should be 4 now? 3 HRDLC and 1 STD.

 

Plus, I find it overall a little hard to follow, or that may just be because it's 1.31am.

I'm not planning on making a video tutorial, but I encourage others to do so.

 

I'll fix the error; it helps when these are mentioned so we know what needs to be fixed.

 

Since it's only been a few days since the updated HRDLC was released, and a day since the Unofficial High Resolution Patch was released (now that it is available the approach for optimizing the HRDLC is changing a bit), the guide still needs updating. It should be updated sometime today.

[Zayvion]

Any chance of a video tutorial/guide rather than just text? (As seen https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt_%26_Texture_Overhauls#tab=DDSopt_Optimization)

 

It doesn't seem like the written guide is 100% updated for the new High Res dlc we got. As in step 7 of the "Optimize the Textures" section, states making 3 archives, where it should be 4 now? 3 HRDLC and 1 STD.

 

Plus, I find it overall a little hard to follow, or that may just be because it's 1.31am.

I'm not planning on making a video tutorial, but I encourage others to do so.

 

I'll fix the error; it helps when these are mentioned so we know what needs to be fixed.

 

Since it's only been a few days since the updated HRDLC was released, and a day since the Unofficial High Resolution Patch was released (now that it is available the approach for optimizing the HRDLC is changing a bit), the guide still needs updating. It should be updated sometime today.

Awesome. Could you please post here once you've updated it?

I'm quite excited to see how much of a difference DDSopt will make over "Optimizer Textures" that I've been using from Nexus.

[Kelmych]

I too am a little confused about the issue.  I gather there are some of the old problem textures that are still appearing in the new HRDLC1-3.   My question is' date=' are they replaced in STEP anyway?[/quote']

They are fixed with the new procedures which also takes into account textures overwritten by mods in the STEP list. This is now discussed at the beginning of the DDSopt Optimization tab in the updated guide which is now available on the Wiki. The referenced batch files will be provided in this forum when I finish doing a little more testing.

[Zayvion]

I too am a little confused about the issue.  I gather there are some of the old problem textures that are still appearing in the new HRDLC1-3.   My question is' date=' are they replaced in STEP anyway?[/quote']

They are fixed with the new procedures which also takes into account textures overwritten by mods in the STEP list. This is now discussed at the beginning of the DDSopt Optimization tab in the updated guide which is now available on the Wiki. The referenced batch files will be provided in this forum when I finish doing a little more testing.

Eagerly awaiting the batch files :) Really appreciate all the work you are doing in updating the guide and testing everything