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)

[Kelmych]

Hi,

 

In Step 5 of the Final Preparation of the Textures for Optimization section, it states the following:

 

In the lower window Browse to the "Dawnguard" folder in "Vanilla Optimized" then click [use Folder]

 

This folder does not exist, should this folder (and all sub-folders) be created for Step 6 or should the file be saved elsewhere?

These steps are currently a bit too early in the guide; they have been moved to be after the DDSopt processing is complete. If you prefer, you can create the directories and do these steps earlier.

 

PS: The 1_HRDLC_Clean-START.bat, still references the HRDLC_Removal_Fix.bat, not the new 1_HRDLC_Clean.bat.

Oops; fixed.

 

[EDIT]

Just re-extracted the Dawnguard.bsa, and found that the file, seruinsmarble01_n.dds, already exists as well as the .tga version.

So, it is looking like that the step to save the .tga file may not be need.

 

Or am I missing something REALLY obvious.......

seruinsmarble01_n.dds in the Dawnguard.bsa is bad; it's just a single color. The seruinsmarble01_n.tga file has the correct texture including a good alpha channel, so it needs to be used to create a good version of  seruinsmarble01_n.dds .

[WilliamImm]

The yellow text you are using is really hard to read with Tapatalk - maybe choose another color?

 

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2

[Kelmych]

The yellow text you are using is really hard to read with Tapatalk - maybe choose another color?

 

Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2

I changed to orange. Is that better?

[z929669]

I have updated the scripts to handle a few errors based on the output and for consistency and will shortly upload a new archive.

 

I have tested and verified 1_HRDLC_Clean-START.bat & 1_HRDLC_Clean.bat

 

EDIT: updated BAT files and the guide link to pull from the wiki (we are hosting now rather than DB ... this allows version tracking)

[WilliamImm]

Now that I can read the post...

 

That's interesting, Kelmych. You might want to make the Unofficial Patch team aware of this if they are not already. This seems like something that would go into both the unoffical Dawnguard and high resolution packs.

[Kelmych]

z is the one who noticed it and should probably report it to them. It shouldn't be needed for the UHRP since the one in Dawnguard.bsa is the same as the one in the HRDLC. It's too bad the UHRP has no capability to remove files since there are a lot of files that should be eliminated from the HRDLC.

[z929669]

z is the one who noticed it and should probably report it to them. It shouldn't be needed for the UHRP since the one in Dawnguard.bsa is the same as the one in the HRDLC. It's too bad the UHRP has no capability to remove files since there are a lot of files that should be eliminated from the HRDLC.

I did report it, but it should apply to the UHRP, since that will override, no? I believe that if the texture is loose, it wins, even over a plugin.

[Kelmych]

I have updated the scripts to handle a few errors based on the output and for consistency and will shortly upload a new archive.

 

I have tested and verified 1_HRDLC_Clean-START.bat & 1_HRDLC_Clean.bat

 

EDIT: updated BAT files and the guide link to pull from the wiki (we are hosting now rather than DB ... this allows version tracking)

By the way, I'm not sure the documentation I wrote makes it clear that the pre-optimization and archiving batch files should work no matter which vanilla BSAs are included. If for some reason a user wanted to update a few of the optimized archives it should be possible with these batch files.

[z929669]

z is the one who noticed it and should probably report it to them. It shouldn't be needed for the UHRP since the one in Dawnguard.bsa is the same as the one in the HRDLC. It's too bad the UHRP has no capability to remove files since there are a lot of files that should be eliminated from the HRDLC.

I did report it, but it should apply to the UHRP, since that will override, no? I believe that if the texture is loose, it wins, even over a plugin.

Bump

 

EDIT:

After much toil, I have found another bug that may be related to the TGA processing error noted previously....

 

I am messing again with the terrain TSNs, and this time, rather than reducing to 565 uncompressed (2:3), I decided to apply the well-established reasoning of reducing the texture resolution without changing the uncompressed format (1:4). This (128x128; 888) theoretically should be an improvement over vanilla (256x256; DXT1), but still a bit less quality than conversion to 565 (256x256).

 

However, I discovered that it is not possible to do this using pre5b due to a bug in converting from X8R8G8B8 to R8G8B8 (note that conversion to R5G6B5 works as expected). This CAN be done using the manual method from the preview tab, but who wants to do that for thousands of terrain normals??

 

I decided to determine if the was a version-specific bug, and it turns out that it IS. You have to go back to pre3 to get the results expected through the automation.

 

For kicks, I decided to see if this was related to the TGA processing bug noted previously, but alas, it is still a problem in pre3. If Ethatron ever gets back to this, I am hoping that this is a simple coding fix. Until then, I am going to try the same methodology on the MSNs to determine if the result is viable (but I am skeptical about the conversion using pre5b, so that will have to be verified).

[Kelmych]

If the USP adds the correct texture to either the Unofficial Dawnguard Patch or the UHRP it will override any vanilla texture. The correct (tga) texture is in both the Dawnguard and HRDLC BSAs but it is identical in both. Since it's only 1Kx1K and it is already in dawnguard.bsa I would think that the Unofficial Dawnguard patch is the right place (although it doesn't really matter much). There could be situations when only the HRDLC optimized mod is used and HRDLC isn't used at all; in these situations it would be better for the texture to be in the UDP since the UHRP might not be loaded.

[z929669]

If the USP adds the correct texture to either the Unofficial Dawnguard Patch or the UHRP it will override any vanilla texture. The correct (tga) texture is in both the Dawnguard and HRDLC BSAs but it is identical in both. Since it's only 1Kx1K and it is already in dawnguard.bsa I would think that the Unofficial Dawnguard patch is the right place (although it doesn't really matter much). There could be situations when only the HRDLC optimized mod is used and HRDLC isn't used at all; in these situations it would be better for the texture to be in the UDP since the UHRP might not be loaded.

UDP makes sense; however, it would need to be in both for thoroughness, since the faulty DDS is also in both.

 

EDIT: I just now saw that the fix is already in the UDP, so this is a moot point in the guide :P

[Kelmych]

EDIT: I just now saw that the fix is already in the UDP, so this is a moot point in the guide :P

I removed the fix from the guide and added a comment at the bottom of the tab. The exclusion of this texture should probably be removed from the Pre-optimization batch file since the guide changes don't fix it any longer.

[Jaelea]

Hello,

 

I am just getting back to setting up Skyrim and am a bit confused as to what version of DDSopt we are suppose to be using.

 

In the OP for this thread "BOTH" links (GET DDSopt (Github) and DDSopt (Nexus)) link to Ethatron's/ddsop download page my guess is for downloading DDSopt_v080pre5b-SSE3.zip, Uploaded October 16, 2012.

 

On the Wiki Guide ... it links to the Nexus page of DDSopt - pre-release - update 4, 1:31, 31 January 2013/version 0.8.0.upd4 (I guess this date is just a reuploaded of that version on his Github site dated October 10, 2012)

 

The ini file posted on the wiki page says "have been verified against v8.0 Update 4"

 

So my question is this thread is now evaluating DDSopt_v080pre5b? and any current postings to this thread are in regards to that evaluation... ?

 

For current optimization of Skyrim Textures just follow the wiki using the version 0.8.0.upd4 from Nexus page ?

[Kelmych]

Hello,

 

I am just getting back to setting up Skyrim and am a bit confused as to what version of DDSopt we are suppose to be using.

 

In the OP for this thread "BOTH" links (GET DDSopt (Github) and DDSopt (Nexus)) link to Ethatron's/ddsop download page my guess is for downloading DDSopt_v080pre5b-SSE3.zip, Uploaded October 16, 2012.

The github link is to the homepage for the DDSopt project, NOT a download link. The guide has the download link on the first page and on the quickstart page. Ethatron has not made the most recent version visible/available on Github.

 

On the Wiki Guide ... it links to the Nexus page of DDSopt - pre-release - update 4, 1:31, 31 January 2013/version 0.8.0.upd4 (I guess this date is just a reuploaded of that version on his Github site dated October 10, 2012)

No. The latest version on Nexus is the latest version; it has many changes since the October 2012 version.

The ini file posted on the wiki page says "have been verified against v8.0 Update 4"

Correct

 

So my question is this thread is now evaluating DDSopt_v080pre5b? and any current postings to this thread are in regards to that evaluation... ?

No. We are using and evaluating DDSopt 0.8.0 prerelease update 4. v080pre5b is earlier than any of the DDSopt 0.8.0 prelease version update x.

For current optimization of Skyrim Textures just follow the wiki using the version 0.8.0.upd4 from Nexus page ?

Yes

[z929669]

I corrected the OP, which was a bit misleading in linking to DDSopt versions on Github and the Nexus ... the Nexus version was actually Github, and I never updated the descriptions.

 

Fixed now.