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]

phazer11 is planning on making a video on optimization and recently asked about the status of the DDSopt guide. z, feel free to comment or edit this.

 

Over the past year much of the discussion has been on optimizing normal maps, with some of the recent discussion focused on uncompressed tangent space and model space normal maps. The recent STEP environment build by z for the vanilla textures uses:

• size reduction for the large compressed tangent space  normal maps, reducing texture file size by a factor of 4, and
• format change from R8G8B8 to R5G6B5 for the uncompressed tangent space and model space normal maps, reducing these texture file sizes roughly by a factor of 2.

Since there were a number of comments from new users that the optimization process was very difficult to follow, I created some batch files to simplify the user interactions needed for this. The batch files currently seem to work properly, and z is doing some tests on the graphic quality and performance impact of his new approach to optimizing vanilla textures.

 

The  HRDLC repair batch file runs quickly, but the other steps including the pre-optimization batch file, manually running DDSopt on three different sets of textures, and the batch file for archiving the resulting textures take a fairly long time. I expect a video on this would go through setting up DDSopt and other initial steps, and for the steps that take a long time the video would probably show the startup and conclusion of each step.

[phazer11]

for the steps that take a long time the video would probably show the startup and conclusion of each step.

 

More or less. I'll run the batch files on my vanilla textures. I haven't yet tried them. I'm still in the stone age of manual.

[whocares7]

Hm I found some weird looking texture/some snow on different type of walls in Windhelm. I looked over the textures/architecture/windhelm folder in TPC with the compressonator, but didn't find anything.

 

 

[z929669]

Please use DDSopt preview so that we can see the texture names and the conversion info (the logs would also help)

 

EDIT: woops, just noticed that you posted the logs already. I'll need some time to catch up I guess :P

 

EDIT2: Looks like some interesting changes in there. I am particularly interested in the uncompressed conversions to 565, 4444 and L8. This is where it would be best to look at the preview within DDSopt to get a better idea of the results. Then some looks in-game.

 

What are the textures listed above in the screens? The diff of those would be helpful.

[whocares7]

z929669 Wrote

 

What are the textures listed above in the screens? The diff of those would be helpful.

Maybe i would look at them if i knew how to work with preview tab. I tried to select a texture from the tree, but nothing shows up on preview tab.

The easiest way is to move up the backup TPC folder, replace it with current, load it with mod organizer. This will show if the problem is related to ddsopted tpc or to vanilla/HRDLC optimized textures :D.

 

EDIT: Looks like it's not TPC texture :|.

[z929669]

z929669 Wrote

 

What are the textures listed above in the screens? The diff of those would be helpful.

Maybe i would look at them if i knew how to work with preview tab. I tried to select a texture from the tree, but nothing shows up on preview tab.

The easiest way is to move up the backup TPC folder, replace it with current, load it with mod organizer. This will show if the problem is related to ddsopted tpc or to vanilla/HRDLC optimized textures :D.

 

EDIT: Looks like it's not TPC texture :|.

In DDSopt, from the Browser tab, with both source and destination folders selected, find the texture in the lower pane (they should all have a strikethrough if already processed and "skip existing" is a selected option) and double-click on it. Voila!

[whocares7]

Thanks! What kind of texture could be that ? Some decal ? I looked over the processed TPC textures, but none of them use this snow decal or have any kind of corruption.

I think it's part of Vanilla or HRDLC wall texture.

[Kelmych]

Have you seen it in the game, and if so where in Windhelm was it? We might be able to figure out what texture it is if we know where it is located.

 

Windhelm has probably the highest VRAM loading of any city, but when I look at the walls and ground the textures never appear to be high resolution.

[whocares7]

Have you seen it in the game, and if so where in Windhelm was it? We might be able to figure out what texture it is if we know where it is located.

 

Windhelm has probably the highest VRAM loading of any city, but when I look at the walls and ground the textures never appear to be high resolution.

Looks like it's only appears in Windhelm, many of textures there are not covered by their HD variants.

 

 

 

 

[Kelmych]

Those are in the areas in Windhelm that always look crummy to me.

[whocares7]

I also moved back backup HRDLC textures to the Skyrim folder to check if it's a issue from DDSopt optimization or Vanilla feature, but looks like a game glitch.

I will continue to check whether ddsopting is safe for Texture Pack Combiner or not.

[bitdman]

I just started a new game and I'm seeing this in the room with bed in the beginning using Alt.Start.LAL. I never noticed it before and I haven't DDS opted any of the textures????

 

could this happen when using BSA opt to unpack BSA's?

 

At first glance i thought it was supposed to be cob webs.

[Kelmych]

I just started a new game and I'm seeing this

seeing what?

in the room with bed in the beginning using Alt.Start.LAL. I never noticed it before and I haven't DDS opted any of the textures????

 

could this happen when using BSA opt to unpack BSA's?

I can't imagine how using it to unpack BSAs can cause a problem

 

At first glance i thought it was supposed to be cob webs.

[bitdman]

I just started a new game and I'm seeing this

seeing what?

in the room with bed in the beginning using Alt.Start.LAL. I never noticed it before and I haven't DDS opted any of the textures????

 

could this happen when using BSA opt to unpack BSA's?

I can't imagine how using it to unpack BSAs can cause a problem

 

At first glance i thought it was supposed to be cob webs.

Check out the pics in the post by whocares7... It looks like something gone wrong with the mud or whatever that is between the bricks and rocks. Can't take a shot of it. I already reinstalled and It's fine now.

[phazer11]

Alright how's it coming? Do you need to tweak the batch files or anything or should I not include instructions for them in my video?