GUIDE [WIP] DDSopt & Texture Overhauls

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Discussion thread:
DDSopt Guide by STEP
Wiki Link

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[Kelmych]

Hi

 

I  have a question about DDSopt. I'm near the end but something doesnt seem to match up in the last part from:

https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSop...timization

 

It says in step 6 of the optimizing section: "When this processing is complete, using the same procedure choose Vanilla Uncompressed Textures/ as the current source in the upper window of the Browser Tab and again Vanilla Optimized/ remains as the current destination (lower window). The DDSopt Browser Tab will then look like Figure B3."

 

Then it says in step 7: Change the Constraints Tab settings to match Figure V3, H3, or S3 (Uncompressed Normal Maps) settings. Click [Process] to complete the optimization.

This should have said "Vanilla Uncompressed Textures" to match the figures. It's been changed in the guide.

 

Now after running the "2_Pre-Optimization.bat" batch file earlier, I got 5 folders:

 

vanilla extracted

Vanilla Normal Maps

Vanilla Optimized

Vanilla Textures

Vanilla Uncompressed Normal Maps

That name was used in a previous version of the batch files before tint/tone textures were added to this folder, and the "Vanilla Textures" folder was changed to "Vanilla Ordinary Textures" to reduce confusion; this was changed in version 2.4 of the batch files. Get the most current version (2.51) of the batch files; there are several links to it in the guide.

 

But, I never got a folder called "Vanilla Uncompressed Textures"

Should I have? Step 6 and 7 seem to be different. Is "Vanilla Uncompressed Textures" a typo for "Vanilla Uncompressed Normal Maps" or did something go wrong?

 

thanks

[menmaatre]

OK thanks I just got the 2.51 batch files. the question is will I now have to start the optimization process over from scratch or can I just rename the "uncompressed normal maps" folder to "vanilla uncompressed textures". In other words, was the problem with 2.4.7 a folder naming issue or did it actually mix up the texture files being process or sort the proper textures incorrectly? I'd really like to know before I redo anything since I would want to do the whole optimization process over from scratch if there's an error. Thanks

[Kelmych]

No, the previous optimization was fine and the results in Vanilla Optimized are the same. The changes were made for consistency with the process for optimizing STEP mods, and a folder name change to reduce some confusion.

[menmaatre]

The new 2_Pre-optimization.bat file does not appear to be working and I also had errors with the 1_HRDLC_Clean-START.Bat

 

1) I completely deleted all the previously extracted and optimized textures I had done with the old 2.4.7 Bat files and re-extracted the original BSAs with DDSopt according to the directions on https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt_%26_Texture_Overhauls#tab=Using_DDSopt

 

2) Next I extracted and ran 1_HRDLC-Clean-START.bat as instructed on the same page. Note that neither the page nor any of the README files explains what the difference is between the two batch files 1HRDLC_Clean.bat and 1HRDLC_Clean-START.bat. Also, the wiki only says to run the "Clean-START.bat" not the "Clean.bat".

 

3) when I ran Clean-START.bat everything seemed to be fine but I had the error "the directory is not empty" in the ERROR.log. The only thing that was in the Vanilla Extracted directory were the folders for Dawnguard, Dragonborn, separate ones for HRDLC1-3, and STD + the logs for all six of these extractions. I am assuming that this "directory is not empty" error is not critical, but I did not get it when I ran 2.4.7 batch the other day. It did successfully create the 4 new folders "vanilla normal maps", "Vanilla optimized," "Vanilla Ordinary Textures", and "Vanilla Uncompressed textures". Vanilla Optimized also created a sub folder STD. All these folders remain empty including the STD sub-folder which I think had some .png files in it when I ran version 2.4.7 the other day.

 

4) now I tried to run 2_Pre-optimization.bat but I got a log.txt with these errors:

 

2013/11/06 23:02:16 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Accessing Source Directory E:\Vanilla Extracted\

The system cannot find the file specified.

2013/11/06 23:02:16 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Accessing Source Directory E:\Vanilla Extracted\

The system cannot find the file specified.

2013/11/06 23:02:16 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Accessing Source Directory E:\Vanilla Extracted\

The system cannot find the file specified.

 

All four of the new folders created by Clean-START.bat remain totally empty, so 2_pre-optimization.bat didn't do anything I think.

 

I can't think what I did wrong. Unfortunately, I had already deleted the files I had successfully optimized when the old version of the Batch file gave me a folder named "uncompressed normal maps" instead of "vanilla uncompressed folders"

 

After all this I also tried running the Clean-START.bat and all I got were a ton of "could not find" errors in the HRDLC_Clean_Error.log.

 

I did make a back up of the newly extracted vanilla BSAs. What should I do now?

[Kelmych]

The new 2_Pre-optimization.bat file does not appear to be working and I also had errors with the 1_HRDLC_Clean-START.Bat

 

1) I completely deleted all the previously extracted and optimized textures I had done with the old 2.4.7 Bat files and re-extracted the original BSAs with DDSopt according to the directions on https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt_%26_Texture_Overhauls#tab=Using_DDSopt

 

2) Next I extracted and ran 1_HRDLC-Clean-START.bat as instructed on the same page. Note that neither the page nor any of the README files explains what the difference is between the two batch files 1HRDLC_Clean.bat and 1HRDLC_Clean-START.bat. Also, the wiki only says to run the "Clean-START.bat" not the "Clean.bat".

 

Did you put all the batch files in the Working Directory and run them there (e.g., "E:\Working")?

 

1_HRDLC_Clean-START.bat starts up the 1_HRDLC_Clean.bat file and redirects errors to the error logs. If you instead run 1_HRDLC_Clean.bat then progress messages and errors will be on the command window.

 

3) when I ran Clean-START.bat everything seemed to be fine but I had the error "the directory is not empty" in the ERROR.log. The only thing that was in the Vanilla Extracted directory were the folders for Dawnguard, Dragonborn, separate ones for HRDLC1-3, and STD + the logs for all six of these extractions.

When you start there should not be any logs or other files in the Vanilla Extracted directory, only the 4-7 folders. Once !_HRDLC_Clean.bat runs after being started by 1_HRDLC_Clean-START.bat it removes files from the HRDLC folders, so if you run it again there will be errors because the files are already deleted.

 

I am assuming that this "directory is not empty" error is not critical, but I did not get it when I ran 2.4.7 batch the other day. It did successfully create the 4 new folders "vanilla normal maps", "Vanilla optimized," "Vanilla Ordinary Textures", and "Vanilla Uncompressed textures". Vanilla Optimized also created a sub folder STD. All these folders remain empty including the STD sub-folder which I think had some .png files in it when I ran version 2.4.7 the other day.

 

 

 

4) now I tried to run 2_Pre-optimization.bat but I got a log.txt with these errors:

 

2013/11/06 23:02:16 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Accessing Source Directory E:\Vanilla Extracted\

The system cannot find the file specified.

2013/11/06 23:02:16 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Accessing Source Directory E:\Vanilla Extracted\

The system cannot find the file specified.

2013/11/06 23:02:16 ERROR 2 (0x00000002) Accessing Source Directory E:\Vanilla Extracted\

The system cannot find the file specified.

 

The source directory should have included "Working" (or whatever name you used for the Working Directory); e.g., "E:\Working\Vanilla Extracted" or something similar. Based on the errors above it looks to me like the 2_Pre-optimization batch file was in "Vanilla Extracted" rather than being in the Working Directory.

 

At the beginning of the 2_Pre-optimization.bat there is a command window printout of name of the current Working Directory. Did you happen to notice what it printed? Were any errors printed in the command window; the batch file notes problems when it detects incorrect directory structures?

 

All four of the new folders created by Clean-START.bat remain totally empty,

1_HRDLC_Clean.bat and 1_HRDLC_Clean-Start.bat don't create any directories, they only remove files from the 3 HRDLC folders and create 2 error logs.

so 2_pre-optimization.bat didn't do anything I think.

 

I can't think what I did wrong. Unfortunately, I had already deleted the files I had successfully optimized when the old version of the Batch file gave me a folder named "uncompressed normal maps" instead of "vanilla uncompressed folders"

 

After all this I also tried running the Clean-START.bat and all I got were a ton of "could not find" errors in the HRDLC_Clean_Error.log. Since all or almost all of the duplicate files had already been removed the first time you ran 1_HRDLC_Clean-Start.bat

 

I did make a back up of the newly extracted vanilla BSAs. What should I do now?

Delete the folders (not the backup extracted BSAs of course). Start over with a new copy of the extracted BSAs in "Vanilla Extracted" inside a Working Directory with only the 4-7 folders in "Vanilla Extracted" (no log files) and the batch files in the "Working Directory". The Working Directory should have a name (your choice); don't use a root directory such as E:\ as a working directory. Look at the picture of the example directory structure at several places in the guide page including the bottom of the page in the "Optimize the Vanilla Textures" subsection to see how the directories are organized.

[Kelmych]

An updated version of the batch files for the DDSopt guide has been uploaded, and the guide now points to the new version. Two small bugs (one in 1_HRDLC-Clean.bat and 1 in 1_Pre-optimization.bat) were fixed, and additional uncompressed textures and now being detected by the beta version of 4_Mod_Sorting&Pre-optimization.bat .

[Kelmych]

I uploaded a new version of 1-HRDLC-Clean.bat which removes a directory tree (this eliminates the error message about an directory that isn't empty), and a new 2_Pre-optimization.bat that fixes a typo that was causing the batch file to stop working properly partway through it's execution. They are in Batch_Files_for_DDSopt_guide_v2.52-beta.7z which is now referenced in the DDSopt guide.

[menmaatre]

I uploaded a new version of 1-HRDLC-Clean.bat which removes a directory tree (this eliminates the error message about an directory that isn't empty), and a new 2_Pre-optimization.bat that fixes a typo that was causing the batch file to stop working properly partway through it's execution. They are in Batch_Files_for_DDSopt_guide_v2.52-beta.7z which is now referenced in the DDSopt guide.

 

Thanks very much for all this

[menmaatre]

I uploaded a new version of 1-HRDLC-Clean.bat which removes a directory tree (this eliminates the error message about an directory that isn't empty)' date=' and a new 2_Pre-optimization.bat that fixes a typo that was causing the batch file to stop working properly partway through it's execution. They are in Batch_Files_for_DDSopt_guide_v2.52-beta.7z which is now referenced in the DDSopt guide.[/quote']

If I might make a final suggestion, on the optimization page:

 

https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt#tab=DDSopt_Optimization

 

you might consider updating the description of the folder now labeled "Vanilla Textures" to "Vanilla Ordinary Textures" to reflect the current way the Batch files creates and labels the temporary folders just for the sake crystal clear consistency and to ease the minds of overly literal and nervous types like myself :)

 

Thanks

[Kelmych]

I thought all the references had been updated, but I looked and found several that were missed. They have been fixed. Were there any other problems that you found with the guide text? Note also that it's a Wiki, and we encourage users to edit the guides to make them more useful.

[menmaatre]

not that i noticed, but if I come across anything I will let you know. Also, i'm in the final stage of the optimization (packing the 7z) and its all going well so far. thanks for all your advice and work on updating the batch files, etc.

[menmaatre]

Well I got all the main vanilla and DLC textures optimized and archived and installed except for the STD main texture pack. the MO installer gave an error "none of the available installer plugins were able to handle that archive" what should I do? I know I can archive it manually using 7z but I'm not sure what settings I should use to avoid problems

[menmaatre]

Well I got all the main vanilla and DLC textures optimized and archived and installed except for the STD main texture pack. the MO installer gave an error "none of the available installer plugins were able to handle that archive" what should I do? I know I can archive it manually using 7z but I'm not sure what settings I should use to avoid problems

OK I found the sidebar on how to make a 7z archive of texture and I chose the "non-solid" and LZMA2 compression options. are any of the other settings critical to this process? I didn't mess with any other default settings that were already set and I've never used or tinkered with the "add archive" settings pop up window

[menmaatre]

One last thing I'm unclear on: I'm using Mod Organizer to install the packs. do I need to worry about the order I install them or do I need to adjust the order they are loaded in MO? I couldnt seem to find any reference to this issue in the DDSopt wiki.

[menmaatre]

One last thing I'm unclear on: I'm using Mod Organizer to install the packs. do I need to worry about the order I install them or do I need to adjust the order they are loaded in MO? I couldnt seem to find any reference to this issue in the DDSopt wiki.

i'm guessing that I would set the texture packs in the following priorities,

 

STD = priority 1

Dawnguard = priority 2

Dragonborn = priority 3

HRDLC1 = priority 4

HRDLC2 = priority 5

HRDLC3 = priority 6

 

That way, the 3 HRDLC's are overwriting some textures from the first three, while Dragonborn and dawnguard are overwriting some textures from STD. Have I got this correct?

 

I'm also assuming that when I add any other purely texture mods that lack ESP's, I should install them in the order described in STEP 2.2.7 and give them priority numbers that continue this series. So for example, everything in section 2.F "conflicting graphics would be installed exactly in the order given in the guide.

 

I'm also assuming that install orders for everything in each section after 2.F are not critical except where noted in the guide.

 

I hope i'm on the right path!

 

Sorry for all the posts