DynDOLOD 3.00 Alpha 190

[ST3PSH4RK]

Oh thank you sheson the lord and saviour!!

I'm guessing simply deactivating Open Cities Skyrim.esp with a mod manager isn't enough on ver 3.0  

I was going insane trying to figure out what the problem was, went through the entire 112 pages of this thread and 2 hours of fruitless Googling to find anything related to this.

 

Deleting the esp solves the issue, did the first pass, restored it and did a second pass. Time to test this out in-game, wish me luck 

Edited August 23, 2021 by ST3PSH4RK

[Wolfpack49]

Hmm, well I am probably doing something dumb, but Alpha 39 is the first time I have received an Exit message from TexGen without any reason in the popup box.  See:

Below is my debug log for TexGen:

https://1drv.ms/t/s!Ar9_fJKmnT2Kh9xwu2wyAur5P0UV8A?e=FytthG

I checked that occulsion.esp was removed and that my old Texgen and Dyndolod outputs were removed.  Using the latest resource file (Alpha-11 and latest MM 3.0 lodpack).  Grass cache is present in /data/grass/.  No billboards being used.  Could there be something else that needs to be present or disabled?

Edited August 23, 2021 by Wolfpack49

[sheson]

  On 8/23/2021 at 2:22 PM, Wolfpack49 said:

Hmm, well I am probably doing something dumb, but Alpha 39 is the first time I have received an Exit message from TexGen without any reason in the popup box. 

Below is my debug log for TexGen:

https://1drv.ms/t/s!Ar9_fJKmnT2Kh9xwu2wyAur5P0UV8A?e=FytthG

I checked that occulsion.esp was removed and that my old Texgen and Dyndolod outputs were removed.  Using the latest resource file (Alpha-11 and latest MM 3.0 lodpack).  Could there be something else that needs to be present or disabled?

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Instead of posting screenshots of messages, use the Copy message to clipboard link and paste the text as explained in the first post.

This the normal and expected behavior when clicking Cancel. Click Start instead.

Unpack the DynDOLOD Standalone archive into a new empty 'DynDOLOD' directory that is outside of special OS folders like 'Programs Files' or 'Program Files (x86)', User, Documents, Desktop, Download and also not in SteamApps, game or any mod manager folders.

[Wolfpack49]

  On 8/23/2021 at 2:37 PM, sheson said:

Instead of posting screenshots of messages, use the Copy message to clipboard link and paste the text as explained in the first post.

This the normal and expected behavior when clicking Cancel. Click Start instead.

Unpack the DynDOLOD Standalone archive into a new empty 'DynDOLOD' directory that is outside of special OS folders like 'Programs Files' or 'Program Files (x86)', User, Documents, Desktop, Download and also not in SteamApps, game or any mod manager folders.

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This is the message received when clicking the Start button.

Here is the copied text:

[Window Title]
TexGen

[Main Instruction]
Exit TexGen, check log or restart?

[Exit TexGen] [Check log] [Restart]

[Footer]
DynDOLOD FAQ | Support Forum | Copy message to clipboard

The Dyndolod Standalone is is out of all special folders: E:\Skyrim Tools\DynDOLOD_300_A39\

Edited August 23, 2021 by Wolfpack49

[sheson]

  On 8/23/2021 at 3:21 PM, Wolfpack49 said:

This is the message received when clicking the Start button.

The Dyndolod Standalone is is out of all special folders: E:\Skyrim Tools\DynDOLOD_300_A39\

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Delete everything and unpack the standalone archive into an empty new folder.

Make sure to at least check one of the 3 main options.

[Wolfpack49]

  On 8/23/2021 at 3:29 PM, sheson said:

Delete everything and unpack the standalone archive into an empty new folder.

Make sure to at least check one of the 3 main options.

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I see what happened.  I had brought over the Presets folder from the previous alpha.  Removing the folder allowed TexGen to run. 

Edited August 23, 2021 by Wolfpack49

[Swiggitys]

  On 8/23/2021 at 5:16 AM, sheson said:

Read the first post what entire logfiles to upload when making posts.

For the DynDOLOD 3 Alpha test it is suggested to not install any 3rd party tree LOD billboards and instead use TexGen to generate all the desired billboards.

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I ran tex gen and sselodgen with no errors its only dyndolod giving me this error. Should I try a different dyndolod besides dyndolod 3?

 

[sheson]

  On 8/23/2021 at 4:25 PM, Swiggitys said:

I ran tex gen and sselodgen with no errors its only dyndolod giving me this error. Should I try a different dyndolod besides dyndolod 3?

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That would be pointless. The log files to upload already exist.

[z929669]

@sheson Hoping you can enlighten me on the following files that often get included with mods, but I don't get them when running TexGen/DynDOLOD 3. I have never understood how these are used when TexGen creates 5x billboards for trees/HD trees. Can you point to a resource to better understand or give an explanation here?

dyndolodtreeslod.dds and dyndolodtreeslod_n.dds

---

EDIT: Perhaps those files are only used for traditional  "Generate tree LOD" option?

[sheson]

  On 8/23/2021 at 11:18 PM, z929669 said:

@sheson Hoping you can enlighten me on the following files that often get included with mods, but I don't get them when running TexGen/DynDOLOD 3. I have never understood how these are used when TexGen creates 5x billboards for trees/HD trees. Can you point to a resource to better understand or give an explanation here?

dyndolodtreeslod.dds and dyndolodtreeslod_n.dds

---

EDIT: Perhaps those files are only used for traditional  "Generate tree LOD" option?

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That is a manually made atlas textures used by older version hybrid 3D tree LOD models.

It is mentioned in the old method in DynDOLOD_CreateStaticTree.html

[z929669]

I need a lesson on external/internal billboards; I've read the doc many times, but want to understand better with defaults:

Billboard2=DynDOLOD_flat_2x2_lod.nif
Billboard3=DynDOLOD_flat_3x2_lod.nif
Billboard4=Internal
Billboard5=Internal
Billboard6=Internal

In the past, I found (and assumed) that setting 'billboard' at any LOD level produces what seems like a flat, single-plane billboard (maybe has two planes? But same single texture on all sides?). Setting billboard2 has always yielded better results by allowing use of the billboard normals.

Question: Does billboard2 allow the 2x2 NIF to use all four HD billboard textures? How exactly does this differ from billboard4 (which evidently equals billboard5 and billboard6 under default config as noted above)? I read about sphere vs flat normals, but wondering if internal uses all four billboard textures? I assume that billboard2/3 should always give the potentially best result, but I want to confirm my assumptions.

[ST3PSH4RK]

 

  On 2/12/2021 at 9:35 AM, sheson said:

 

The rule to "delete" the reference for the Erikur house LOD representation in the Tamriel worldspace in case Legacy of Dragonborn v5 is installed exists since 2.72 when support for v5 of the mod was added. Open Cities uses those references to replace the LOD representations with their full models. The reason this doesn't manifest with DynDOLOD 2.x is because the "deletion" is wrongly added to DynDOLOD.esm and thus gets reverted by Open Cities.esp. A happy little accident.

 

DynDOLOD 3.x doesn't have this bug, so the Open Cities + Legacy of Dragonborn v5 patch needs a new rule that replaces the old rule. Place the attached rule file into ..\DynDOLOD\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD\Rules\. Then redo the second pass. Make sure to click low, medium or high so the new rule gets loaded.

DynDOLOD_SSE_ocslotd5patchesp.iniUnavailable

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Hi @sheson

Can you share this script again please, I'm having the exact same issue with Erikur's house.

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by ST3PSH4RK
Duplicated comments

[sheson]

  On 8/24/2021 at 6:53 PM, z929669 said:

I need a lesson on external/internal billboards; I've read the doc many times, but want to understand better with defaults:

Billboard2=DynDOLOD_flat_2x2_lod.nif
Billboard3=DynDOLOD_flat_3x2_lod.nif
Billboard4=Internal
Billboard5=Internal
Billboard6=Internal

In the past, I found (and assumed) that setting 'billboard' at any LOD level produces what seems like a flat, single-plane billboard (maybe has two planes? But same single texture on all sides?). Setting billboard2 has always yielded better results by allowing use of the billboard normals.

Question: Does billboard2 allow the 2x2 NIF to use all four HD billboard textures? How exactly does this differ from billboard4 (which evidently equals billboard5 and billboard6 under default config as noted above)? I read about sphere vs flat normals, but wondering if internal uses all four billboard textures? I assume that billboard2/3 should always give the potentially best result, but I want to confirm my assumptions.

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Lookup the Billboard definitions in the DynDOLOD INI for the game mode you are using to see which BillboardX uses what.

Object LOD meshes always use the normal map atlas textures. All Billboards use all the HD billboard textures. The different billboards use a different number of planes.
So , all Billboards will make use of _1 and _2.diffuse and normal map texture. Billboard3 would make use of _3 if there were one.

Billboard1 and Billboard2 should have identical results. It might be possible Billboard2 has a different base brightness (vertex color).

As mentioned before Billboard1 and Billboard4 are best suited for HD billboards. The Billboard1 uses 2 planes, Billboard4 uses 4 planes.
I suggest to generate ultra tree LOD with BillboardX for all LOD levels and to take screenshots of the same location at morning/midday/sun for comparison.

  On 8/24/2021 at 9:37 PM, ST3PSH4RK said:

Can you share this script again please, I'm having the exact same issue with Erikur's house.

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As a logged in user you should be able to download attachments.

However, the rule is already included in the newer DynDOLOD 3 Alpha versions since then. Always use the latest version available.

If it doesn't apply when clicking low, medium, high the plugin name might need to be different.

[ST3PSH4RK]

Yup, solved. I'm such a dummy.  

I have been clicking my own preset on the second pass and it wasn't updating the script for OCS.

Thanks again sheson, now I can fully start a playthrough for a thorough test.

[z929669]

  On 8/25/2021 at 6:55 AM, sheson said:

Lookup the Billboard definitions in the DynDOLOD INI for the game mode you are using to see which BillboardX uses what.

Object LOD meshes always use the normal map atlas textures. All Billboards use all the HD billboard textures. The different billboards use a different number of planes.
So , all Billboards will make use of _1 and _2.diffuse and normal map texture. Billboard3 would make use of _3 if there were one.

Billboard1 and Billboard2 should have identical results. It might be possible Billboard2 has a different base brightness (vertex color).

As mentioned before Billboard1 and Billboard4 are best suited for HD billboards. The Billboard1 uses 2 planes, Billboard4 uses 4 planes.
I suggest to generate ultra tree LOD with BillboardX for all LOD levels and to take screenshots of the same location at morning/midday/sun for comparison.

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I must've grabbed the definitions from the doc rather than DynDOLOD_SSE.ini. So this is what I show for Alpha 39:

Billboard1=Internal
Billboard2=DynDOLOD_flat_2x2_lod.nif
Billboard3=DynDOLOD_flat_3x2_lod.nif
Billboard4=DynDOLOD_flat_4x2_lod.nif
Billboard5=Internal
Billboard6=LODGen_flat_lod.nif

... which makes more sense with what you are saying.

SO ... under these definitions, Billboard1 (and Billboard5) should be same as Billboard2 outside of the latter defining "sphere normals" -- how does this relate to vertex colors? EDIT: I see now that this may be because vertex colors can be set in the external model

Also, I don't understand how "Billboard1 or Billboard4 are the best suited for HD billboards with normal maps." -- since: " all Billboards will make use of _1 and _2.diffuse and normal map texture." Perhaps it's differences in the esoteric 'internal' model versus the defined 'external' models? I cannot inspect the former for comparison against the latter.

Since those are DynDOLOD INI settings, I assume that TexGen doesn't create more/less tree billboards for any given tree in relation to these setting but rather DynDOLOD uses these billboards according to these settings.

'four' planes math/counts confuses me, given that I have seen TexGen only create 5 textures per tree --> 1 'front' diffuse + 1 front_1 diffuse + 1 front_1 normal + 1 side_2 diffuse + 1 side_2 normal (I 'think' this is correct?):

• How/when is 1 front diffuse used?
• DynDOLOD_flat_2x2_lod.nif and internal both use 1 front_1 diffuse + 1 front_1 normal on one plane (two sided) and 1 side_2 diffuse + 1 side_2 normal on the other (also two sided)?
  • How could DynDOLOD_flat_4x2_lod.nif be any different? It still uses these same four textures, no? (4 x 2 = 8, but we only have 4)
• Lastly, what INI mechanism causes TexGen to create a third diffuse + normal set ('_3')? ... and I don't see a DynDOLOD_flat_6x3_lod.nif, which would complete the pattern for me.

I will try to discover what you and the doc are saying by generating under varying conditions as you say (comparing output and screens), but any help in clarifying the details I am obviously not understanding (or over-complicating?) would be appreciated. i will test using suggestions found in ../DynDOLOD-Standalone.3.00-Alpha-39/DynDOLOD/docs/trees.ultra/DynDOLOD-Trees.html