DynDOLOD 3.00 Alpha 190

[SiSaSyco]

  On 3/8/2025 at 2:27 PM, sheson said:

You could also try "PassThru FixedNormals", though it will probably be similar to the SphereNormals, probably even brighter.
Or put it back to the default and experiment with setting the normal vectors in the NIF manually to certain angles.

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Yeah! I'm already experimenting and maybe I get some good results with SphereNormals. Just had to reduce ambient a lot and use ComplexGrassBrightness**=0.5

... still not sure, but maybe it will get better now.

[SiSaSyco]

Hey Sheson! Thank you so much for your suggestion to set "PassThru SphereNormals"! I could get my settings quite perfect now!

It can be summarised as follows

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TexGen / DynDOLOD Complex Grass
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wildlands Renewal
ENB Preset Silent Horizon 2 Universal Core
EVLAS (Need to disable EVLAS sadly)

Change the name of the NiTriShapes to "PassThru SphereNormals" in DynDOLOD_flat_4x2alt2_lod.nif in DynDOLOD\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD

Use following settings in TexGen

GrassHDBillboardsDirect=45
GrassHDBillboardsAmbient=95

Use following settings in DynDOLOD_SSE.ini

ComplexGrassBillboard=5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopR=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopG=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopB=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomR=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomG=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomB=0.5
GrassBacklightMask=25 (Not sure if this is crucial, used 100 but do not see any difference)

Edited Sunday at 08:53 PM by SiSaSyco
Clarify to not use EVLAS

[sheson]

  On 3/8/2025 at 9:05 PM, SiSaSyco said:

Hey Sheson! Thank you so much for your suggestion to set "PassThru SphereNormals"! I could get my settings quite perfect now!

It can be summarised as follows

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TexGen / DynDOLOD Complex Grass
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wildlands Renewal
ENB Preset Silent Horizon 2 Universal Core
EVLAS

Change the name of the NiTriShapes to "PassThru SphereNormals" in DynDOLOD_flat_4x2alt2_lod.nif in DynDOLOD\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD

Use following settings in TexGen

GrassHDBillboardsDirect=45
GrassHDBillboardsAmbient=95

Use following settings in DynDOLOD_SSE.ini

ComplexGrassBillboard=5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopR=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopG=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopB=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomR=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomG=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomB=0.5
GrassBacklightMask=25 (Not sure if this is crucial)

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That are great results. Thanks for letting us know.

[z929669]

  On 3/8/2025 at 9:05 PM, SiSaSyco said:

Hey Sheson! Thank you so much for your suggestion to set "PassThru SphereNormals"! I could get my settings quite perfect now!

It can be summarised as follows

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TexGen / DynDOLOD Complex Grass
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wildlands Renewal
ENB Preset Silent Horizon 2 Universal Core
EVLAS

Change the name of the NiTriShapes to "PassThru SphereNormals" in DynDOLOD_flat_4x2alt2_lod.nif in DynDOLOD\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD

Use following settings in TexGen

GrassHDBillboardsDirect=45
GrassHDBillboardsAmbient=95

Use following settings in DynDOLOD_SSE.ini

ComplexGrassBillboard=5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopR=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopG=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessTopB=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomR=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomG=0.5
ComplexGrassBrightnessBottomB=0.5
GrassBacklightMask=25 (Not sure if this is crucial)

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Thanks for the info.

  On 3/8/2025 at 9:34 PM, sheson said:

That are great results. Thanks for letting us know.

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I am planning to have a look at using "SphereNormals" in the shape name of the DynDOLOD NIFs, but I will first ask if my efforts will be redundant if you plan on adding logic to do this when CG is detected (or when ComplexGrassBillboard is changed from default). I never imagined these keywords worked for grass, but it seems obvious now that I know.

Alternatively, let me know if you want more data and any testing relating to this and the specifics of that testing. I have found that ShereNormals KW is a solution for EVT trees where the normal faces at the top are more horizontal than vertical as they are in the lower branches. Radial normal faces seem to solve several issues in LOD foliage, it seems.

 

[sheson]

  On 3/9/2025 at 12:35 AM, z929669 said:

Thanks for the info.

I am planning to have a look at using "SphereNormals" in the shape name of the DynDOLOD NIFs, but I will first ask if my efforts will be redundant if you plan on adding logic to do this when CG is detected (or when ComplexGrassBillboard is changed from default). I never imagined these keywords worked for grass, but it seems obvious now that I know.

Alternatively, let me know if you want more data and any testing relating to this and the specifics of that testing. I have found that ShereNormals KW is a solution for EVT trees where the normal faces at the top are more horizontal than vertical as they are in the lower branches. Radial normal faces seem to solve several issues in LOD foliage, it seems.

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The vanilla complex grass with the default ENB settings for complex grass and every other effect disabled still matches fine at noon with the default billboard NIF 4, perpendicular normals and settings. Though I might change the default to billboard NIF 5 (still perpendicular normals) and use a bit of backlighting and reduce the brightness multipliers a bit for slightly close matching at dusk/dawn depending on view direction. The hole thing of complex grass with a normal map texture was that it - unlike the vanilla grass - that the LOD billboards required 4 planes with perpendicular normals to match what ENB does.

The first question to answer would be what ENB settings or mods change that.

[SiSaSyco]

Hey! I've to admit, the look of distand grass lod in contrast to the near grass is still dependent on the current weather and time of day. With some of the weathers the grass looks really good. Others not perfect. It seems that you can not make it fit to all weathers and time of day. It is always some compromise to get it looking good in most situations but not all.

Important! I have gained new insights. It turned out that EVLAS had been interfering after all. I had to switch off EVLAS, so there are no more problems with different lighting of LOD Grass in the distance.

Edited Sunday at 08:51 PM by SiSaSyco
New findings

[Mooserton]

 

Generated texgen and lod for new load order with JK's Raven Rock and this walll is disappearing and what portion has no lod. Is this is occlusion thing and can I do anything about it?

[sheson]

  On 3/9/2025 at 6:01 PM, Mooserton said:

Generated texgen and lod for new load order with JK's Raven Rock and this walll is disappearing and what portion has no lod. Is this is occlusion thing and can I do anything about it?

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Read the first post and/or https://dyndolod.info/Official-DynDOLOD-Support-Forum#Post-Logs which DynDOLOD log and debug log to upload when making posts.
Also upload ..\DynDOLOD\Logs\DynDOLOD_SSE_Object_Report.txt

Make a useful screenshot of the full model with more informative console as explained in https://dyndolod.info/Official-DynDOLOD-Support-Forum#In-Game-Screenshots
"This wall" does not tell us anything.

https://dyndolod.info/FAQ#Something-does-not-have-LOD
For something to have LOD, a LOD model or a LOD Billboard is required to be installed in the load order. Check the ..\DynDOLOD\Logs\DynDOLOD_[GAME MODE]_Object_Report.txt to find which LOD models have been found and which models are used for LOD representation.
If a LOD model does not exist, mesh mask / reference rules can be used to use the full model for LOD.

If a mod ships with new full models that should have LOD, it either requires new LOD models as well or rules that utilize the full models for LOD.

As https://dyndolod.info/Help/Occlusion-Data explains, LOD occlusion disables LOD in the distance.
Placed occlusion planes/boxes typically make close up full models dissapear. https://dyndolod.info/FAQ#Full-models-disappearing-going-in-and-out-of-view

[Goodfella]

Having an issue generating the latest alpha 190. I've been using DynDOLOD for 3 years and have always been able to figure it out so far, but this is the first time I've posted for help here. The program terminates prematurely and doesn't generate a log for me to post here. The previous worked fine, I'm not sure if it's the update. I haven't updated any mods from the last version either. It seems stuck processing patches. Let me know if there is anything I can do to share or post more information.

[z929669]

  On 3/10/2025 at 10:36 AM, Goodfella said:

Having an issue generating the latest alpha 190. I've been using DynDOLOD for 3 years and have always been able to figure it out so far, but this is the first time I've posted for help here. The program terminates prematurely and doesn't generate a log for me to post here. The previous worked fine, I'm not sure if it's the update. I haven't updated any mods from the last version either. It seems stuck processing patches. Let me know if there is anything I can do to share or post more information.

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You can set: realtimelog=1 ...at the bottom of your DynDOLOD_SSE.ini. Then run it again and copy/paste the output from the application window.

[sheson]

  On 3/10/2025 at 10:36 AM, Goodfella said:

Having an issue generating the latest alpha 190. I've been using DynDOLOD for 3 years and have always been able to figure it out so far, but this is the first time I've posted for help here. The program terminates prematurely and doesn't generate a log for me to post here. The previous worked fine, I'm not sure if it's the update. I haven't updated any mods from the last version either. It seems stuck processing patches. Let me know if there is anything I can do to share or post more information.

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Read https://dyndolod.info/Official-DynDOLOD-Support-Forum#Post-Logs which bugreport.txt to upload if it exists and how to enable the realtime log and to check the Windows Event log in case the program is terminated prematurely.

[Goodfella]

Took a while after I got home from work to run it. Here is the link.

https://ufile.io/8zpnu1ka

  On 3/11/2025 at 12:45 AM, Goodfella said:

Took a while after I got home from work to run it. Here is the link.

https://ufile.io/8zpnu1ka

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File is too large to simply upload here

[sheson]

  On 3/11/2025 at 12:45 AM, Goodfella said:

Took a while after I got home from work to run it. Here is the link.

https://ufile.io/8zpnu1ka

File is too large to simply upload here

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No related messages in the Windows Event log?

Load the entire load order into latest xEdit from the xEdit discord #xedit-buids channel. Upload that log.

[Goodfella]

  On 3/11/2025 at 6:30 AM, sheson said:

No related messages in the Windows Event log?

Load the entire load order into latest xEdit from the xEdit discord #xedit-buids channel. Upload that log.

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I downloaded the latest xEdit and it also crashed while loading up

I'm almost at my wits end on trying to figure out what's going on

[sheson]

  On 3/12/2025 at 12:47 AM, Goodfella said:

I downloaded the latest xEdit and it also crashed while loading up

I'm almost at my wits end on trying to figure out what's going on

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Test if temporarily disabling HAG - Occult Orphan Rock.esp makes a difference. The plugin alone works fine here, though.

If not, do a binary search to find the plugin(s) required to cause the crash.

1. Only select to load about half the plugin in xEdit.
2. If it loads, selected the other half.
3. If it crashes, repeat from 1. by selecting again only half of the remaining plugins.

Report results.