How do I know what constraints settings I should use to optimize the mods?

[DICEROLL]

My final concern with DDSopt is that I don't understand what constraints settings I must apply for rest of the mods I'm using, the wiki does a fine job guiding through the optimization of Vanilla textures. But there is not enough information on how to optimize rest of your mods, especially I don't understand which Constraints Settings must I apply?

 

The optimization settings I used for my extracted textures from wiki were S1-S3. Also I applied all the settings in DDSopt upper menu as on the screenshots:like Behave, Ignore

Standard Quality (S1-S3) provides 1Kx1K maximum resolution color map textures and 512x512 maximum resolution normal map textures.

I used these different settings (S1-S3) on different folders for 'Vanilla Extracted optimization tutorial'.

 

But to optimize a regular Mod for example: Consistent Older People? I only have to use 1 setting? And which setting so that they are 1kx1k and 512x512 normals? Also I keep hearing about optimizing other files than textures, sometimes people talk about 'optimizing the entire mod' *I don't get it* should I ONLY use DDSopt for Textures or even .NIF files? I admit this last one sounds stupid, but I want to be 100% sure of the answer :S I imagine it would mess up a NIF file...?

 

The input files of Consistent Older People were colored blue: "blue — uncompressed files (files of any type, not just compressible textures existing only in the source location)"

 

Currently I have used the S1 on Consistent Older People, was that the right choice? It does work in game... but I don't know about the quality, did anything even change? Except for the file sizes which seem very small.

 

 

 

 

I feel like the most stupid person on earth right now after creating this thread, I've been stuck on this spot for hours and I kept searching and searching but I can't get my answers. I would be SO thankful if someone wants to explain these questions up for me.

 

Thank you

[Kelmych]

The initial batch files we wrote were for the vanilla textures since these are the ones that are most likely to be used. The batch files separate the textures into compressed normal maps, uncompressed textures, and everything else (typical color map textures). There aren't any equivalent batch files yet for the mods to separate the textures prior to optimization (I'm working on them). There are only a few mods that have any uncompressed textures, so this part often doesn't matter (mods that have uncompressed textures have note 1 or note 4 in the last column of the STEP mod list in the DDSopt guide, by the way - Consistent Older People is not one of them). In the meantime if you want to use different resolution for the normal maps than for the color maps, as you indicate you want to do, you can do this manually with DDSopt. There is an example in the DDSopt guide appendix of how to do this as well as a number of forum posts where users have described the steps.

[DICEROLL]

I checked out the Texture Properties tab in wiki, and I'm using SRO textures the '2K version', it comes with 3 zip files and I have unextracted them all into separate directories so that DDSopt can be used on them. In wiki SRO has 'note 2' attached to it, which means some textures are larger than 2Kx2K. However I want to keep these textures at 2k resolution, but still optimize them and gain some performance. My vcard is 2gb.

 

As I understand my textures will still be at 2k resolution in the end after I finish this process, but their 'normal maps' will be lowered to 1k. I don't still understand, what are Normal Maps? Are they the files which reflect lightning or shadows, and make character skins 'real and organic'. They won't affect my texture detail itself right, if I would zoom into ground in-game I would still see the detailed little drawings?

 

 

1. I have selected all _n.dds files in DDSopt as the guide says

2. I use the .ini for DDSopt which was provided by wiki, does this mean all the 'Behave' menu settings are set into place (thanks to the .ini) and I don't really need to touch anything there?

3. What about rest of the Constraint Settings, such as DXTx (1:6, lossy), L8 (1:3, lossless) etc. there are many of them, can I leave them like that or I'm supposed to change them as well? At first I supposed I should use the manual settings as on the S1 which I linked in my first post (except now it would be H1 instead for these textures), or those settings were only designed for the default skyrim extracted files?

 

I don't understand the 'Resolution-limit' under constraints either, it is really bothering me: Uncompressed and Compressed. The reason I am doing the whole DDSopt process at all, is because I'm supposed to optimize the uncompressed files right? Are these the 'normal maps' I keep hearing over and over but don't understand what they are?

 

For now these are my settings for SRO 2k version, so what am I doing wrong here?

 

 

Thank you

[Aiyen]

Normal maps are what add depth to a texture.

 

So instead of modeling something to have depth, you use the cheaper method of doing it with the a texture.

 

If you want ONLY the normal maps at 1k resolution put both of the restaints to 1k.

 

Then back where you select which files to edit, use the filter to only select _n.dds files (the normal maps) and then run the process ONLY on those.

Then copy the end result back into the folder and overwrite as required. Now you have 2k diffuse, and 1k normal.

[DICEROLL]

Thanks for answering, now I finally get it what these 'normal maps' truly do. However I have not yet be able to see it in-game (yeah I will eventually) but is this technique considered 'odd' or it's exactly what I should be looking forwards to if I need performance but want to maintain the texture quality? And should I use this exact method on other mod pack textures as well for Normal Maps?

 

When I lower Normal Maps to 1k resolution, this will make them smaller but the game will then 'stretch' them in-game and place them back on top of regular textures (diffuse maps?), and the sharp depth they had before will then be blurred? Is it noticeable by a lot in-game when I'm not zooming in to the texture? I would be glad if this is confirmed :D it's how I imagine it works..

 

 

And finally, should I really reduce these Normal Maps to 1k? When SRO textures actually are 2k, would it be the best if I remove the '_n.dds' filter in Browser of DDSopt and set both restaints to 2k and process the entire SRO like that <- is this a wrong approach? Exactly this is what keeps me back from understanding how this all works, am I supposed to apply different Constraints settings to different file types and then set the filter on a different file type in Browser, to use DDSopt efficiently like everyone else is able to??

 

Thanks a lot, it would help me by a TON if I would know answers to these <3

[DICEROLL]

Ok I made a little test myself since I have no idea what I'm doing

 

Old texture folder of SRO: 3.78GB

'Optimized' entire folder with 2k2k: 1.68GB

Optimized normal maps: 1.18GB

 

 

First screenshot: no SRO on

Second screenshot: SRO on

Third screenshot: entire SRO folder 'optimized' with 2k on both restaints

Fourth screenshot: only normal maps '_n.dds' optimized with 1k on both restaints (looks a lot similar to the second screenshot)

 

Can someone please tell me what is right and what is wrong xD? I think the third screenshot is NOT how you optimize textures. If I only optimize normal maps, it's going to give me already performance is this correct? I want the best optimized quality for all my landscape textures, and I can't figure out what is the best.

 

Also why are there squares or seams? Is it normal

[Aiyen]

The only real performance you get from doing this is less memory used when loading textures.

Depending on your hardware this can be an issue.

 

As for what to look for. In general you can think of it this way. The higher the resolution of the normal map. The more up close can you get to an item before it will start looking blurry. Hence for stuff like weapons etc. that are always up close when you are playing in first person... then a normal map of 2k is the best, or you will start to see really blurry textures.

 

The same for armor since you are fighting enemies in close combat most of the time (unless you are a mage or archer only.) hence it would also be a good idea to have better quality for those.

 

For stuff like landscapes and trees, rocks etc.... you can go close to them, but how much playing time are you going to be using staring at them up close ? Those you can reduce to 1k without much visual difference, unless you go looking for it.

 

In general I do not recommend going below 1k ever... and never below 2k for weapons, armor and humanoid enemies, since those textures will become blurry messes (personal preference). Also the memory gained from going lower is so small compared from going to 2k to 1k that it just does not make sense...I also highly doubt that anybody can prove that going that low will help stability... since it frees up so very little.

(5mb to 1mb compared to 1mb to 300kb for DXT5 compression roughly speaking.)

 

Seams are always going to be present, these are due to the meshes mainly... it would be a really time consuming project to sort it out, since not only would you have to fit the meshes with all possible other meshes that can be placed near them, you also have to sort it out with textures. Hence why nobody really does it... and most of the time it is not that noticeable unless you stare at it.

[z929669]

Ok I made a little test myself since I have no idea what I'm doing

 

Old texture folder of SRO: 3.78GB

'Optimized' entire folder with 2k2k: 1.68GB

Optimized normal maps: 1.18GB

 

 

First screenshot: no SRO on

Second screenshot: SRO on

Third screenshot: entire SRO folder 'optimized' with 2k on both restaints

Fourth screenshot: only normal maps '_n.dds' optimized with 1k on both restaints (looks a lot similar to the second screenshot)

 

Can someone please tell me what is right and what is wrong xD? I think the third screenshot is NOT how you optimize textures. If I only optimize normal maps, it's going to give me already performance is this correct? I want the best optimized quality for all my landscape textures, and I can't figure out what is the best.

 

Also why are there squares or seams? Is it normal

 

SRO should not be optimized at all. Reduce the texture sizes, but don't remip or recompress.

 

Best thing is to download SRO from the link that Neovalen provides in Skyrim revisited. This one is already size-constraint optimized where it matters (exterior normal maps). All interior textures should be left alone. No reduction beyond this is necessary, and the total performance gain is well worth it. The quality loss is almost imperceptible.

 

Also, your screenshots are strange. It makes no sense taht the 'optimized' 2k constraints look quite different from the 'optimized' 1k constrains (which in turn are similar to the untouched textures). Ar you sure that you have the right assets loaded and that these are the actual treatments? The normals are definitely steeper in the third screen than all the rest, so Behave settings don't seem to be consistent but for the different constraints.

 

Just download the torrent linked by SR and don't worry about this one.