Grass Optimization

[DoubleYou]

https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:Skyrim_INI/Grass

https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:SkyrimPrefs_INI/Grass

 

After experimenting with grass settings, I am recommending the following grass settings for STEP:

 

Skyrim.ini

[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=1
bAllowLoadGrass=0
bDrawShaderGrass=1
fGrassFadeRange=10000
fTexturePctThreshold=0
iGrassCellRadius=2
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=7
iMinGrassSize=40

SkyrimPrefs.ini

[Grass]
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=7000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=0
fGrassStartFadeDistance=1000

What this does is lowers the grass fade starting distance while expanding the range over which grass fades, which almost if not entirely removes the grass popping in effect that can be experienced if merely increasing the grass fade distance. A video to demonstrate this might be useful. Also, a slight increase to iMinGrassSize (grass density) doesn't have any real visual effect and may increase performance slightly. iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure is set to the Skyrim Flora Overhaul recommended level, and it really doesn't appear to affect vanilla much, although it definitely is a valid setting. Testing of this value needs to be done. The rest are default settings or fixes for the default settings.

 

Optionally users can disable windy grass:

 

Skyrim.ini

[Grass]
fGrassWindMagnitudeMax=0
fGrassWindMagnitudeMin=0

If users prefer to disable grass altogether, these settings should remove grass several times over:

 

Skyrim.ini

[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=0
bAllowLoadGrass=0
bDrawShaderGrass=0
fGrassFadeRange=0
fTexturePctThreshold=0.2
fGrassWindMagnitudeMax=0
fGrassWindMagnitudeMin=0
iGrassCellRadius=-1
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=-1
iMinGrassSize=0

SkyrimPrefs.ini

[Grass]
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=7000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=0
fGrassStartFadeDistance=0

as well as the TG console command.

[TechAngel85]

It would be nice to already recommend settings for users with more powerful rigs. I've been following some of these changes and stating the default and recommended values are good, but also stating the settings for lower-end and higher-end systems would round things out nicely.

[DoubleYou]

For values that Bethesda changed in the INIs for the presets, low to ultra, I make mention of these values. Most of the settings, however, were left untouched, which is why you only see a default and recommended value. I typically indicate performance as being affected by settings, and pretty much leave it up to the user to tweak these accordingly.

[CorneliusC]

I just wanted to say thank you for this. For me definitely an improvement over using "grassstartfadedistance" at medium the whole time.

[DoubleYou]

I think the best thing about this tweak is it altogether removes the grass pop-in effect that has driven everybody batty for a long time.

[Neovalen]

Trying this when I get home. Been meaning to but haven't :).

[Yakuza]

It would be nice to already recommend settings for users with more powerful rigs. I've been following some of these changes and stating the default and recommended values are good, but also stating the settings for lower-end and higher-end systems would round things out nicely.

I'm compiling a shadow configuration list that will do just that! Hopefully people will check it out/find it useful. May be a good idea to see something similar in the STEP config wiki, as you said. I only found out shadows through tweaking for days, and I'd hate to be the guy that settles for less than what they can get out of the game because they can't be bothered. Adding extra info for various systems like that is the way to go imo.

Edited November 7, 2015 by Yakuza

[Spock]

Afaik the only way to increase grass view distance is by increasing ugrids. Grass is only displayed on loaded ugrids and 7000 is already well tweaked. Increasing the grass view distance without also increasing ugrids leads to popping which I personally find way more immersion breaking then a slow fade in.

The 'good' grass distances (meaning little popping) are in linear relation to ugrids btw. So the right setting for ugrids 7 is 7000*7/5=9800.

[DoubleYou]

You can increase Grass Fade distance beyond 7000 without popping if you use the fade range setting.

[z929669]

Thanks for the testing results and advice! I am all for this if nobody pokes any serious holes ;)

[Spock]

After a brief testing, the fade range setting is beautiful. It masks grass popping on cell transitions very nicely. As far as I can see, it still does not allow grass to be drawn beyond cell borders though, so grass is still limited by ugrids. 10000 seems to be a very good value already, it sometimes makes grass pop but due to the lower density it is quite subtle and bearable (this depends on the angle at which you approach cell borders because they are square while the radius is circular).

 

[edit]On a second note: The subjective perception of popping depends on the resolution for me. At first some textures looked kind of blurred on my new 1080p monitor setup, but with 1440p VSR popping etc became much more visible.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Spock