GUIDE Skyrim Tree Settings Guide

[DoubleYou]

Discussion thread:

Skyrim Tree Settings Guide by STEP

Wiki Link

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This thread is for discussion and improvement of the Skyrim Tree Settings Guide on the wiki.

 

 

Guide scope

This guide is intended to be a guide to the tree configuration settings for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim game as set through INI files. Its purpose is geared toward understanding how trees work in Skyrim and optimizing them for individual use.

 

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I was going to make this into a thread but decided it was better suited on the wiki.

[Cameron9428]

Thanks for your hard work on this DoubleYou.

 

I am a bit confused on a couple of settings though. Specifically the following:

 

SkyrimPrefs.ini

[Display]fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=6144fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=4096fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=8192

In the step SkyrimPrefs guide, it is recommended to set these settings to 10000000. So then which is better? 10000000 or the tweaks listed above?

Edited October 25, 2015 by Cameron9428

[DoubleYou]

I'm still tweaking to find out what the best values are... the values that show the best detail at the least performance cost. Bethesda just threw high values in the similar settings, which I have copied for now, but lowering them to a more sane value may improve performance at no visual cost.

[Cameron9428]

I'm still tweaking to find out what the best values are... the values that show the best detail at the least performance cost. Bethesda just threw high values in the similar settings, which I have copied for now, but lowering them to a more sane value may improve performance at no visual cost.

Yeah I figured. I can't imagine how many hours you've put into testing all of these settings, thanks again for all your hard work :)

[kranazoli]

Hey,

 

"By default, Skyrim will render 20 skinned trees around the player character."

 

We can increase the amount of skinned trees rendered around the player.

 

uiMaxSkinnedTreesToRender=200"

 

If I am right that value put more objects (trees) around my player.

I am a little afraid of some kind of side effect:

 

- Performance (not just FPS, but also higher VRAM usage + more stuttering)

- and clipping trees?

 

I use SFO and I am a little afraid of CTDs because of more SFO trees and also more stuttering.

 

How about these ones?

 

Thank you!

 

Ps: But the default value is not 40 instead of 20?

O, and one more thing. Using these values with DynDOLOD medium preset, which settings do you recommend?

 

fTreeLoadDistance=40000.0000
fTreeLoadDistance=25000.0000

Edited October 30, 2015 by kranazoli

[DoubleYou]

It doesn't put more trees around the player. It just skins them, i.e., gives them better detail. It will indeed have a performance impact, which I mention. Clipping trees? Not sure what you're trying to say there. It does not add trees. That was SpeedTree, which wasn't used in Skyrim.

 

The default value is 40, but everyone has 20 in their INI since that's what all the presets have.

 

There are 4 choices:

 

1. Use dynamic unskinned trees
2. Use dynamic skinned trees with tree popping
3. Use dynamic skinned trees without tree popping
4. Use static skinned trees

All of these except option 4 can have animated or inanimate trees of course. Option 1 has the best performance. If you think trees look fine unskinned, by all means do so. I'm not sure whether option 3 or 4 is the most performance costly.

 

fTreeLoadDistance? Set it to whatever you like. I'm more of the playing type, i.e., don't stare too much at distant scenery, so I'm more apt to stick with the smaller value.

[kranazoli]

It doesn't put more trees around the player. It just skins them, i.e., gives them better detail. It will indeed have a performance impact, which I mention. Clipping trees? Not sure what you're trying to say there. It does not add trees. That was SpeedTree, which wasn't used in Skyrim.

 

The default value is 40, but everyone has 20 in their INI since that's what all the presets have.

 

There are 4 choices:

 

1. Use dynamic unskinned trees
2. Use dynamic skinned trees with tree popping
3. Use dynamic skinned trees without tree popping
4. Use static skinned trees

All of these except option 4 can have animated or inanimate trees of course. Option 1 has the best performance. If you think trees look fine unskinned, by all means do so. I'm not sure whether option 3 or 4 is the most performance costly.

 

fTreeLoadDistance? Set it to whatever you like. I'm more of the playing type, i.e., don't stare too much at distant scenery, so I'm more apt to stick with the smaller value.

"It doesn't put more trees around the player. It just skins them, i.e., gives them better detail. It will indeed have a performance impact, which I mention. Clipping trees? Not sure what you're trying to say there. It does not add trees."

 

Okay. So it was because of my misunderstanding that or lack of my english knowledge. I thought this settings put more trees around my character and not "'just" more detailed trees. That was the clipping trees theory. Now, I see.

 

Is there a "huge" difference between 40 and 200? And can I use these values with SFO as well?

 

"The default value is 40, but everyone has 20 in their INI since that's what all the presets have."

 

Yes, but after I read that the default value is 40 and the launcher for instance change this value to 20, I switched back to 40.

 

The more settings I will try out and choose which one is the most suitable for me, but now everything is clear. Or at least, I hope so. :)

 

Thank you!

[DoubleYou]

There probably isn't much difference between 40 and 200. I need to start tree counting to get a better number, and I'm lazy. Since the setting is only for the "maximum" amount of skinned trees, you can probably with safety set it to 10000000 and not get much of a difference. I just used 200 since it would be easy to add an extra 0 to the 20 that will already be there, and I noticed no tree popping with it.