Wiki [Display] Mipmapping is incorrect entirely.

[Yakuza]

From the wiki:

 

https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:SkyrimPrefs_INI/Display#iTexMipMapMinimum

 

 

iTexMipMapMinimum

iTexMipMapMinimum sets the minimum mipmap for textures to be used.

 

iTexMipMapSkip

iTexMipMapSkip sets the texture quality (determined by the number of mipmaps to skip). It is recommended to be set to 0 to preserve full texture fidelity.

No??

 

 

This is not my only source, but the wikipedia is one of the most trustworthy resources.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mipmap

 

In 3D computer graphics, mipmaps (also MIP maps)[1][2][3] are pre-calculated, optimized sequences of textures, each of which is a progressively lower resolution representation of the same image.[/b] The height and width of each image, or level, in the mipmap is a power of two smaller than the previous level.

 

 

The wiki just states it's the texture quality. Misworded maybe? No. Reread what the wiki says; they have no idea what mipmapping is.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mipmap#How_it_works

 

 

Each bitmap image of the mipmap set is a downsized duplicate of the main texture, but at a certain reduced level of detail. Although the main texture would still be used when the view is sufficient to render it in full detail, the renderer will switch to a suitable mipmap image (or in fact, interpolate between the two nearest, if trilinear filtering is activated) when the texture is viewed from a distance or at a small size. Rendering speed increases since the number of texture pixels ("texels") being processed per display pixel can be much lower for similar results with the simpler mipmap textures. If using a limited number of texture samples per display pixel (as is the case with Bilinear filtering) then artifacts are reduced since the mipmap images are effectively already anti-aliased. Scaling down and up is made more efficient with mipmaps as well.

 

If the texture has a basic size of 256 by 256 pixels, then the associated mipmap set may contain a series of 8 images, each one-fourth the total area of the previous one: 128×128 pixels, 64×64, 32×32, 16×16, 8×8, 4×4, 2×2, 1×1 (a single pixel). If, for example, a scene is rendering this texture in a space of 40×40 pixels, then either a scaled up version of the 32×32 (without trilinear interpolation) or an interpolation of the 64×64 and the 32×32 mipmaps (with trilinear interpolation) would be used. The simplest way to generate these textures is by successive averaging; however, more sophisticated algorithms (perhaps based on signal processing and Fourier transforms) can also be used.

 

 

 

Tl;dr It has nothing to do with texture quality. It is a Level Of Detail modification and strictly an LOD. The STEP wiki fails to even reference mipmap size...

 

 

 

If the wiki was correct, why would these two popular mods exist?

 

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/12801/?

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5755/?

 

The second is DDSOpt. A mod recommended by STEP.

 

 

 

How much more of the STEP wiki is incorrect?

 

 

 

 

EDIT: The "iTexMipMapMinimum" images were removed, lol. Pretty sure the text was modified as well (before this was posted) but I can't prove that. The images were 100% removed, however.

 

 

Side note: You will never see mipmappings' effects indoors, at least not very much, and MipMapSkip will never change the base texture yet they included this in the wiki. There is an unbelievable amount of wrong in the wiki.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Yakuza

[DoubleYou]

If you change the "Texture Quality" setting in the advanced section of the Skyrim Launcher, it modifies iTexMipMapSkip. High sets it to 0 (which means to use the highest resolution of the DDS, i.e., do not skip to a mipmap of lower resolution) Medium sets it to 1 (which tells it to skip the highest resolution of the DDS and go to the texture layer below it, which is half the resolution, i.e., the mipmap), and Low sets it to 2 (which tells it to skip the highest resolution of the DDS, and the half-size mip-map below it, so that it is now 1/4 the resolution of the base texture). Hence, by skipping mipmaps (i.e., skipping through the texture resolution levels which are known as mipmaps), the game changes the texture quality.

 

Hence, the wiki is not incorrect, and I never displayed images for iTexMipMapMinimum. I say Texture Quality for the lay man, and I reference mipmaps for the technically minded, i.e., those who understand DDS textures). The effects of iTexMipMapSkip obviously change the texture quality.

[Guest]

Okay, I'll say it... That was really bitchy and condescending. Why didn't you just ask nicely? You come off like you think you know everything and everyone else is 100% wrong.

[GrantSP]

EDIT: The "iTexMipMapMinimum" images were removed, lol. Pretty sure the text was modified as well (before this was posted) but I can't prove that. The images were 100% removed, however.

Leaving aside the tone of your post, this comment implies one of the STEP staff is trying to hide an error to "save face". This just does not happen. We are all well aware that errors can be made and are willing to concede when they are pointed out to us. However if you look at that page and examine the 'History' of edits you will see the last edit to that page was over a month ago and nothing to do with those images.

By all means join in the discussion if you wish to contribute something to the wider community of gamers, but please do so in a manner befitting this forum.

If you wish to further this discussion please read the STEP Community Citizenship Guidelines found at the bottom of every page.

[DoubleYou]

iTexMipMapMinimum may not set the minimum mipmap, upon reflection, but that's what its name implies. I haven't really been able to discover the circumstances where the setting made a difference, and hence have never caught photos as of yet. I'd appreciate anyone who is able to discover where iTexMipMapMinimum has an effect to post their testing results.

[DoubleYou]

I finally saw iTexMipMapMinimum in action. I set it down to 6 for one of my spINI presets (a WIP), and during the intro sequence when there was some intense action during the dragon fight, I noticed some textures getting bumped way down in "quality." So from that, I'd say it sets the minimum amount that the game can bump down in the textures' mipmaps if it decides it needs it. 

 

Probably ought not to set it to 6 though. I'm thinking 0 for ultra, 1 for high, 2 for medium and low, and 3 for poor. I'm looking into possible bugs when iTexMipMapMinimum is set to 0, as I think it may be the cause of some crazy texture issues I've noticed (e.g., dragon changing from no mipmap to like mipmap 4 at times). I'm really liking the idea of recommending to change this to at least 1.