NOTE
This is the current version of the Step Fallout4 Guide. Don't forget to
endorse Step on the Nexus if you like the guide. Please report any problems or confusing instructions on the latest
Feedback & Bug Reports pinned forum topic.
Step Fallout4 Guide
WIP
This guide is under development and is not complete
This is our first major release of the Step Fallout 4 (Fallout4 , FO4) guide. As described in the Step Versioning Documentation, this is a 'major' release. This Guide requires Fallout 4 GOTY edition (or all DLC).
- Visit the forums, and provide feedback related to this guide.
- Also follow Step Modifications on Facebook.
- To support hosting and maintenance of the Step Community Project, consider donating to the project.
About Step
A Foreword
Created by TheCompiler (Daniele Ferraro), Step is a collaborative project with input from the modding community, technical volunteers, and project administrators. The goal is to provide tested and validated methods for establishing and maintaining an enhanced modded Skyrim. Thus, the Guide provides detailed, well-tested build instructions for a solid modded Skyrim that achieves an enhanced, vanilla experience. It's meant to be installed in its entirety and not piecemeal.
The Step team collects information from the modding community through extensive mod testing, detailed reviews, feedback, and suggestions exchanged on the Step Community Forums. Posting rules apply, so be sure to read and follow them. Engage and enjoy a warm welcome and plenty of high-quality support from a large community of experienced members.
New to Modding?
We recommend that you ...
- read through this Guide at least once before attempting installation.
- follow all linked guides and read through them, as well.
There is a lot of information to absorb and learn in order to successfully build a modded game. We and the community, have brought together a lot of this information into guides as a free and hopefully convenient resource for all. New and experienced modders alike will find many answers within these guides and linked resources. This Guide is written in such a way that it expects users to know the basics of modding and related tools (e.g. mod managers, LOD optimizers, configuration utilities, etc.). However our support forums are always available for our users.
Nomenclature
The following nomenclature is used throughout this guide and should be understood before proceeding.
- 'tick' means 'check': Frequently, the word 'check' or 'checked' can mean 'ensure' in addition to "check mark", so 'check' is not used where it is synonymous with 'tick' to avoid any mistakes that can (and have) happened from this conflation.
- Baseline: An installation of a mod using the recommend file option listed within the Baseline column of the mod tables below.
- Step Patches: A "patch" is a plugin that allows two or more mods to work together without conflicting. The Step Patches are such plugins, but allow all of the mods in the Step Guide to work harmoniously together. Some users refer to this as a conflict resolution patch or "CR Patch".
Minimum System Requirements
We recommend the following hardware configuration for running a Step Fallout4 installation at a resolution of 1920x1080 on Ultra-like settings. The minimum requirements will allow most users to install and run the Baseline options, which match Fallout4 's recommended requirements. Our recommended requirements below will allow most users to install and run the Guide using higher quality options with all of the Guide's optional components (Lighting & Weather, ENB, etc.).
Users wishing to install high quality options at resolutions higher than 1920x1080, be advised a more powerful system will likely be required than what is listed below.
Hardware
|
Minimum
|
Recommended
|
Windows OS
|
Windows 10 64-bit
|
Windows 10 64-bit
|
CPU
|
Intel Core i5-7600 / i7-4790 or equivalent
|
Intel Core i5-8600 / i7-8700 or equivalent or better
|
System RAM
|
8 GB
|
8 GB or higher
|
GPU
|
Nvidia GTX 970 or equivalent
|
Nvidia GTX 1060 or equivalent or better
|
Drive Space
|
~65 GBs (includes game+guide)
|
~75 GBs (includes game+guide)
|
Monitor Resolution
|
1920x1080
|
1920x1080 or higher
|
Time Requirement
Users should be aware that it will usually take anywhere from several hours to a several days to complete this Guide from start to finish. Since this is a start to finish process, a recommend schedule for completing it is:
- Day 1 : Steps 1 - 3
- Day 2 : Step 4
- Step 4 is installing all the mods. Depending on download speeds and previous modding knowledge, this step could span 1-3 days.
- Final Day : Finish the remainder of the Guide.
The overall message here is that Step encourages users to always follow proper computer ergonomics when modding! Remember to take breaks and happy modding!
STEP 1
Game & Tool Installation
WARNING
It is not recommended to install or use the official
High Resolution Texture Pack DLC as it has significant issues that are not worth fixing for the few textures that would be used from it. If it is already installed, remove it by unchecking the DLC in the Steam library.
Those who have not completed the System Setup Guide should STOP and do so now BEFORE beginning Step 2! This is a perquisite for completing this guide.
STEP 2
Tool Configuration
Mod Organizer - Fallout4 Initialization
FIRST, follow the System Setup Guide. The below instructions describe how to initialize a Fallout4 instance in Mod Organizer (MO). If MO was installed as a Portable application, the instructions below will need to be interpreted accordingly. If a Skyrim Special Edition instance was created in Step 1 or otherwise, simply select the instance and skip the following:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Fallout4 Initialization Steps
- Launch MO by running its executable (e.g.
..Modding/Tools/Mod Organizer/ModOrganizer.exe
)
- Upon load, click the Instance Manager button .
- Click on [Create new instance].
- Select Skyrim Special Edition and click [Next].
- If the game wasn't found, manually browse to the game's location.
- Name the instance something like
Step Skyrim SE
or keep the default. Click [Next].
- (optional) change the location of data stored. Step recommends the default location, unless space restraints prevent this. Click [Next].
- A confirmation window will display with the installation information. Click [Finish].
- MO is now ready to use with this guide.
Profile Setup
MO's profile feature allows the creation of multiple mod builds that rely on the same mod list and mod-level configurations. In other words, if a mod was installed with option 'A', then that mod is only available in this configuration for all profiles under an instance. Profiles can have different mods enabled, separate save games, and game INIs, but the mod configuration is identical among each profile. Different MO-game instances must be used for different mod configurations. For the purpose of this guide, a single mod configuration is all that's needed, so profiles are sufficient. Begin by creating/editing two profiles:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Profile Creation Steps
Tool Setup
All tools installed in the System Setup Guide should already be configured in MO. Some tools will have been auto-detected and added; nevertheless, ensure the settings below are set correctly for all tools. xEdit is used in this example:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Tool Setup Steps
- For xEdit, it is useful to create a mod into which all xEdit ouput can be directed in order to keep it all together:
- Click at the top of the left pane in MO, and select "Create empty mod".
- Type
xEdit Output
, and select [OK].
- Place this mod at the top of the mod list just below the vanilla game files.
- Click at the top of the main Mod Organizer window.
- In the left pane of the executables config, click the [+] to add a new executable, and then [Add from file...].
- Browse to the SSEEdit.exe file (e.g.
..Modding/Tools/xEdit/SSEEdit.exe
).
- This should auto-fill most of the fields.
- Change the title to xEdit.
- Input the following in the Arguments field separated by a single space:
- e.g.
-IKnowWhatImDoing -FO4 -AllowMasterFilesEdit
- "-IKnowWhatImDoing": This turns off a warning presented when users make edits.
- "-AllowMasterFilesEdit": By default xEdit will not allow master file editing. This enables that.
- Tick the Create files in mod instead of overwrite box. Select the xEdit Output mod from the drop-down.
- Tick the Use applications icon for desktop shortcuts box.
- Click [Apply].
- Repeat these steps to add the remaining executables as indicated in the table following.
- Arrange the tools in any order using the up and down buttons above the list. This will dictate the order that tools are listed in the MO "Run" dropdown menu. Close the window by clicking the [OK] button.
NOTE
For tools previously installed, adjust the arguments below for use with
Fallout4 .
Application Title
|
Executable
|
Argument(s)
|
xEdit
|
xEdit.exe
|
-FO4 -IKnowWhatImDoing -AllowMasterFilesEdit Tick the Create files in mod instead of overwrite box and select the xEdit Output mod from the drop-down.
|
xEditQuickAutoClean
|
xEditQuickAutoClean.exe
|
-FO4 Tick the Create files in mod instead of overwrite box and select the xEdit Output mod from the drop-down.
|
LOOT
|
LOOT.exe
|
--game="Skyrim Special Edition"
|
xLODGen
|
xLODGenx64.exe
|
-lodgen -FO4 -o:"DriveLetter:\Modding\Tools\xLODGen\xLODGen_Output" Replace DriveLetter: with the drive letter of the 'Modding' folder.
|
Tools can be arranged in any order using the up and down buttons above the list. This will dictate the order they are listed in the MO "Run" dropdown menu. When complete, close the window by clicking the [OK] button.
BethINI Setup
BethINI needs to be run for the current MO profile to establish the configuration files before beginning mod installation. This ensures that all users share a common configuration during the modding process. As such, please do not deviate from the instructions below. Once the guide is complete and things are confirmed to be working, BethINI will be revisited towards the end of this guide to finalize the optimal configuration.
BethINI Initialization
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] BethINI Initialization Steps
- Close MO, and run BethINI (e.g.
..Modding/Tools/BethINI/BethINI.exe
).
- If prompted by Windows protection, click More Info and then [Run anyway].
- When BethINI launches, select "Skyrim Special Edition" from the game selection box.
- Allow BethINI to handle custom INIs, if prompted.
- Go to the Setup tab and ensure the
- Ensure the Game path is correct (e.g.
..\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition
).
- Ensure the Mod Organizer path is correct (e.g.
..\Modding\Tools\Mod Organizer
).
- The INI Path name depends on the MO Profile Setup
- If BethINI does not automatically display the profile created previously in step 5 of the MO initialization instructions, browse to and set that profile (e.g.,
%LOCALAPPDATA%\ModOrganizer\{instanceName}\profiles\STEP Fallout4
).
- Select the Step Fallout4 profile folder, and click [Open].
- Click [OK] at the prompts to restart BethINI with the desired profile configured. Allow BethINI to handle custom INIs, if prompted.
- Return to the Setup tab.
- The “Automatically Check for Updates”, “Auto-detect Invalid Settings”, “Always Select Game”, and “Modify Custom INIs” boxes should be ticked.
- Keep BethINI open.
BethINI Baseline Configuration
WIP
This is currently for SSE and not Fallout 4 and needs fixed.
Configure BethINI as described in the steps below, which are reflected in the images where applicable. Please do no deviate from these instructions at this time:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Basic
- Click the [Default] button and wait until the "Your INI files have been successfully reset to default values." message is displayed.
- Click the [High] preset and wait until the "Video settings have been set for BethINI high quality." message is displayed.
- Please avoid the temptation to click 'Ultra' for now, even if the PC is high-end.
- Tick Recommended Tweaks and wait until the "Recommended tweaks have been automatically applied." message is displayed.
- Window Resolution should match the system resolution.
- Tick Borderless and 64-Bit Render Targets.
- Untick VSync and Lock Frame Rate
Basic Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] General
- Screenshots directory, Filename, and Index can be set as desired. Screenshots are taken by pressing [Print Screen] on the keyboard.
General Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Gameplay
- Set Over-Encumbered Reminder to 300 (5 mins) or 3600 (1 hour)
- NPC Use Ammo is optional, but recommended.
Gameplay Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Interface
- Subtitles may be enabled here if desired.
- Untick Mod Manager Menu
Interface Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Detail
- Untick Reflect Sky and Anamorphic Lens Flare.
- The following can be ticked, but if ENB is used, remember to untick the following:
- Lens Flare
- Ambient Occlusion
Detail Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] View Distance
- View distance settings can be left unchanged.
View Distance Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Visuals
- Untick Fade-In
- Set Far-off Tree Distance to 0. The far-off trees will be rendered in object LOD via DynDOLOD instead.
- Set Grass Density to 60 and Grass Diversity to 15.
Visuals Tab
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Custom
- (optional) Consider the following to reduce the sun size if using ENB:
- In the Section drop-down, select Weather.
- In the Setting drop-down, select fSunBaseSize.
- Change the value to 200 and click [Save].
- In the Setting drop-down, select fSunGlareSize.
- Change the value to 282 and click [Save].
- Return to Basic tab, and click [Save and Exit]
Custom Tab
STEP 3
Plugins & Considerations
Sorting Plugins With LOOT
At any time during the mod installation process, LOOT should be used to sort plugins before running the game. This is necessary to ensure proper plugin priority (load order), which can have a dramatic impact on the game:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Steps to Sort Plugins
- Relaunch Mod Organizer, if it isn't already running.
- Launch LOOT via MO from the executables drop-down menu at the top of the right pane.
- If LOOT fails to start, try adding the following argument as described in Tools Setup:
--single-process
. If LOOT cannot find the game directory, add the path to ../Fallout 4
folder to Install Path under LOOT settings.
- Click the [Sort Plugins] waffle icon at the top of the LOOT window next to the game name.
- Several plugins will show warnings in yellow. The next section describes how to clean them up.
- Click the [Apply Sorted Load Order] checkmark button at the top of the LOOT window next to the game name.
- Close LOOT.
Up to this point, only the following plugins should be listed in the MO right pane in the order listed. (If not, run LOOT again):
- Fallout4.esm
- DLCRobot.esm
- DLCworkshop01.esm
- DLCCoast.esm
- DLCworkshop02.esm
- DLCworkshop03.esm
- DLCNukaWorld.esm
If the plugins are not in the order listed, run LOOT now.
Cleaning Vanilla Master Plugins
WIP
This is currently for SSE and not Fallout 4 and needs fixed.
To resolve potential issues later, the vanilla plugin masters should be cleaned with xEdit. Step is aware of the debate regarding whether or not it's necessary to clean vanilla masters. While it may or may not matter for general references, that is not the case regarding large references. Any large reference that is deleted, "initially disabled", or overwritten triggers large reference bugs. See the relevant posts for details and further reading.
Prior to getting started, create an empty mod entitled Cleaned Vanilla Masters in the MO left pane by clicking on in the header above the mod list. Enable this mod.
Standard Cleaning Procedures
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Plugin Cleaning Steps
- Run LOOT from the drop-down executable list in MO.
- Note that any 'dirty' plugins plugins will have yellow 'warning' blocks. These are the plugins that should be cleaned. After taking note of one such plugin, LOOT can be closed.
- Run xEditQuickAutoClean from the drop-down executable list in MO.
- On the plugin selection window, double-click on the plugin being cleaned.
- Once xEdit is finished, click [X] at upper right to close. A backup of the original plugin will automatically be saved into (e.g.,
..\xEdit Output\SSEEdit Backups\PluginName.es*.DateTime
) inside of xEdit Oputput mod (or in Overwrite at the bottom of the MO mod list (left) pane if previous instructions were NOT followed!).
- To verify the plugin has been cleaned, LOOT can be run again, and no warnings should be apparent.
Clean the Masters
Vanilla masters should be cleaned in the following order using the following procedures:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Plugin cleaning procedures...
- Run LOOT from the drop-down executable list in MO, sort the plugins, and apply the changes. Do not close LOOT.
- Note that any 'dirty' plugins plugins will have yellow 'warning' blocks. These are the plugins that should be cleaned.
- Leaving the LOOT window open, click on the MO window and note the "Mod Organizer is locked ...." message in the center of the MO window. Click [Unlock].
- This allows the LOOT window to remain open as a reference while running the xEditQuickAutoClean process for the mods that should be cleaned. Begin cleaning the plugins from the top, and work down the list.
- Follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean Update.esm, then Dawnguard.esm using the following procedure:
- Run xEdit from MO.
- At the prompt, double-click on Dawnguard.esm.
- Once loaded, type in
00016BCF
in the FormID field (above the mod list) and hit [Enter/Return].
- In the right pane, find the "XEZN - Encounter Zone" record.
- In the Dawnguard.esm column, right-click on the "RiftenRatwayZone [ECZN:0009FBB9]" entry and select [Remove].
- If a prompt appears select Yes for each of these removals.
- In the FormID field again, type in
0001FA4C
and hit [Enter/Return].
- On the Dawnguard.esm column, right-lick on the "Dawnguard.esm" header and select [Remove].
- In the FormID field again, type in
0006C3B6
and hit [Enter/Return].
- On the Dawnguard.esm column, right-lick on the "Dawnguard.esm" header and select [Remove] as in step 3.7.
- Now close xEdit.
- In the window popup, ensure Dawnguard.esm is ticked and that Backup plugins is ticked at the bottom of the window (DO NOT untick Backup plugins!) and click [OK].
- Once Dawnguard's manual cleaning is complete, follow the standard cleaning procedures to clean Hearthfires.esm, Dragonborn.esm, and then all of the other Creation Club mods with LOOT warnings.
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Vanilla Masters Cleaning List...
- Update.esm
- Dawnguard.esm
- Hearthfires.esm
- Dragonborn.esm
- Creation Club Mods
- cc...almsivi.esm
- cc...Fish.esm
- cc...zombies.esl
- cc...ruinsedge.esl
- cc...goldbrand.esl
- cc...SurvivalMode.esl
- cc...puzzledungeon.esm
- cc...hstead.esm
- cc...shadowrend.esl
- cc...norjewel.esl
- cc...pets.esl
- cc...mntuni.esl
- cc...hasedoki.esl
- cc...wraithguard.esl
- cc...imperialdragon.esl
- cc...ve.esl
- cc...crosselv.esl
- cc...umbra.esm
- cc...advcyrus.esm
- cc...bowofshadows.esl
- cc...advobgobs.esl
- cc...ba_daedric.esl
- cc...ba_dragonplate.esl
- cc...ba_dwarven.esl
- cc...armsofchaos.esl
- cc...netchleather.esl
- cc...splkntset.esl
- cc...ba_dwarvenmail.esl
- cc...ba_dragonscale.esl
- cc...ba_daedricmail.esl
- cc...ba_stalhrim.esl
- cc...ba_daedinv.esm
- cc...necroarts.esl
- cc...beafarmer.esl
- cc...AdvDSGS.esm
- cc...necrohouse.esl
- cc...redguard.esl
- cc...hall.esl
- cc...cave.esm
- cc...altar.esl
- cc...gaunt.esl
Moving the Cleaned Files
After the vanilla master files are cleaned, they should be moved into the "Cleaned Vanilla Masters" mod in MO, and the original files should be restored into the 'real' "Data" directory in the game folder. This makes Steam happy when "validating" files so that it remains unaware of changes. To move the new files and restore the original files, complete the following:
Cleaned Vanilla Masters
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Toggle instructions
- In MO, open the Cleaned Vanilla Masters mod in Windows Explorer (right-click Cleaned Vanilla Masters, then click Open in Explorer).
- Click the button above the MO mod list (left) pane, and select Open Game Folder to open the game folder in Windows Explorer (e.g.
..\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition
- Open
..\Data
folder, and move all the cleaned master files from ..\Data
into ..\Cleaned Vanilla Masters
folder.
- Tip: Set the folder to Details view and sort by the Date modified column. This will sort all the recently modified files to the top of the file list. (reference image)
- Close the Cleaned Vanilla Masters folder, and tick the box to enable it in the MO left pane if it isn't enabled.
- Close MO for the next steps and continue below
Restore Original Masters
To quickly and easily restore the original masters, follow the instructions for Verify integrity of game cache. Once that is complete, use Steam to launch the game to allow it to download any missing Creation Club content. This must also be done to reinitialize the game with Steam and allow MO to run configured executables without complaint (Any time Steam 'updates' the game files and actually downloads new files, the Steam manifest (or other Steam config) for the game resets and requires a Steam launch).
For those that don't want to do this for whatever reason, the manual process is described below.
- NOTE: The manual process is more tedious and requires both moving AND renaming the backed-up versions.
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Toggle instructions
- In MO, open the xEdit Output mod in Windows Explorer (right-click xEdit Output, then click Open in Explorer).
- Inside the "SSEEdit Backups" folder, rename the files to "MasterName.esm" (i.e. "Update.esm").
- If there are multiple copies of any of the files, use the one with the earliest timestamp (the original).
- NOTE: If the backed-up vanilla plugins are not present, then backups were disabled by unticking Backup plugins in a previous xEdit session, contrary to previous instructions. In that case, the vanilla files MUST either be restored using the instructions for Verify integrity of game cache, OR the
DontBackup=1
setting must be changed back to DontBackup=0
in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Skyrim Special Edition\Plugins.sseviewsettings
.
- Move or copy the renamed files into the 'real' game Data directory (
..\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data
), choosing to overwrite/replace, if asked.
- Close all Explorer windows.
MO2
Any time Bethesda updates these master files, they will likely need to be cleaned again and replaced in MO. Any previously cleaned versions of these same files that exist in the MO mod list must be either disabled or deleted first, because xEdit will see only the cleaned versions otherwise.
At this point, the Bethesda masters should be cleaned and the mod list order in the left pane should reflect (Note that the plugin order may be different):
- Creation Club Mods...
- DLC: HearthFires
- DLC: Dragonborn
- DLC: Dawnguard
- Cleaned Vanilla Masters
- xEdit Output
NOTE: To verify the vanilla mods have been cleaned, LOOT can be run again, and no warnings should be apparent.
STEP 4
At this point, the PC modding environment should be fully set up and ready for mod installation.
IMPORTANT: Please read ALL of the following carefully BEFORE requesting support on the forums!
- This guide can be installed in one of three (3) ways:
- All mods from all ModGroups (mod tables) installed. This is recommended, due to the coordination of this build in terms of lighting, weather, and ENB. These are usually the most difficult aspects of a build to get right, given vanilla Skyrim's rather wonky lighting 'incoherence'.
- All mods from all ModGroups EXCEPT for the optional ModGroup, 21-Post-Processing. Like the default recommended option, this is most useful for those that cannot afford the performance cost of running with post-processing mods like ENBSeries. For those that want to use a custom ENB setup, we obviously cannot support that, but feel free to try any ENBs that are compatible with the 18-Lighting & Weather ModGroup.
- All mods from all ModGroups EXCEPT for the optional ModGroups, 18-Lighting & Weather and 21-Post-Processing. Use this approach if a custom lighting/weather/post-processing solution will be applied, which will obviously not be supported.
General Mod List Notes
- Do not extract BSAs unless specifically instructed to do so.
- If no Notes or Step recommendations are provided for a particular mod, all options are valid.
- After installing a mod, ALWAYS enable the mod and any related plugins in MO unless otherwise instructed.
- Mods are listed in alphabetical order within each ModGroup and any deviations from this are purposeful to achieve the desired outcome.
- Mods should be arranged in MO in the order that they are listed to ensure other mods further down the list overwrite/override those occurring before them.
- Always install plugins (ESLs/ESMs/ESPs), unless otherwise noted. When there is a choice to use an ESL, always choose that UNLESS continuing a playthrough using a previously-existing savegame (ESL-flagged plugins can 'break' a save that relies on a ESP or ESM version of the same plugin!).
- Always follow LOOT's advice in regards to mod cleaning and sorting unless otherwise noted.
ModGroup Separators
Mod Organizer features the ability to create separators within the mod list to group mods for easier visual reference. Step recommends using these separators for each ModGroup below:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Steps to Create MO Separators
- Click at the top of the mod list pane.
- Select [Create Separator], and give the separator a name. Step recommends using the Mod Group names (i.e., Extensions, Resources, Lighting & Weather, etc.).
- Create a new separator for each new Mod Group while working through the Guide.
- Separator colors can be customized by right-clicking on any separator and selecting Select Color.
Understanding the Step Patches
A “conflict resolution” patch, or CR Patch, is a plugin that resolves conflicts between various active plugins. They allow using various mods together without any major issues while still achieving the desired outcome from the mods. The Step Patches are built exclusively for the Step mod build. They are required and are dependent on specific mods as noted by indicators in the mod tables in Step 4. They will not resolve conflicts with any applicable mods that are not in this guide.
Step Patches
- Step Fallout4 - Conflict Resolution Patch (Step Patch - Conflict Resolution)
- Patches all conflicting plugins except for mods in the optional 18-Lighting & Weather and 21-Post-Processing ModGroups
- Required
- Step Fallout4 - Lighting & Weather Patch (Step Patch - Lighting & Weather)
- Required for those that are installing the optional 18-Lighting & Weather ModGroup.
- Step Fallout4 - Post-Processing Patch (Step Patch - Post-Processing)
- Required for those that are installing BOTH 18-Lighting & Weather AND 21-Post-Processing ModGroups.
Mod Table Reference
Below is the legend and reference for the mod tables used in this guide.
Mod Table Legend
|
|
|
Table Flags
|
A red vertical bar indicates that the mod is required by the Step Patch - Conflict Resolution. A yellow bar indicates that the mod is required by the Step Patch - Lighting & Weather. A blue bar indicates the mod supports or otherwise relates to mods in the 21-Post-Processing ModGroup.
|
|
|
|
Mod Name
|
Nexus mod name presented as a link to Nexus for download.
|
|
|
|
|
Link to the mod's wiki page, which includes various information about the mod.
|
|
|
|
Baseline
|
This notes the Step Baseline version or option of the corresponding mod that should be installed, and usually refers to options affecting performance/quality. General suggestions are located in the "Notes" column; see below.
|
|
|
|
Instructions
|
Brief note specifying a recommended install option. In some cases, mods will have several options. In such cases, click [Expand] to expand the mod row to reveal detailed instructions.
|
02-Extenders
- Mods that expand on the inherent functionality of a game or another mod without themselves affecting content
|
|
|
|
Mod Name
|
Baseline
|
Instructions
|
|
|
|
|
F4SE
|
|
Detailed Instructions available
|
Root Files Installation
- Download the main file.
- Open the archive and extract the following files to the Fallout 4 root folder
..\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4 :
- CustomControlMap.txt
- f4se_1_10_163.dll
- f4se_loader.exe
- f4se_steam_loader.dll
Data Files Installation
- In Mod Organizer, install the same archive. At the Install Mods window, type
F4SE Scripts
- Expand the top level to reveal the Data folder. Right-click the Data folder and select [Set ‹data› directory].
- Click [OK] to finish installing the mod.
|
|
|
|
|
Buffout 4
|
|
Detailed Instructions available
|
Once installed, double-click on the mod to open up the information window, and ensure the following settings in config.toml ("Text Files" tab):
[Compatibility]
F4EE = true
|
|
|
|
|
Shadow Boost FO4
|
|
Detailed Instructions available
|
General Installation and Setup
- Install the main file and the ShadowBoostFO4 ini optional file.
- Double-click on the mod in the MO left pane and set the following in
ShadowBoostFO4.ini
[Main]
fMinDistance = 2048.0
fMaxDistance = 6144.0
fDynamicValueFactor = 12.8
[Lod]
fLODFadeOutMultObjectsMin = 5
fLODFadeOutMultObjectsMax = 15
fLODFadeOutMultItemsMin = 3
fLODFadeOutMultItemsMax = 6
fLODFadeOutMultActorsMin = 6.0
fLODFadeOutMultActorsMax = 12.0
fDynamicValueFactor = 0.2
[Grass]
fGrassStartFadeDistanceMin = 1024.0
fGrassStartFadeDistanceMax = 6144.0
fDynamicValueFactor = 25.6
[TerrainManager]
bEnable = 0
NOTES:
- The default key to change setting in-game is the Home key.
- Consider changing the
fFpsTarget setting to a lower or higher value as desired.
- If any of these dynamic changes are too noticeable, tweak or disable them in the in-game menu.
- Do not enable the TerrainManager tweaks, as they will introduce stutter.
- This mod includes the godrays fix to make ultra godrays performance friendly.
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XSE PluginPreloader F4
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Detailed Instructions available
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Visual C++ Redistributable Package
This mod requires the latest Microsoft Visual C++ 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022 Redistributable Package to be installed in order to function. Download and install the X86 and X64 installers.
Root Files Installation
- Extract the archive into the root Fallout 4 directory (e.g.
..\SteamApps\common\Fallout 4 ).
- Open the xSE PluginPreloader.xml file with a text editor.
- Change
<LoadMethod Name="ImportAddressHook"> to <LoadMethod Name="OnThreadAttach"> and save.
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03-Resources
- Mods solely providing assets intended specifically for use by other mods without themselves affecting content
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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04-Foundation
- Baseline mods having many conflicting assets that should be overridden by other mods OR mods having programmatic changes that are widely accepted and adopted/expected by other mods
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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Fallout 4 HD Overhaul 2k
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Detailed Instructions available
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Install all of the main files via Mod Organizer.
- Alternately (not recommended), install all of the main files directly into the game data directory, overwriting the vanilla texture BA2 files, if you want to save disk space. Performance-wise, there will be no difference. If you do this, you may want to backup the vanilla texture BA2 files to another location. If you do this, understand that if you Verify integrity of game files in Steam, it will erase this mod with the vanilla textures.
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FO4LODGen Resources
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Detailed Instructions available
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FOMOD Instructions FO4LODGen Resources
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-
- Options
- ☑ FO4LODGen.esp
- ☑ FO4LODGen-DLCCoast-WindTurbines.esp
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Langleys HD Textures Workshop
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Detailed Instructions available
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- Install the main file only.
- Right-click the mod in the left pane and select Open in Explorer.
- Delete the following folders:
- materials
- textures\architecture\buildings
- Copy the folder path to your clipboard.
- Follow the Cathedral Assets Optimizer Usage Instructions.
- Referring to the LOOT Meta Rule Instructions:
- Create a Group rule for Langleys HD Textures Workshop.esp to sort in the Texture Overhauls (the plugin name may vary if you named the mod differently at installation).
- Create a Load After rule for Langleys HD Textures Workshop.esp to load after High Resolution Texture Pack 2K and 4K - Valius.esp (names may vary if you named the mod differently at installation).
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FlaconOils Complete Retexture Project
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Detailed Instructions available
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- Install FlaconOil - BA2 Parts 1, 2, and 3 files with the resolution of your choice, merging together into a single mod for easy re-archiving.
- Right-click the mod in the left pane and select Open in Explorer.
- Delete the 3 esp plugin files.
- Copy the folder path to your clipboard.
- Follow the Cathedral Assets Optimizer Usage Instructions.
- Referring to the LOOT Meta Rule Instructions:
- Create a Group rule for FlaconOil's Complete Retexture Project.esp to sort in the Texture Overhauls (the plugin name may vary if you named the mod differently at installation).
- Create a Load After rule for FlaconOil's Complete Retexture Project.esp to load after Langleys HD Textures Workshop.esp (names may vary if you named the mod differently at installation).
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05-Animation and Physics
- Mods that affect animations or physics
No mods defined.
06-Models and Textures
- Mods that replace existing models or textures
No mods defined.
-
No mods defined.
08-Character Appearance
- Mods that affect the appearance of the player character or NPCs
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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The Eyes Of Beauty Fallout Edition
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Detailed Instructions available
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Install the main file according to user preference. Below are suggestions.
FOMOD Instructions The Eyes of Beauty Fallout Kaleidoscope Edition - All-in-One
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- Introduction
- Table of Contents
- ☑ Part 1. New Standalone Plugins
- ☑ Part 2. Eyelash Options
- ☑ Part 3. Vanilla Eye Replacement
- ☑ Part 4. Looking Stranger Combo Sets
- ReadMe
- ☑ ReadMe
- ☑ Eye Normal Map Fix
- 1.0 Standalone Options
- Main Plugin
- Optional Plugins
- ☐ All-In-One Compatibility Plugin
- ☑ Looking Stranger Standalone
- 1.1 Plugin Type
- 2.1 Female Lashes
- Female - Thick Lashes
- Female - Full Lashes
- Female - Thin Lashes
- 2.0 Male Lashes
- Male - Thick Lashes
- Male - Full Lashes
- Male - Thin Lashes
- 3.0 Vanilla Eyes
- 4.01 Combo01 (Thin Lash) Left Eye
- Combo01 (Thin Lash) Left Eye Replacers
- ◉ Blue: Volcano Reflection (Default)
- 4.02 Combo01 (Thin Lash) Right Eye
- Combo01 (Thin Lash) Right Eye Replacers
- ◉ Cyborg Surreal: Cyber Punk (Default)
- 4.03 Combo02 (Full Lash) Left Eye
- Combo02 (Full Lash) Left Eye Replacers
- ◉ Hazel-Green: Earth Reflection (Default)
- 4.04 Combo02 (Full Lash) Right Eye
- Combo02 (Full Lash) Right Eye Replacers
- ◉ Hazel-Green: Mystery Light Reflection (Default)
- 4.05 Combo03 (Thick Lash) Left Eye
- Combo03 (Thick Lash) Left Eye Replacers
- ◉ Brown: Dark Brown Reflection (Default)
- 4.06 Combo03 (Thick Lash) Right Eye
- Combo03 (Thick Lash) Right Eye Replacers
- ◉ Hazel: Complex Brown Reflection (Default)
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WX Hair Colors
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Detailed Instructions available
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Install the WX Edited Hair Textures miscellaneous file and the WX All Naturals optional file.
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09-Fixes
- Mods have a programmatic component that fixes various bugs and/or inconsistencies
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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High FPS Physics Fix
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Detailed Instructions available
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General Installation and Setup
- Install the High FPS Physics Fix main file.
- Double-click on the mod in the MO left pane and set the following in
HighFPSPhysicsFix.ini
[Main]
DisableBlackLoadingScreens=true
DisableAnimationOnLoadingScreens=true
[Limiter]
PipBoyFPS=60.0
FPS Limiter Recommendations
It is recommended to set the InGameFPS and LoadingScreenFPS FPS Limiter settings in accordance with your hardware to improve latency.
- PC has NVIDIA G-SYNC or AMD Freesync video card AND monitor support, set each frame limit (FPS cap) to:
- [monitor refresh rate] - 3 (e.g., 144 Hz monitor should have 141 limit: 144 - 3 = 141)
- PC does NOT have NVIDIA G-SYNC or AMD Freesync video card OR monitor support, set each frame limit (FPS cap) to:
- [monitor refresh rate] - 1 (e.g., 60 Hz monitor should have 59 limit: 60 - 1 = 59)
[Limiter]
InGameFPS=??
LoadingScreenFPS=??
VSync
The EnableVSync setting should be enabled or disabled depending on your hardware setup. If you are unsure, leave it enabled. Users who have NVIDIA G-SYNC or AMD Freesync video card AND monitor support should disable all forms of game VSync and instead enable them in their graphics drivers according to accepted best settings. Reference the guidance here for NVIDIA G-SYNC users and here for AMD Freesync users.
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Pip-Boy Flashlight
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Detailed Instructions available
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Install the Pip-Boy Flashlight v6 BETA 3.02 main file using the instructions below. The file has some textures packaged incorrectly, requiring manual installation.
- Select the [Manual] button at the prompt.
- Expand the textures folder.
- Drag and drop the nested Textures folder onto ‹data›.
- Click [OK] to finish installation.
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Previsibines Repair Pack
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Detailed Instructions available
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- Install the PRP Resources main file.
- Install the PRP Plugins main file as a separate mod (click [Rename] instead of [Merge] and name it
PRP Plugins ).
NOTE: Only install the PRP - Clarity 4.3 Patch if installing Clarity, which is a part of the optional 18-Lighting and Weather mod group.
FOMOD Instructions PRP Updates
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- Choose Your Language
- Main Files + Compat Grabbag
- Main Files
- Compat Grabbag
- ☐ PRP - Clarity 4.2 Patch
- ☑ PRP - Clarity 4.3 Patch
- ☐ PRP - Diamond City Ambience Patch
- ☐ PRP - Fogout Patch
- ☐ PRP - Interiors Enhanced Patch
- ☑ PRP - Region Names Patch
- ☐ PRP - Ultra Exterior Lighting Patch
- ☐ PRP - Ultra Interior Lighting Patch
- ☐ PRP - Ultra Interior Lighting Patch (Darker)
- ☐ PRP - JSRS Regions Patch
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10-Gameplay-General
- Mods that affect general or multiple gameplay mechanics
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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Equipment and Crafting Overhaul Redux
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Detailed Instructions available
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FOMOD Instructions Equipment and Crafting Overhaul (ECO) - Redux
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- Main Files
- Primary Files
- Texture Size
- DLC Expansions
- ☑ Automatron
- ☑ Far Harbor
- ☑ Nuka World
- Optional
- ☑ ECO Extended INNR
- ☑ RobCo Patcher Support
- ☑ Disable Placed Objects
- Extensions
- Universal Workbench Extensions
- ☐ Auto OMOD Stripper
- ☐ Immersive Hunting Overhaul
- ☐ Universal Disaasembler
- Quick Mod Extensions
- Miscellaneous Extensions
- ☐ Gunsmith Overhaul
- ☐ Standalone Workbenches
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New Equipment Overhaul
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Detailed Instructions available
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FOMOD Instructions NEO
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- Step1
- Modules
- ☑ Base Game
- ☑ DLC - Automatron
- ☑ DLC - Far Harbor
- ☑ DLC - Nuka World
- Optional
- ☑ Complex Sorter Tagging Rules
- ☐ Improved and Extended INNR
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11-Gameplay-AI and Combat
- Mods that affect AI, stats, or combat mechanics of NPCs
No mods defined.
12-Gameplay-Economy
- Mods that affect currency, rewards, values, rates, or any other economy-related mechanics
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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13-Gameplay-Immersion
- Mods that help to improve game immersion and role-playing scenarios
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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Armor Paint Extended
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Detailed Instructions available
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FOMOD Instructions Armor Paint Extended
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- Step1
- Required
- Optional
- ☐ Default Black Synth Armor
- ☑ INNR for Complex Item Sorter users
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CVc Dead Wasteland
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Detailed Instructions available
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- Install the main file, and the DLC1 and DLC2 optional files, merging together into a single mod for easy re-archiving.
- Right-click the mod in the left pane and select Open in Explorer.
- Copy the folder path to your clipboard.
- Follow the Cathedral Assets Optimizer Usage Instructions.
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See Through Scopes
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Detailed Instructions available
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FOMOD Instructions See Through Scopes
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- Main Mod Settings
- ADD or REPLACE
- DLC
- ☑ Far Harbor
- ☑ Nuka World
- ☑ Install and Merge both DLC's
- Add-ons
- ☐ Install addon patches for other weapon mods
- ☐ Auto-detect and select add-ons
- Tweaks
- ☐ Remove lens reflection when aiming
- ☑ Power Armor Fix
- ☐ Remove Ripple Effect for Recon Scopes
- Patches
- Patches (Optional)
- ☐ Weaponsmith Extended 2
- ☐ Smaller Institute Weapons
- ☐ Take Cover
- ☐ G67 Combat Rifle Replacer
- ☐ Robco Recon Scopes
- ☐ Tactical Reload
- ☐ LString / Weapon Jiggle Remover Patch
- ☐ Improved Prototype Gauss Rifle (CC) Patch
- Animation patches
- ☐ Right Handed Hunting Rifle by Wardaddy
- ☐ Right Handed Handmade Assault Rifle
- ☐ Right Handed Creation Club Anti-Material Rifle
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14-Gameplay-Quests
- Mods that alter aspects of quests and/or related lore
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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Who's The General - Minutemen Quest Cleanup
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Detailed Instructions available
|
Install the Who's The General - Minutemen Quest Cleanup (Loose Files Version) main file and the 1 - Keep Radiants in the Commonwealth Patch optional file.
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15-Gameplay-Skills and Perks
- Mods that affect the player character's or NPC skills and perks or related leveling
No mods defined.
16-Interface
- Mods that affect any aspect of the user interface
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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FallUI - Confirm Boxes
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Detailed Instructions available
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NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - Confirm Boxes
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- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FallUI - Confirm Boxes
- ☑ Default settings
- Compatibility
- ☐ DavesMod - ESP Explorer
- Default Settings
- Choose your preferred design type
- ☑ Modern (Default)
- ☐ Fancy
- ☐ Classic
- Installation
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FallUI - HUD
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Detailed Instructions available
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NOTE: Tick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button only if you have trouble saving the FallUI - HUD layout in MCM. You may need to customize the layout manually to resolve overlapping issues if you tick this the Default settings option.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - HUD
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- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FallUI - HUD
- ☑ Addon: Workshop
- ☑ Addon: PromptMenu
- Settings
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FallUI - Icon Library
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Detailed Instructions available
|
NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - Icon Library
|
- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FallUI - Icon Library
- ☑ Default settings
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FallUI - Inventory
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Detailed Instructions available
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NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - Inventory
|
- Select installation options
- FallUI - Inventory
- ☑ FallUI - Inventory
- ☑ Default settings
- Optional
- FallUI - Inventory Settings
- Do you use bPipboyDisableFX?
- ◉ Yes (Read description!)
- Readme and information
- Please read the following notes
- ☐ Enable 'ArchiveInvalidation'
- ☐ Item Sorter
- ☐ Icons: Icon Library
- ☐ Pipboy: High-Resolution INI-Settings
- ☐ FAQ: Colored Pipboy (Disable Pipboy FX)
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NOTE: The bPipboyDisableFX=1 setting is included in the plugin INI for There It Is - Satellite Maps For Collectors.
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FallUI - Map
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Detailed Instructions available
|
NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - Map
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- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FallUI - Map
- ☑ Default settings
- Default Settings
- Choose your preferred design type
- ☐ Uncolored (Default)
- ☐ Colored
- ☑ Colored 4k
- ☐ Colored 8k
- Installation
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FallUI - Sleep and Wait
|
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Detailed Instructions available
|
NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - Sleep And Wait
|
- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FallUI - Sleep and Wait
- ☑ Default settings
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FallUI - Workbench
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Detailed Instructions available
|
NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FallUI - Workbench
|
- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FallUI - Workbench
- ☑ Default settings
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FIS - The NEW FallUI Item Sorter
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Detailed Instructions available
|
NOTE: If updating from an older version, untick the Default settings option and use the [Merge] button.
FOMOD Instructions FIS - The NEW FallUI Item Sorter
|
- Select installation options
- Main files
- ☑ FIS - FallUI Item Sorter
- ☑ Default settings
- Sorting
- ☐ Light (No sorting plugins)
- ☐ Basic (name reordering for weapon/apparel)
- ☑ Pro (Complex Sorter plugin)
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FO4 Photo Mode
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At the manual installation prompt, right-click Data and select Set as directory.
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LooksMenu
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Install the main file for your display's aspect ratio.
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Organized Workbench Menu
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Detailed Instructions available
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NOTE: Do not install the DLC addons. That is covered by the Synthesis patcher.
FOMOD Instructions OrganizedWorkbenchMenu
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- Game Type
- DLCs/Other Addons
- DLCs
- ☐ Automatron
- ☐ Nuka World
- Mods
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|
See region names on your save files
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|
Detailed Instructions available
|
FOMOD Instructions See region names on your save files
|
- Step1
- Select a language
- Patches
- Patches for weather mods
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Visible Companion Affinity
|
|
Detailed Instructions available
|
Install the main file using the following options:
FOMOD Instructions Visible Companion Affinity EN
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17-Locations
- Mods that programmatically add new or alter vanilla locations
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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Boston Public Library Settlement
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Detailed Instructions available
|
Install the main file, the Base Object Swapper Light Replacer Config optional file, and the LibraryExtras optional file.
FOMOD Instructions BPLSettlement
|
- Installation
- Main File
- Compatibility Patches
- ☑ Automatron
- ☐ Previsibines Repair Pack
- ☐ Sim Settlements 2 Chapter 2
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NOTE: The included Previsbines Repair Pack patch is unnecessary as it will be patched in the Step Patch - Conflict Resolution.
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18-Lighting and Weather
- Mods that affect lighting and/or weather systems **installation is optional**
No mods defined.
19-Utilities
- Mods that generate derived mod output from load-order-specific assets
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Mod Name
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Baseline
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Instructions
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M8r98a4f2's Complex Item Sorter
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Detailed Instructions available
|
- Install the main file as a normal mod in Mod Organizer.
- Create a new empty mod and name it Step Fallout4 - Complex Sorter Output.
- In the right pane, go to the Data tab, and scroll down to locate the Complex Sorter.bat file.
- Right-click Complex Sorter.bat, select Add as Executable, and click [OK] at the name prompt (should default to Complex Sorter).
- Click at the top of the main Mod Organizer window to open the Executables menu.
- Select the new Complex Sorter entry, and click the [...] button to the right of the Start in field.
- Navigate to and select the xEdit installation folder
..Modding/Tools/xEdit .
- Tick the Create files in mod instead of overwrite box. Select the Step Fallout4 - Complex Sorter Output mod from the drop-down.
- Click [Apply] and [OK].
The finished executable will have been configured as follows (items in [brackets] will be specific to your setup).
Title
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Complex Sorter
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Binary
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[Driveletter]:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe
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Start in
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[...]\Modding\Tools\xEdit
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Arguments
|
/C "[...]\mods\M8r98a4f2's Complex Item Sorter\Complex Sorter.bat"
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Create files in...
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Step Fallout4 - Complex Sorter Output
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Complex Sorter will be run later in STEP 5 of the guide.
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Synthesis
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Detailed Instructions available
|
Official and in-depth instructions can be found on the Synthesis wiki page. The following instructions should be sufficient in most cases.
.NET SDK
This mod requires the installation of the .NET 7.0 SDK in order to function. A restart is recommended following installation.
Installation
- Download the Synthesis.zip file and extract it to the Tools folder (e.g.
..\Modding\Tools\Synthesis ).
- Create a new empty mod and name it Step Fallout4 - Synthesis Output.
Configure MO Executable
Configure as follows (If necessary, revisit the Tool Setup in the guide.):
Title
|
Synthesis
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Binary
|
Synthesis.exe
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Create files in...
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Step Fallout4 - Synthesis Output
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Synthesis will be run later in STEP 5 of the guide.
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TexGen
|
|
Detailed Instructions available
|
NOTE: TexGen for Fallout 4 is included within DynDOLOD 3 Alpha for Skyrim Special Edition.
- Ensure that both x86 and x64 versions of Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019 are installed.
- Download the Main File.
- Extract the archive to the Tools folder (e.g.
..\Modding\Tools\DynDOLOD ).
Configure MO Executable
Configure as follows (If necessary, revisit the Tool Setup in the guide.):
Title
|
TexGen
|
Binary
|
TexGen64.exe
|
Argument(s)
|
-FO4
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NOTE: The output path is defined in the TexGen GUI and NOT in the MO executable configuration.
TexGen will be run later in STEP 5 of the guide.
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20-Patches
- Mods that programmatically resolve load-order conflicts
|
|
|
|
Mod Name
|
Baseline
|
Instructions
|
Mod List Cleanup & Performance Check
WIP
This is currently for SSE and not Fallout 4 and needs fixed.
Final Sorting and Cleaning
If plugins have not been sorted this session, run LOOT again. Examine the plugins in LOOT for errrors or warnings (ignoring the game's default masters at the top of the list). Ignore any reported missing compatibility patches or other warnings. These are either handled by the Step Patches or not of any concern. Perform the standard cleaning procedures on any mods requiring cleaning (except for the game's default masters).
Be aware that the Step Patches are designed to work with a default, LOOT-sorted plugin order. This eliminates the need to set rules on the load order. From this point on:
- Ensure all applicable mods are ticked in the left pane of MO.
- Ensure all plugins are ticked in the right pane of MO.
- Sort the load order using LOOT whenever plugins are added/removed.
- Update LOOT (the program and masterlist) whenever updates are available.
Performance Tuning
It's necessary to determine how much performance headroom is available before generating LOD or setting up post processing like ENB, because the full LODGen setup can cost upwards of 10 FPS on average in exteriors, and ENB can cost upwards of an additional 40 FPS. The goal at this point is to have at least 95 FPS in the Rift on average. Keep in mind that decreasing game resolution can drastically improve performance.
NOTE
For guidance on additional display settings (e.g., ultra widescreen, FreeSync, G-SYNC, etc.), refer to the
SSE Display Settings Guide before continuing.
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Benchmarking Steps
- Temporarily disable A Clear Map of Skyrim and Other Worlds. Keep this mod disabled while performance benchmarks and tuning are performed.
- Uncap frame rates if they are capped (ignore any stuttering, screen tearing, etc. for the time being):
- Double click SSE Display Tweaks in the MO left pane, select the INI Files tab, and adjust the following settings under the [Render] section:
EnableVSync=false
EnableTearing=true
FramerateLimit=300
- If applicable, ensure that G-SYNC or Freesync are properly disabled via NVIDIA Inspector or AMD Adrenalin.
- If applicable, ensure that NVIDIA ultra low latency mode (ULLM) or AMD anti-lag are properly disabled via NVIDIA Inspector or AMD Adrenalin.
- Launch Fallout4 , and start a NEW game to verify that Skyrim loads without issue. Skyrim should successfully load into the Alternate Start character generation interface.
- At the Statue of Mara, select "I own property in one of the holds".
- Select "Breezehome".
- Rest for 3 hours, and save the game when the Breezehome interior loads. This will be the clean save to use for testing performance before and after LODGen.
- Exit Breezehome and exit the Whiterun gate.
- Once outside of Whiterun, open the console and type
cow tamriel 40 -24
, and assess frame rates by moving around the Rift.
- Use the Shift + INS keyboard combo to bring up the SSE Display Tweaks OSD.
- Other third-party applications like FRAPS, Skyrim Performance Monitor (SPM) can also provide OSD.
Once testing is complete, revert the changes and reapply frame caps:
- Re-enable A Clear Map of Skyrim and Other Worlds.
- Double click SSE Display Tweaks in the MO left pane, select the INI Files tab, and adjust the following settings under the [Render] section:
EnableVSync=true
EnableTearing=false
FramerateLimit=<previousValue>
- If applicable, ensure that G-SYNC or Freesync are properly enabled via NVIDIA Inspector or AMD Adrenalin.
- If applicable, ensure that NVIDIA ultra low latency mode (ULLM) or AMD anti-lag are properly enabled via NVIDIA Inspector or AMD Adrenalin.
Performance/Quality Optimization
This process will optimize the performance-quality trade off prior to configuration of ENB and LOD.
- If the average FPS is 90 - 100 FPS, stop here and continue to 21-Post-Processing or Step 5 - LOD.
- If the average FPS is lower or higher than 90 - 100 FPS continue below to optimize performance/quality to get closer to this range.
- Right click and select "open in new window" on this link to revisit the BethINI setup instructions that should be in effect if the BethINI instructions were followed.
- Close MO, and run BethINI (e.g.
..Modding\Tools\BethINI\BethINI.exe
).
- If the average FPS was lower than 95 FPS:
- Set the [Medium] preset
- Selecting a preset in BethINI makes changes to many settings, so ensure all BethINI settings match those in the instructions, particularly for Basic, Detail, and Visuals tabs.
- Rerun the benchmark.
- If average FPS is still not ≥ 95, repeat these steps selecting the [Low] preset.
- If the average FPS was higher than 105 FPS:
- Set the [Ultra] preset
- Selecting a preset in BethINI makes changes to many settings, so ensure all BethINI settings match those in the instructions, particularly for Basic, Detail, and Visuals tabs.
- Rerun the benchmark.
- If average FPS is not ≥ 95, revert to the default [High] preset.
- NOTE: Once finished, don't forget to re-enable graphics settings as described at the bottom of the Benchmarking Steps to reap the benefits of those disabled settings if supported.
Performance Examples
WIP
This guide is under development and is not complete
Following are performance results using the approach described previously. This serves as a preview to help in making decisions about ENB/DynDOLOD configurations. Note that with Step's recommended configurations, ENB is more costly than DynDOLOD in terms of performance (reference system):
Step 2.0.0 - All optional ModGroups installed
Resolution: 2560x1440
Weather: clear (81a)
PERFORMANCE TUNING
Initial performance check: 100-112 FPS
Revised BethINI (Ultra): 94-107 FPS
Re-enable Freesync/Anti-Lag: 94-104 FPS
Enable ENB 'heavy' preset: 55-62 FPS (Whiterun tundra but similar in Riften)
Enable DynDOLOD (default): 47-51 FPS (Whiterun tundra but similar in Riften)
- The following gallery shows visual compares and performance snapshots for the cost of DynDOLOD and ENB using a number of Step's supported configurations. Different PCs and game resolutions will yield varying FPS results, but the proportional and relative differences between these presets should be similar:
Step Heavy ENB, Default DynDOLOD
Step Light ENB, Default DynDOLOD
Step Milk Drinker ENB, Default DynDOLOD
Step Milk Drinker ENB, DynDOLOD w/Billboard4 LOD4 trees
21-Post-Processing
Decide whether or not to install the Post-Processing ModGroup (and use ENB). Keep in mind that LOD generation is more fundamentally important to visual enhancement than ENB, so if average frame rate from the previous benchmark is consistently below approx. 90 FPS at this point, consider skipping Post-Processing, and continuing on to Step 5.
NOTE
If ENB will be used, revisit the
BethINI Setup to disable:
Display >
Lens Flare,
Anamorphic Lens Flare, and
Ambient Occlusion before installing the following ModGroup. Also consider modifying the sun size as instructed under
Custom. Otherwise, skip to
Step 5.
Post-Processing Mod Table
- Mods that affect post-processing graphics **installation is optional**
No mods defined.
Post-Processing Mod Options
Beginning at 04-Foundation, confirm that all mod rows prefixed with a blue vertical bar are installed with the Post-Processing options.
Step Fallout4 ENB Preset
Three versions of the Step ENB preset are available, depending on performance requirements:
- Heavy includes all of the significant effects and is recommended for systems that can withstand the performance cost of approx. 30-40 FPS in exteriors.
- light includes some of the significant effects and all essentials but at slightly lower quality than Heavy. This is will cost approx. 20-30 FPS in exteriors.
- Milk Drinker includes only the essential effects and at the lowest quality, costing 15-25 FPS in exteriors.
ENB Preset Installation
- Download the Step Fallout4 ENB Preset from the Step Fallout4 Nexus page
- Open the archive and extract the contents (folder and INI) to the Fallout4 root directory (e.g.,
..Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition
)
- Close the archive and root directory
- Consider rerunning the performance benchmark before continuing on.
- The shaders will be cached the first launch of the game after ENBSeries installation, so game load may take a minute or two.
- If average frame rate from the new benchmark was below 65, consider using a more performance-friendly preset or disabling ENB entirely.
STEP 5
Level of Detail (LOD)
Now that all mods and patches have been installed/sorted and performance margins are acceptable, the next step is to generate custom LOD data for the mod list. Recommended settings correspond to rendered game resolutions that will benefit from those settings.
LOD Setup
Before moving on, create three empty mods for the LOD output:
- Click on the button and select, [Create empty mod].
- Name it
xLODGen Output
.
- This places a new, empty mod at the bottom of the mod list. However if it's not, place it last in the mod list.
- Repeat these steps to create two more mods named:
TexGen Output
, and DynDOLOD Output
.
- Place these new mods directly after xLODGen Output.
- Find the (TEMP) Cathedral Landscapes - xLODGen mod from the 04-Foundation mod group and enable it, if necessary.
- Find the (TEMP) Terrain - xLODGen mod from the 03-Resources mod group and enable it, if necessary.
- These mods only need to be enabled for terrain LOD generation. If they are not disabled before actually playing the game, they will cause visual glitches.
- Sort with LOOT.
The last few mods in the mod list should now reflect the following (numbering is approximate and reflects the number of mods installed without extra mods or mod-list separators):
- DLC: Hearthfires
- ...
- (TEMP) Cathedral Landscapes - xLODGen NOTE: This mod can be here or under 04-Foundation with Cathedral Landscapes main mod, but it must be DISABLED later as instructed!
- (TEMP) Terrain - xLODGen
- xLODGen Output
- TexGen Output
- DynDOLOD Output
NOTE
Complete the following in order, and ensure that all mods and plugins are enabled and sorted before doing so.
WARNING
Using higher resolutions than recommended for any of the following LOD applications will result in a waste of PC resources with NO BENEFIT. It makes ZERO sense to impulsively increase the resolutions beyond the specifications indicated.
xLODGen
xLODGen is run first to generate updated LOD terrain textures and meshes so that landscape LOD is updated with mod changes:
Generate terrain LOD
- Ensure LOD Setup was completed.
- Run xLODGen from the MO executable drop-down list.
- Select all worldspaces.
- Ensure that ONLY the Terrain LOD box is ticked in the right pane.
- Use the following settings, which have been verified in extensive testing:
- NOTE: Unless you are running FO4 at ≥ 4k resolution, resist the urge to wastefully increase the texture resolutions shown, which will only reduce FPS with NO BENEFIT. Those running ≥ 4k resolution WILL benefit by doubling the resolution for LOD4, LOD8, and LOD16 from 256 to 512.
- Click [Generate] to run the process, which will require upwards of 20 minutes, depending on the PC.
- Once the "LOD generation complete" message has appeared, close xLODGen.
- NOTE: If the xLODGen window closes itself, post in the xLODGen topic and include
../Modding/GameName/Tools/xLODGen/bugreport.txt
and any logs created.
Paint roads on terrain LOD
- Run ACMOS Road Generator which was installed as part of A Clear Map of Skyrim and Other Worlds.
- For "Path to LOD," browse to the xLODGen output folder (e.g.
..Modding/GameName/Tools/xLODGen/xLODGen_Output
).
- Click Generate.
- At the prompt to "Overwrite LOD Textures," choose Yes.
- When prompted to "Zip?", choose No.
- Wait until it says "All Done!" and then click OK and close.
Terrain LOD Wrap-Up
- Browse to the xLODGen output folder (e.g.
..Modding/GameName/Tools/xLODGen/xLODGen_Output
).
- In MO, open the xLODGen Output mod in Windows Explorer (Ctrl + double-click).
- Cut and paste the files from
../xLODGen_Output
into the Step Skyrim SE - xLODGen Output folder, then close both folders.
- Enable xLODGen Output mod.
- Disable (TEMP) Terrain - xLODGen and (TEMP) Cathedral Landscapes - xLODGen mods (only needed as xLODGen resources for terrain generation only).
DynDOLOD
Object LOD will be created using Dynamic Distant Objects LOD (DynDOLOD). At a significant performance cost (upwards of 10 FPS) for a subtle improvement to LOD, DynDOLOD v3+ supports generation of grass billboard LOD. Generate grass LOD ONLY if performance headroom is available per Performance Tuning instructions.
WARNING
These instructions are a WIP and may change slightly until we have all of the facts and testing results.
Run TexGen
TexGen 3, shipped with DynDOLOD 3, will generate custom object LOD textures based on enabled mods. TexGen 3 will also generate grass billboards for LOD.
- Run TexGen from the MO executable drop-down list.
- Use the setting corresponding to rendered game resolution: 1080p = HD, 1440p = QHD, 2160p = 4k
- NOTE: If generating grass LOD, be sure to tick "Grass" when replecating the following examples.
- Click [Start].
- Once the completed message has appeared (1-5 minutes, depending on the PC), click [Exit].
- Navigate to the DynDOLOD TexGen_Output folder location (e.g.
../Modding/Tools/DynDOLOD/TexGen_Output
).
- Move the files from the TexGen_Output folder into the TexGen Output mod:
- In MO, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the TexGen Output mod. Alternatively, right click the mod to open it in an Explorer window.
- Enable the TexGen Output mod in MO.
Run DynDOLOD
DynDOLOD will generate the object LOD. IF grass LOD is being generated, also modify grass tint and brightness as follows:
➕ [Click to show]➖ [Click to hide] Modify Grass Tint/Brightness
While these settings should work for most people, the result is specific to display hardware and settings as well as monitor, etc.
Browse to ..\Modding\Tools\DynDOLOD\Edit Scripts\DynDOLOD\DynDOLOD_SSE.ini
, and modify the following, which optimize grass LOD brightness/hue for Cathedral Landscapes:
ENB
; grass LOD brightness multipliers
GrassBrightnessTopR=0.295
GrassBrightnessTopG=0.315
GrassBrightnessTopB=0.300
; make bottom darker to fake shadowing
GrassBrightnessBottomR=0.170
GrassBrightnessBottomG=0.175
GrassBrightnessBottomB=0.180
No ENB
; grass LOD brightness multipliers
GrassBrightnessTopR=0.345
GrassBrightnessTopG=0.365
GrassBrightnessTopB=0.350
; make bottom darker to fake shadowing
GrassBrightnessBottomR=0.220
GrassBrightnessBottomG=0.225
GrassBrightnessBottomB=0.230
Note the distant grass color. It's subtle in these images but more apparent in game.
Configure and Generate
- Run DynDOLOD from the MO executable drop-down list to open the GUI configuration in 'expert' mode (if the DynDOLOD INI modification was set as described previously).
- Select all worldspaces.
- Tick Candles and FXGlow.
- IMPORTANT - Click the 'High' button to bring in mesh rules for A Clear Map of Skyrim mod and the Step Patch - Conflict Resolution. For slightly better performance with some quality loss, consider clicking on 'Medium' or 'Low' instead.
- Configure as follows, or make performance modifications as instructed further below before continuing to the next step:
- ONLY generate Occlusion data on the first run. If DynDOLOD is run again for some reason, leave Occlusion UNticked to speed up generation.
- Tick Grass LOD to generate grass LOD. Otherwise, leave this UNticked.
- Recommended rules for trees and A Clear Map of Skyrim mod (LOD32).
- To increase performance with minimal quality loss, consider changing the tree rule's LOD4 to Billboard4.
- Aspen trees are set to always generate using billboard4 (2D), due to their upwards of 30FPS cost in the Rift when generated with rendered branches (LOD0).
- Click [OK].
- Once the completed message has appeared (15-30 minutes [25-50 minutes with Occlusion ticked], depending on the PC), click [Save & Exit].
- Navigate to the DynDOLOD DynDOLOD_Output folder location (e.g.
..\Modding\Tools\DynDOLOD\DynDOLOD_Output
).
- Move the files the DynDOLOD_Output folder into the DynDOLOD Output mod:
- In MO, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the DynDOLOD Output mod. Alternatively, right click the mod to open it in an Explorer window.
- Enable the DynDOLOD Output mod in MO.
- Ensure the DynDOLOD.esm and DynDOLOD.esp plugins are ticked in the right pane.
- Sort with LOOT.
NOTE
Multiple DynDOLOD outputs at varying quality settings can be created and stored in different mods. If this is done, generate occlusion only on the first run and copy this into a separate mod (e.g., 'DynDOLOD Occlusion') to reduce the generation time of subsequent outputs. Likewise, consider generating only for the Tamriel worldspace before settling on the chosen output and generating for all worldspaces.
When to Regenerate LOD
- xLODGen
- Whenever there are changes to the mod list that affect the underlying landscape: height, shape, textures, etc. This does not include grass, mountains or other objects on the landscape.
- TexGen
- Whenever there are changes to the mod list that affect objects with LOD: new objects, moved structures or objects, removed structures or objects, changes to grass (only when using grass LOD), changes to trees and/or landscape height, when its master plugins order is changed (out of order masters), etc. When grass is re-cached, TexGen should also be run again to update grass billboards.
- DynDOLOD
- Whenever there are changes to the mod list that affect objects with LOD: new objects, moved structures or objects, removed structures or objects, changes to grass (only when using grass LOD), changes to trees and/or landscape height, when its master plugins order is changed (out of order masters), etc. When LOD textures are updated with TexGen, DynDOLOD should also be run again to update all affected object LOD.
- Occlusion
- Only with noticeable changes to geography of Tamriel and/or Solstheim. For Step, this should only need to be run once.
STEP 6
Mod Configuration (MCM)
The game is now ready to be loaded to configure mods in the Mod Configuration Menu (MCM). The MCM is a feature of SkyUI that allows mod authors to provide custom, game-accessible settings for their mods. Recommendations are provided below for select mods. The remainder are user preference.
First Launch
NOTE:
The MCM menu item may juxtapose the 'Exit' menu item, so be sure to scroll down to exit if it is 'missing'. Alternatively, use the 'qqq' console command.
To run the game, select the SKSE executable from the drop-down list and click the Run button. Keep the following in mind when first launching from a fresh Guide installation:
- A new game is required!
- In other words, don't load from a save after a fresh Guide install to avoid issues. Review the changelog before upgrading from a previous version of this Guide to determine whether or not a new game is advisable.
- When launching the game for the first time after a Guide install, the load could take significantly longer than normal. This will only be a one-time wait as all the installed mods are being initialized. Subsequent load times should be shorter.
- Finally, INI files may appear in the Overwrite folder after closing the game (e.g.
../SKSE/Plugins/SkyrimUncapper.ini
). These files should be moved to their respective mod folders, respecting their folder structure during the move.
Alternate Start
Upon starting a new game, the Alternate Start - Live Another Life is the first mod in play. Lets face it, Skyrim is old and the vanilla start quest is the last thing many want to play through. Alternate Start provides a variety of ways to start the game. Once a new game is started, a locked cell is loaded. Simply talk to the statue in the room, choose a preference for starting the game (the vanilla start is provided as an option), and then sleep in the bed to start your new life. When using an alternate start location, the main quest line can be initialized by simply visiting Helgen.
Atlas Map Markers
Configure as desired, but a good starting point is to load both the Map Marker and Compass Presets under Extra Options.
Cathedral Weathers
If the 18-Lighting & Weather ModGroup was installed, it is user preference on whether or not to set Interior Vision to Darker. The Step ENB was designed for Normal.
Complete Crafting
The following screenshots display the recommended settings for the mod's MCM:
Farmhouse Chimneys SE
Vanilla villages should all be ticked on the first page. The following screenshot displays the recommended settings for the New Locations page:
Lock Overhaul
This mod must be activated to work. Once enabled, the settings are user preference.
Storm Lightning
The Minimum preset in the MCM is recommended.
Timing is Everything
Timing is Everything is set up in a way that integrates DLC content and balances the game's quests. Vampires and werewolves will show up early in the game because they are a part of the world. Dragonborn will not start until the news of your deeds has time to reach the island, and the player becomes something that must be dealt with. Attack chances are lowered from 100% so there will be less of a chance to predict an attack. Other things are active that make sense, such as not being able to do the Break of Dawn quest if the player is a vampire, Thalmor won't attack until after engaging their quest line, etc. The following screenshots display the recommended settings for the mod's MCM:
Remaining Mod Configurations
The remaining mod configurations are recommended to be left at their defaults for the most enhanced, vanilla experience. However, users may adjust the settings for these mods to their preference.
Help build STEP
STEP can only get bigger and better with help from the community. It is very time consuming for the STEP team to ensure that the Guide is consistently maintained at the highest quality possible. We need people to help us identify mods that improve the vanilla game while adhering to our Mandate. We also need ongoing bug reports, reviews, and updates on mods that may cause problems or that stray from the Mandate.
In order to suggest a mod for inclusion, visit the Mods section of the Forums.
Call for Mod Testers
Community members interested in becoming Mod Testers, please contact TechAngel85 via PM on the forums. Once registered, Mod Testers will be given access to Staff forums that houses useful information. For more information about our mod testing process, read through the Mod Testing Guide to get a sense of what's involved.
Call for Forum Moderators
Regular community members interested in becoming moderators, please contact TechAngel85 via PM on the forums. Forum Moderators will be determined based upon level and quality of activity within our community.
Thank you for reading and enjoy the game!
Credits
The STEP administrators would sincerely like to thank (from the bottoms of our fuzzy little hearts):
- The authors of mods recommended within our guides
- The authors of mods who granted permission for their mods to be incorporated into the Step Patches
- The core Community for feedback, suggestions and input
- The Beta and Mod Testers for their good humor and rigorous analyses
- sheson for DynDOLOD and all things LODGen
- The Nexus community
- Bethesda Softworks for their games
- Tannin for the gift that is Mod Organizer
- All the developers that kept MO going
Personnel
Testers
- D1Z4STR
- Mercury71
- Mousetick
- Step Administrators
- sheson
- Step Administrators
- GSDfan
- Step Administrators
Step Administrators
- DoubleYou
- Greg
- TechAngel85
- z929669
Retired Staff
- Aiyen
- Bealdwine
- deathneko11
- EisDrache
- EssArrBee
- Farlo
- frihyland
- GrantSP
- hishutup
- Kelmych
- MontyMM
- Nebulous112
- oqhansoloqo
- phazer11
- rootsrat
- stoppingby4now
- TheCompiler
- torminater
- Uhuru
- WilliamImm
- wolverine2710