GUIDE [WIP] DDSopt & Texture Overhauls

[z929669]

Discussion thread:
DDSopt Guide by STEP
Wiki Link

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GET DDSopt:
Github Pre-release versions
Official Nexus versions (select pre-release update 4)

[lexo1000]

Normal maps alpha = their specular map which depending on the mesh or effect is relevant. 

 

If there is no alpha there is no loss in dxt1 correct. 

yes but I wanted to say color map, not normal map. The white alpha on color map are totally useless.

Edited December 15, 2014 by lexo1000

[Aiyen]

Again it would depend on the specific model or effect you are looking on.... you cannot just say it will be like that for everything. However it cannot hurt to have it. 

 

If your sole reason for wanting to remove them is performance or quality etc. then just use DXT1 as the compression and you will have the most optimal solution, with the least amount of potential issues down the line. DDSopt already does a fairly decent job at deciding if the compression should the DXT1 or 5... and for the few cases where I normally disagree with it I just do it via GIMP. 

[TheMerryPloughboy]

Hi.

 

I've followed the guide at https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt_%26_Texture_Overhauls#tab.3DVanilla_Texture_Preparation and am at " HRDLC_Clean_ERROR.log should be empty if all went well."

 

​Unfortunately,  my error log is filled with "The system cannot find the path specified." I'm pretty sure the extraction went well and I followed the instructions to the "T" without any problems except as follows:

 

The Extracting Vanilla Texture BSA at https://wiki.step-project.com/Guide:DDSopt/Skyrim, Step 8 says "Repeat steps 3–5..." I assume it means "steps 3-7."

 

Thanks in advance/sorry to bother.

 

EDIT:

 

Out to add that I've reviewed the discussion here: https://forum.step-project.com/topic/190-wip-ddsopt-texture-overhauls/page-83 but my paths seem to be correct.

Edited December 17, 2014 by TheMerryPloughboy

[TheMerryPloughboy]

Scratch that last question. Some deeper digging reveals that you may be sick of answering that question. I'm going to try and delete the log files before running HRDLC_Clean

 

Bah. Unscratch the scratch please. I continue to get the errors in the log. also, After 2_Pre-optimization_2.78.bat, there are 9 not 15 lines in log.txt. and there is only the STD folder in vanilla optimized.

 

After several attempts, I've moved on. I guess my only question at this point is do these errors matter/cause ctd/cause missing textures when I play after completing SRLE steps?

Edited December 18, 2014 by TheMerryPloughboy

[Malonn]

I have a question.  What happened to the batch files referenced in the DDSOpt/Skyrim guide.  At the top of the page there is a link, but it takes you to a blank page.  The Fallout link is okay, but not the Skyrim link.  I'd like to utilize those batch files.  If someone has them do youi think I could get them?

[Kelmych]

Apparently the url reference didn't get into the guide correctly (one character was incorrect). It has been fixed and you should be able to download the batch files.

[DoubleYou]

The OP of this thread needs a rewrite. Badly.

[Octopuss]

Now that we have DynDoLOD, I am not sure what to do with the optimized textures anymore. There's lots of conflicting information (for me) about the loading of the textures. Either I need the plugins or I don't. I can't find an answer.

What am I supposed to do according to STEP? I deleted the textures.bsa and the 3 HRDLC packages long time ago and everything works fine. I believe back then people said it was safe to do so. Now with DynDoLOD I am simply hopelessly lost. Apparently I am supposed to have the HRDLC loaded through plugins, but then part of the optimization process where useless files are deleted would be lost I guess. Unofficial hires patch, if loaded through plugin, requires the 3 plugins from HRDLC active. I simply don't know anything anymore.

 

Someone please tell me what to do.

[Aiyen]

The textures should not matter. It is the meshes which are the vital part of the dynLOD process. The textures do not enter the equation until you load up the game. 

 

It loads your files and generates new LOD files for your game, which then go look for the textures at the relevant file paths.. which have not changed during that process at all, so if they load now, they will load after. 

 

The dynLOD process only makes it so that the game renders LOD meshes at longer distances, it does not affect which textures are written to those LOD objects, since they already exist in the game. 

[Octopuss]

Jesus f***ing Christ THANK YOU!!!! That's exactly the answer I was looking for. I can stop making myself look like bigger and bigger idiot now. I GET IT.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Octopuss

[Aiyen]

Well if you start getting purple ruins in the distance etc. you might have some texture related issues to the dynLOD process. But again that would just be weird, since that mod should not alter the file paths, only the LOD files. 

[Octopuss]

On slightly different note, I noticed the optimization process for the vanilla textures changed a bit and the DLC textures are untouched now. Where do I place the optimized vanilla textures then?

My left panel currently looks like this

 

+Unofficial High Resolution Patch
+Hires optimized textures
+Unofficial Dragonborn Patch
*Unmanaged: Dragonborn
+Unofficial Hearthfire Patch
*Unmanaged: HearthFires
+Unofficial Dawnguard Patch
*Unmanaged: Dawnguard
+Unofficial Skyrim Patch
+Vanilla optimized textures

 

But I am not sure if it's correct. Btw does anyone know why MO inverts the contents of the profile files?

[z929669]

Just FYI,

You could always download the optimized textures that I have already optimized from the Nexus site, or you could use Tony971's.

 

Side note: OP updated

[Octopuss]

I know, but I prefer to do it myself with the most up to date batch files. Besides, that wouldn't change anything, would it? It's just the "vanilla vanilla" textures being optimized now...

[Kelmych]

On slightly different note, I noticed the optimization process for the vanilla textures changed a bit and the DLC textures are untouched now. Where do I place the optimized vanilla textures then?

My left panel currently looks like this

 

+Unofficial High Resolution Patch

+Hires optimized textures

+Unofficial Dragonborn Patch

*Unmanaged: Dragonborn

+Unofficial Hearthfire Patch

*Unmanaged: HearthFires

+Unofficial Dawnguard Patch

*Unmanaged: Dawnguard

+Unofficial Skyrim Patch

+Vanilla optimized textures

 

But I am not sure if it's correct. Btw does anyone know why MO inverts the contents of the profile files?

The revised instructions provide pointers to three options for already optimized textures; most users will find at least one of these will meet their needs. For those who want to manually optimize the vanilla textures (with or without any batch files) the instructions were changed. All of the vanilla textures from the DLC that make sense to optimize (for example, there have reports of problems when optimizing facetint textures, so they wouldn't be included) are duplicated in the HRDLC. Optimizing the HRDLC, as long as the duplicated DLC textures are included, eliminates the need to optimize any vanilla textures from the three DLC.

 

The install order you show seems correct.