guide Skyrim AE for Beginners - V 3.1.0

[alaunus01]

@Aylis Fluffy Beds and Bedrolls are listed twice now. One in Foundation after 3D Furniture and the other in Weather and Lighting. Is it one or the other location or do we install the 'main' file in foundation and the 'extra soft optional' in weather and lighting?

[Aylis]

51 minutes ago, alaunus01 said:

do we install the 'main' file in foundation and the 'extra soft optional' in weather and lighting?

Yes and yes

[markvarley]

6 hours ago, Aylis said:

@markvarley

We'll see. Atm i want to stick with reworking the armors.

 

??

[KCOLL]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:12 AM, Khaizer said:

Hey, I'm asking here because I can't find an answer to my problem anywhere else:

My xLODGen fails everytime. it gets stuck while creating a texture, and I try everything but nothing seems to solve the problem.

 

As you can see, it generates without any problem, but then it gets to that part and stops. I waited 5 hours but nothing gets done. It's working on the process, I have enough space on my drive, enough memory and everything. It's been 3 days trying to solve it but nothing works.

Here is the list of what I did and tried:
- My xLOdGen has the -sse and output argument correctly and it's in a Modding Tools folder inside the root of my SSD.
- I added xLODGen, XLODGenx64 and the two other TexConv to the exceptions on my Windows Defender (I don't have any other AV).
-  I tried disavbing the real-time protection of Windows Security but it changes nothing.
- I have reinstalled all the mods multiple times and checking your modlist just to be sure it wasn't corrupted file.
- Tried different versions on textures/terrains/LODS mods where I wasn't sure which versions to get or boxes to tick because your modlist didn't say anything about them. The final modlist is about respecting to the best what you say, and in doubt I didn't get parallax versions  or additional files from the modpage if you didn't precise it. I can't be more "Lore-accurate" to your modlist as I am right now.
- I tried changing the compressions like B7Max, but it's the same result. DX5 is worse because the software needs to abort before it's finished.
- I tried the XLODGen version in x86 but it can't generate the atlas textures and it has many problems (including memory errors so I had to generate one world at a time).
- I have all the permissions of my drive.
- All the XLODGen related .exe (Texconv too) have administrator privileges, MO2 too.

- My original steam game files are clean, I even tried multiple times to repair them and had to redo the whole process of launching the game to generate ini files, configuring them with BethINI, replacing the manual files related to engine fixes, ENB, etc just to be sure.

- Someone said the "Valhalla" mod can get problematic with TexGen so it needs to be disabled before generating, but it did nothing except waste my time.

Also, even though at the time of this post my problem is getting stuck on this specific line at the bottom of the picture, it can change. Right now I am stuck at 
"e:\modding tools\dyndolod_terrain_output\textures\terrain\tamriel\tamriel.4.-20.-36.spr_n.dds" for 45min, and I bet it's gonna get stuck forever, when any other line took only half a second.

 

My load order is correct, and the last mods are FNIS Output, Nemesis Output and Bashed Patch respectively.

 

 

What can I do? What didn't I try? Online everyone is just saying to add the softwares in exceptions of Windows Defender, but even when I tried to deactivate EVERYTHING related to security on my computer (Don't try this at home kids), it didn't care and still blocked on textures generations.

I'm getting old losing my memory but I think I ran into this problem before dyndolod runs on RAM if your settings are accidently set to high like 1440 p and  if you don't have enough memory dyndolod will run out of space in RAM to do its calculations and come to a complete halt and just hang! I could be wrong but maybe this is the answer.

[wollboi]

@Aylis Another CC patch for consideration. This basically acts like I'm Walkin' Here for the CC pets. Skritch got me killed one too many times when I was trying to run away from enemies. IWH is a prerequisite and it doesn't add any plugin.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/75617

[Aylis]

@wollboi

When you say it works then thats good enough for me. Added ?

________________________________________________

 

Reworked/Added a few lines for clarification.

 

Armors come first, but this one looks very nice...

Spoiler

 

 

Finally found a wall mod for Lakeview that works and isn't adding lots of other things. I'll add Lakeview Manor - Upgrades Enhanced Edition with the next update.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Aylis

[markvarley]

17 hours ago, wollboi said:

@Aylis Another CC patch for consideration. This basically acts like I'm Walkin' Here for the CC pets. Skritch got me killed one too many times when I was trying to run away from enemies. IWH is a prerequisite and it doesn't add any plugin.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/75617

@Aylis I'm also using this for the same reason, can recommend ?

[markvarley]

My turn for a LOD problem, no buildings showing on my map, that's my Saturday taken up with fixing that then! ?

[Aylis]

@markvarley

Yeah, there has been another update to DynDOLOD so i have to recheck it again... Already lost count how often i had to rerun it.

__________________________________________________

 

'Whiterun Metropolis' is missing quite a few patches. We'd need something for:

RS Children

Sons of Skyrim

And some black faces (moving the mod around in the LO didn't help). So i guess he has still some work ahead in this regard.

 

It does look good and might be a great addition later. So i'll keep checking on it...

Spoiler

 

Both 'College Prestige Mage Outfit' and 'Dust Adept Armor' are fine too (aka will be added).

__________________________________________________

 

Almost forgot:

Even if 'WWM' doesn't work for us (yet?) two things did surprise me. 'Fortified Whiterun' works now (had issues before) and can be added. Plus 'Little Touches - A Trees Addition for Whiterun City' is worth a second look. It isn't as overbearing as i feared and could work well too.

Spoiler

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Aylis

[wollboi]

Speaking of Whiterun, a weird texture thing has been happening to me for a while. I'll have texture flickering and some minor z-fighting just outside of Whiterun, particularly in the areas added by Whiterun Outskirts. And there's a door that is supposed to be open but I can just clip through it. This happens for every new playthough and then after a couple of hours ... it just stops and everything looks 100% fine. It's not a showstopper or anything, but it's annoying and is the only graphical hiccup I have in my build. Anyone have any ideas.

 

Also, Re: the CC pet patch, I had a crash after about six hours yesterday and the crash log said it was the pet CC ESL that caused it. So I dunno, maybe I spoke too soon on that patch. But I don't see any other people complaining about it, so it could have just been Skyrim being Skyrim.

[Aylis]

@wollboi

With that description it could be anything... Maybe the ivy?

[misterpipes]

3 hours ago, wollboi said:

I'll have texture flickering and some minor z-fighting just outside of Whiterun, particularly in the areas added by Whiterun Outskirts. And there's a door that is supposed to be open but I can just clip through it.

Door? Or gate in wall on the road towards Whiteruns dragon fight tower? That and the z-fighting (I think I can see it in my mind) reminds me of the dyndolod issues I had. I can't remember quite how I fixed it, although I did tinker with ACMOS ini files which did some good work there.

[Thamiord20]

Why have you removed the OStim mods? Quite frankly,no disrespect sexlab are far superior anims.

[misterpipes]

13 minutes ago, Thamiord20 said:

Why have you removed the OStim mods? Quite frankly,no disrespect sexlab are far superior anims.

See here for the very short but simple reason

[Ashra XIII]

9 hours ago, wollboi said:

Speaking of Whiterun, a weird texture thing has been happening to me for a while. I'll have texture flickering and some minor z-fighting just outside of Whiterun, particularly in the areas added by Whiterun Outskirts. And there's a door that is supposed to be open but I can just clip through it. This happens for every new playthough and then after a couple of hours ... it just stops and everything looks 100% fine. It's not a showstopper or anything, but it's annoying and is the only graphical hiccup I have in my build. Anyone have any ideas.

 

Also, Re: the CC pet patch, I had a crash after about six hours yesterday and the crash log said it was the pet CC ESL that caused it. So I dunno, maybe I spoke too soon on that patch. But I don't see any other people complaining about it, so it could have just been Skyrim being Skyrim.

 

This exact thing happens in my game as well. I did see the gate fix itself but the flickering seems to linger.

 

I actually installed a more informative console mod so I could try and pick out the cause but then I didn't get back to that spot as I tinker around with other mod stuff. 

[wollboi]

12 hours ago, misterpipes said:

Door? Or gate in wall on the road towards Whiteruns dragon fight tower? That and the z-fighting (I think I can see it in my mind) reminds me of the dyndolod issues I had. I can't remember quite how I fixed it, although I did tinker with ACMOS ini files which did some good work there.

 

Yep, that gate exactly. Hmm.

[wollboi]

@Aylis Ooookay, yeah, toss the Pet mod. It hasn't crashed again, but now the pets have a chance to aggro enemies and it just royally messed up a quest and I had to solve it with the console. Maybe the author will fix that.

 

Also, the new version of Immersive Interactions is out today. Has some great new features, but now requires the new Dynamic Activation Key to work. There's also a plugin for that mod for controller users. Playing around with this now.

https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/96273?tab=files

[Thamiord20]

13 hours ago, misterpipes said:

See here for the very short but simple reason

Mmm i see.But isn't that a good thing, updating. But they still work and I think they should have been left in if people still wanted to use them. Because now I can't remember the load order they went in . 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Thamiord20

[Aylis]

3 hours ago, Thamiord20 said:

But isn't that a good thing, updating.

Not really. I'd have to recheck and rewrite that part almost every week as the installation page isn't up to date. Also what i wanted from those mods wasn't working anymore after they pushed an update.

 

On top of that is all the infighting between the creators. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

 

@wollboi

Hey, thats not a bug it's a feature... ?

 

I'll check out the new version.

__________________________________________________

 

I love having a coach, walls and guards at Lakeview.

Spoiler

 

Finally finished 'Asura's Armor'. Lots of parts and it looks nice. I only wish we had a different color (like red-brown) for the skirt, sleeves, and the belt.

Spoiler

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by Aylis

[Jessica_Degurechaff]

@Aylis (or pretty much anyone who happens to read this)

Lets say i want to make a custom modlist based off yours (i already always edit yours a bit, but never something mayor)

i want to keep the skeleton of yours tho, the absolute base of it.. so which mods (or even sections) should i take "as they are" to use on my custom modlist?

In the past (and a few times already) i had tried to merge both what i want and yours but its simply impossible because the ESP-ESM cap.

This time so far i have taken what i consider what its vital, aka everything up to the PC section ,but ,honestly (and i know you, the reader, will agree on this) every time i see a mod that i like i go "damn i need this one" and it snowballs into thousands of mods and i don't know which one to get rid off when i need space, the issue its that the exact same thing happens every time i try to make a custom modlist taking base of yours; i go "well, Aylis always uses this mod and its good, and this one, well, maybe i should install the entire section" and i end up (again) with no pluging slots for the stuff i want to put and with the same install (besdies a few) that you have on your guide and it frustrates me each time.

 

Please help me on this one, please, pretty please <.<

Edited July 23, 2023 by Jessica_Degurechaff

[misterpipes]

21 hours ago, Jessica_Degurechaff said:

Please help me on this one, please, pretty please

Spoilered due to me making a wall of text. Maybe this will help you.
 

Spoiler

I feeling reasonably confident today, so I'll try and explain how I go about this (I'll try to keep any mods I list here ESPs that can't be ESLified). I'm currently at 246 ESM/ESP. Going to presume you are making a personal custom modlist. Some of this isn't suitable for a modlist for others. I do use the optional Legacy of the Dragonborn mod (because it basically does what I do every playthough anyway).

 

1. I'm way more aggressive on ESLifying stuff than Aylis is, and run this script againist the modlist quite regularly. There might be things broken, but I haven't noticed them yet.

 

2. xEdit has an option to "Renumber FormIDs". This should only be used sparingly and with care. You won't be able to update mods you do this to mid playthrough. I mostly use it on weapon and armour mods I add to my personal modlist that tools claim can't be ESLified, because they start thier form numbers to high (techical: an ESP can't be ESL if it has more than 2048 FormIDs, or if its FormIDs are higher than 4096(?not sure about this for skyrim)). Do not do this to any mod that has anything depending on it, the things depending on it will break. I also don't run it on anything with scripts more complex than dialogs.

 

3. I've managed to avoid this so far, but you can also merge plugins.

 

4. Sections

SKSE: same as Aylis' list (except for the extras I throw in). There probably aren't any slots to save here.

Foundation: same as Aylis' list (this is the bit that makes Skyrim beautiful)

UI: is usually the same (I sometimes disable ACMOS for a paper map instead)
World Expansion: Currently the same as Aylis. Although if I was to drop anything it would be those places I don't visit often/for long that can't be ESLified (Better Tel Mithryn, Skaal Fishing Camp, Skaal Village Overhaul, and Capital Windhelm Expansion (because I still get disappearing textures around the palace entrance))

Housing: I basically considor this entire section optional (well, except Breezehome). While I am currently using most of them (to see if I like them) I could save 6 ESPs here. And I considor any player housing not close to vendors as a bit of a waste (yes, Tel Jerdain and Tale, I'm talking about you, also (from CC) Hendraheim, Myrwatch, Bloodchill Manor, Dead Man's Dread, Nchuanthumz)
PC: same as Aylis' (I have a few extras in there, that are required from others mods I use), but this is mostly about making the game look better. Also alot of stuff below this kinda depends on this section.
Physics and Animation: same as Aylis', except I'm a sucker for animation packs so have even more stuff for OAR (16 more mods, but generally these are meshes only.)

Armour and Weapons: current playthrough I'm pretty close to Aylis' list, however if you don't mind vanilla armours, you can save a decent number of ESPs here. I have an additional, um, 50 mods here, but most of those extras have been run though steps 2 and 1, so with the exception of Bikini armours, they are all ESLed.
Gameplay: I just drop stuff that either breaks/clashes with with my mods, or I just don't like (Book of Shadows, CACO, Evolution, in my case. I'm giving serious thought to dropping Andromeda (just kinda don't care about standing stones effect).
NPC: I can't remember how many non-ESL ESPs where in this section originally, but after running ESLify script againist it, its only 5.

Companions: I have none. Mostly because I never use companions (because I like big AoE damage, so they tend to die. Makes a change from FO4, where I don't use them because they are trying get me killed...)

Creatures: same as NPCs. I have dropped Storm Golems (because I'm not sure if the mod author realises that dropping a level ~36-48 spellcaster into a level 8 encounter zone is a bit annoying) and Mimics (I know that chest there is a mimic, but apparently its immune to all damage until I trigger it? Just no, dude.)

Weather and Lighting: Mostly unchanged. (Changes I made are either additional patches for the various Lux components or dropping stuff that annoys the heck out of me)

Sound: Unchanged

Body: Theres only one ESP and its already ESL, so no need to change anything. It's also the mod that distributes more than one body shape

Sex Mods: I have some deviation from Alyis' list here. Sexlab PPlus replaced with Sexlab Anim Searcher (I had some issues with PPlus and another mod I added, but I'm hopeful that will get resolved in future PPlus releases because I really like it). I am probably going to drop fertility mode, because I barely interact with it.

Sex Mods Extras: this is where I've put everything else I run that isn't in Aylis' list. Brief sampling of ~54 (thats not counting voice packs and NPC overhauls) additional mods here: Devious Deivces, The Ancient Profession, Laura's Bondage Shop, Amorous Adventures, SL Confabulation, SL Solutions, FHU Baka, Paradise Halls, Devious Lore, more animation packs (I'm currently at around 900 human, 600 creature, sexlab animations). This section makes up the bulk of added mods that can't be ESLed.

World and Quests: alot of these don't have ESPs anyway, I've not really changed anything here, except where something isn't required because I removed something further up (MO2s missing masters warning will help with that)

Patches: Same as World and Quests.

Extras: I have an entire new section, which is where I put mostly non-sex mod additions or stuff I'm testing. Currently 87 additional mods here. They all have part 1. (and 2., where applicable) run on them.

Final: Unchanged. These are pretty much required.

Currently this leaves me with:

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by misterpipes
Opps, 4096 is the ESL record limit for FO4, Skyrim SE is only 2048 records.

[Aylis]

@Jessica_Degurechaff

How the heck did you manage to do that?

 

Even with all my testmods installed i got at least fifty free slots for mods with ESM/ESP and more than a thousand for ESL available.

_________________________________________________

 

Not sure if this was intended by the OA of 'Unique Border Gates'. We're not in Skyrim anymore...

Spoiler

But it is interesting to see how far beyond the gaming area Bethesda placed vegetation. It is almost as if they wanted to add more but ran out of time.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Aylis

[markvarley]

19 minutes ago, Aylis said:

@Jessica_Degurechaff

How the heck did you manage to do that?

 

Even with all my testmods installed i got at least fifty free slots for mods with ESM/ESP and more than a thousand for ESL available.

@Aylis I currently have 1528 mods installed with 1731 plugins (1458 Light and 252 esp/esm from mods) ?

[misterpipes]

35 minutes ago, Aylis said:

How the heck did you manage to do that?

It's surprisingly easy when you browse loverslab and go 'ooo, want that' on pretty much every mod. In one browsing session, I did manage to add about 50 ESPs to my modlist.

35 minutes ago, Aylis said:

But it is interesting to see how far beyond the gaming area Bethesda placed vegetation. It is almost as if they wanted to add more but ran out of time.

Kinda the opposite of FO3 then (they did add more, but ran out of time.
I suspect its just the environmental artists adding stuff to the edges, just in case, or because you might be able to see it from certain points. I mean, they did add the White-Gold Tower to Skyrim and thats so far off map its in a different game.

 

Hope patches get made for Whiterun Metropolis, had a look last night, its huge.

[markvarley]

Well, this is what happened after running DynDOLOD:

 

Managed to fix that:

 

Next problem, whats up with you Paarthurnax?!

Edited July 23, 2023 by markvarley
fixing spoiler tags