How to generate best quality LODs?

[Decèdere]

I have several texture overhauls for things like architecture, landscapes, and mountains, but none of them come with LODs. A Noble Skyrim links to a compatible LOD mod, which I have installed. Is it enough to just run TexGen and DynDOLOD and install their output to get the best quality LODs for my setup? I also have Skyrim Flora Overhaul though, and this is where I get confused. It recommends using DynDOLOD and has an optional mod with the description "Assets for use with DynDOLOD 3 Alpha to create very detailed 3D tree LODs". Do I have to download these assets and install them before running DnyDOLOD? Or do I use the pre-generated 3D LODs? And what about xLODGen? I've seen this recommended in addition to DynDOLOD. Is it necessary?

 

Here are my texture/overhaul mods so far (installed in this order):

A Noble Skyrim

CleverCharff's AIO

Skyland AIO

ScandaNordic Mountains

Skyrim Flora Overhaul

Edited March 26, 2023 by Decèdere

[Just Don't]

46 minutes ago, Decèdere said:

Do I have to download these assets and install them before running DnyDOLOD?

Not anymore. Nowadays TexGen generates all the billboards you need using your own textures.

 

46 minutes ago, Decèdere said:

And what about xLODGen? I've seen this recommended in addition to DynDOLOD. Is it necessary?

Yes, xLODGen is used exclusively to generate terrain. Everything else is done in TexGen/DynDOLOD.

 

The installation of all these 3 tools is:

1. Get the latest xLODGen (must be xLODGen, not the SSELODGen available on Nexus which is an old 2018 tool). Extract in it's own folder and keep it in a place you know it won't be deleted/overwritten (like a dedicated folder for modding programs).
   1. Get this resource and check it's instructions (only enable it before using xLODGen, place near the top of your loadorder, disable it afterwards, etc).
2. Get the latest  Dyndolod Resources. Install as any mod into your mod manager and leave it enabled.
3. Get latest DynDOLOD 3 Alpha. Extract it in it's own folder and keep it near your other programs (just like you did with xLODGen), don't mix it with xLODGen or SSE Edit, keep all these programs in separate folders. This file contains the DynDOLOD and TexGen programs.
4. Check you meet any other additional requirements for xLODGen/DynDOLOD. You can check the "Additional Requirements" part of this site. Note that it mentions some Microsoft Visual C++ and NET Framework/Runtime. It's very likely your computer already has them, but you should try to install them anyways to play it safe. DynDOLOD also requires its own DLL or Papyrus Util (which you likely have already since Sexlab contains it).
5. The executables for xLODGen, TexGen and DynDOLOD may require some additional configuration steps depending on your mod manager. You can check a video guide to help you configure these, such as this one. There are others, just look around.

Using all 3 tools looks something like:

1. xLODGen: before starting remember to enable the SSE Terrain Tamriel. Launch it using whatever setup you did for it + your mod manager. Enable all worldspaces, only enable Terrain and run it with default settings (or recommended settings from a guide/site you trust). Once it's done pack the generated files into it's own mod and enable it (details change depending on your mod manager, refer to a video guide). Remember to disable the SSE Terrain Tamriel mod after you're done with xLODgen.
2. TexGen: run it as expected according to your mod manager, default settings are okay for most displays. Once it's done you can pack the generated files in a zipped file and install it into your mod manager as any other mod. Check the TexGen Output folder inside wherever you extracted DynDOLOD 3 Alpha.
3. DynDOLOD: same as above, launch it. Then select all worldspaces, pick a preset (low/med/high), then run it to test default settings, or check recommended settings from a guide/site (example, it has settings for LODGen and TexGen/Dyndolod). Once it's done pack the generated files, check the dyndolod output folder wherever you extracted DynDOLOD 3 Alpha and install it into your mod manager. It should have an esm and some esp files, make sure the esm is placed near the top where all the esm files are. DynDOLOD.esp and Occlusion.esp should be at the bottom of your loadorder.

Edited March 26, 2023 by Just Don't

[Decèdere]

Very helpful, thanks!

[Yinkle]

A useful read indeed, but one thing I'm bothered by when using DynDoLod is the huge increase in the number of script instances.

 

For example, I just built DynDoLod, loaded my save in an interior, went outside, waited for DynDoLod to be activated and saved my game. The number of Script instances went from 66k to 98k just by doing that. Is that normal? In my experience, this is never a good thing!

Edited March 26, 2023 by Yinkle

[Just Don't]

1 hour ago, Yinkle said:

A useful read indeed, but one thing I'm bothered by when using DynDoLod is the huge increase in the number of script instances.

 

For example, I just built DynDoLod, loaded my save in an interior, went outside, waited for DynDoLod to be activated and saved my game. The number of Script instances went from 66k to 98k just by doing that. Is that normal? In my experience, this is never a good thing!

I've never have issues in my 4-5 years running DynDOLOD et al. The span of my playthroughs is not that long though, I usually finish a character and start a new save after 80-100 hours of play time per character. That being said script instances are mentioned in the official FAQ site. If you're skeptic and you suspect it'll cause an issue give it a try in a save you don't mind losing, and once you catch any problem get ready to troubleshoot and hopefully isolate the source so you can confirm it really was DynDOLOD related.

Edited March 26, 2023 by Just Don't

[libertyordeath]

It's been a few years for me, so correct me if i'm wrong, but i vaguely remember DYNDOLOD mainly using scripts to manage fake lights, windowglow and stuff? If yes, there's options to enable/disable those when generating LODs. I also vaguely remember you can either choose bake window glow into the textures (no active code needed), or make it so windows are only lit at night, but not at day (requires active code to manage).

 

Also, i'll never understand people wanting HD LOD. It beats the whole purpose of "Level Of Detail", which is to reduce quality at distance in exchange for having rich horizons with lots of objects and trees. Basically the whole point is trading quality for quantity. Go for quality instead, and you inevitably get performance bottlenecks in areas where it does matter, cause nothing is for free.

 

But hey, to each his own.

[Just Don't]

4 hours ago, libertyordeath said:

Also, i'll never understand people wanting HD LOD. It beats the whole purpose of "Level Of Detail", which is to reduce quality at distance in exchange for having rich horizons with lots of objects and trees. Basically the whole point is trading quality for quantity. Go for quality instead, and you inevitably get performance bottlenecks in areas where it does matter, cause nothing is for free.

You're recreating the LOD to be more accurate to what's in your game. The actual quality used for models and textures can be tweaked to your needs so the performance impact can be minimal or even unnoticeable for regular gameplay.

[Grey Cloud]

5 hours ago, libertyordeath said:

Also, i'll never understand people wanting HD LOD. It beats the whole purpose of "Level Of Detail", which is to reduce quality at distance in exchange for having rich horizons with lots of objects and trees. Basically the whole point is trading quality for quantity. Go for quality instead, and you inevitably get performance bottlenecks in areas where it does matter, cause nothing is for free.

The 'whole purpose' is to give the user choice. If one's hardware can handle decent quality LODs then why not? If one's hardware struggles then common sense says sacrifice distance quality.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Grey Cloud

[libertyordeath]

2 hours ago, Grey Cloud said:

The 'whole purpose' is to give the user choice.

The purpose of LOD? LOL, nope it isn't. The purpose of DYNDOLOD? Maybe.

 

Quote

If one's hardware can handle decent quality LODs then why not?

Because the scenario you imply does not exist. There is no free lunch. If you have ressources free, the choice here is to either spend it on DLOD, or something else.

 

User "Just Dont" gave a much better answer than you did, which is that replacement HD textures may look different than the vanilla ones, so having matching DLODs to go along with them would improve accuracy/pop-in. And reducing pop-in/asset mismatches is in fact a major reason to generate your own DLOD, so that makes sense.

[Grey Cloud]

2 hours ago, libertyordeath said:

The purpose of LOD? LOL, nope it isn't. The purpose of DYNDOLOD? Maybe.

Your original text said:

4 hours ago, Grey Cloud said:

Also, i'll never understand people wanting HD LOD. It beats the whole purpose of "Level Of Detail", which is to reduce quality at distance in exchange for having rich horizons with lots of objects and trees. Basically the whole point is trading quality for quantity. Go for quality instead, and you inevitably get performance bottlenecks in areas where it does matter, cause nothing is for free.

No mention of DYNDOLOD whatsoever.

 

Note your use of the words 'exchange' and 'trade'.

 

Whether to go for 'HD LOD' or 'rich horizons' is only a choice to be made if you don't have the hardware/resources to do both. I suppose technically speaking, one chooses to have both.

 

 

@Just Don't's did indeed provide a good answer even though you largely misrepresent what he said. Just don't was talking about quality:

4 hours ago, Just Don't said:

The actual quality used for models and textures can be tweaked to your needs so the performance impact can be minimal or even unnoticeable for regular gameplay.

No mention of 'accuracy/pop-in' (I'm not sure what 'accuracy' means in this context). Note that there is choice involved with 'level of detail', i.e. what level of detail one requires or is able to run. Which is what Just Don't is saying in the above sentence.