Landscape LOD Troubles

[Smooth613]

1. Yes BASH will "rewind" your install when you remove mods that are replacers. Don't worry about the vanilla resources, textures, meshes, sounds, etc... They are all stored in BSAs. (Bethesda Softworks Archive) So the game always reverts to the BSAs unless files are in your data folder and a mod uses them. Archive Invalidation is also part of the trick for reading loose files in the Data folder. This also applies if you have two mods that add or share the same file path. BAIN has an install order much like a load order, so the last package in order supersedes the previous.

 

Example:

1.) Mod A adds the file : Data\Textures\Tree\AppleTree.dds

2.) Mod B also adds file : Data\Textures\Tree\AppleTree.dds

 

Even though these have the same name they have a different appearance in game. Just for example... Mod A has a Green texture. Mod B has a Blue texture. So with the order above you will see a Blue Apple Tree in game. Now if you flip the order and Mod A is in the 2 slot, then use the Anneal function, you will then see a Green tree. The reason you have to Anneal is because BAIN allows Underrides. So if you just drag and drop nothing changes other than the placement of the package. You will know an underride has occurred because the text will now have a gray background. Sometimes you may want underrides to keep mods grouped together. Don't use Anneal in that situation.

 

BAIN is pretty intelligent when it comes to replacing files and "rewinding" when you remove mods that share the same file path. Hope that makes sense. So in short, yes BAIN will revert to a previously installed resource.

 

2. I don't have a whole lot of screenshots really. I've never been one to collect a lot but I'm sure I can find a couple to post. I'll try to remember and do that here in the next few days.

 

Right now I'm doing a clean install and starting a new character. So I'm focused on getting a fully functional and stable setup going again, and that takes time. Also Deadly Reflex 6 was just released and so I'll be testing that out pretty thoroughly since it looks amazing and DR 5 was top notch. I've played a few hours of it already and the new features seem to be nicely implemented although I had some issues. I'm not sure if it was bugs, conflicts, or my 400 hour old, tons of mods installed and removed, setup. So I'm starting with a clean slate and a new character.

[hlvr]

This normal map "error" you are describing with Qarl lod normal 4096 is not an error or trouble.

It's supposed to be that way. It doesn't work in any other way. I quote from Qarl's mod:

 

"Unfortunately, due to the nature of the compression used (DXT1) for the DDS files, normal maps tend to turn out rather pixelated and that is true for this case as well - though their 4096x4096 size helps to ameliorate that pixelation a bit.

 

It's really only noticeable in the very closest LODs while the more distant ones look fantastic. So it will be a matter of taste as to whether you like the look of this mod or not."

 

 

I use Depth of Field, which really helps with this. I also use a normalmap anti-alialising shader from OBGE that helps a bit further.

Anyway, I'm still thinking of replacing, as you, Qarl's normal map mod with something more.... "smoothened" and not that blocky. I've yet come to think about that though, but I will later.

 

On a note, QTP3 should look like that yes. It's normal.

[BloodyShinta]

This normal map "error" you are describing with Qarl lod normal 4096 is not an error or trouble.

It's supposed to be that way. It doesn't work in any other way. I quote from Qarl's mod:

 

"Unfortunately, due to the nature of the compression used (DXT1) for the DDS files, normal maps tend to turn out rather pixelated and that is true for this case as well - though their 4096x4096 size helps to ameliorate that pixelation a bit.

 

It's really only noticeable in the very closest LODs while the more distant ones look fantastic. So it will be a matter of taste as to whether you like the look of this mod or not."

 

 

I use Depth of Field, which really helps with this. I also use a normalmap anti-alialising shader from OBGE that helps a bit further.

Anyway, I'm still thinking of replacing, as you, Qarl's normal map mod with something more.... "smoothened" and not that blocky. I've yet come to think about that though, but I will later.

 

On a note, QTP3 should look like that yes. It's normal.

 

im gnona dive into the Graphics Extender project over the holiday (can't go home unfortunately), ill let you know how that depth of field works out. I kinda wish another layer of LOD could be added with Quarls at the closest and furthest,and something else in the mid range.