LOD Trouble (relatively good in modding but new to LOD)

[Kasabian7]

Hi and hello everyone comming here to land a hand, I'm facong a LOD problem since a while now and now I've come to the conclusion that I would like to fix it once and for all. So first:

 

I use MO for install and managing, I have Skyrim Flora Overhaul + T.A.Z Enb (Weather and lighting) + ELFX (No weather). Reading on forums and STEP guide, I've placed everything in my install list according to what I seem to understand for the visual overhaul:

 

Optimized Vanilla Text HD

DB

Optimized Dragonborn Text HD

HF

Optimized Hearthfire Text HD

DG

Optimized Dawnguard Text HD

USleep

2K Complete Full

Skyrim Flora Overhaul

Verdant grass (overwriting the grass from flora)

ELFX

Static Mesh Improvement Mod

Realistic Water Two

Skyrim Particle Patch for enb

Wet and cold

enhanced night skyrim

wonders of weather

Ultimate HD Fire Effects

Skyui

Skyrim project optimization

footprints

Bloody Facials Reblooded

Enhanced Blood Texture

T.A.Z Lighting DLC

LOD Fix for TAZ and SFO

 

So yeah that's pretty much it for visuals and how I've install them, but still I get a crappy LOD (Grass spawn when I walk right in front of it, trees are floating in the air at a small distance and pop in a couple meters before I get there, some trees are really bright at a distance which should have been fix by the LOD Fix for TAX and SFO)

 

here is my Sky.ini and pref.ini which are manage by MO:

 

Sky.ini

 

[Display]
sD3DDevice="NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970"
fSunShadowUpdateTime=0.25
fSunUpdateThreshold=1.5
fDefault1stPersonFOV=70.59
fDefaultFOV=70.59
fDefaultWorldFOV=70.59
fLightLODRange=50000
uGridstoload=7
[General]
sLanguage=ENGLISH
sIntroSequence=
fFlickeringLightDistance=8192
[Water]
bReflectLODObjects=1
bReflectLODLand=1
bReflectSky=1
bReflectLODTrees=1
[Archive]
bInvalidateOlderFiles=0
SInvalidationFile=ArchiveInvalidation.txt
[Audio]
fMusicDuckingSeconds=6.0
fMusicUnDuckingSeconds=8.0
fMenuModeFadeOutTime=3.0
fMenuModeFadeInTime=1.0
[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=1
bAllowLoadGrass=0
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=15
iMinGrassSize=70
fGrassFadeRange=10000
[Combat]
f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f1PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7
[Papyrus]
fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=500.0
bEnableLogging=0
bEnableTrace=0
bLoadDebugInformation=0
[Camera]
fMouseWheelZoomSpeed=60.0000
f1st3rdSwitchDelay=0.9500
iHorseTransitionMillis=001

 

 

Skyprefs.ini

 

[Display]
sD3DDevice="NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970"
iTexMipMapSkip=0
bFXAAEnabled=0
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=10000000.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=10000000.0000
fSpecularLODStartFade=2000.0000
fLightLODStartFade=3500.0000
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=8192.0000
iShadowMapResolution=4096
fShadowBiasScale=0.1500
iShadowMaskQuarter=4
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=3
fShadowDistance=8000.0000
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=800
iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=250
iAdapter=0
iSize W=1600
iSize H=900
iMultiSample=1
iMaxAnisotropy=1
iPresentInterval=0
bFull Screen=1
fInteriorShadowDistance=3000.0000
bFloatPointRenderTarget=1
fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=4600.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=3600.0000
fGamma=1.0000
iShadowFilter=3
bShadowsOnGrass=1
fDecalLOD2=1500.0000
fDecalLOD1=1000.0000
fShadowLODStartFade=200.0000
iTexMipMapMinimum=0
bTransparencyMultisampling=0
iWaterMultiSamples=0
bDeferredShadows=1
iShadowMode=3
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
bDrawLandShadows=1
bShadowsOnGrass=1
bDrawShadows=1
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000
fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=256.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=4096.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=6144.0000
iScreenShotIndex=0
bShadowMaskZPrepass=0
bMainZPrepass=0
[imagespace]
iRadialBlurLevel=2
bDoDepthOfField=1
[LOD]
fLODFadeOutMultActors=15.0000
fLODFadeOutMultItems=15.0000
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=15.0000
fLODFadeOutMultSkyCell=1.0000
[Grass]
fGrassStartFadeDistance=7000.0000
b30GrassVS=0
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=7000.0000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=400.0000
[Decals]
bDecals=1
bSkinnedDecals=1
uMaxDecals=1000
uMaxSkinDecals=100
uMaxSkinDecalsPerActor=60
[TerrainManager]
fTreeLoadDistance=180500.0000
fBlockMaximumDistance=250000.0000
fBlockLevel1Distance=70000.0000
fBlockLevel0Distance=300500.0000
fSplitDistanceMult=1.5000
bShowLODInEditor=0
[blurShaderHDR]
bDoHighDynamicRange=1
[blurShader]
bUseBlurShader=0
[Launcher]
bShowAllResolutions=1
uLastAspectRatio=3
[Water]
iWaterReflectHeight=1024
iWaterReflectWidth=1024
bUseWaterDisplacements=1
bUseWaterRefractions=1
bUseWaterReflections=1
bUseWaterDepth=1
[MAIN]
fSkyCellRefFadeDistance=150000.0000
bGamepadEnable=0
bCrosshairEnabled=0
fHUDOpacity=1.0000
bSaveOnPause=1
bSaveOnTravel=1
bSaveOnWait=1
bSaveOnRest=1
[interface]
fMouseCursorSpeed=1.0000
bDialogueSubtitles=0
bGeneralSubtitles=0
bShowCompass=1
[GamePlay]
bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=1
bShowQuestMarkers=1
iDifficulty=4
[Controls]
bUseKinect=0
fMouseHeadingSensitivity=0.0200
fGamepadHeadingSensitivity=1.9000
bAlwaysRunByDefault=1
bInvertYValues=0
bGamePadRumble=1
[Particles]
iMaxDesired=750
[saveGame]
fAutosaveEveryXMins=15.0000
[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID7=1057169589
fVal6=1.0000
uID6=1057169586
fVal5=1.0000
uID5=1057170968
fVal4=1.0000
uID4=1057169590
fVal3=0.9000
uID3=466532
fVal2=1.0000
uID2=554685
fVal1=0.9000
uID1=1007612
fVal0=0.8500
uID0=94881
[Clouds]
fCloudLevel2Distance=262144.0000
fCloudLevel1Distance=32768.0000
fCloudLevel0Distance=16384.0000
fCloudNearFadeDistance=9000.0000
[General]
iStoryManagerLoggingEvent=-1
bEnableStoryManagerLogging=0
ulargereflodgridsize=13
[Trees]
bRenderSkinnedTrees=1
uiMaxSkinnedTreesToRender=200

 

 

here is a screenshot of most of the problem: https://imgur.com/a/hF6pw

 

I'm really in an dead end here since I really can't think of anything that might change stuff but I'm open to every suggestions and tips, I'm pretty much a novice for when it comes to LOD!

 

Thanks you very very much Ya'll :)

 

 

[JackArbiter]

1. Go to the STEP wiki for DynDoLOD: http://wiki.step-project.com/Dynamic_Distant_Objects_LOD

2. Spend the next 5 hours figuring out how to make it work with your setup.

3. ???

4. Enjoy your awesome LOD.

[Kasabian7]

Yeah at first I tried Dyn but I kind of didn't get the result expected, maybe because I didn't understand it all. I guess I'll give it a try again! So to start I should uninstall everything related to fixing the lod and only keeps TAZ lighting and Skyrim Flora Overhaul?

 

Anyway I'm gonna try it tomorrow.. If anyone got another idea or see something wrong with my setup be sure to let me know! Thanks

[JackArbiter]

Yeah you won't want other LOD stuff but you'll need a bunch of tree sprites or whatever, it's a long process but totally worth it when you ride over the crest of a hill and see Dragonsreach from across the map. Because the map is flat you can often see better vistas than you could on Earth (at least from ground level) because of the Earth's curvature.

Edited September 22, 2017 by JackArbiter

[Kasabian7]

Well as you said the LOD is incredible and seeing dragonreach from afar is really something worth the trouble with Dynlod now that I've finally managed to make it works but still.. I don't understand what the heck is going on when I'm actually travelling in horse or on foot in the whiterun tundra, grass just "pop in" as I walk on it, even then sometime I'm on the land and it takes a few seconds before the grass finally all load under my feet, not to mentions the trees that have disparated colors/lightning from the distance changing when I get closer, everything in the terrain seems to have trouble rendering even with a ugridstoload7.

 

I've also tried couple of ini tweaks to make the grass/trees render further but it doesn't change sh*t.

 

I'm really starting to feel overwhelmed, but hey thanks a lot for your help JackArbiter

Edited September 22, 2017 by Kasabian7

[JackArbiter]

If you went through all the trouble of figuring out DynDoLOD and then got it working... that's a lot of work. Take a breather, drink some beers, go to sleep (you prolly are right now, I dunno) and wake up and drink some coffee and go back to "work," you'll do fine. Your brain literally gets physically tired after going through that much s***.

 

So you have two problems:

 

1. Trees that sure as s*** don't look right from far away and then pop in and look ugly.

 

There are settings in DynDoLOD that can change how distant trees look if I remember correctly (might be wrong, might just be billboard), that or you need different tree billboards, or both. Depends on version of SFO, etc. Also I'm not familiar with the T.A.Z. lighting DLC, but it looks from your original load order like it can mess with LODs... which could be related. But most likely you need different billboards or tree color settings if the trees far away look crazy. But trees far away... they'll always look kinda crappy. You just want a similar color.

 

Regardless, if trees are popping in too close they'll always look like s***! Billboards ain't trees. So here's my personal skyrimprefs.ini setting for that, which you can see according to STEP affects this 100%. There are other settings mentioned in that link that will have an affect on tree quality, obviously.

 

[TerrainManager]

fTreeLoadDistance =75000.0000

 

^ I'm not even sure that value matters beyond 40,000.

 

2. Grass settings have nothing to do with LOD. You didn't say it did, just making sure that's clear.

 

My grass appears far enough away I rarely notice it, and I use Verdant. This may be grass settings, which I'll list below, but usually the actual distance is another setting in skyrimprefs.ini.

 

My skyrim.ini Grass settings (apparently I don't use some of the fade variables that can be used here according to STEP).

 

[Grass]

iGrassCellRadius=2

bAllowCreateGrass=1

bAllowLoadGrass=0

bGrassPointLighting=1

b30GrassVS=0

iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=15

iMinGrassSize=70

 

My skyrimprefs.ini grass settings (here's the step guide):

 

[Grass]

b30GrassVS=0

fGrassStartFadeDistance=9000.0000

fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=9000.0000

fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=400.0000

 

Apparently maxstartfade don't matter, my startfade could be twice as high, and my minstartfade could be way higher. Not sure where I get my settings from sometimes TBH. But until I notice, f*#@it. I have enough skyrim problems. But I'll probably start changing grass til I break everything now. THANKS OBAMA.

 

(EDIT) It is possible that if, in the very beginning, you didn't change all your settings and such manually in the game launcher to Ultra with distance settings as far as possible that you simply started with real low ini values initially. I'd suggest a full review of the STEP skyrim.ini and skyrimprefs.ini files to make sure you see everything great. I don't mess with ugridstoload anymore, aside from maybe seeing a bear from a quarter mile off it isn't worth wondering what's getting broken... and I'm not even sure I couldn't have seen that bear at ugridstoload 5.

Edited September 23, 2017 by JackArbiter

[Kasabian7]

Wow just wow, just sir, are a blessing to mankind!

 

First, thank you so much for the time you've put into helping me, I think we figured it out! (And I don't drink but god know I've smoke my brain out at the end of the night)

 

I've reread everything for the step inis, I had some semi legit tweaks for the grass and trees and it's definitively better than ever, I've added a couple line from yours too and removed ugridstoload since yeah, not worth it but man F*CK THAT BEAR i hate him just bumping into my horse and scaring the sh*t out of me. And for the f*** ups in my ini's, various tweaks grabbed on the internet deseperate for answser and hope or try experiment...and as you said, starting with the launcher when I first installed it last time, It all pretty much make sense to me now.

 

I owe you a cold one, kind sir, and here's the result of all this:

 

https://imgur.com/a/soLPu

 

Sure it's not perfect but hey, I'm happy with it. Now all I have is some flickering mountains but I'm reading about it, Z-Fighting as it's called and following step guide to understand things better.. Cheers mate!

Edited September 23, 2017 by Kasabian7