Strange grid pattern on skin and other textures (skin especially)

[Dahveed]

SOLUTION: Disable skyrim's Ambient Occlusion.

 

Thanks to banzerhepbern for the solution!

 

 

 

I'm having this weird issue where I am seeing this strange sort of mini-checkerboard overlay on my screen which is especially noticeable on skin textures.

 

For general gameplay I never noticed it, but I started installing skin textures, npc textures (Bijin faces etc), and now with my ENB/ReShade preset it has become especially noticeable. (It isn't caused by reshade or ENB, but their shaders and effects make it much more pronounced an annoying.)

 

 

 

https://imgur.com/a/z2921

 

It's pretty hard to make out in still images, and just by looking at those you might think it's nothing.

 

Here's a video where you can hopefully notice it (use best resolution possible). Pay special attention at around the 0.12 second mark when I start to zoom back out.

 

 

Strangely enough, when I zoom in with FoV setting the effect is barely even noticeable at all, but the shadows still look a bit weird (I could live with just that).

 

But when I back up a bit again it becomes more obvious.

 

 

This is really driving me nuts. I have skyrim special edition on a beast computer, and everything is working great. My ENB and reshade preset looks stunning, FPS is amazing and everything looks absolutely great.

 

Except this.... I don't know what's causing it and it's really driving me crazy! Once you see it, you cannot unsee it!!!

 

 

 

SYSTEM:

 

 

Intel core i5-8600k cpu @ 3.60GHz, 6 cores

Windows 10 64bit

 

GeForce GTI 1080 ti 11gb

LG Ultrawide monitor, 2560x1080

 

 

skyrim.ini settings:

 

 

[Actor]
bUseNavMeshForMovement=0

[Animation]
fMaxFrameCounterDifferenceToConsiderVisible=0.06666667

[Archive]
bLoadArchiveInMemory=1
sArchiveToLoadInMemoryList=Skyrim - Animations.bsa
sResourceArchiveList=Skyrim - Misc.bsa, Skyrim - Shaders.bsa, Skyrim - Interface.bsa, Skyrim - Animations.bsa, Skyrim - Meshes0.bsa, Skyrim - Meshes1.bsa, Skyrim - Sounds.bsa
sResourceArchiveList2=Skyrim - Voices_en0.bsa, Skyrim - Textures0.bsa, Skyrim - Textures1.bsa, Skyrim - Textures2.bsa, Skyrim - Textures3.bsa, Skyrim - Textures4.bsa, Skyrim - Textures5.bsa, Skyrim - Textures6.bsa, Skyrim - Textures7.bsa, Skyrim - Textures8.bsa, Skyrim - Patch.bsa
bInvalidateOlderFiles=1

[Audio]
fMenuModeFadeInTime=1.0
fMenuModeFadeOutTime=3.0
fMusicDuckingSeconds=6.0
fMusicUnDuckingSeconds=8.0

[Camera]
fMouseWheelZoomSpeed=10.00

[Combat]
bForceNPCsUseAmmo=1
f1PArrowTiltUpAngle=0.7
f1PBoltTiltUpAngle=0.7
f3PArrowTiltUpAngle=2.5
fMagnetismLookingMult=0.0
fMagnetismStrafeHeadingMult=0.0

[Controls]
fMouseHeadingSensitivityMax=0.0625
fMouseHeadingXScale=0.0200
fMouseHeadingYScale=0.8500

[Decals]
uMaxSkinDecalPerActor=60

[Display]
fDDOFFocusCenterweightExt=2
fDOFMaxDepthParticipation=10000
fDynamicDOFFarBlur=0.4
fFirstSliceDistance=3500
fLightLODRange=45000
fLightLODStartFade=3500.0
fSparklesIntensity=0.3
fSunShadowUpdateTime=1
fSunUpdateThreshold=0.5
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=9999999.0000

[General]
bBorderRegionsEnabled=0
fEncumberedReminderTimer=60
fFlickeringLightDistance=2048
sIntroSequence=
sLanguage=ENGLISH
sTestFile1=Dawnguard.esm
sTestFile2=HearthFires.esm
sTestFile3=Dragonborn.esm
uExterior Cell Buffer=36
uGridsToLoad=5

[GeneralWarnings]
SGeneralMasterMismatchWarning=One or more plugins could not find the correct versions of the master files they depend on. Errors may occur during load or game play. Check the "Warnings.txt" file for more information.

[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=1
bAllowLoadGrass=0
fGrassFadeRange=13500
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=7000.0000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=0.0000
iMaxGrassTypesPerTexure=15
iMinGrassSize=20

[HAVOK]
fMaxTime=0.01666667
fMaxTimeComplex=0.03333333

[imagespace]
iRadialBlurLevel=2

[interface]
bShowTutorials=0

[LightingShader]
fDecalLODFadeEnd=0.5
fDecalLODFadeStart=0.45

[LOD]
fDistanceMultiplier=1.00

[MapMenu]
fMapWorldMaxPitch=90
fMapWorldMinPitch=0
fMapWorldYawRange=400

[Papyrus]
bEnableLogging=0
bEnableProfiling=0
bEnableTrace=0
bLoadDebugInformation=0
fPostLoadUpdateTimeMS=2000

[Water]
bReflectLODObjects=1
bReflectLODTrees=1
bReflectSky=1
[Launcher]
bEnableFileSelection=1

 

 

 

skyrimprefs.ini settings:

 

 

 

[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal0=1.0000
fVal1=0.8000
fVal2=1.0000
fVal3=0.0000
fVal4=1.0000
fVal5=1.0000
fVal6=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID0=94881
uID1=1007612
uID2=554685
uID3=466532
uID4=2113931357
uID5=841829069
uID6=2114345073
uID7=2668223467

[bethesda.net]
uPersistentUuidData0=2685870121
uPersistentUuidData1=3859237731
uPersistentUuidData2=2662689446
uPersistentUuidData3=2456982970

[Clouds]
fCloudLevel0Distance=16384.0000
fCloudLevel1Distance=32768.0000
fCloudLevel2Distance=262144.0000
fCloudNearFadeDistance=9000.0000

[Controls]
bAlwaysRunByDefault=1
bGamePadRumble=1
bInvertYValues=0
bUseKinect=0
fGamepadHeadingSensitivity=0.6667
fMouseHeadingSensitivity=0.0205

[Decals]
bDecals=1
bSkinnedDecals=1
uMaxDecals=1000
uMaxSkinDecals=100

[Display]
bBorderless=1
bDrawLandShadows=1
bEnableImprovedSnow=1
bEnableProjecteUVDiffuseNormals=1
bForceCreateTarget=0
bFull Screen=0
bFXAAEnabled=1
bIBLFEnable=1
bIndEnable=0
bSAO_CS_Enable=0
bSAOEnable=1
bScreenSpaceReflectionEnabled=1
bToggleSparkles=1
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
bUse64bitsHDRRenderTarget=1
bUsePrecipitationOcclusion=1
bUseTAA=1
bVolumetricLightingEnable=1
fDynamicDOFBlurMultiplier=1.0000
ffocusShadowMapDoubleEveryXUnit=450.0000
fGamma=1.0000
fInteriorShadowDistance=3000.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=4600.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=3600.0000
fLightLODStartFade=5000.0000
fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=256.0000
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=999999.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=2844.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=999999.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=2048.0000
fProjectedUVDiffuseNormalTilingScale=0.2000
fProjectedUVNormalDetailTilingScale=0.8000
fShadowDistance=3000.0000
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=9999999.0000
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=800
iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=250
iNumFocusShadow=4
iNumSplits=2
iReflectionResolutionDivider=2
iSaveGameScreenShotHeight=192
iSaveGameScreenShotHeighWSt=192
iSaveGameScreenShotWidth=256
iSaveGameScreenShotWidthWS=320
iScreenShotIndex=0
iShadowMapResolution=2048
iShadowMaskQuarter=1
iSize H=1080
iSize W=2560
iVolumetricLightingQuality=2
iVSyncPresentInterval=1
uBookRatio=2

[GamePlay]
bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=0
bShowQuestMarkers=1
iDifficulty=5

[General]
bEnableStoryManagerLogging=0
fLightingOutputColourClampPostEnv=1.0000
fLightingOutputColourClampPostLit=1.0000
fLightingOutputColourClampPostSpec=1.0000
iStoryManagerLoggingEvent=-1
uLargeRefLODGridSize=11

[Grass]
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=8500.0000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=0.0000
fGrassStartFadeDistance=8500.0000

[imagespace]
bDoDepthOfField=1
bLensFlare=1

[interface]
bDialogueSubtitles=0
bGeneralSubtitles=0
bShowCompass=0
fMouseCursorSpeed=1.0000

[Launcher]
sD3DDevice="NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti"
uLastAspectRatio=0

[LOD]
fLODFadeOutMultActors=30.0000
fLODFadeOutMultItems=30.0000
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=30.0000
fLODFadeOutMultSkyCell=1.0000

[MAIN]
bCrosshairEnabled=0
bGamepadEnable=0
bSaveOnPause=0
bSaveOnRest=0
bSaveOnTravel=0
bSaveOnWait=0
fHUDOpacity=1.0000
fSkyCellRefFadeDistance=150000.0000

[NavMesh]
fCoverSideHighAlpha=0.8000
fCoverSideLowAlpha=0.6500
fEdgeDistFromVert=10.0000
fEdgeFullAlpha=1.0000
fEdgeHighAlpha=0.7500
fEdgeLowAlpha=0.5000
fEdgeThickness=10.0000
fLedgeBoxHalfHeight=25.0000
fObstacleAlpha=0.5000
fPointSize=2.5000
fTriangleFullAlpha=0.7000
fTriangleHighAlpha=0.3500
fTriangleLowAlpha=0.2000

[Particles]
iMaxDesired=1500

[saveGame]
fAutosaveEveryXMins=15.0000

[TerrainManager]
bShowLODInEditor=1
fBlockLevel0Distance=75000.0000
fBlockLevel1Distance=125000.0000
fBlockMaximumDistance=250000.0000
fSplitDistanceMult=1.5000
fTreeLoadDistance=75000.0000

[Trees]
bRenderSkinnedTrees=1
uiMaxSkinnedTreesToRender=40

[Water]
bUseWaterDepth=1
bUseWaterDisplacements=1
bUseWaterReflections=1
bUseWaterRefractions=1

 

 

 

I won't bother posting my mod list or ENB settings, because I'm getting this same effect with a vanilla (outside of MO) install with no mods, no reshade and no ENB.

[Dahveed]

Please also note that it's much more noticeable in-game... some of the finer details get lost in a Youtube video.

[Dahveed]

Here's a vanilla shot with no mods, no enb, no reshade, and all .ini settings at out-of-the-box defaults. This weird pattern is especially noticeable on Lydia's neck. (moreso in-game of course)

 

https://imgur.com/a/aAIul

 

[3aq]

This usually happens to me when I do not use the 4k-4k+ textures when playing on a screens higher than 1920x1080 resolution. Perhaps go from there and see if it resolves your problem.

[jones177]

As far as I am concerned this is the number 1 issue with Skyrim SE. My world looks better in SE but my NPCs look better in LE because of this.

 

It looks the same at 4k resolution as it does at 1080 resolution. Even at 4k with DSR at 4 x it looks the same.

 

It makes no difference using 2k or 4k textures.

 

The males in my game use vanilla textures & they have the same issue.

 

The only way I can reduce it is to switch off ambient occlusion.

 

Got that solution in this post.

 

https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/5280520-shadow-on-body/

 

 

Later

[jones177]

An image showing the difference between screen space ambient occlusion on & off.