Attack of the Self Illuminating Animals

[Augh3d]

Kind of a cool and strange behaviour, but an unwelcome one I'd like to get rid of, with a dose of basic curiosity also;

 

A select cross section of animals in my install have decided it would be neat to light up like lanterns when approached within a specific and consistent range. It's definitely a self illumination effect rather than an exterior source, and doesn't seem to be ENB specific, although I imagine the presence of ENB is a factor. Reddit has no answers so here I am.

 

Here's a look at what I'm talking aboot;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwkiQ-ajRf8

 

And a mod list, which unfortunately is only plugins. I know this is less than useful, but TANSTAAFL;

 

https://modwat.ch/u/Horrorshow/plugins

 

I first noticed it with Frost, then the other horses (all vanilla horses, but not bruma paint horses), then a couple of sabrecats... then all sabrecats. Then I encountered a goat in Whiterun which glowed, but could also be on screen at the same time as another goat (same model, same everything) which did not. It is very perplexing. Animals which glow when approached will do so every time consistently through different game sessions, those which do not, will not ever. My best guesses so far are something to do with the alpha based pelt effect used by the skins for some animals (noticeably the bridle, saddle etc aren't lighting up), the Kill Radioactive Critters system in Thunderchild, or an imagespace modifier interaction with either of those perhaps. A bunch of animals and monsters using this technique (trolls, for example) aren't showing the same problem however.

 

There doesn't seem to be anything unusual about the concerned .nif or .dds files, and while the effect is more easily noticeable under my current ENB (Caffeine), I'm pretty sure it was also present but more subdued under my previous (Grim & Somber Jyggalag). The afflicted horses are skinned with Kritakitty's Primitive Horse Breeds, but the goats for example are plain drab vanilla. I'm struggling to find a thread to follow in troubleshooting this madness.

 

Join me in my wonder and confusion. If we cannot solve the glowing animals, perhaps we can worship them.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Augh3d