Visual Enhancements
General visual enhancements including new meshes, and texture replacement packs.
6 files
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Aurora in Motion Everywhere Plus
By caillean7
Aurora in Motion Everywhere Plus
v1
======================
This mod tweaks laulajatars Aurora in Motion Everywhere to randomly show the two color variations of Northern Lights. While you had to decide for the purple or the green & pink version before, this mod gives both a chance of 50 % to appear.
Requires OBSE.
I only altered laulajatars script as per permission given on the mods Nexus page:
https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/48893
Originally this was based on Elbethiens Realistic Aurora in Motion, who has kindly given permission for modders to use her beautiful models and textures:
https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/46917/
Installation
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Extract the files to your Oblivion/Data folder and activate with OBMM / Wrye Bash / ...
42 downloads
- sky
- northern lights
- (and 1 more)
0 comments
Submitted
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Really AEVWD
By Arthmoor
A modest approach to distant viewable objects, aka VWD.
You're all familiar with the various VWD packages, right? Some provide more than others. Some are geared specifically toward super-high end machines. One isn't even designed to be played and will cripple anything currently on the market today. For the rest of us, myself included, we'd just like to enhance the visual experience without crippling the game. None of the available packages has been fully optimized, usually with large amounts of unnecessary data still attached.
In order to address these issues, I've decided to compile into one source as many useful VWD objects as can be reasonably applied to the game from the following sources:
AEVWD Large: Enhanced lowres textures.
UOMP: Battlehorn Castle (requires the official DLC to be activated).
Oblivion: City wall meshes only.
Brumbek: VWD illuminated windows, optimized lowres texture pack, optional QTP3 lowres texture pack, as well as several mesh and texture fixes.
Me: Machine regenerated all architecture, Ayleid ruin, and Imperial fort meshes for better quality and lower polygon counts. UOP corrected versions were used for the reductions wherever possible.
The overall goal is to provide enhanced VWD visuals while also trying to preserve performance as much as possible. This all stems from my realization that even with a high end graphics card, full detail VWD meshes and textures are simply out of the question. The VRAM usage is causing large amounts of stuttering when trying to swap out the memory and not even Streamline 3.1 can keep up. This package has brought the VRAM usage under control and has had a huge impact on overall lag and stuttering.
All of the meshes have been checked and had the following done:
Collision data removed. If actual collision grids were still present, the branches have been deleted entirely. It's impossible to collide with a VWD object.
Animation controllers removed. It is impossible to animate a VWD object, so this data is bloat.
Geometry morphers removed. If a mesh had these, they've been removed, as they are only useful in animation.
All NiStringsExtraData blocks removed. These are nearly always associated with collision.
All BSX Flags removed. These are nearly always used for collision and animation.
All NiSpecularProperty blocks removed. Leaving these in place causes visual anomalies, most notably the "every VWD turned yellow" issue.
All NiBinaryExtraData blocks (tangent/normal spaces) removed. This data is not required for VWD meshes and helps tremendously in reducing memory usage.
All parallax flags turned off. The distances involved make this useless anyway.
All meshes have been assigned lowres textures instead of hires ones.
Nearly all NiAlphaProperty blocks removed. If the mesh required it for transparency, it was kept. If this is left on a mesh that does not require it, visual anomalies can result.
All NiVertexColorProperty blocks removed. These lead to some cases of black VWD objects.
Optimization using PyFFI after the above has been done.
In addition to mesh work, all VWD normal maps have had their alpha channels removed since it serves no purpose. This will help some with VRAM, and eliminate issues with sparkly objects.
The typical VWD mesh comes out the other end of this process losing up to 75% of the data it was carrying with no loss of function. A fully optimized and functional VWD mesh will have only the NiMaterialProperty, NiTexturingProperty, and NiTriShapeData/NiTriStripsData branches left in its NiTriShape/NiTriStrips branches, and will have only NiTriStrips or NiTriShape branches attached to the scene root.
Compared with all of the other VWD options available, this is the most optimized, game friendly set of VWD objects there is.
12453 downloads
Updated
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Improved Waterfront Ships
By mhahn123
Improved Waterfront Ships
Ever get tired of seeing the same old ships everywhere you go in the game? Did you find it
odd that all of them were built with the same wood, using the same colors, and none were
really unique? I did too, and so decided to do something about it.
Details
The purpose of this mod was too bring a little color and diversity into the ships of Cyrodiil.
While there are other ship mods which add new models, they still use stock vanilla textures.
There are also texture replacers out there such as Qarls and Grumblepunks Shipyard. The
limitation is that you end up with nice looking ships that still all use the same textures.
So I've tried to give each of the named vanilla ships a look which suits a) their name b) their
role in the game c) the description given by npcs in the game.
Future Updates
Due to real life issues at the time, I never completed the lower decks interiors for any of the
ships. The first level interiors are all that was finished. Also it was my intention to implement
AWLS compatibility. Once I wrap up some other projects hopefully this can be finalized.
Known Issues
Not a true issue but....If you install this after you have entered Serpents Wake or Clarabella, the
doors will once again be locked. This shouldn't really be a problem. You get a key for Serpents
Wake at the start of the quest. Also, before attempting Clarabella, you should have a high lock
pick skill anyway. As the door is set at the highest lock level by default. At worst you may need
a few more lock picks to get back inside.
I hope you will have as much fun using this as I had creating it!
Locations
1. Imperial City Waterfront: Marie Elena is now the "damn fine ship" that First Mate Malvulis
brags about. She is dressed in richly colored hardwoods with engraved mahogany trim.
2. Anvil Docks: The Sea Tub Clarabella is dirty and downtrodden. Decks soiled, wood cracked,
and paint peeling.
3. Anvil Docks: The Serpents Wake sports rich oak siding, beech timbers, and engraved ash
trim work.
4. Imperial City Waterfront: The Bloated Float is indeed the finest Floating Hotel in all of Cyrodiil.
She sports a vivid display of browns and green.
5. Panther River: The long lost wreck Emma May is decayed and verging on collapse. Are you
brave enough to risk going in?
Requirements
Oblivion patched to 1.2.0416
Install
1. Extract to your Oblivion Data folder either manually or using the mod manager of your choice.
2. Set load order and play.
There is an optional VWD folder available as a separate download. This is for the people who want
to see the new ships in the distance and to have them reflected in the water. Install the meshes and
textures from the "Optional VWD" folder into your Oblivion/data/meshes and Oblivion/Data/textures.
Then run TES4LODGen to generate the distant view in game.
Load Order
Suggest using BOSS to set load order. These files are already recognized. Specific Load Order
instructions are included with each read-me file as well.
Compatibility
May conflict with other mods and patches which alter the named vanilla ships. A compatibility patch
is available for Open Cities Reborn.
This mod CAN be used alongside ship texture replacers such as Grumblepunks with no ill effects.
All of my meshes and textures are unique so texture replacers will not override them.
Credits
Bethesda - for Oblivion and the CS
Nifskope and Gimp - for the tools that made this possible
Tes4Edit - for cleaning the inevitable dirt from my mods
LHammonds - for the read-me generator this file was based on
Bond123 - for the "Bonds Skyship" which inspired me to start down this path
Vorians - for the help with sorting out my door issues
Grumblepunk - for allowing use of the Moretta textures
Deathless Aphrodite - for allowing use of the Cybiades textures
Arthmoor - for use of his VWD meshes, and the tutorial which taught me to make my own
SkandarGraun - for the "Nolda Renovated" mod which inspired the Bloated Float design.
Nephenee13 - for being so darn quick to respond every time I post a cry for help
Legal Stuff
Please do not upload these files to any other sites without my express consent. With the exception
of two, all of the textures used herein are my personal work, and they represent a significant
investment of my personal time. So if you wish to use any of them, you need to ask first. If you
wish to use the borrowed resources contained in this package, you will need to contact the authors
listed above for their permission.
307 downloads
0 comments
Submitted
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Really AEVWD: SI Edition
By Arthmoor
A modest approach to distant viewable objects, aka VWD. Lord Sheogorath will be pleased. Or throw pie at you. Depends on his mood.
This package performs a similar service for the Shivering Isles as the regular RAEVWD. The main difference is that all of the VWD objects are additions to the process. SI only included a very limited number of distant objects. The city walls around Bliss, Crucible and The Fringe, and the New Sheoth palace. Anyone who has played through SI knows though that there are a lot of large ruins, settlements, and mushroom trees all over the landscape. Not one of these has a distant object provided by Bethesda. So you run into a great deal of "pop-in" as the closeup versions load. So with that in mind I spent a few days generating low-poly meshes out of the missing pieces.
All of the meshes have been hand checked and had the following done:
Collision data removed. If actual collision grids were still present, the branches have been deleted entirely. It's impossible to collide with an VWD object.
Animation controllers removed. It is impossible to animate an VWD object, so this data is bloat.
Geometry morphers removed. If a mesh had these, they've been removed, as they are only useful in animation.
All NiStringsExtraData blocks removed. These are nearly always associated with collision.
All BSX Flags removed. These are nearly always used for collision and animation.
All NiSpecularProperty blocks removed. Leaving these in place causes visual anomalies, most notably the "every VWD turned yellow" issue.
All NiBinaryExtraData blocks (tangent/normal spaces) removed. This data is not required for VWD meshes and helps tremendously in reducing memory usage.
All parallax flags turned off. The distances involved make this useless anyway.
All meshes have been assigned lowres textures instead of hires ones.
Nearly all NiAlphaProperty blocks removed. If the mesh required it for transparency, it was kept. If this is left on a mesh that does not require it, visual anomalies can result.
All NiVertexColorProperty blocks removed. These lead to some cases of black VWD objects.
Optimization using PyFFI after the above has been done.
In addition to mesh work, all VWD normal maps have had their alpha channels removed since it serves no purpose. This will help some with VRAM, and eliminate issues with sparkly objects.
The typical VWD mesh comes out the other end of this process losing up to 75% of the data it was carrying with no loss of function. A fully optimized and functional VWD mesh will have only the NiMaterialProperty, NiTexturingProperty, and NiTriShapeData/NiTriStripsData branches left in its NiTriShape/NiTriStrips branches, and will have only NiTriStrips or NiTriShape branches attached to the scene root.
Compared with all of the other VWD options available, this is the most optimized, game friendly set of VWD objects there is. And the only one covering Shivering Isles at all.
3628 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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AFK_PrayerIdles
By Dwip
If you've ever been in a chapel, you've noticed characters standing at the altars, staring into space. Or maybe you've noticed the endless restoration sounds as characters lunge at the altars for hours on end. This mod aims to change all that.
AFK_PrayerIdles ties idle animations to many of the vanilla AI packages for priests and worshippers in the great chapels of Cyrodiil. Now, when an NPC with the proper AI package approaches an altar, they will choose between kneeling and standing praying animations. The result of these small changes is a much more atmospheric, religious chapel experience.
336 downloads
0 comments
Submitted
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AFK_Map
By Dwip
A fixed up version of the vanilla map in three versions:
- Modified vanilla, showing a couple of roads that aren't in the stock version.
- Lost Spires version, showing a small road added by LS.
- New Roads and Bridges version, accurately showing all roads added by NR&B. This is the most accurate version available.
Also includes all combinations of these versions. Also includes various GIMP files to make it possible to create and modify roads.
The New Roads and Bridges part is included in TheNiceOne's Dynamic Map, which is more suitable for most people.
139 downloads
0 comments
Submitted
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