UPDATE 3.0: Fixes the issues with seams being visible on the textures. This was mainly an issue with the 2K and 1K versions, with the cloudsheet01 texture being the most visible in game. I also removed so minor partial seams on the 4K version. Everything should now appear as I originally intended it to look.
UPDATE 2.0: Ethereal Clouds is now available in BC7 compression to give the cleanest appearance possible. There is a 4K option for people with a lot of VRAM to burn. I made some small tweaks to the clouds and hopefully eliminated any seaming issues some people were experiencing. 2K is the default size that will work well for most people. 1K is still an option for people with low-end PCs. It's the same size as the original textures, but will still have more details.
The first of my ETHEREAL mods is now ported to the Special Edition of Skyrim. Since this is just a simple texture replacer, I'm assuming it will work fine with the rebooted game.
I am getting cloud seams when using this mod and obsidian weathers and seasons together on weather ID 0000081A. Would like to know if anyone else having this issue.
I use these with obsidian, but I heavily modified them to be as close to vanilla colors as possible (and removed the baked-in dithering effect which I believe is a leftover from LE to help hide it's engine's color banding issue, which is present even with uncompressed cloud textures). I'm like 95% sure that there was one texture that had some minor seams I had to fix. But maybe not. When I get home from work I'll zip them up and post it here so you/anyone can try them out. If you still get seams with my modified files, then it's something else (like some other mod modifying that weather's record -- since you already have the weather reference, check in xedit to see if another mod is changing it). Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cia3b0Ty1DyWVW-X2eqinmKPkFdl41a9/view?usp=sharing
Well the only recommendation is to use the 4k version and Daemonjax's addon here, other than that you just have to use Obsidian Fog Disabler if you want to remove the clouds being visible at ground level.
Necroing the comment but in case anyone wondering obviously it depends how much VRAM and overall framerate you can spare. For example i am on 8GB VRAM but my usage during Gameplay never exceeds 4000+ so its ok and shouldn't affect performance. In this case if you get any other performance decrease its something else. Propably Engine Tasks. So its still ok to use the 4K version. Also and this applies even on 1080p Monitors. The Sky should be 4K at least. Of course depends on the texture. Some look properly at 8K. Mountains 4K. Rest of the large textures such as landscapes 2K is fine. Some textures are build for a specific resolution and may look too repetitive in terms of patterns in lower resolutions such as a City Wall and so on. The fix for that is simply using a specific resolution for a texture if the mod author created the texture for the specific resolution. The whole thing is how ''Stretched'' the Texture looks at what size and what resolution and how well it blends with the rest of the textures. For example highly detailed object environment and bigger texture landscapes or mountains match best. Now if a mountain texture is too low compared to the object such as a wall it might look too ''Potato'' compared to the other stuff so it doesnt blend well. Thats the whole philosophy. Only testing can help discover that. May this information help.
This mod is just beautiful. I was on Midwood Isle (another great mod) and was looking out over the water near dawn. The way the cirrus clouds looked warmed my heart. Very natural. Thank you very much for this!
238 comments
UPDATE 2.0: Ethereal Clouds is now available in BC7 compression to give the cleanest appearance possible. There is a 4K option for people with a lot of VRAM to burn. I made some small tweaks to the clouds and hopefully eliminated any seaming issues some people were experiencing. 2K is the default size that will work well for most people. 1K is still an option for people with low-end PCs. It's the same size as the original textures, but will still have more details.
The first of my ETHEREAL mods is now ported to the Special Edition of Skyrim. Since this is just a simple texture replacer, I'm assuming it will work fine with the rebooted game.
Enjoy,
Gamwich
Try to limit your questions and comments to the mod at hand. These comment sections can go off course quite easily.
Thanks for the mod
Do you have the impact on VRAM between 2K and 4K version?
Beautiful clouds! Would you be willing to grant permission for someone to port this to Xbox? Appreciate any consideration!
You made Skyrim a better looking, more realistic place, and for us Geeks that have no Life, that makes it amazing! LOL
Thanks for this really great mod!
Any recommendation to make the terrain render shadow from the clouds? I think it makes the landscape more fast and I want moar immersive lol
Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cia3b0Ty1DyWVW-X2eqinmKPkFdl41a9/view?usp=sharing
For example i am on 8GB VRAM but my usage during Gameplay never exceeds 4000+ so its ok and shouldn't affect performance.
In this case if you get any other performance decrease its something else. Propably Engine Tasks. So its still ok to use the 4K version.
Also and this applies even on 1080p Monitors. The Sky should be 4K at least. Of course depends on the texture. Some look properly at 8K. Mountains 4K. Rest of the large textures such as landscapes 2K is fine.
Some textures are build for a specific resolution and may look too repetitive in terms of patterns in lower resolutions such as a City Wall and so on. The fix for that is simply using a specific resolution for a texture if the mod author created the texture for the specific resolution.
The whole thing is how ''Stretched'' the Texture looks at what size and what resolution and how well it blends with the rest of the textures.
For example highly detailed object environment and bigger texture landscapes or mountains match best. Now if a mountain texture is too low compared to the object such as a wall it might look too ''Potato'' compared to the other stuff so it doesnt blend well. Thats the whole philosophy. Only testing can help discover that.
May this information help.