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About this mod
Does away with the decade-old, unintended issue of "glowing" objects in ENB by tweaking over 1,400 vanilla files. Glowing bottles, glowing weapons, glowing armor, glowing walls, glowing xander roots, glowing fish, glowing windows, glowing grass, glowing shadows... Care was lavished to ensure this project is as thorough as can be.
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ENB Glowing Objects Overhaul
If you use ENB, you may have encountered the phenomenon, from time to time, of objects glowing at night or in dark interiors. Maybe it's even pervasive enough to be a genuine distraction. Everyday objects shouldn't glow or have bright reflections when they're in a dark environment.
The cause
ENB's development for Fallout New Vegas was never completed. That may be part of the problem, but in a discussion with Boris, I learned that his attempts to solve the issue tended to break other things, so he abandoned it.
In brief, certain components of 3D objects—namely environment maps and emissive qualities—pay no attention to the brightness of the local environment, something they should be doing. So these qualities remain basically static across all brightness variations. Although there is theoretically a way to control, via some of ENB's variables, where exactly this static level situates, unfortunately, putting a lock on those variables sacrifices control over things like light source brightness, which no ENB preset author is ever likely to want to give up since it's an important component of making ENB look good.
In the end, almost every ENB preset out there uses settings which do indeed engender the glowing phenomenon to one degree or another. Whether this ends up being a distraction depends, in large part, on just how dark a given ENB allows the outdoors / dark interiors to get, as well as a given user's sensitivity to things looking wrong. If environments never get darker than the vanilla game, then it's possible the user never notices an issue. But the bottom line is that to fix the issue is to improve the visuals, regardless of whether one generally notices the improvement.
The goal
The shortcoming outlined above causes things to be too bright in dark environments, or to excessively express reflective qualities, or both. The aim of every fix provided in this mod is to bring those aspects down to the level they should have been at, had ENB handled them correctly. The vanilla game's visuals were used as a baseline.
This needs to be stated upfront: There is no magic bullet for this problem. Every fix offered here is, to some extent, a bit of a compromise. But if you're one who has noticed the glowing issue before, the results should speak for themselves. With this mod, the glowing problem can be made a complete non-issue.*
What exactly this mod tackles
Each of these categories may be selected or ignored, depending on what one wishes to fix.
*Anything not covered?
Yes. Water and skin. Most water inherently has a slight glow, which is, as usual, commonly enhanced in ENB. And the game applies a subtle red glow to skin, which ENB handles the same way as other emissive properties—typically by making it too bright. As always, whether this is an issue, and to what degree, depends on one's ENB settings. Sometimes it's not an issue at all; sometimes it's annoying. Perhaps these will be sorted out in the future. In the meantime, for water, I recommend replacing the shader altogether through the use of New Vegas Reloaded.
Installation and load order
This mod comes in two parts, the second of which is essentially optional and is intended to further reduce the manifestation of glowing objects. Part 1 of the mod may be all one needs, but things will still glow slightly with only Part 1 installed. That's just how ENB works. Whether this proves an issue depends on one's ENB settings, how dark environments can get, and one's awareness of the glow. For example, if one regularly uses weapons that have glowing elements, it can get really old in a hurry, and installing Part 2 of the mod could be a good idea.
Part 1 is a package which includes everything—individual packages and individual compatibility patches—except for the files found in Part 2. Part 1 is meant to be installed directly below any bugfix mods (YUP, AMF) and any mod that is selected in the installer for compatibility purposes, but above everything else, especially other mods that affect vanilla 3D objects.
Part 2—assuming one elects to install it—is intended to be placed at the bottom of one's mod load order, and this is in fact the reason there is a Part 2.
This mod has only one very optional .esp plugin that makes very minor changes. If necessary, it can be safely ignored; otherwise, it's best if one places it near the top of their plugin load order.
Compatibility
This mod integrates all preexisting bugfixes found in YUP, AMF and others. Several popular mods which overhaul vanilla assets have been accounted for with compatibility patches. One can either use Part 1 to install the bulk of the mod and all compatibility patches they need into one neat package, or use the individual compatibility patch files. The latter option is provided so users can easily place said patches below their associated mods in the mod load order. Be aware that many overhaul mods already utilize the necessary environment map flag in their 3D objects, and so do not require a compatibility patch—it is safe to allow such mods to overwrite Part 1, but be sure Part 2 stays below everything.
In summary: To install this mod, download Part 1. If you wish to keep compatibility patches next to their associated mods in your mod load order, download the individual compatibility patch files. Put Part 1 below bugfixes. If during gameplay you find things still glow too much, or already know it's going to be an issue, download Part 2 and put it at the bottom of your mod load order.
I devoted the last month to assembling and finetuning this mod, along with the endless rote editing of meshes it necessitated. But make no mistake: I wanted this problem solved, and wasn't going to play the game before it was ready. It's a shame nothing like this was available anytime in the last ten years, but at least it's here now.
Credits and thanks:
EPDGaffney : For making me realize I couldn't play the game again before tackling this project.
RoyBatterian : Weapon Mesh Improvement Mod
weijiesen : EVE - Essential Visual Enhancements
KiCHo666 : Collision Meshes
KiCHo666 : Semi-Transparent Door Glass (original version)
KaneWright : Semi-Transparent Door Glass (plugin version)
STE41k : Precision Collision - Clutter NV
vurt : Groundcover Overhaul
zzjay : Kitchen Set - New Models
If you use ENB, you may have encountered the phenomenon, from time to time, of objects glowing at night or in dark interiors. Maybe it's even pervasive enough to be a genuine distraction. Everyday objects shouldn't glow or have bright reflections when they're in a dark environment.
The cause
ENB's development for Fallout New Vegas was never completed. That may be part of the problem, but in a discussion with Boris, I learned that his attempts to solve the issue tended to break other things, so he abandoned it.
In brief, certain components of 3D objects—namely environment maps and emissive qualities—pay no attention to the brightness of the local environment, something they should be doing. So these qualities remain basically static across all brightness variations. Although there is theoretically a way to control, via some of ENB's variables, where exactly this static level situates, unfortunately, putting a lock on those variables sacrifices control over things like light source brightness, which no ENB preset author is ever likely to want to give up since it's an important component of making ENB look good.
In the end, almost every ENB preset out there uses settings which do indeed engender the glowing phenomenon to one degree or another. Whether this ends up being a distraction depends, in large part, on just how dark a given ENB allows the outdoors / dark interiors to get, as well as a given user's sensitivity to things looking wrong. If environments never get darker than the vanilla game, then it's possible the user never notices an issue. But the bottom line is that to fix the issue is to improve the visuals, regardless of whether one generally notices the improvement.
The goal
The shortcoming outlined above causes things to be too bright in dark environments, or to excessively express reflective qualities, or both. The aim of every fix provided in this mod is to bring those aspects down to the level they should have been at, had ENB handled them correctly. The vanilla game's visuals were used as a baseline.
This needs to be stated upfront: There is no magic bullet for this problem. Every fix offered here is, to some extent, a bit of a compromise. But if you're one who has noticed the glowing issue before, the results should speak for themselves. With this mod, the glowing problem can be made a complete non-issue.*
What exactly this mod tackles
Each of these categories may be selected or ignored, depending on what one wishes to fix.
3D Objects In General
The entire game was scoured for instances where 3D assets were missing an important environment map flag, and over 1,200 were corrected. This by itself handles the majority of the heavy lifting, and covers everything from clutter to weapons to furniture to buildings.
Unaddressed Effects
There exist certain uncommon effects in the game which ended up not falling under any of ENB's control categories (Particles; Fire; Light Emitters). In most ENB presets, these effects are excessively bright compared to vanilla.
Problematic Fake Ambient Occlusion
Many 3D objects in the game include a fake ambient occlusion as part of their 3D data. A few objects use the same technique to apply some subtle shading. In a small number of cases, these shaded areas show up as very bright with ENB on.
Glowing Grass
Depending on one's ENB settings, the grass may be noticeably brighter at night with ENB on than with ENB off. Because the variables which control this issue are heavily tweaked in most ENB presets, there's a good chance that one's grass is at least a little too bright at night, if not comically so.
Illumination From Outside
Depending on one's ENB settings, areas of exterior illumination visible from interiors may be significantly brighter in ENB at night than they are in vanilla. The provided adjustment was developed based on decently dark nights and interiors, and covers every instance of such illumination—windows, cracks in the walls of sheds, holes in the roof, glimpses of the sky from inside caves, etc.
Depending on one's ENB settings, areas of exterior illumination visible from interiors may be significantly brighter in ENB at night than they are in vanilla. The provided adjustment was developed based on decently dark nights and interiors, and covers every instance of such illumination—windows, cracks in the walls of sheds, holes in the roof, glimpses of the sky from inside caves, etc.
Glowing Fish
Fish should not glow brightly at night.
Fish should not glow brightly at night.
Glowing Xander Root
Yes, even the dreaded xander root finally meets its match.
Yes, even the dreaded xander root finally meets its match.
*Anything not covered?
Yes. Water and skin. Most water inherently has a slight glow, which is, as usual, commonly enhanced in ENB. And the game applies a subtle red glow to skin, which ENB handles the same way as other emissive properties—typically by making it too bright. As always, whether this is an issue, and to what degree, depends on one's ENB settings. Sometimes it's not an issue at all; sometimes it's annoying. Perhaps these will be sorted out in the future. In the meantime, for water, I recommend replacing the shader altogether through the use of New Vegas Reloaded.
Installation and load order
This mod comes in two parts, the second of which is essentially optional and is intended to further reduce the manifestation of glowing objects. Part 1 of the mod may be all one needs, but things will still glow slightly with only Part 1 installed. That's just how ENB works. Whether this proves an issue depends on one's ENB settings, how dark environments can get, and one's awareness of the glow. For example, if one regularly uses weapons that have glowing elements, it can get really old in a hurry, and installing Part 2 of the mod could be a good idea.
Part 1 is a package which includes everything—individual packages and individual compatibility patches—except for the files found in Part 2. Part 1 is meant to be installed directly below any bugfix mods (YUP, AMF) and any mod that is selected in the installer for compatibility purposes, but above everything else, especially other mods that affect vanilla 3D objects.
Part 2—assuming one elects to install it—is intended to be placed at the bottom of one's mod load order, and this is in fact the reason there is a Part 2.
This mod has only one very optional .esp plugin that makes very minor changes. If necessary, it can be safely ignored; otherwise, it's best if one places it near the top of their plugin load order.
Compatibility
This mod integrates all preexisting bugfixes found in YUP, AMF and others. Several popular mods which overhaul vanilla assets have been accounted for with compatibility patches. One can either use Part 1 to install the bulk of the mod and all compatibility patches they need into one neat package, or use the individual compatibility patch files. The latter option is provided so users can easily place said patches below their associated mods in the mod load order. Be aware that many overhaul mods already utilize the necessary environment map flag in their 3D objects, and so do not require a compatibility patch—it is safe to allow such mods to overwrite Part 1, but be sure Part 2 stays below everything.
In summary: To install this mod, download Part 1. If you wish to keep compatibility patches next to their associated mods in your mod load order, download the individual compatibility patch files. Put Part 1 below bugfixes. If during gameplay you find things still glow too much, or already know it's going to be an issue, download Part 2 and put it at the bottom of your mod load order.
I devoted the last month to assembling and finetuning this mod, along with the endless rote editing of meshes it necessitated. But make no mistake: I wanted this problem solved, and wasn't going to play the game before it was ready. It's a shame nothing like this was available anytime in the last ten years, but at least it's here now.
Credits and thanks:
EPDGaffney : For making me realize I couldn't play the game again before tackling this project.
RoyBatterian : Weapon Mesh Improvement Mod
weijiesen : EVE - Essential Visual Enhancements
KiCHo666 : Collision Meshes
KiCHo666 : Semi-Transparent Door Glass (original version)
KaneWright : Semi-Transparent Door Glass (plugin version)
STE41k : Precision Collision - Clutter NV
vurt : Groundcover Overhaul
zzjay : Kitchen Set - New Models
Spoiler:
Show
Kitchen Set by Yury Misiyuk:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/kitchen-set-01-0c517d55434140f6ba2b0c14f18a6e9d
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/kitchen-set-02-d743187f39d14827aac2cbd04260e1b5
Pan by neverfollow81:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/pot-and-pan-10eee1b3a46745d4b0f13ac40be48dd6
Tn Plate by BotondBencsik:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/platea-1ca4e736a7184b628544f07f7d614971
Green Plate by Bowen154:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/plates-and-cups-e5e853c6bbc74592a1d23d6fbae633c5
Tincan by JrMadMan:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/tin-can-640b0c8287274629a7f4ff3ce74a5999
License:
These models are under "Attribution 4.0 international license".
Changes were made to the models to adapt them to the new engine. Models belong to their repective creators, but they did not take part in this mod.
Follow the links for the original models.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Plate by elias:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/enamel-plate-a320de07f19e41e6a18737be955177fb
License:
These models are under "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)".
Changes were made to the models to adapt them to the new engine. Models belong to their repective creators, but they did not take part in this mod.
Follow the links for the original models.
jmenaru for cubemap
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/kitchen-set-01-0c517d55434140f6ba2b0c14f18a6e9d
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/kitchen-set-02-d743187f39d14827aac2cbd04260e1b5
Pan by neverfollow81:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/pot-and-pan-10eee1b3a46745d4b0f13ac40be48dd6
Tn Plate by BotondBencsik:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/platea-1ca4e736a7184b628544f07f7d614971
Green Plate by Bowen154:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/plates-and-cups-e5e853c6bbc74592a1d23d6fbae633c5
Tincan by JrMadMan:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/tin-can-640b0c8287274629a7f4ff3ce74a5999
License:
These models are under "Attribution 4.0 international license".
Changes were made to the models to adapt them to the new engine. Models belong to their repective creators, but they did not take part in this mod.
Follow the links for the original models.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Plate by elias:
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/enamel-plate-a320de07f19e41e6a18737be955177fb
License:
These models are under "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)".
Changes were made to the models to adapt them to the new engine. Models belong to their repective creators, but they did not take part in this mod.
Follow the links for the original models.
jmenaru for cubemap