There are 3 main parts to getting this up and running. Preparation, execution and finalising.
There maybe some terminology in here you don't understand.
The DynDOLOD manual explains what the words mean and what they do and goes into much more depth. Read it first.
Watch the GamerPoets videos on how to make billboards etc
Preparation
Install DynDOLOD and it's requirements
Install your tree mod
copy crc32gen.pas from \DynDOLOD\Docs\trees.ultra\tools into tes5edit\Edit Scripts folder.
Load your mod in tes5edit, right click on its tree section, apply script dyndolod crc32gen
copy "No output found for passthru section". Note unique number passthrulod.nifs.
Important: If you edit the full model nif, re-run CRC32Gen again as it sometimes changes
Build the Ultralods
Load up Nifskope in one window, skinning on.
Load up empty passthru.lod in another Nifskope
Copy/paste Nifskope branches into emptypassthu.lod. Save
Optimize in 3ds max Pro Optimize. Select Keep textures, merge vertices.
Optimize to 50% and less if possible. Export as nif.
For SSE, run custom ultralod meshes through SSE Nif Opt in case of lost animations, black water reflections etc.
Do not run SSE Nif opt blindly on trees. Only use on tree meshes unless absolutely required!
Check root node is BSFadeNode. If not select convert/bethesda/bsfadenode. Save
If errors and you see NiVertexAlphaController, right click on it, remove branch. Save
Build the billboards
Get treelod.exe square format from here. Create desktop shortcut to treelod.exe, then
open shortcut/properties/target, edit "open as" line to this value
"your directory\billboard creator\treelod.exe" -square -format:8888"
Open up full model in Nifskope. Grid Off, Anti Aliasing Off, Axes off
Ambient lighting off, average sunlight (middle-ish)
Double click treelod.exe shortcut, press enter to generate file,
locate file, rename to DynDOLOD CRC32gen.pas output
resizing billboards
in Photoshop, record a new action which
opens your billboard, image size/ 256x256 or 512x512 or 1024x1024
Save as dds dxt5 or bc3.
Automate/batch edit/your resize action.
checkbox select a b and c
normals
in Photoshop, record a new action which,
opens your (resized) billboard then saves as *_n.dds normal.
Automate/batch edit/your normals action
ensure normal files end like *_n.dds
normals for Billboard2
Install xnormal.
in Nifskope, Grid Off, Anti Aliasing Off, Axes off
Do lighting, ambient off, frontal lighting on.
Adjust sun to top, bottom, left and right and grab a treelod.exe square format for each
resize files via PS automate resize to 256x256, 512x512, 1024x1024 etc
open xnormal/tools/photo to normal
drag normals from above into top/left/right/bottom.
set luminance to 0.330, generate, save as name_n.dds and create it
billboard text files.
do an initial run without any billboard text files. Often you don't need them.
load your mod up in CK, set as active, navigate to static/tree sort by form ID. Select all your TREES from your mod, right click, update object bounds
load up Nifskope. GRID ON.
look at full model in nifskope, look at vertices, check height of highest vertice, lowest vertice. Calculate the distance between them
do the same for furthest left/furthest right vertices, measure the distance
Height = measured height difference
Width = measured width difference
Shift - ignore unless the billboard moves up/down on transition to full model
model - ignore
scale - ignore unless doing large models (SBT etc). If doing this then judge custom model scale over vanilla, judge in game.
e.g lush vanilla large trees are 1.5 times bigger than vanilla trees, so apply this formula
> vanilla billboard height = x
> measured model height in nifskope = y
> y-x/2+x = height value for billboard text
Execution
With full models, unique named passthrus, and Billboards and their normals, run DynDOLOD
Edit dyndolod text file to say treelod=0.
SSE users set average background=yes
open dyndolod, select high/tamriel/512k/brightness 0
edit tree rule at bottom, double click it, select billboard2 from the drop down LOD8 and LOD16
run DynDOLOD, copy output to game folder
make a text file in gamedirectory called tree.txt and put in it this
set gamehour to 10
fw 10a243
tmm 1
tgm
tcl
player.setav speedmult 1000
Start game, use ASLAL camping in the woods, type bat tree then use sprint/crawl etc to zoom about and check stuff
Finalising
Testing Environment
Recommended mods, Disable else
SKSE, SKyUI, ASLAL, MFG Console, Immersive HuD, Crash Fixes, Look Closer etc
In game record issues via mfg console, locate problem trees in tes5edit, examine folder structure etc.
check dyndolod editscripts/output/log tree report
fix colour discrepancy via vertex colour editing
important to edit skinned and unskinned leaf nitrishapes
vertex bark colours, always edit skinned and unskinned to the same values, otherwise bark popping
if editing UV, you can also edit skinned UV by adding in Nifskope missing data
Animations
Branch Flexibility Max 6 and lower
Trunk flexibility does nothing except for Enderal Scots Pine.
leaf amplitude keep low and within close range of
leaf frequency. e.g 2 and 1 or 4 and 3
nobody knows what the unknowns do?...I found this code in WryeBash...
Leaf Curvature
Minimum Leaf Angle
Maximum Leaf Angle
Branch Dimming Value
Leaf Dimming Value
Shadow Radius
Rock Speed
Rustle Speed
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