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About this mod
A new ENB that utilizes the Silent Horizons 2 Shader Core. This ENB stands out with dramatic lighting and atmospheric color schemes while preserving playablity.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
First of all, i would have not been able to make this preset alone:
The new ENB Shaders "Silent Horizons 2" by Kitsuune enabled me to design this ENB without having to develope shaders.
The auto installing Modlist "Nolvus" by Vektor relieved the workload of coming up with a functioning load order, so i can concentrate on the project. This ENB preset is designed with the Nolvus Modlist as a base, so if you use it you will already have installed most of the Requirements.
The Design Pillars:
- Dramatic Lighting I spend a good amount of time reading about weather phenomena to learn which parts of the atmosphere should have which color at which daytime and exxagerated the natural lighting. In general the ENB is inspired by the "Dark Fantasy" Genre that describes Skyrim pretty well imho, so naturally this ENB is more on the dark side when it is appropriate. Playablitly is always important though. The Nights and Interiors are dark, but not pitch black.
- Filmic Coloring In most movies there is a specific combination of cool and warm colors. I used this as a base to give the ENB a dramatic feeling. Every weather uses a complementary color combination wielded both into the lighting and the post process to give each scene a unique touch and distinguishes between warm and cold image focuses.
- Variety VS Consistency I designed the weathers in two channels. There is a lighting setup for Clear, Cloudy, Overcast, Foggy, Rainy and Stormy weathers as well as sun lit, dark or obscure interiors that follow a strict lighting pattern. Since the used weather Mod (NAT III) implements regional variants of these i designed a Color scheme unique to each region type. I allow myself from time to time to step out of the pattern and get a bit more creative with the design of a few select weathers.
There is a complementary reshade preset in the optional files. The ENB preset is designed to stand on its own foot and reshade is no requirement. If you'd like to further enhance the lighting and contrast you can use it. The performance impact is a bit heavy though. The heaviest shader in terms of performance is "NiceGuy Lighting". It adds additional Ambient Occlusion and Global Illumination. If the performance impact is too much for you but you like the coloring i recommend to turn the shader off.
I am not talented with words so i asked a friend on Discord to give me a description. Quote Keyf:
"Kauz's ENB has been made with realism in mind. You won't have to suffer looking at extremely bright greens that not even a millennia of evolution could bring into a plant. Or a sky so blue you'd think a child drew it. Every setting has been tweaked to deliver a result that fits Skyrim's varying environments. The light intensity is balanced based on the differing factors in environments so while a sunny day will still be vibrant and bright, it won't be unbearably so; and your descent into dungeons will still be dark and gloomy, but you won't have to carry a torch to light the way. Kauz's ENB also includes painstakingly created presets that are dynamically applied based on your current weather. This is done so that the ENB remains fresh throughout your playthrough, with the colors, lights and shadows changing realistically and adding to the atmosphere and immersion.
- Realistic Colors - Kauz's ENB has the most realistic color settings I have seen, everything looks exactly how I imagine Skyrim would look like. They are vibrant but not to the point of hurting your eyes. No extreme almost neon greens or bright blues that make you want to wear glasses.
- Perfectly Tuned Brightness and Shadows - Kauz's ENB is the only ENB I didn't have to tweak the brightness of at all. Day or night, the lighting feels perfect. The brightness doesnt hurt your eyes and the shadows don't make you feel like you're blind. It manages these perfectly, while not going overboard. So while a sunny day will still be bright, it's not unbearably so; and your descent into dungeons will still be dark and gloomy, but you won't have to carry a torch to light the way.
- Dynamic and Realistic Weathers - Kauz's ENB has a wide range of weather settings which reflect the atmosphere perfectly. It features multiple weathers that are all carefully tuned to be the perfect balance between realism and breathtaking beauty. Seeing the different weathers noticeably impact how your game looks adds to the immersion and atmosphere immensely."
Requirements:
If you DO NOT use Nolvus
Silent Horizon 2 Shader Core
ENB Extender for Skyrim
KiLoader for Skyrim
LUX for interior lighting
LUX Orbis for exterior lighting
NAT III for the weathers
EVLAS for proper Sun light directions
ENB Helper
ENB Helper Plus
please just refer the Nolvus Modlist
If you use Nolvus:
Silent Horizon 2 Shader Core
ENB Extender for Skyrim
KiLoader for Skyrim
Suggestions:
Reshade Helper if you dont like reshade to affect your UI
Seasonal Weather Framework Nolvus already uses it - i suggest to turn on seasonal Image Spaces
Sky Reflection Fix especially in dawn/dusk my skies are pretty wild, and this helps with weird reflections of it
No More Blinding Fog otherwise some fog effects can be very obtrusive
Install Instructions:
If you DO NOT use Nolvus:
- Install the ENB Binaries. You only need the d3d11.dll and the d3dcompiler_46e.dll from the "wrapper version" folder. These go directly into the game folder. If you have other ENB presets installed previously make sure you delete the enbseries folder and the enbcache folder.
- Install the listed Requirements as described in their mod description. From NAT III you only need the file "NAT.ENB - ESP WEATHER PLUGIN v3.1.1C - Fixed" or a newer version.
- Install the enbseries folder of Silent Horizons 2 Shader Core directly into the game folder.
- Proceed with point 4 of "If you use Nolvus"
If you use Nolvus:
- When installing Nolvus choose Pi-Cho ENB since it is the only ENB in the List that does not use its own weather patch. If you already installed another ENB you can simply deactivate the corresponding weather patch under the "ENB & Reshade" separator in Mod Organizer 2. Be aware though that this should not be done in the middle of a playthrough.
- Update/Install the ENB Binaries. When i last updated it was version 0.499. You only need the d3d11.dll and the d3dcompiler_46e.dll from the "wrapper version" folder. These go directly into Nolvus' Stock Game folder. It is always a good idea to make a backup of these files before replacing them. If you choosed to archiving in the auto installer you will still have a backup in the archive.
- Backup and delete the enbseries folder (and delete the enbcache folder if you have one) in the Stock Game folder, and replace it with the one from Silent Horizons 2 Shader Core. You will not have a correct backup of the former enbseries folder in your archive and if you want to go back you need this specific folder with its Nolvus specific settings.
- Install KiLoader and ENB Extender with Mod Organizer 2 like any other mod. It does not conflict with any mod in the Nolvus Modlist and does not have a plugin (.esp/.esm/.esl). So it does not matter where you put it in the list.
- Install my files like any other ENB directly into the Stock Game folder, replacing some of the SH2 files.
- The first time you start the game with KiLoader it will generate some files, just click OK and go ahead.
- Once you are in game and you loaded a save file open the ENB GUI once by pressing [left shift + enter]. This is necessary for some weather specific shaders to load correctly. You will see the difference immediately. This step has to be repeated every time you boot the game.
The Reshade:
The Reshade Preset is basically just a cherry on top and not really needed.
Since version "054 Shades of Kauz" though there is a big difference:
I included a LUT file based on the Reshade preset of Bjorn ENB. You have to replace the file lut.png in the right folder.
Big Big THANKS to BearForceOne the author of the infamous Bjorn ENB to let me bake his reshade into a LUT!
If you use the reshade preset: update reshade to the newest version or else you will miss some
shaders. When i last updated it was version 6. When updating reshade
make sure to direct the installer to the correct Skyrim install path.
The installer enables you to choose a preset so the shaders are chosen
automatically. I would recommend to simply install everything though
because it is a lot of fun playing around with the different shaders.By default reshade has a swapped Depth Buffer (what!? :O) when opening the
reshade UI click on [preprocessor definitions] (blue button in the
middle of the UI), change "RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_REVERSED" from 1 to 0
and hit enter.
I also recommend to use SSE Reshade Helper
Know Issues:
- S
ome people experience weird artifacts with the DoF on. For now pls just change the DoF technique in the shader window to AO only.Or disable it completely in the effects tab (but then you miss out on the extra AO :P)
in version 0.1.1 i removed the DoF shader. - The way that ENB Helper Plus' interior lighting works leads sometimes to very short hickups in brightness and saturation, sadly nothing i can do about. I tried to minimize it although i dont want to sacrifice my vision because of weird shader behavior.
- the fact that you have to open the ENB GUI so that the shaders load properly. Will eventually be fixed with the next Version of ENB Extender.
FAQ:
Q: It is too bright / too dark
A: First make sure your monitor is calibrated correctly: this is a good site to do so
If the calibration is limited and you still want to adapt the brightness you can open the enb gui (left shift + enter) and in the lower left window (enbseries.ini) you could adjust the settings under [Colorcorrection]. As reference: in an interior with no sunlight like a draugr ruin you should be able to *barely* see something in the shadows.
Q: How can i disable the letterbox?
A: Open the GUI. Make sure the shader window is opened and search the [Cinematic Borders] tab. Here you can disable or tweak it. I actually recommend to leave it on, because it hides some artifacts that can occure with ENB's ambient occlusion at the edge of the screen.
To Do:
- implement all new land mods of Nolvus
- give Solstheim weathers a unique color scheme
- oblivion worlds like Soul Cairn, Apocrypha or Sovngarde
find a new DoF shader or fix the striping bug- check every weather at every daytime manually
Support:
I am always open for critic and suggestions. If you stumble upon a scene you do not like please give me the weather ID, the time of day and the location and I will be happy to adjust as long as the suggestions stays within the design pillars.
I am often available on the Nolvus Discord Server with the username Kauz.
Big Thanks to:
Kitsuune
Vektor
DUX (Dude we miss you)
Jerilith
Keyf
Finya
waldsman
Aein
the whole Nolvus community, you are awesome <3
Credits:
Kitsuune for SH2 Shaders.
Marty McFly for the Depth of Field effect with extra Ambient Occlusion. of the first version.
BearForceOne for the reshade that one of the LUT files is based on.
Me (Kauz on Discord, Kynias on Nexus) for enbseries.ini, weatherfiles, .ini settings and the reshade preset.
Do not share any files without permissions or credit.
https://dict.leo.org/englisch-deutsch/Kauz