So we have a new version 6.0.
Bad news to start with, if you want to try this new version, you have to completely uninstall the old one, along with the FOMOD that was required for it.

One important note, I previously included a modified version of Cathedral Weathers.esp in the preset (specifically in FOMOD). But from now, it's just going to be a patch (Soulmancer thanks for your help). There are simply too many changes. I introduced many of them to adapt CW to ENB and EVLaS. Some are made in so lazy way, that they only look good with ENB.
So you have to use it with the original CW.esp. Don't use the Unofficial Patch for CW for now, I haven't tested this preset with it, many of the changes Soulmancer made are included in my patch.
This file has an open permission, so if you need it for something, you can change and modify it as you wish.

Version 6.0 has been fully redesigned for EVLaS. If you don't know what EVLaS is yet, I'll explain shortly. This small (but big) mod created by Kitsuune allows to fully synchronize the volumetric lighting with the position of the sun and, more importantly, with the position of the moon, and additionally allows for synchronization of the light intensity at night with the moon phase.
Due to these changes, the nights look completely different in this version. Just remember that the intensity of the light and VL's depends on the phase of the moon (Masser).
Dusk and dawn look different too, I made it quite realistic and if there is no sun or moon, no directional light either.

The strength of the directional light and VL at night is now adjusted indirectly in the EVLaS cfg file. My settings for "MoonPhaseMultipliers Default" are:

Full = 1.0,
New = 0.3

You can change it and adjust it to your own needs.

When you install EVLaS you also need to install Skyrim Underside mesh (remember this from EVLaS is only for Tamriel worldspace), unless you are using DynDOLOD 3.0 or newer, then you can generate Terrain Underside meshes for all large worldspaces with DynDOLOD. These meshes allow shadows to be cast by the terrain, which is not possible with regular LOD meshes from the game. Just remember, that shadows are visible only in the current cell.

Due to the fact that after a computer crash I had to reinstall the whole game, so decided to take this opportunity and finish the preset on an almost vanilla game (haven't seen Skyrim in such a version for a few years), which I hope allowed me to keep a more objective perspective.
By the way, I made a list with the minimum number of mods, that will allow the game to look decent even with vanilla models and textures.

So, the minimum list (and some kind of loading order):


- SKSE
- Address Library for SKSE Plugins
- Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
- SSE Engine Fixes (skse64 plugin)
- ENB Helper SE
- EVLaS (with Underside)
- Particle Patch for ENB
- Obsidian Mountain Fogs
- Embers XD
- LUX or ELFX with ELFX Fixes or ELFX SHADOWS or WINDOW SHADOWS RT
- Water for ENB (Shades of Skyrim)
- Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB
- Less Distracting Blowing Snow Effects for ENB Particle Patch
- Vanilla Complex Grasses for ENB - absolutely optional, only if you are using vanilla assets
- of course my ENB plus Cathedral Weathers plus my CW patch and files from my FOMOD (cloud textures, night sky texture and sky and cloud meshes)


Isn't too long, is it? But this is the minimum you just have to install, no exception, otherwise you can throw this preset out of the window.
I think you can replace Water for ENB and Embers XD with something else, but only if you know what you are doing and you are familiar with changing a few things in ENB.

Only a few mods and an almost vanilla game could look like this:

SCREENS 01

SCREENS 02

By the way, I will mention the load order, due to the fact that ELFX modifies several weather in the game, it must be placed before Cathedral Weathers or at least before my CW patch (ELFX SHADOWS as well) but after EMBERS XD, which modifies some interiors. Water for ENB must be placed after Embers XD and after Obsidian Mountain Fogs, Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB after Water for ENB etc.

Important do not use the snow texture "fxsnowsoftsub.dds" from Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB. In MO2 you can just hide it. It was created before Boris added snow control to ENB and now is just too dark. Snow now reacts to light, and is simply darker in shaded areas.

This is probably all the more important information. A lot of things have changed in the preset, the list is too long to mention, hopefully for the better, have fun :D

- Make sure that in SkyrimPrefs.ini, these lines look exactly like this:
bSAO_CS_Enable=0
bSAOEnable=0
bEnableImprovedSnow=0
bVolumetricLightingEnable=1
bUse64bitsHDRRenderTarget=1
bDrawLandShadows=1
fGamma=1.0000
bDoDepthOfField=1

Skyrim.ini:
- Try not to use too low values for "fShadowDirectionalBiasScale". This can cause shadow stripes when you use ENB.

- For fFirstSliceDistance, use a value of 2896.0000 or greater.

0 - !!! First of all, don't use "Window Shadows" - this version isn't prepared for this mod.

1 - Download the latest ENB for Skyrim SE and copy d3d11.dll and decompiler_46e.dll to your main skyrim SE directory.

Please remove "PrivateProfileRedirector SE" if you use it, Boris mentions it as being incompatible with enbs as it disables some weathers; source link


2 - Download and install the following needed files

• Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
• Cathedral Weather
• Cathedral Weather MCM
• Obsidian Moutain Fogs
• ENB HELPER SE
• Skyrim Particle Patch for ENB
• ENB LIGHT 0.98 Alpha 2 (Follow Instructions, select quick light Patch if you use it)
• EMBERS XD (Select the Orange/Red version and use Normal Particle Light Intensity)
• Download Rudy ENB Cathedral Weathers ADDONS and REQUiRED Files FOMOD
• from Rudy CW Main files and install it.
• Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows (EVLaS)
• LUX

3 - Paste in your root skyrim se directory folder Rudy CW zangdar72's Edit [ Skyrim SE folder ]

"NIGHTS and INTERIORS BRIGHTNESS"

There are simple switches for Interiors and Nights brightness in the enbeffect.fx shader, ENB UI, Shader parameters window. You can adjust them to your liking.

"ENB UNDERWATER"

This effect requires in-game DoF, so the DoF must be turned on in the game settings (But at the same time it's turned off in the enblocal.ini file, because I'm using a great Marty McFly's shader for the DoF effect). Anyway, underwater can be tweaked in two places, in the main ENB UI, you can adjust Tint Amount (adopt this value for the water mod you are using) and Caustics Amount and in the enbunderwater.fx shader, there will find Blur Amount and Range.

"SSE SUNGLARE"

Is disabled in the effects section and set to 0 in the ENB UI, If you like this effect enable it and tweak the values.

"ENB SSS - SUBSURFACE SCATTERING"

If you use the "Subsurface Scattering Shaders for Skins" mod, deinstall it. ENB SSS is based on a diffuse map, so the game sss maps *_sk.dds are ignored by that effect. For this reason, ENB SSS depends on a body texture replacer you are currently using. You should avoid using the default sss maps, they are pink and saturated, better to use dark or even black maps. ENB is ignoring them, but the game engine no, so you can't reduce a red/pink tint effect. Try "UNP Female Body Renewal", subsurface maps "Dark Red" or "Black".
Feel free to fine-tune this effect in the ENB UI.

"SSE LENS FLARE"

This effect Is set to 0 in the enbseries.ini, so you can't see it in the game. If you like it, tweak the values in the [LENSFLARE_GAME] section, in the ENB UI.

"ENB ANIMATED STARS"

This a new enb addon. It's really cool, see my video :



Remember, not all the texture replacers for the night sky are compatible with it. With some of them, that effect look just odd when is enabled.
I made my own bitmaps, which works more or less well. They replaces a two textures : skystars.dds and skyrimgalaxy.dds. You can find them in the "Addons" folder, can be installed using a mod manager.
This particular effect should be tweaked individually by the users. To do it, open the ENB UI (shift+Enter), scroll down to the [SKY] section.
There is a one more problem with this effect. It depends on the anti-aliasing method you use. My enbseries.ini is prepared for TAA and my bitmaps. If you use FXAA, or a mod which changes a stars texture, a few parameters need to be tweaked.
Start with a "StarsCurveNight" value, lower it, if you use FXAA, then play with "StarsAnimationDensity" and "StarsAnimationIntensity" until you achieve satisfactory results.

"ENB EDGE ANTI-ALIASING and SMAA"

As you probably know (or maybe don't) in the 0.334 binaries Boris adds a new edge anti-aliasing, in my enblocal.ini, if you use my file, this addon is disabled. I'm personally using TAA and think, that in that case, additional AA isn't really necessary.
But if you hate TAA (this method has a few cons) and prefer to use FXAA, turn it on.
With the latest update I've added an additional anti-aliasing method, SMAA (big thanks for Kingeric1992 and Adyss). Is off by default. To enable it just change the technique in the enbeffectpostpass.fx, see the screen :
PostPass
Only SMAA 1x is available. You can use it as an additional anti-aliasing (but don't know if this makes sense. eats 2-3 frames in my case), or as a replacement for FXAA. One big pros, you can tweak it in the UI. More info you will find in the readme file.

"ENB NIGHT EYE"

The code for the Night EYE effect is made by Phinix - author of "The Truth ENB". He was so kind that allow me to use this code. A huge thanks, Phinix :D
In the ADDONS directory you can find a special esp files prepared for a normal gameplay and for a Predator Vision mod. Install or copy esp and copy all prepared files to the proper folders.
To turn it on/off, open ENB UI (shift+Enter}, expand, in the right window called "Shader parameters", enbeffect.fx section, scroll down and uncheck "Use Nighteye Fix".
A bit more of theory, more details and info, how to fine-tune this effect, you will find on The Truth ENB page - - THE TRUTH ENB