Compatibility
This add-on is incompatible with Fixed Mesh Lighting mod (if that mod ever updates Dilon Vul meshes), because that mod alters Lighting Effect 1 in the meshes, thus changing the CRC32 values. I will not be revising LOD models for any trees touched by that mod, since I am not convinced this lighting tweak is useful for at least some tree mods. My testing has revealed that these lighting tweaks trade off one small problem (slightly glowing trees at night) for a larger problem, depending on the trees (very dark branches in daylight on non-normal faces, but still some glow on normal faces).

NOTE: This mod expects object LODGen via DynDOLOD 3 Alpha 39+ because DynDOLOD-TexGen 2 cannot create trunk/tree billboards ... and I didn't
include them with the mod, since people should only be using DynDOLOD 3 at this point anyway. It is much better for both mod authors and users.

Uploaded with permission from kojak747 to supplement his excellent custom trees.

This mod adheres to DynDOLOD best practice by ...

• NOT providing tree billboards, which are now created by TexGen 3 consistently and at higher quality than is typical of hand-made billboards.
• NOT providing pre-generated LOD(!), which will almost never correspond to the end user's mod list and only serves to add 'bloat' to the mod.
• Providing the flat trunk models that are used by TexGen 3 to create trunk billboards, allowing the end user to substitute custom bark textures that will translate into LOD.
  

Description

This mod provides enhanced hybrid 3D tree LOD models for the Dilon Vul component of Enhanced Landscapes - Oaks Standalone SSE - Marsh Pines - Dilon Vul by kojak747. His mod includes 3D static LOD created from crowns and 'full' trunks. I recreated all LOD models from scratch to use 'flat' trunks that significantly reduce the poly count of trunks in applicable LOD models for better performance and no perceptible quality loss. I also include NIF nodes that provide a bit more of the full-model detail to some trees. Even with the new detail and models added and activated, those using Dilon Vul should profit a bit around the Solitude marsh with the return of a few FPS and improved lighting on LOD trees offered by the latest DynDOLOD NIF template.

Highlights & Recommendations

• Recreated all 3D LOD models from base models - Roughly 50% were left 'full' and the rest changed to lower-poly hybrids with flat trunks
• Lower-poly trunks increase performance without LOD quality loss
• Hybrids created using latest template4.nif from DynDOLOD 3 for better reaction to lighting
• Requires DynDOLOD 3
• Recommended DynDOLOD 'tree' mesh rules:
  
  • Ultra: LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Level1, LOD16/Level2
  • Performance: LOD4/Billboard4, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Billboard(1) (looks VERY good and may be optimal for many)
  • Optimal: LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Billboard(1)
    

INSTALL - be sure this mod's assets override Myrkvior's:

• Enhanced Landscapes - Dilon Vul
• This mod
  
  

For more information about using DynDOLOD 3.xx and all other LODGen, check out the LOD instructions on the latest Step guide.

None of this would have been possible without sheson (DynDOLOD fork) and the xEdit developers (base application)