Compatibility

• Works with HLT 1.01 and 1.02betax.
• This add-on is incompatible with Fixed Mesh Lighting mod (if that mod ever updates HLT 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).
  

Description
These are DynDOLOD 3D hybrids for Happy Little Trees (HLT). Uploaded with permission from T4gtr34um3r to supplement his excellent custom trees. This mod will be a work in progress in response to any changes to HLT.

Quality version: 3D hybrid LOD models created using the DynDOLOD toolbox. Copies of the crowns stripped down for LOD models with trunks converted to billboards (i.e., 'hybrids') for better performance. For LOD to look right, this version MUST be used if using any of the Alternate textures of the main mod (HLT).

Performance version: 3D hybrid models from the 'Quality' version were customized by T4gtr34um3r to reduce poly counts even further, yielding even better performance at a very slight cost of transition quality from LOD to full models. This version also comes with optimized LOD textures, so the file is larger than the Quality version. Recommended to eek out a few extra frames for those using mesh rules like 'Ultra' and 'Optimal' described below. These models will provide no performance gain when used as 3D billboards in mesh rules (as in the 'Performance' mesh rule below); HOWEVER, this version does allow one to use 3D models at every LOD level without a significant performance hit. Because it uses custom textures, this version will not look right if using any of the Alternate textures in the main mod (HLT).

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 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.
  

INSTALL
This mod does not conflict with any other mod, so it can be almost any priority higher than or even merged with LTM (my preference). The Optional File could also be merged or installed at higher priority. If all are kept separate:

• Happy Little Trees
• Happy Little Trees Add-On (this mod)
  
  

Generate textures and run DynDOLOD:

• Do not use the "Tree Billboards" Optional File from the HLT main mod, as these can conflict or override TexGen output, which is required as a resource for DynDOLOD to do its work.
• Run TexGen 3 to generate tree and trunk billboards (see this guide step), install as a mod, and ENABLE this mod. This applies to both Quality and Performance versions.
• Run DynDOLOD 3 to generate trees in object LOD (see this guide step), install as a mod, and ENABLE this mnod.
• Sort with LOOT
  

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)
  

        NOTE: Use the Quality version of this mod if using these mesh rules, because performance cost is identical

• Optimal: LOD4/Level0, LOD8/Billboard4, LOD16/Billboard(1)
  

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)