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About this mod
A grass mod and library of resource models and textures
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
- Donations
Features
1. Photorealistic grasses
2. Biome appropriate flora. All grasses are created from photos of plants that I’ve captured while trekking in Iceland, the Alps, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada.
3. Ultralight 3D models that perform better than traditional billboard grass
4. Complex grass textures designed for ENB and CS when appropriate
5. Hundreds of model variations for mod authors
Instructions
Mod Users, simply download the main file.
Mod Authors, please read carefully. Please download the Cathedral Grass Library Resource Textures file. You will include these textures in your mod, along with an esp, esl, or esm file to distribute the grass types across landscape. You will need to edit these textures (recommendations below), optimize them with compression (Cathedral Asset Optimizer) and include them in your mod. Your mod must require the main file from this page.
Tips for Mod Authors
1. I recommend you use GIMP, which natively supports DDS files, to edit, colorize, resize, and generate mip maps.
2. The mip map algorithm is critical. When exporting, select "preserve alpha test coverage" and set the "alpha test threshold" to a value of 0.9 or higher. This is necessary so that thin blades of grass do not fade to transparency as you move away from the grass. This also very significantly improves performance by decreasing overdraw.
3. Use Cathedral Asset Optimizer to compress files to BC7. Disable Mip-Map generation at this step to preserve the mip-maps you created in step 2. Of note, you will no longer be able to view the files in GIMP after compression to BC7 without a 3rd-party plugin. You can ask me how to do this if needed.
4. In the Grass record, use "Min Slope" and "Max Slope" to cluster certain grass types to grow together in patches. This looks more realistic than completely randomized plant growth.
Cathedral 3D Grass Library
Of note, not all grass types below have 3D models at the time of writing.
Aegopodium: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass. They also are the most pervasive flower in open fields and meadows. The flowers are typically white but also can be shades of pine and green.
Allium: Found in the Sierra Nevada.
Arnica: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Aster alpinus: Purple and yellow flower found in the Alps, growing within grassy forests.
Bilberry: Found in the Alps growing around 1800m (6000 ft) of elevation. They were growing alone in a dense pine forest on a floor of mostly pine needles and dirt.
Clovers: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst geranium, aegopodium, or fern bracken.
FernBracken: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest along creek beds.
Linum lewisii: Found in the Sierra Nevada.
Lupine: Found in the Sierra Nevada.
Nettle: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Oxeye Daisy: Composite texture from flowers found in the Alps and the Sierra Nevada. The were growing in open areas amongst grass.
Raspberry: Found in the Alps growing around 1800m (6000 ft) of elevation. They were growing abundantly alongside opening of pine forest, near bilberry.
RockyMountainGrass: Found in the Colorado Rockies at about 2000m (6500 ft) of elevation. They were growing in sparse pine forests.
IcelandicGrass: Found in Iceland near sea level. They were growing in open, wind swept fields, as the dominant grass type.
Sanguisorba: Found in the Sierra Nevadas around 2700m (9000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest on a floor of mostly pine needles and dirt alongside strawberry plants.
Sedum: Also known as stonecrop, this plant is a combination of two species. The flower portion is based on the divergens species which can be found in Alaska, the lava beds of British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest.
SorbusAucuparia: Growing abundantly from 300-1500m of elevation as tree seedlings and large trees amongst pine forest.
Scabiosa: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Sphangum Moss: Found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere in peat bogs, conifer forests, and moist tundra areas.
Sorbus Tree: Found all over the alps and the foothills.
Tyrolian Grass: Grass from Tyrolian alps
Veratrum: Found in Alps around 1800m (6000 ft) as well as Sierra Nevada 2700m (9000) ft near ponds and creeks
Wolfsbane: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Yarrow: Found in Alps around 2000m (6500 ft) of elevation, growing abundantly in pine forest amongst grass.
1. Photorealistic grasses
2. Biome appropriate flora. All grasses are created from photos of plants that I’ve captured while trekking in Iceland, the Alps, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevada.
3. Ultralight 3D models that perform better than traditional billboard grass
4. Complex grass textures designed for ENB and CS when appropriate
5. Hundreds of model variations for mod authors
Instructions
Mod Users, simply download the main file.
Mod Authors, please read carefully. Please download the Cathedral Grass Library Resource Textures file. You will include these textures in your mod, along with an esp, esl, or esm file to distribute the grass types across landscape. You will need to edit these textures (recommendations below), optimize them with compression (Cathedral Asset Optimizer) and include them in your mod. Your mod must require the main file from this page.
Tips for Mod Authors
1. I recommend you use GIMP, which natively supports DDS files, to edit, colorize, resize, and generate mip maps.
2. The mip map algorithm is critical. When exporting, select "preserve alpha test coverage" and set the "alpha test threshold" to a value of 0.9 or higher. This is necessary so that thin blades of grass do not fade to transparency as you move away from the grass. This also very significantly improves performance by decreasing overdraw.
3. Use Cathedral Asset Optimizer to compress files to BC7. Disable Mip-Map generation at this step to preserve the mip-maps you created in step 2. Of note, you will no longer be able to view the files in GIMP after compression to BC7 without a 3rd-party plugin. You can ask me how to do this if needed.
4. In the Grass record, use "Min Slope" and "Max Slope" to cluster certain grass types to grow together in patches. This looks more realistic than completely randomized plant growth.
Cathedral 3D Grass Library
Of note, not all grass types below have 3D models at the time of writing.
Aegopodium: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass. They also are the most pervasive flower in open fields and meadows. The flowers are typically white but also can be shades of pine and green.
Allium: Found in the Sierra Nevada.
Arnica: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Aster alpinus: Purple and yellow flower found in the Alps, growing within grassy forests.
Bilberry: Found in the Alps growing around 1800m (6000 ft) of elevation. They were growing alone in a dense pine forest on a floor of mostly pine needles and dirt.
Clovers: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst geranium, aegopodium, or fern bracken.
FernBracken: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest along creek beds.
Linum lewisii: Found in the Sierra Nevada.
Lupine: Found in the Sierra Nevada.
Nettle: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Oxeye Daisy: Composite texture from flowers found in the Alps and the Sierra Nevada. The were growing in open areas amongst grass.
Raspberry: Found in the Alps growing around 1800m (6000 ft) of elevation. They were growing abundantly alongside opening of pine forest, near bilberry.
RockyMountainGrass: Found in the Colorado Rockies at about 2000m (6500 ft) of elevation. They were growing in sparse pine forests.
IcelandicGrass: Found in Iceland near sea level. They were growing in open, wind swept fields, as the dominant grass type.
Sanguisorba: Found in the Sierra Nevadas around 2700m (9000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest on a floor of mostly pine needles and dirt alongside strawberry plants.
Sedum: Also known as stonecrop, this plant is a combination of two species. The flower portion is based on the divergens species which can be found in Alaska, the lava beds of British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest.
SorbusAucuparia: Growing abundantly from 300-1500m of elevation as tree seedlings and large trees amongst pine forest.
Scabiosa: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Sphangum Moss: Found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere in peat bogs, conifer forests, and moist tundra areas.
Sorbus Tree: Found all over the alps and the foothills.
Tyrolian Grass: Grass from Tyrolian alps
Veratrum: Found in Alps around 1800m (6000 ft) as well as Sierra Nevada 2700m (9000) ft near ponds and creeks
Wolfsbane: Found in the Alps growing around 1500m (5000 ft) of elevation. They were growing in a pine forest amongst dense and lush grass.
Yarrow: Found in Alps around 2000m (6500 ft) of elevation, growing abundantly in pine forest amongst grass.