[MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

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VMblast
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by VMblast »

Hey Guys, sry for not replying to this topic for so long.

I have to address some of the questions here concerning these 3D trees:
When Ive made these trees, I have tried to optimized them as much as possible. The main way of doing this is by LOD system. Ive setup every tree in such a way so that last LOD (billboard state), is switched on in about 40% screen size. That means that when tree is away from player and it covers about 40% of the screen size, it is switched to the billboard. Believe me when I say, that forty percent is huge number and that it is a very heavy optimization. What I think is that main problem lies in correlation with original (Gavin's) DU billboard shader and how they are generated on the DU streaming terrain. I cannot do that with SPTree models. Also performance incrementaly drops for every level (patch) of terrain distance and I really dont know why, because those are still just simple billboards (2D images), regardless whether they are DU shader or SPTree.

Ive talked to @TheLacus and asked him if there is a possibility of switching SPTree billboards to the original DU billboards at some LOD distance - this way performance could be saved. He said that there is possibility of doing that (as far as I have understood), that it is doable.

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TheLacus
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by TheLacus »

My understanding is that Speedtree on Unity Engine is not as optimized as Unity trees (both of them supported by Daggerfall Unity). Specifically, batching of billboard meshes seems to have a severe impact on cpu performance.
I'm not personally going to investigate a dynamic switch between speedtrees and billboards on the streaming world, at least for the foreseeable feature, but i'm happy to review a PR if someone is interested in investing time for this feature.

What i can do, if there is interest in it, is to add an option to disable 3d trees for the streaming world and allow them only at fixed locations (towns, etc.). Standard billboards (with support for texture mods) would be used outside of them.

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Kamer
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by Kamer »

I've started experimenting with replacing flats with 3d models and Wilderness flats seem to be ignored? Any town that use wilderness trees and rocks seem to load in fine but the wilderness will just straight out not load anything.

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VMblast
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by VMblast »

Im on the verge of success here. Ive manage to add DU batch billboards as last LOD level of my 3D trees. It worked great in the test scene, inside Unity engine and when I tested MOD inside the DU it really improved the performance. I could say it is now very close to vanilla DU, performance vise. The only problem now is that DU billboard batch LOD do not apear. My 3D trees just disappear into nothingness for some reason. Also there are no 3D trees in wilderness, they appear just in the points of interest....

So, the quest continues. :P

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King of Worms
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by King of Worms »

VMblast wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:22 pm Im on the verge of success here. Ive manage to add DU batch billboards as last LOD level of my 3D trees. It worked great in the test scene, inside Unity engine and when I tested MOD inside the DU it really improved the performance. I could say it is now very close to vanilla DU, performance vise. The only problem now is that DU billboard batch LOD do not apear. My 3D trees just disappear into nothingness for some reason. Also there are no 3D trees in wilderness, they appear just in the points of interest....

So, the quest continues. :P
Nice to see u back at it!! Fingers crossed!

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Azteca
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by Azteca »

Wow, I missed this thread the first time around. Gorgeous trees, really make the world feel more real. Best of luck with it. I'm sure all the devs here will help in any way they can and we'll be glad to test when it's ready.

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VMblast
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by VMblast »

Update - its dead end using DU billboard Batching for LOD billboards for trees.

The search continues...

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VMblast
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by VMblast »

The issue of bad performance is still investigated. In the mean time Ive managed to optimize it just a little bit more and also added some items that Ive made months ago, but due to life, Ive not been able to add them till now. There are few small plants that Ive not included in this build, since they are in the -realm of grass and plants-, so Im not sure if I even need to include them in the future.

Performance is now much better on the terrain distance 1. This time it is possible to play it on the terrain distance 2, however barely, at least on my rig (see it in the MODs description). People with better computers would have much better luck.

Download BETA 0.9 on the first page.
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1826

Firebrand
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by Firebrand »

From one side, this mod is stunning :shock: , from the other, it's so heavy I cannot manage to play with it on my PC :?

Intel i5-6500@3.2 Ghz
16 Gb Ram
Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti

I'm using the Distant Terrain mod however. I've tried with different terrain distance:
3 - DFU hangs up during loading :lol:
2 - after a very long loading time, i manage to enter the city of Daggerfall, but then it's so choppy :?
1 - still very long loading time and still choppy, but slightly better :)

I'd like to help finding a way to make this MOD more lightweight, because i like it very much but for now I cannot use it :? I've no technical experience on speedtree or similar, but I'll write down anything I noticed hoping it may be of some help:

the very long loading time: something similar happened when I've tried to use the HD Weapon mods: the weapons image are so huge (64 bit and very very high definition) so the first time I change the weapons, I've to wait several seconds for the weapon to appear. Time is greatly reduced reducing image size (32 bit and lower definition). I can only immagine that kind of problem multiplied for thousands of tree :o

the initial lag after loading, during which the terrain is generated: without this mod, it takes a few seconds, with this mod, it lasts maybe 3-4 times more: I suppose it's generating all the info for the trees for the terrain distance setting chosen. But, for example, if I'm in a city, I can only manage to see at maximum 5-6 trees at a near distance, and a few dozens at the hill outside the city: wouldn't be possible to just replace this 5-6 near trees, and leave the far distance trees like vanilla DFU billboard trees? Generating trees only visible to the player, in the moment he sees them (or he's about to see them), and keeping after them in a cache, to avoid regenerating the trees? So:
  • improved trees just for very near trees (terrain distance 1 or even closer), DFU billboard trees otherwise
  • generate the info only for trees that the player can actually see: a tree must be in the player FOV, and not covered by other objects (like houses or other trees)
  • keep the generate trees in a cache, and empty the cache after exiting an area (the player is too far from the tree)
Again, sorry if I've written something technically inaccurate, but I'm just trying to help :)

Harold Of Old
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Re: [MOD] Trees Of Daggerfall

Post by Harold Of Old »

The 3D trees simply aren't appear for me, could I have some help?
Not sure if I should give a list of all the mods I'm currently using, as they're just KoW - D.R.E.A.M and the recommended mods for it.

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