Ok here's a good one for you. I'm sure some of you are familiar with the following error message upon generating Object LOD for a Worldspace:

Using 8 processors/cores.
Creating queue of files to be built...
Building 81 chunks at level 4.
Building 25 chunks at level 8.
Building 9 chunks at level 16.
Building 4 chunks at level 32.
Building object texture atlas...
Texture atlas build failed with the following errors:
LOD diffuse texture '..\Source\TGATextures\lod\IcebergLargeLOD.tga' and normal texture '..\Source\TGATextures\lod\IcebergLargeLOD_n.tga' are not the same size (but should be).

Waiting for build worker threads to finish...
Build canceled. All worker threads have been terminated.
0 LOD object triangles.
0 were rejected (0 degenerate, 0 under landscape).
0 total LOD object vertices.
No major issues detected.

I've been following a few tutorials out there on how to generate LOD, specifically Object LOD. So far I've successfully made the World LOD (through Oscape) and the Tree LOD (through the Creation Kit), however Object LOD is proving to be a rather stubborn one. I've copied the LOD textures from the textures.bsa file to the \Steamapps\Common\Source\TGATextures\ directory and converted the .dds files to .tga using nconvert. Currently I have two folders here: architecture and lod with the tga files within them. I've confirmed that IcebergLargeLOD.tga and IcebergLargeLOD_n.tga both exist in this directory and are indeed the same size (verified in Photoshop CS5) so I'm assuming the problem here is that the Creation Kit itself just isn't pointing to this directory for some bizarre/obscure reason. I've also made sure the lod meshes (the #_lod.nif files) have been copied to the \Data\Meshes\ directory in the main Skyrim install folder.

Assuming there may have been a problem with my install, I reinstalled Skyrim and the Creation Kit however I'm still seeing the same exact error message when I try to build Object LOD, so there goes that idea. After much ponderous head-scratching...

1) Are there any dword registry values associated with Skyrim that are meant to point to this location (\Steamapps\Common\Source\TGATextures\) that I can verify are still pointing to this path? I have a funny feeling that might be what the issue is.

2) Will the Creation Kit read these LOD files from any other folders?

3) Are there any 3rd party utilities out there that can successfully generate Object LOD? Unfortunately Oscape only does terrain LOD.

4) How on earth did the developers generate LOD for themselves?

Now the worldspace I'm working on at the moment is my own. I'm not modifying the Tamriel worldspace nor any other default worldspaces. It's also a manually sculpted worldspace, nothing was imported from TESAnnwynn. Everything is essentially done, the world is fleshed out, cluttered to the hilter, all I need to do now is generate the LOD. If I can't get generate Object LOD, one possible workaround may involve the creative use of "Is Full LOD" on large pieces such as towers and mountains along with the heavy use of occlusion planes to counter the drastic drop in performance this would have, however I'd rather not do that due to the pain involved. But this worldspace isn't too large (comparable in size to Solstheim from Bloodmoon) and pain can be fun sometimes so it's still an option.

Making both Oscape's Terrain LOD and the Creation Kit's Object/Tree LOD work together without being mutually exclusive from one other will be tomorrow's battle(!), but if I can get Object LOD working I'll be half way back to sanity. Or at least a quarter of the way, I still have another worldspace to do afterall ...

My HD LOD Diffuse points to: Data\Textures\Landscape\Mountains\MountainSlab02.dds, and my LOD Textures are in Source/TGA Textures/LOD in TGA format, with these settings LOD generation is fine for me.

I've already set HD LOD Diffuse and HD LOD Normal on the worldspace I'm working on.

HD LOD Diffuse is: Data\Textures\Landscape\Mountains\MountainSlab02.dds
HD LOD Normal is: Data\Textures\Landscape\Mountains\MountainSlab02_N.dds

I've also double checked all the file paths for typos. No joy yet. What I'd like to know is what points the Creation Kit specifically to the \Steamapps\Common\Source\TGATextures\ directory. If it's hardcoded in the .exe then there should be no problems reading the tga files I've copied there.

The lod .nif files should be in the \Data\Meshes\lod\ folder

Ahh fixed it.

As I suspected, something is pointing to the wrong location for some incredible reason. Object LOD builds successfully if I copy the TGA files to \Source\TGATextures\ folder under Program Files (x86) rather than under \Steamapps\Common. Go figure.

Well, that was a good couple hours of pain ...

Aaand now purple land LOD textures... Getting there though! Anyone have any suggestions?

If I import the land LOD from Oscape I get correct looking land LOD but no objects or trees. If I build the land LOD in the Creation Kit I get Object and Tree LOD but purpleness. Not that I have anything against the colour purple, just not in my mod!

After generating land textures, copy all of the texture files from /Source/DDSTextures/WorldspaceName to your worldspace's LOD folder. That should fix any purple land.

now you got working LOD

Finally sorted the terrain LOD out. Had to do the texture duplication thing then bring in the textures from Oscape. Terrain, Object and Tree LOD is working happily together. Whee!