[Joie Perez]

TESV Acceleration Layer
Proof of Concept by Arisu

DOWNLOAD LINKS:

http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4387

http://skse.silverlock.org/beta/TESVAL-1.3.10.0-2011-12-22-skseplugin.7z


Old Threads:

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1322545-rel-tesv-acceleration-layer-thread-3/

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1322063-rel-tesv-acceleration-layer-thread-no-2/

What is it?
A SKSE (SKyrim Script Extender) plugin to increase FPS (frames per second) in CPU-heavy areas of the game.

Users typically report 8-10 FPS increase; some see 2-4, while others have reported an average of 20 FPS incease.

Requirements

• Skyrim (version 1.3.10 released 12/21/2011)
  
• http://skse.silverlock.org/ (version 1.4.2 released 12/21/2011)

Installation Instructions

• Install SKSE (Skyrim Script Extender) latest version from http://skse.silverlock.org/.
  
• SKSE must be installed to the same folder as Skyrim's executable (TESV.exe).
  
• Install this mod, TESV Acceleration Layer, through Nexus Mod Manager, or manually to \Data\SKSE\Plugins. Create the SKSE and Plugins folders if they don't exist.
  
• Launch Skyrim using skse_loader.exe from the SKSE install.

How does it work?
From ianpatt (a SKSE developer):
It replaces many calls to functions that would have been inlined if the compiler optimizer settings were set to something higher than "off" with actual inline code that nicely fits in the five bytes the jump instruction was previously taking up. It also overwrites several functions, replacing them with SSE implementations instead of the very painfully slow original x87 implementations.

How can I tell if it's running?

• First, make sure SKSE is running:
  
• Open the console in-game with the ~ key (above the Tab key),
  
• Then type in GetSKSEVersion and press enter.
  
• It should display the SKSE version in the console.
  
• If it doesn't, SKSE is not running, and neither is the TESV Acceleration Layer, so you need to check your SKSE installation.
  
• Also make sure Steam is running before launching the game, and be sure to launch the game via SKSE_loader.exe

• SKSE is running? Good. Next step:
  
• Open skse.log (in the root of the Skyrim folder, with TESV.exe, skse_loader.exe, etc)
  
• In the log, you should see something like this:
  checking plugin G:STEAM/SteamApps/common/skyrim/Data/SKSE/Plugins/TESVAL.dll
  plugin G:STEAM/SteamApps/common/skyrim/Data/SKSE/Plugins/TESVAL.dll (00000001 TESVAL 00000001) loaded correctly
  
• TESVAL.dll is the mod. If you don't see that, then it didn't load correctly.
  
• Make sure your directories (folders) are correct.

How can I tell if my game is actually running faster?
First, be aware that FPS increases only occur in certain places where the game is CPU bound. Go to the top step in Whiterun and look down at the barren tree on the left. Try it with and without the TESV Acceleration Layer plugin installed.

You will need an external program or plugin to check FPS (frames per second). There are several ways to do this. Here are a few options:

• http://www.fraps.com/download.php video recording program has an FPS overlay, even when not recording.
  
• The http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=2006 by Elys has an FPS overlay as well as Memory usage info.

Known Issues

• This does not work with Windows 8 Beta. Those testing the Windows 8 beta need to report this to Microsoft.

CHANGELOG

[*]03 Updated PluginInfo for SKSE tracking (this is for SKSE to track compatibility of plugins against SKSE release; so if your SKSE is newer than TESVAL can support, or vice versa, it will turn off).

[*]02 Fixed a typo (setz was typed as setnz; this caused certain quests, notably Ralof in Helgen intro to fail).

[*]01 Initial release.


Credits
Arisu: original proof of concept
ianpatt: port of Arisu's work as a SKSE plugin
Silverglade: preliminary fix implemented for version .02
GreatWalrus: Recompiled fix released as version .02
ianpatt, scruggswuggsy the ferret, and behippo: Skyrim Script Extender
pintocat: drafting the description, helping with this post, and with the readme
the Skyrim community: for pulling this together and supporting it
Bethesda Softworks: Skyrim

Permissions
License: Everyone is free to do whatever s/he likes with the binary or the source; it's completely free.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

[Kira! :)))]

In order to fix compatibility issues (like win8 etc) i want rewrite the fix to cpp and replace additional code bottlenecks . I'm not sure that i shud do it without Arisu permissions so im waiting for his answer .

From this quote: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1322063-rel-tesv-acceleration-layer-thread-no-2/page__view__findpost__p__19875884

Though I can't speak for ianpatt, as far as it concerns me, anyone may upload/host it anywhere and generally do anything with it.

Yes, consider anything I added under that license as well.

I would say you at least have license to upload testing versions here on the forums with the caveat they cannot be uploaded anywhere else, and then, if you so choose, wait for Arisu's approval to allow mass-distribution. Although from Arisu's responses to GreatWalrus with his fix (which was based on Arisu's own revelations) I would say he/she doesn't really mind new versions being put up with fixes and improvements. Of course I would still keep Arisu in the credits.

[Stacy Hope]

If anyone finds mistakes in the op, please let me know. I have proofed it pretty carefully but I do make mistakes.

This community is truly amazing.

[sexy zara]

Still really looking forward to hearing something from Bethesda regarding all of this (not trying to be vindictive, it's just an interesting set of circumstances technically and from a marketing/PR standpoint.) Though, looking at how little they elaborated on adding 4gb support, I'm not holding my breath.

[Dean Ashcroft]

If anyone finds mistakes in the op, please let me know. I have proofed it pretty carefully but I do make mistakes.

This community is truly amazing.

I don't see a link to the actual download for TESAL......=P

[Kate Norris]

Still really looking forward to hearing something from Bethesda regarding all of this (not trying to be vindictive, it's just an interesting set of circumstances technically and from a marketing/PR standpoint.) Though, looking at how little they elaborated on adding 4gb support, I'm not holding my breath.

I highly doubt you'll hear anything.

They might not even consider this a mistake. There may have been reasons for compiling the code the way they did.

[Charlotte Henderson]

Also you lost the folder separators in the info about determining whether the plugin is loaded. Otherwise looks like a great OP. Nicely done.

[naome duncan]

Two things that may be a result of this mod...

1) I've been occasionally seeing those blowing tattered banners in Forts/Dungeons being frozen in place. They were blowing normally one minute then frozen in position (outward) after a while.

2) I've been seeing more collision bugs. I just cleared out a fort and saw a bunch of carts containing objects that jitter all around endlessly. In one case the cart itself started spinning when the bloody skeleton inside jittered so badly.

#2 occasionally happens without the mod and it may just be coincidence that my 2-hr session today saw more of it than usual. But I've never seen banners frozen in place before...

[Christine Pane]

I've heard reports of frozen banners before this mod existed, so I think it may be a coincidence there. In fact it seems a lot of animations can become frozen like this, but I haven't seen it isolated yet. Example of another animation bug: Khajiit tails will continue to wiggle after they're dead.

[Ashley Clifft]

Two things that may be a result of this mod...

1) I've been occasionally seeing those blowing tattered banners in Forts/Dungeons being frozen in place. They were blowing normally one minute then frozen in position (outward) after a while.

2) I've been seeing more collision bugs. I just cleared out a fort and saw a bunch of carts containing objects that jitter all around endlessly. In one case the cart itself started spinning when the bloody skeleton inside jittered so badly.

#2 occasionally happens without the mod and it may just be coincidence that my 2-hr session today saw more of it than usual. But I've never seen banners frozen in place before...

A good idea is to test with and without the mod immediately at least twice if you see a bug and suspect it may be caused by the mod. If you can confirm that something only happens when you load a save with the mod and never happens if you load a save without the mod then it may be a problem. The game has a lot of bugs and glitches right now that have nothing to do with the mod and people like to jump to conclusions after the first version had that typo with disastrous consequences.

As for collision bugs - any chance you have disabled VSync? Maybe even via your GPU control center? Easy to test, if your framerate ever goes above 60 somewhere it's turned off. The weird collision behavior is usually caused by framerates of (much) more than 60. The higher your framerate, the more likely objects will move without reason and never come to rest. In this case the mod would make this problem worse indirectly by increasing your framerate.

[Melanie]

Not seeing link to the current version in the OP.

Are we still on version 3? A changelog would help.

[edit] found it on Nexus and the packaging is annoying. Can we get a version that is installer friendly.

Thanks.

[lolli]

A good idea is to test with and without the mod immediately at least twice if you see a bug and suspect it may be caused by the mod. If you can confirm that something only happens when you load a save with the mod and never happens if you load a save without the mod then it may be a problem. The game has a lot of bugs and glitches right now that have nothing to do with the mod and people like to jump to conclusions after the first version had that typo with disastrous consequences.

As for collision bugs - any chance you have disabled VSync? Maybe even via your GPU control center? Easy to test, if your framerate ever goes above 60 somewhere it's turned off. The weird collision behavior is usually caused by framerates of (much) more than 60. The higher your framerate, the more likely objects will move without reason and never come to rest. In this case the mod would make this problem worse indirectly by increasing your framerate.

I know, and I'm not blaming the mod... just putting it out there in case others have similar experiences.

As for the collision things, I havent touched vsync.

[Jerry Cox]

As for the collision things, I havent touched vsync.

Did you check your framerates when the collision bug happens? I'm not trying to make you look like an idiot, I only ask because I had VSync disabled without even knowing it as well. Seemed like it was a default setting in the Catalyst Control Center and for some strange reason it was still disabled even when I set it to 'disable unless application specifies'. The weird collision behavior is one of the bugs that happened with a framerate of more than ~100, I haven't seen it again since I forced VSync.

[Janine Rose]

Until ysne is back, here's the download links. The SKSE one is still correct, I hope?

Download from http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4387 or http://skse.silverlock.org/beta/TESVAL-1.3.10.0-2011-12-22-skseplugin.7z

[Gavin boyce]

Until ysne is back, here's the download links. The SKSE one is still correct, I hope?

Download from http://www.skyrimnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=4387 or http://skse.silverlock.org/beta/TESVAL-1.3.10.0-2011-12-22-skseplugin.7z

Not sure if the SKSE one contains the fixed version. It's most likely the original one ianpatt compiled, not GreatWalrus...

[Lil'.KiiDD]

ianpatt posted in thread 3:

edit: I uploaded a fixed version with an updated version number and the correct bit test in place of the previous link; hopefully if the link from skse.silverlock.org was copied elsewhere (news sites or w/e) people will get a fixed version now.

So I think he put the new one on the old link...

[Emma Copeland]

So I think he put the new one on the old link...

Correct.

[Scarlet Devil]

Did you check your framerates when the collision bug happens? I'm not trying to make you look like an idiot, I only ask because I had VSync disabled without even knowing it as well. Seemed like it was a default setting in the Catalyst Control Center and for some strange reason it was still disabled even when I set it to 'disable unless application specifies'. The weird collision behavior is one of the bugs that happened with a framerate of more than ~100, I haven't seen it again since I forced VSync.

I don't hit 60 unless I'm in a very small room or narrow dungeon corridor. The time where the cart was spinning was in a large dungeon room and I suspect I was only hitting around 35 fps, though I didn't have FRAPS up. The other times were outdoors where I never hit 50 fps... Also I'm on an Nvidia card if that matters.

[Solène We]

Did you check your framerates when the collision bug happens? I'm not trying to make you look like an idiot, I only ask because I had VSync disabled without even knowing it as well. Seemed like it was a default setting in the Catalyst Control Center and for some strange reason it was still disabled even when I set it to 'disable unless application specifies'. The weird collision behavior is one of the bugs that happened with a framerate of more than ~100, I haven't seen it again since I forced VSync.

I guess as long as I have V-sync enabled there should be no problem even if my LCD has 120HZ refresh rate thus my FPS sometimes gets in the higher 100+
But if there is a timing issue tied to the fps being 60 or less, could there be such an issue?
EDIT:Actually I have set the refresh rate to 100Hz for the game so it tops out at 100. I have now changed to a rez that can use 60hz, just in case... END EDIT

Cheers!

[Cat]

Houston I think we may have a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5PCwn6KOqA&feature=youtu.be note in my previous play's this never happened, I cannot say 100% that it might be this mod, but the only other mod I'm using is realwater.

PS. I'm in sneak because there's a bunch of heavy bandits nearby, which by the way ignored the ladies as they walked past.

[ladyflames]

I'm wandering if anyone else is having funky issues with floating quest markers after adding this.

Intermittent and I'm not sure related to this - I do have very minimal mods though and I didn't notice this till the last day or so. All the quest markers no longer floated over the heads or quest targets (NPCs .. items were fine).No quest markers on doors out of the towns etc. After getting a new quest the markers on the doors showed back up.

Haven't tested super thoroughly - but curious if others have seen this.

[Devin Sluis]

^ No problems here with quest markers. Running a ton of mods/scripts.

[Nitol Ahmed]

I don't see a link to the actual download for TESAL......=P

I have added the link now and thanks.

Also you lost the folder separators in the info about determining whether the plugin is loaded. Otherwise looks like a great OP. Nicely done.

I'll get this fixed. Thanks Behippo. And thank you pintocat for all the hard work you did on that.

Not seeing link to the current version in the OP.

Are we still on version 3? A changelog would help.

[edit] found it on Nexus and the packaging is annoying. Can we get a version that is installer friendly.

Thanks.

I am working on a more complete readme Psymon. We are still on version 3. I'm not sure what you mean by installer friendly, could you be more specific please?

My to do list at the moment for this is:

1. Add the changelog into the description both here and on the Nexus for more clarity.
2. Get the folder separators added back into the OP.

As I have said before, this commmunity is truly amazing. I look forward to seeing how this develops.

[Amy Melissa]

Houston I think we may have a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5PCwn6KOqA&feature=youtu.be note in my previous play's this never happened, I cannot say 100% that it might be this mod, but the only other mod I'm using is realwater.

PS. I'm in sneak because there's a bunch of heavy bandits nearby, which by the way ignored the ladies as they walked past.

That is a vanilla issue. If you hold the activator key (usually e) down too long you will find yourself dragging a corpse instead of looking at its inventory. To be honest, I have no idea whether that is intentional or not. I find this feature extremely annoying myself but I am not sure this is an actual bug so I haven't reported it.

[Heather M]

I now have the changelog in the original post. I added the folder symbol back in. I hope I didn't miss anything when I added that symbol back in.

If anyone wants to add anything to the bug report I just posted on corpse being carried instead of inventory being opened here is the link:

https://unofficialskyrimpatch.16bugs.com/projects/7078/bugs/213864