Tweaks tanked my OUTDOOR framerate : V

» Mon May 28, 2012 9:13 am

I run Skyrim on a pretty minimally capable system (pretty much the lowest nVidia says will work - dual core 2.5 w/ 2.00 gigs) but with various tweaks I get pretty decent performance (mid-high rez skins, 30+ framerate). I did a bunch more this morning, and my framerate dropped to 12 or less, but only when I'm outside; when I'm inside, its still a solid 30+.
I'm kinda forgetting what I did, but most of it was advice posted at http://www.geforce.com/Optimize/Guides/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-tweak-guide?sf2686171=1 as having minimal impact on performance while still improving detail, especially outdoors. I'm guessing it has something to do with trees / distant views / shadows.

Anybody got a clue for me? I'd be happy to dig up more info on what my settings are if you've got suggestions as to which ones to check!

» Mon May 28, 2012 5:30 pm

LOD will always cause your FPS to dive. If you are minimally capable, you shouldn't be applying the tweaks to make things look better.

» Mon May 28, 2012 8:32 pm

Error: Insufficient info to answer question. Please post ini files.

» Mon May 28, 2012 10:07 am

does that article touch on UGrids?..

Knowing what you changed is all thats gonna help...instead...

Start with new INI files and add tweaks one at a time...check.
Rinse and repeat...one tweak at a time....

Only way to know, what changes what, and when.

» Mon May 28, 2012 4:19 pm

Maybe save your .ini before doing a lot of random changes?

Changing the ugridstoad = 5 setting would kill the framerate. Changing it back is unfortunately more difficult. All your save games will crash unless you follow some specific steps.

» Mon May 28, 2012 5:20 am

Unless you have something like a GTX 460 or better and a good CPU then uGrids above 5 are hurt frame-rate a lot.

» Mon May 28, 2012 11:38 am

1. Backup, Backup, Backup.

2. Don't mess with crap that you have no business messing with.

The uGrids setting shouldn't be touched by the majority of users and I think we have an example of why.

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:53 pm

Maybe save your .ini before doing a lot of random changes?

Oh god, how did I fail to think of that? You mean all those files called thing like ...BACK_2011_12_27_2034.ini can actually be used as, um, backups? Whoda thunkit?
(Hint- sarcasm mode now dis-engaged. I'm a professional web developer, so my lively hood, or at least my level of personal pathos, often depends on the quality of my "backups". I'm actually considering putting my Skyrim files into a SVN repo so I can just do reverts via Tortise. As for why my rig is so "weak" - you don't need a powerhouse for web dev in a local sandbox, because no single user should be allowed to use much server power in the first place. Graphics power means little to my job, but I do run a large SSD because I work with some multi-gigabyte databases that would take forever to update otherwise; that's where this years upgrade budget went.)

Reason I didn't want to go back to the old version is, the performance and imaging after the tweaks is actually pretty good. Stunning when indoors, considering my rig's power. And no, I didn't alter uGrids. I can read; I knew that would significantly impact FPS performance across the board.

Anyhow just going into the plain vanilla setting menu and turning down distance details and non-essential textures got my outdoors FPS above 20 again, with most of the benefits I wanted still in place.

Error: Insufficient info to answer question. Please post ini files.

catch {

Spoiler

[General]
fBrightLightColorB=1.0000
fBrightLightColorG=1.0000
fBrightLightColorR=1.0000
iStoryManagerLoggingEvent=-1
bEnableStoryManagerLogging=0
fdefaultfov=120
[Imagespace]
bDoDepthOfField=1
[Display]
iBlurDeferredShadowMask=5
fInteriorShadowDistance=3000.0000
fShadowDistance=2500.0000
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=1024
iShadowMapResolutionPrimary=2048
iShadowSplitCount=2
iMaxAnisotropy=8
fLeafAnimDampenDistEnd=4600.0000
fLeafAnimDampenDistStart=3600.0000
fTreesMidLODSwitchDist=3600.0000
fGamma=1.0000
fDecalLOD2=1500.0000
fDecalLOD1=1000.0000
fSpecularLODStartFade=500.0000
fShadowLODStartFade=200.0000
fLightLODStartFade=1000.0000
iTexMipMapMinimum=0
iTexMipMapSkip=0
iWaterMultiSamples=0
iMultiSample=0
iShadowMode=3
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
bDrawLandShadows=0
bFull Screen=0
iSize H=900
iSize W=1600
fMeshLODFadePercentDefault=1.2000
fMeshLODFadeBoundDefault=256.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeTreeDistance=2048.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeTreeDistance=2844.0000
fMeshLODLevel2FadeDist=3072.0000
fMeshLODLevel1FadeDist=4096.0000
iScreenShotIndex=2
bShadowMaskZPrepass=0
bMainZPrepass=0
iMaxSkinDecalsPerFrame=3
iMaxDecalsPerFrame=10
bFloatPointRenderTarget=0
[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=0
b30GrassVS=0
fGrassStartFadeDistance=3500.0000
fGrassMaxStartFadeDistance=7000.0000
fGrassMinStartFadeDistance=0.0000
[MAIN]
bGamepadEnable=1
bCrosshairEnabled=1
fHUDOpacity=0.800
bSaveOnPause=1
bSaveOnTravel=1
bSaveOnWait=1
bSaveOnRest=1
[GamePlay]
bShowFloatingQuestMarkers=1
bShowQuestMarkers=1
iDifficulty=2
[Interface]
bDialogueSubtitles=0
bGeneralSubtitles=0
[Controls]
fGamepadHeadingSensitivity=1.0000
fMouseHeadingSensitivity=0.0125
bAlwaysRunByDefault=1
bInvertYValues=0
bGamePadRumble=1
bMouseAcceleration=1
[Particles]
iMaxDesired=500
[SaveGame]
fAutosaveEveryXMins=10.0000
[AudioMenu]
fAudioMasterVolume=1.0000
fVal7=1.0000
uID7=0
fVal6=1.0000
uID6=0
fVal5=1.0000
uID5=0
fVal4=1.0000
uID4=0
fVal3=1.0000
uID3=0
fVal2=0.4000
uID2=466532
fVal1=1.0000
uID1=554685
fVal0=0.8000
uID0=1007612
[Clouds]
fCloudLevel2Distance=262144.0000
fCloudLevel1Distance=32768.0000
fCloudLevel0Distance=16384.0000
fCloudNearFadeDistance=9000.0000
[TerrainManager]
fTreeLoadDistance=25000.0000
fBlockMaximumDistance=100000.0000
fBlockLevel1Distance=32768.0000
fBlockLevel0Distance=20480.0000
fSplitDistanceMult=0.7500
bShowLODInEditor=0
[NavMesh]
fObstacleAlpha=0.5000
fCoverSideHighAlpha=0.8000
fCoverSideLowAlpha=0.6500
fEdgeFullAlpha=1.0000
fEdgeHighAlpha=0.7500
fEdgeLowAlpha=0.5000
fTriangleFullAlpha=0.7000
fTriangleHighAlpha=0.3500
fTriangleLowAlpha=0.2000
fLedgeBoxHalfHeight=25.0000
fEdgeDistFromVert=10.0000
fEdgeThickness=10.0000
fPointSize=2.5000
[Trees]
bRenderSkinnedTrees=1
uiMaxSkinnedTreesToRender=15
[Decals]
uMaxDecals=100
[LOD]
fLODFadeOutMultObjects=5.0000
fLODFadeOutMultItems=3.0000
fLODFadeOutMultActors=6.0000
[Launcher]
bEnableFileSelection=1

}

» Mon May 28, 2012 9:10 pm

If you are a developer and you do have backups then you should know that you can simply compare the current file with your backups to find the problem area. It's not that hard so if all of what you say is true then what seems to be the problem here? Other than a developer with backups that doesn't pay much attention to what they are doing...unless that's not the case of course.

BTW: you're missing some importing information in that INI...you're better off deleting them and starting fresh. For exampl, there is no reference to your specific graphics card in there.

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:26 am

1. Backup, Backup, Backup.

2. Don't mess with crap that you have no business messing with.

The uGrids setting shouldn't be touched by the majority of users and I think we have an example of why.

Agreed with all of the above, and already observed. Now, care to actually add something USEFUL?
EDIT - ah, yeah, I suppose something like doing a dif would help. Not sure I have a program that can easily do that in this case; on work project Netbeans usually handles it for me via SVN. Suppose I could go manual.

» Mon May 28, 2012 6:42 am

Agreed with all of the above, and already observed. Now, care to actually add something USEFUL?

Not until you do. (inis pls)

» Mon May 28, 2012 11:49 am

Not until you do. (inis pls)

Check the spoiler. Or is that TLDR?

» Mon May 28, 2012 1:42 pm

Agreed with all of the above, and already observed. Now, care to actually add something USEFUL?
EDIT - ah, yeah, I suppose something like doing a dif would help. Not sure I have a program that can easily do that in this case; on work project Netbeans usually handles it for me via SVN. Suppose I could go manual. :tongue:

I did...just keep reading.

Also, you're missing all of these fromt that file:

sD3DDevice
bFXAAEnabled
iShadowMapResolution
fShadowBiasScale
iShadowMaskQuarter
iAdapter
iPresentInterval
iShadowFilter
bTransparencyMultisampling
bDrawShadows

Oh, and your custom FOV setting is in the wrong section.

EDIT: By my count you are missing at least 28 commands from that file and that's saying nothing about the fact that it's an outdated file by at least 2 patches. This ini file must go. Period.

» Mon May 28, 2012 5:41 pm

Check the spoiler. Or is that TLDR?

Damnit, sorry I missed that

iBlurDeferredShadowMask=5 - wee bit taxing, you could get away with 3 or 4 and visually its almost the same, this is for your indoor shadows any ways which are already pretty darn good as a default.
iMaxAnisotropy=8, almost no impact to performance so you can either set it directly to 16 here or better yet drivers do a better job so in the game's profile just over-ride and do the x16 there instead (better water).
iShadowMapResolutionSecondary=1024 - put this guy up to 2048 as well, little bit more memory but for some reason I've always gotten better performance out of the shadows by giving them more memory like that (within reason)

bTreesReceiveShadows=1 - swap this
bDrawLandShadows=0 - with this and experiement, both are heavy but land shadows may give you more visually available niceness then random trees have a dark spot on them.

As mentioned you're missing some critical ones too like the fShadowBiasScale (rec try at .25) & iShadowMaskQuarter (recommend 3, this is the same as defferedshadowmask but for the outside)