Optimized Vanilla Textures

Optimized Vanilla Textures

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This is mod is the end result of Ethatron's extensive knowledge of texture optimizing and the STEP team's tireless testing/tweaking. In fact, these textures are what you would get if you were to follow the STEP team's texture optimization guide except that I resized monochrome textures and flat normal maps to 4x4. So the question is, why download this huge file instead of optimizing the textures yourself using the same guide? Well, that's where my little contribution kicks in.

These textures are compatible with every mod you've ever installed or ever will install. Your game won't look any different than it does right now. It'll just perform better. All of the vanilla textures will either be replaced by their optimized versions or will be immediately overruled by them. Any textures from your other mods will still overrule all of these textures. Even if they're already installed before installing this mod. And it does this without using a plugin.

But what about the textures?

Oh yea.. we should probably talk about the textures. They were optimized using a combination of DDSopt and Optimizer Textures. First, they were compressed using STEP's recommendations in DDSopt. Mipmaps (small textures in the distance) were also added. Any planar (1x1) textures made by DDSopt were then replaced by 4x4 or 4x16 versions made with Optimizer Textures. Using ARGB compression types, customized by the type of texture they're compressing, ensures the most amount of VRAM saved while not compromising visual quality.

The Standard Definition version is straight forward enough. It's just the optimized versions of the base game and content DLCs. The High Definition version combines the Standard Definition with optimized versions of the textures from the High Resolution Texture Pack (Free DLC) and Unofficial High Resolution Patch. This means that if you install the High Definition version of this mod, you do not need the High Res DLC or UHRP.

Are you sure that you're allowed to upload this?

Yes. See here. Nexus admin The Vampire Dante has already said that it's fine to be on Nexus so it's in the clear.

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Installation

1. Download and install with your mod manager unless the file says "Extract Me" in the title. If it says "Extract Me," extract it and install the files inside with MO. 2. Non-ModOrganizer users should run Textures Install.vbs in their Skyrim/Data/ folder after installation.

Uninstallation

1. Run Textures Tex