Bone Limit Extender
🟡 Updated this year⚠️ Install Order · 5 steps
Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.
Preview
🔍 Analysis
- 👍 2.4% endorsement rate — high engagement, a strong quality signal
- 🏆 #31 of 39 Utilities mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Background:
During the transition to Special Edition bethesda moved mesh skinning over to the GPU instead of the CPU, when they did this they threw the bones in a DX11 constant buffer with a size of ~3840 bytes (80 total bones), this meant that any armor that had more then 80 bones would crash the game when it tries to copy the mesh into the buffer to let the shader skin the mesh, this mod allows the game to use more then 80 bone.
Vertex Shader 5208:
Shader hash fbcdf44f-ec1ded8e-e502b488-f9aea01a
dcl_globalFlags refactoringAllowed
dcl_constantbuffer cb12, immediateIndexed
dcl_constantbuffer cb0, immediateIndexed
dcl_constantbuffer cb1, immediateIndexed
dcl_constantbuffer cb2, immediateIndexed
dcl_constantbuffer cb9, dynamicIndexed
dcl_constantbuffer cb10, dynamicIndexed
dcl_input v0.xyzw
dcl_input v1.xy
dcl_input v2.xyzw
dcl_input v3.xyzw
dcl_input v4.xyzw
dcl_input v5.xyzw
dcl_output_siv o0.xyzw, position
dcl_output o1.xy
dcl_output o2.xyz
dcl_output o3.xyz
dcl_output o4.xyz
dcl_output o5.xyz
dcl_output o6.xyz
dcl_output o7.xyz
dcl_output o8.xyz
dcl_output o9.xyz
dcl_output o10.xyzw
dcl_output o11.xyzw
dcl_output o12.xyzw
dcl_output o13.xyzw
dcl_temps 11
0: mov r0.w, -cb12.x
1: mov r0.xz, l(0x80000000, 0, 0x80000000, 0)
2: mul r1.xyzw, v5.xyzw, l(765. 010010, 765. 010010, 765. 010010, 765. 010010)
3: ftoi r1.xyzw, r1.xyzw
4: add r2.xyzw, r0.zzzw, cb10.xyzw
5: mul r2.xyzw, r2.xyzw, v4.xxxx
6: add r3.xyzw, r0.zzzw, cb10.xyzw
7: mul r3.xyzw, r3.xyzw, v4.yyyy
8: add r2.xyzw, r2.xyzw, r3.xyzw
9: add r3.xyzw, r0.zzzw, cb10.xyzw
10: add r4.xyzw, r0.zzzw, cb10.xyzw
11: mul r4.xyzw, r4.xyzw, v4.wwww
12: mul r3.xyzw, r3.xyzw, v4.zzzz
13: add r2.xyzw, r2.xyzw, r3.xyzw
14: add r2.xyzw, r4.xyzw, r2.xyzw
15: mov r3.xyz, v0.xyzx
16: mov r3.w, l(1. 000000)
17: dp4 r2.x, r3.xyzw, r2.xyzw
18: mov r2.w, l(1. 000000)
19: mov r4.xz, l(0x80000000, 0, 0x80000000, 0)
20: mov r4.yw, -cb12.yyyz
21: iadd r5.xyzw, r1.xxyy, l(1, 2, 1, 2)
22: add r6.xyzw, r4.xxxy, cb10.xyzw
23: mul r6.xyzw, r6.xyzw, v4.xxxx
24: add r7.xyzw, r4.xxxy, cb10.xyzw
25: mul r7.xyzw, r7.xyzw
Bone Limit Extender is a utility mod that raises the maximum bone count from 80 to approximately 1365 when using dynamic indexing. It's a simple, focused mod for users who need more bones for complex animations or models. With 501 endorsements and over 20k downloads, it's a proven solution for this specific limitation.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community-trusted with 501 endorsements and over 20k downloads
- Directly solves a hard limit that can break complex models
- Lightweight and focused—does exactly what it says
⚠️ Cons
- Only benefits users who hit the 80-bone limit; most mods won't need it
- May cause performance issues with very high bone counts, though not specified
- Compatibility with other mods that alter bone limits is unknown—test carefully
For modders and animators who create or use models with more than 80 bones and need to push past the engine limit. If you're a casual player who never touches bone counts, you can skip this—it's a niche utility.
💡 Beginner Tips
- If you're using a mod manager, install this like any other mod; it's a simple file drop.
- Test with your specific model to ensure the increased bone limit doesn't cause crashes or visual glitches.
- Keep a backup of your original files in case you need to revert.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- backporter
- Version
- 1.0.0.2
- Downloads
- 20,863
- Endorsements
- 501
- Category
- Utilities
- Created
- 4/19/2026
- Updated
- 5/4/2026
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