Cathedral Assets Optimizer
🟡 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
- 👍 0.8% endorsement rate
- 🏆 #33 of 81 Utilities mods in this game by downloads
📋 About This Mod
Cathedral Assets Optimizer
Cathedral Assets Optimizer is a tool aiming to automate asset conversion and optimization for Skyrim Special Edition, Skyrim Legendary Edition, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Fallout 4. It is an open source project.
A short tutorial on how to convert a SLE mod is hosted here.
General :
- []All optimization options can be performed on just a single mod or multiple mods at once
[
]You can convert, optimize, and pack your entire mod install into BSAs with a single click![]Each option is independently configurable
BSAs :
- []Backup and extract old BSAs before processing, preserving existing loose files
[]Existing loose assets can be added to the archives during repack
[]Delete backups to save space
Textures :
- []Convert unsupported TGA files to DDS format
[
]Ddetect and convert unsupported DDS formats to useable ones[]Convert uncompressed DDS files to BC7, the highest quality compression Skyrim utilizes
Meshes :
- []Optimize both normal and headpart meshes
[]Detect headparts and automatically apply the correct settings
Animations :
- []Convert Skyrim Legendary Edition animations to work with Special Edition
Requirements
Textures: Either of the following:
- []Microsoft Visual C++ 2019 (x64/64bit)
All : Add CAO to Windows Defender exclusions. Defender is hugely slowing down the process.
Installation
- []Download and extract the Cathedral Assets Optimizer archive into a new folder on your computer.[]Do not install to an external drive, such as a USB thumb stick. Some code libraries don't agree with external drives.
[
]Run it.[]Get to work!
Use Instructions
Disclaimers :
Always make a backup of your mods.
BSA Processing is not supported when working directly with the game's Data folder.
[]Launch the tool outside of your mod manager.
[]Click Open Directory and navigate to the folder requiring conversion or optimization.
[]Select whether you're processing a single mod or several.
[*]By default no options are enabled. Activate whichever you need. In "Several mods" mode only the mini
- []Convert Skyrim Legendary Edition animations to work with Special Edition
- []Optimize both normal and headpart meshes
- []Convert unsupported TGA files to DDS format
- []Backup and extract old BSAs before processing, preserving existing loose files
Cathedral Assets Optimizer is a powerful automation tool for optimizing BSAs, meshes, textures, and animations. It's designed to help port Oldrim mods to Skyrim Special Edition and supports many Bethesda games. With 23,783 endorsements and 3.1M downloads, it's a community staple for mod authors and advanced users.
✨ Key Features
📊 Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Community-approved with 23,783 endorsements and 3.1M downloads
- Saves hours of manual work when porting Oldrim mods
- One tool for multiple Bethesda games, not just Skyrim
⚠️ Cons
- No detailed instructions included in the description—you'll need to learn from guides or trial and error
- Last updated March 2026—may not cover the latest game patches or mod formats
- Requires understanding of mod structure; not for casual players
For mod authors and advanced users who port Oldrim mods to Skyrim Special Edition or manage assets for other Bethesda games. If you're a player just installing mods, this isn't for you—it's a behind-the-scenes tool.
💡 Beginner Tips
- Run the tool on a copy of your mod folder first to see what it changes before applying to your actual mod.
- For Skyrim SE, make sure your output is in the correct format (e.g., SSE meshes) to avoid crashes.
- Check the tool's official documentation or forum threads for detailed usage—the mod page description is sparse.
📊 Mod Details
- Game
- Skyrim Mods
- Author
- G_k
- Version
- 5.3.15
- Downloads
- 3,143,596
- Endorsements
- 23,783
- Category
- Utilities
- Created
- 2/9/2019
- Updated
- 3/23/2026
🧩 Commonly Used Together
Users add these mods to the same collections — a real compatibility signal, not an AI guess.
🔧 How to Install Skyrim Mods
Download from Nexus.
📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim →
Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.
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