Log Watcher - Real-time Analysis of SKSE Logs

Overview

Log Watcher is a lightweight SKSE plugin and in-game interface designed to monitor, parse, and analyze Skyrim’s logs in real time; directly inside the game. It continuously watches your SKSE and Papyrus log folders, detects important lines such as errors (including critical), warnings, and failures, and presents them in a clean, responsive UI without ever leaving Skyrim. This tool is ideal for players, mod developers, and testers who want immediate feedback about what’s happening under the hood without alt-tabbing or digging through giant .log files.

Showcases

  Must-Have New Skyrim Mods Nov. 2025 by ARJARIM                 Setup of advanced mode in Typing Mode by xYZeroYx

Key Features

Smart Log Detection and Cleaning

• []Monitors all SKSE log directories (SKSE, Plugins, Papyrus Logs, etc.).[/]

  []Automatically classifies lines as Error, Warning, Fail, or Other (with critical lines treated as errors).[/]

  []Automatically ignores crash logs.[/]

  []Cleans noisy or repetitive log entries, removing timestamps, thread IDs, script headers, and other clutter.[/]

  []Detects truncated or rotated logs (e.g., after a game restart) and resumes automatically.[/]

  []Categorizes messages by mod or source, making it easier to see which plugin is responsible for errors.[/]

• []Real-time HUD alerts for new errors, warnings, and fails from pinned mods.[/]

  []Periodic summaries showing new issues detected over time.[/]

  []A Mailbox section that retains all notifications for later review.[/]

  []Helps identify when (and which) mods not working properly during gameplay.[/]

• []Runs asynchronously on background threads using efficient file polling.[/]

  []Only new lines are read and processed; no heavy rescans or full reloads.[/]

  []Adaptive scheduling ensures minimal CPU overhead even on large logs.[/]

• []Runs entirely on background threads for efficiency.[/]

  []The in-game interface uses the SKSE Menu Framework; no Papyrus scripts or extra plugins required.[/]

  []Even with Deep Scan enabled, the process remains I/O-bound and optimized for modern SSDs.[/]

• []Accessible through the SKSE Menu Framework (no console commands needed).[/]

  []Clean tabbed layout with:

  []Watch Tab, live feed of monitored mods/log sources.[/]

  []Mailbox Tab, stored notifications and summaries (new in v2.x).[/]

  []Settings Tab, configure scan interval, cache size, deep scan behavior, backlog boost, and more.[/]

[]Real-time pinning and filtering per mod.[/]

[]Smooth loading indicators and fade-in/out status feedback (no UI freezing).[/]

[]Supports FontAwesome icons, color coding, and tooltips for better readability.[/]

[]Built for performance: no ImGui redraw overhead when closed.[/]

Persistent Settings & Pins

• []All user settings and pinned mods are saved automatically to

  Data/SKSE/Plugins/LogWatcher/LogWatcher.jsonon game save or when applying settings (clicking on 'Save and Apply' button).[/]

  []Settings persist across game sessions and are written atomically (no corruption risk).[/]

[]Deep Scan Mode: performs full directory analysis and history replay (good for mod authors testing startup sequences).[/]

[]Warming-Up Overlay: shows during initial scan until all logs are discovered.[/]

[]Conditional Restart: automatically restarts the watcher when needed (e.g., after toggling Deep Scan).[/]

[*]Automatic Backlog Boost: when l