This should go in the official Anequina thread, but a search found only the old closed thread (limit reached).

I have recently converted from OMODs to a BAIN-centric installation. In the process several issues cropped up that didn't exist with my old OMODesque install. One involves Elsweyr-Anequina distant-LOD files, in general and one LOD in particular.

I created my Anequina BAIN package from the Jan 2010 build, added Arthmoor's Jan Texture fixes, then capped it off with the July 2010 update. (The RAEVWD-Anequina addon is kept as a separate package.) When the package is installed its square is YELLOW, which is as it should be since Anequina overrides a few files in one mod and is in turn overridden by others (such as AWLS now that it has specific Elsweyr-Anequina compatibility). However, after several launches of Wrye Bash, the installer tab shows Elsweyr's square as RED. I must then Anneal-All, which converts it back to YELLOW. When RED, one file is listed as missing: \Distant LOD\Tamriel_-7_-45.lod. Annealing removes it from the missing tab. But as mentioned, it eventually goes missing again, until I re-anneal. Elsweyr-Anequina is my only BAIN package where such behavior occurs.

Oddly, the file in question doesn't appear in the actual game's \Distant LOD directory, at least not at the moment.

My first and main quest is, doesn't TES4LODgen create any and all needed Distant LOD files anyway, so that the Elsweyr-provided Distant LOD directory is unneeded and can be disposed of? Or is Elsweyr a special case and needs LODs that TES4LODgen can't generate? Relatedly, even if it does need special distance LODs, would they survive after running TES4LODgen? (My guess is that they don't since, as mentioned, I don't see the one in question in my game directory.)

My second question is, what is causing the file in question to go missing (in BAIN) in the first place? The file most definitely exists inside the BAIN package. It's likely disappearing in-game any time I run TES4LODgen, but would that affect package color?

Any insight into this matter is most appreciated.

Thanks for the ear!

-Decrepit-

An update of sorts:

I just looked in my Oblivion\data\DistantLOD directory. Tamriel_-7_-45.lod is now present, bearing a date of 1/25/2010. That matches Iliana's file dating so is definitely loaded by the BAIN install/anneal processes. That said, all other LOD files in that directory are dated 8/5/2010, from when I last ran TES4LODgen.

Sadly, I now can't recall which I did last, run TES4LODgen or re-anneal Elsweyr-Anequina.

So it seems that TES4LODgen is not able to generate that one Anequina LOD file? If so, is it because Tamriel_-7_-45.lod is obsolete and no longer needed? Or is it a necessary file that for some reason TES4LODgen overlooks? Or am I totally off base and this is another issue (if issue it is) all together?

That one file aside, is my earlier thought that the mod-provided DistantLOD directory is unneeded (redundant) when running TES4LODgen valid?

-Decrepit-

Well, I doubt this helps much, but I had *exactly* the same thing happen for a while. Not sure what I've changed in the LO / other, since then, but it's not happening now... that I'm aware of. :huh:

It is not the only package I have that does that. But what I learned was that the material was not missing from the data folder in all instances and by hand placing it there then BAIN sees it again. Other times it just does not see it even though it is there.

I can think of a few text files too and I'm not the only one who has made a BAIN package of the DLC only to have them be red each and every time I open BAIN.

So try manually installing the file in question or repackaging (there is a July update to Anequina you know).

You wouldn't happen to have a link to that? I can't find it, and I've somehow managed to lose the original archive I uploaded. I find that I now need it because I repackaged Anequina from official sources only and forgot all about those fixes



Wise move, since I also found that the official sources from Jan+July are missing a number of components I swore were in there but aren't. It also has updated after I was told that normal maps for VWD have no use for alpha channels, so they were all stripped. You may need to check to be sure you have the right version for that.



If there's nothing in that cell to generate, tes4lodgen won't make a new file for it. I find it's usually best to not pack the DistandLOD file for any mod into a BAIN archive because it's all going to get wiped over the first time you run tes4lodgen and then mess up your nice pretty greens and yellows on the BAIN menu

On a non-related matter. Elsewhere you mention having 8gb of RAM and, amongst other things, using a large OSR heap size. No specifics were given. I now run with 6gb RAM. What size do you suggest for 6gb?

Thanks as always!
-Decrepit-

Yeah, the shimmering rocks business was from the normal maps being hosed, along with the actual rock textures too, they didn't need an alpha channel either.

BAIN should ignore DistantLOD if you go to the packages tab up top, right click, select "Skip DistantLOD". I usually repack my archives myself anyway so I just leave them out.

The specifics on the OSR heap size were in a thread about Oblivion memory usage. But basically use mode 5 with a size of 1024 and you should be fine. It needs the LAA patch before that will work though.

Here's the OSR.ini section I believe you refer to:

Heap = {
_comment = Heap replacement can produce MAJOR improvements in performance on Oblivion, only moderate improvements on Fallout
_comment = It crashes instantly on Fallout, is moderately buggy on Oblivion
_comment = Algorithms: 1=FastMM4 (requires external dll), 2=Microsoft (slow on XP), 3=SimpleHeap1, 5=ThreadHeap2
iHeapAlgorithm = 5
bEnableProfiling = 0
iHeapSize = 450
bEnableMessages = 0

It's the next-to-last line I should change, so that rather than iHeapSize = 450 it reads iHeapSize = 1024? Easily done! Does everything else look right?

When you mention needing an LAA patch, do you refer to patching Oblivion.exe, or some OSR specific file? (My Oblivion.exe is already patched, or at least should be.)

-Decrepit-

Yes, iHeapSize. The LAA patch is whatever 4gb enabler method you used. The rest is fine.

Oops, I guess my question was a bit vague. What I meant was, to what file(s) do I apply the LAA patch? Oblivion.exe (already done), or some specific OSR file?

-Decrepit-

Just the Oblivion.exe.