Visual Anomaly : IV

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 5:17 pm

Greetings!

Problem: Certain vanilla objects in a defined area near Bartholm appear "solid-color" when viewed at certain angles.

Screen-shot showing anomaly: http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn303/Decrepit_Waste/ESIV%20errors/VisualAnomalyJan2010.jpg.

When did this began: First noticed at the end of my final play-session, Saturday 23 Jan 2010.

Has it re-occurred?: I loaded my most current save this morning, Tues 26 Jan 2010, and proceeded to the location where I had seen the anomaly Saturday. The solid-color objects were still there. (The above capture was taken 26 Jan.)

Recent mod installation(s): ImpeREAL EMPIRE - Unique Forts (OMOD version) with its Lost Spires patch, added either sometime Friday 22 Jan or early Saturday.

Details: This is a new issue for me. Or rather this is the first time I've seen solid-color objects that a simple re-launch didn't fix. (Note that earlier, re-launch fixable occurrences were extremely rarely, maybe once every few months.)

I have added a number of mods these past several weeks (Fort Akatosh Redux, VOILA, Millstone Farm, and Feldscar Village come to mind). These, however, have been in place a while now and have, so far as I can tell, worked without issue (after a fix for several FAR far-distance files). As mentioned, I did install ImpeREAL - Forts either the day this began, or at earliest the evening prior. In either case, after installing Forts my character spent real-life hours traveling Cyrodiil, visiting both forts in the process, making wine deliveries for Tamika, exploring a dungeon, etc. Nothing was found amiss. (I don't fast-travel, so no obviously visual anomalies would escape me.) Then, returning from a dungeon crawl, I came upon a scene like the one shown in my capture. It was about time for me to call it a night so I exited, assuming the anomaly would vanish upon relaunch. Due to work and errands, I was not able to play again until this morning. I launched the game and traveled (walked) to the same spot I had seen the anomalies in before. They were still there, as my capture shows!

What causes this sort of thing? Due to timing, Forts seems the likely suspect. But, it is only an esp, with no added data files. And the anomalies, so far as I can tell, are all vanilla objects (shield included). I will of course deactivate my Forts OMOD unless someone here knows enough to rule it out.

My load-order, if that helps:

Spoiler

Oblivion.esm
Cobl Main.esm
TamRes.esm
CyrodiilUpgradeResourcePack.esm
GTAesgaard_2.esm
Cybiades.esm
Windfall.esm
Kvatch Rebuilt.esm
Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp
UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp
Oblivion Citadel Door Fix.esp
DLCShiveringIsles.esp
TamRes.esp
exhSIPalacelodge.esp
oc_darker_nights.esp
Rainbows.esp
WindowLightingSystem.esp
CityLights - ImperialCity.esp
ImpeREAL City Unique Districts - All the Districts - Merged.esp
ImpeREAL City Unique Districts - All the Districts Visible From Cyrodiil.esp
ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Castles - All The Castles - Merged.esp
ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Forts.esp
BlackLuster.esp
Cobl Glue.esp
Cobl Si.esp
300 Regal Imperial City 2.esp
GTAesgaard.esp
GTAesgaard_2.esp
(DC) The Pride of Wolfs Gate.esp
(DC) Kvatch Watch Towers.esp
Kvatch Rebuilt.esp
EiAmod.esp
EiAmod_ShiveringIsles.esp
LostSwordOfTheAylied.esp
LostSwordOfTheAylied - OBSE Add-On.esp
Region Revive - Lake Rumare.esp
The Ayleid Steps.esp
VHBloodlines 1.2.esp
Order of the Virtuous Blood Expanded v0.3.esp
VOILA.esp
VOILA - Soldiers of Empire.esp
Windfall.esp
Knights.esp
The Lost Spires.esp
LostSpiresImpeREALFortsPatch2.esp
AFK_Weye.esp
Rumare-AFK_Weye Patch.esp
ElsweyrAnequina.esp
Kragenir's Death Quest.esp
KDQ - Rural Line Additions.esp
road+bridges.esp
Feldscar.esp
Vergayun.esp
Faregyl.esp
Faregyl+Anequina Patch.esp
xulBeachesOfCyrodiilLostCoast.esp
KragenirsDeathQuest-LostCoast patch.esp
Cybiades.esp
CybiadesDungeon.esp
Castle_Seaview.esp
CastleSeaview+LostCoast Patch.esp
xulImperialIsle.esp
NRB4+UL-II Patch.esp
bartholm.esp
Fort Akatosh Redux.esp
FortAkatoshRedux-NewRoads&Bridges patch.esp
Millstone_Farm_COBL.esp
RegionReviveLakeRumare-ImperialIsle patch.esp
NRB4+RR Patch.esp
BlackScreenSneakFix.esp
DecoratorAssistant with OBSE v1.1.esp
DropLitTorchOBSE.esp
Duplicate_Item_Spell.esp
Panzer_Kleidung_03.esp
Quest Award Leveller.esp
Quest Award Leveller - Knights of the Nine.esp
Companion Neeshka.esp
NRB4 Standard Road Record.esp

Thanks in advance!
-Decrepit

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:46 am

UPDATE: I deactivated ImpeREAL - Forts and ran TES4LODgen. Loaded the same save as before. Traveled to same area seen in the capture, by the same path. The anomalies are still there. Do I also need to resort to a save before Forts was installed (assuming that's the issue)? Hmm... guess I'll try that and report back.

-Decrepit

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 9:18 am

Try a strictly vanilla install with vanilla BSAs if you've got custom ones. That sign post next to your horse is a vanilla asset and if it's defective should resolve itself.

Assuming nothing has tried to replace the textures on the items that are bugged, and all of your BSA files are under 2GB in size, it might be time to pop open your computer's case and blow out the dust with a can of compressed air, especially on the video card's fan.

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 7:26 pm

UPDATE: I deactivated ImpeREAL - Forts and ran TES4LODgen. Loaded the same save as before. Traveled to same area seen in the capture, by the same path. The anomalies are still there. Do I also need to resort to a save before Forts was installed (assuming that's the issue)? Hmm... guess I'll try that and report back.

-Decrepit

Try to load a save that you had before installing Forts, if you have it.

BTW, I also have Forts installed (since I created my char, because it's one of my "eesential" mods...that makes 100-150+ game hours), and I've never had this issue....

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:53 pm

Try a strictly vanilla install with vanilla BSAs if you've got custom ones. That sign post next to your horse is a vanilla asset and if it's defective should resolve itself.

Assuming nothing has tried to replace the textures on the items that are bugged, and all of your BSA files are under 2GB in size, it might be time to pop open your computer's case and blow out the dust with a can of compressed air, especially on the video card's fan.

Try to load a save that you had before installing Forts, if you have it.

BTW, I also have Forts installed (since I created my char, because it's one of my "essential" mods...that makes 100-150+ game hours), and I've never had this issue....

The issue seems corrected... for now. I did indeed later restore a SAVE from before installing ImpeREAL-Forts (with the mod still deactivated). To my amazement those solid color objects remained. I then reloaded that same save but, before reaching the area with anomaly, decided to first zone in to Bartholm and see if all was well there. It was... no visual issues. I zoned back out and proceeded to the spot seen in my posted capture. Anomalies gone! Whatever the cause of my issue, zoning in and out of Bartholm seems to have corrected it. I even reactivated ImpeREAL-Forts, loaded my save where the anomaly appeared, and got rid of it the same way...in and out of Bartholm.

Yeah, I've had my eye on ImpeREAL-Forts for some time. ImpeREAL-IC and ImpeREAL-Castles are two of my earliest mod installs. I held off installing Forts only because of the promised fort additions, which seemed to be on the brink of completion months ago. Then I recently saw at Nexus that the author has abandoned work on it (but turned it over to a relative, so it might still be finished). That being the case, I decided to take the plunge now rather than await a more complete product that might never come to pass.

And yeah, I need to buy a new can of compressed air and give my rig a thorough cleaning. It's due.

-Decrepit.

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 11:23 am

OK, this is weird.

Here it is, over half as year since this odd anomaly was discussed. I'm now on my second play-through of Oblivion, using a different hardware setup and OS (win7-64bit), a total reinstall of vanilla GOTY Oblivion, and a switch from OMODs to BAIN. Admittedly my installed mod base remains much the same... a few less quest mods but more eye-candy (RAEVWD, scenic texture replacers, etc.) being the chief difference. Yet those anomalies seen near Bartholm (now version 7x where before it was 6x) persist. Same characteristics as before. Turning my avatar a degree or so will make them vanish or re-appear. Lighting and/or time of day don't seem to matter.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn303/Decrepit_Waste/ESIV%20errors/yellowvanillaanomalies2.jpg. Note that this time I am actually standing on the yellowed bridge, so it's not a distance thing. This solid color anomaly is confined to only this one small area of the map. Nowhere else in the game do I experience it (or at least no place I've visited thus far).

Just after making the above capture a patrolling legionnaire chanced by. Soon as he reached the affected area his shield and sword turned solid yellow. They remained yellow until he reached the point where the scenic anomaly ceases, then returned to their normal textures. Notice too that http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn303/Decrepit_Waste/ESIV%20errors/VisualAnomalyJan2010.jpg (from my old play-through) my avatar's shield is yellow, he being in the area in question. Note too that all affected objects are vanilla (at least all those I chose to check on). Though in either shot I could turn around and find Bartholm clearly visible, nothing in or around Bartholm is affected. My best guess is that it's NOT the objects themselves that are abnormal, but something inherent in that one particular area causes them to not display properly at certain angles.

This anomaly causes no stability issues or slowdowns. In fact this current build is quite stable overall. I do get infrequent black-screens freezes that seem due to the game eventually eating up all available resources and then not responding, but that's about it. This anomaly being confined at it is to one small section of the map, I don't plan to waste a lot of valuable play-time diagnosing it. Still, I'd like to fix it so long as the solution doesn't involve removing mods I'm fond of. If anyone has any insights I'd be most appreciative.

LOAD ORDER:

Spoiler

Active Mod Files:00  Oblivion.esm01  Cybiades.esm  [Version 2.0]02  Cobl Main.esm  [Version 1.72]03  TamRes.esm04  CyrodiilUpgradeResourcePack.esm05  CURP_Controller.esm06  Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp  [Version 3.3.1]07  UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp  [Version 1.0.0]08  Oblivion Citadel Door Fix.esp09  DLCShiveringIsles.esp0A  Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch.esp  [Version 1.4.0]0B  TamRes.esp0C  oc_darker_nights.esp0D  Rainbows.esp0E  WindowLightingSystem.esp0F  300_Lore_Dialogue_Updated.esp10  CityLights - ImperialCity.esp11  BlackLuster.esp12  Cobl Glue.esp  [Version 1.72]13  Cobl Si.esp  [Version 1.63]14  300 Regal Imperial City 2.esp15  exhSIPalacelodge.esp16  ImpeREAL City Unique Districts - All the Districts - Merged.esp17  ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Castles - All The Castles - Merged.esp18  ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Forts.esp19  (DC) Kvatch Watch Towers.esp1A  KDQ - Rural Line Additions.esp1B  Kragenir's Death Quest.esp1C  KvatchRising.esp1D  EiAmod.esp  [Version 1.1]1E  EiAmod_ShiveringIsles.esp1F  LostSwordOfTheAylied.esp20  LostSwordOfTheAylied - OBSE Add-On.esp21  Order of the Virtuous Blood Expanded v0.3.esp22  Region Revive - Lake Rumare.esp23  The Ayleid Steps.esp  [Version 3.4]24  TheElderCouncil.esp25  TheElderCouncil_TempleOfTheOne.esp26  TEC_4ERA_Dialog_Filter.esp27  (DC) The Pride of Wolfs Gate.esp28  VHBloodlines 1.2.esp  [Version 1.4]29  Villages1.1.esp2A  VOILA.esp2B  VOILA - Soldiers of Empire.esp2C  Knights.esp2D  Knights - Unofficial Patch.esp  [Version 1.0.10]2E  The Lost Spires.esp2F  LostSpiresImpeREALFortsPatch2.esp30  AFK_Weye.esp  [Version 2.1.COBL]31  Rumare-AFK_Weye Patch.esp  [Version 2.0]32  ElsweyrAnequina.esp33  road+bridges.esp  [Version 4.5.8]34  Feldscar.esp  [Version 1.0.4]35  Vergayun.esp  [Version 1.0.5]36  Faregyl.esp  [Version 1.0.10]37  Faregyl+Anequina Patch.esp38  xulBeachesOfCyrodiilLostCoast.esp  [Version 1.6.4]39  Cybiades.esp  [Version 2.1]3A  CybiadesDungeon.esp  [Version 2.1]3B  Castle_Seaview.esp3C  CastleSeaview+LostCoast Patch.esp  [Version 1.0]3D  xulImperialIsle.esp  [Version 1.6.5]3E  RegionReviveLakeRumare-ImperialIsle patch.esp  [Version 1.3.3]3F  KragenirsDeathQuest-LostCoast patch.esp40  xulSkingradOutskirts.esp  [Version 1.0.1]41  NRB4+UL-II Patch.esp  [Version 5.0.1]42  West Roads.esp43  WR Villages Addon.esp44  bartholm.esp45  Fort Akatosh Redux.esp46  FortAkatoshRedux-NewRoads&Bridges patch.esp47  Millstone_Farm_COBL.esp48  NRB4+RR Patch.esp  [Version 2.1]49  BlackScreenSneakFix.esp4A  DecoratorAssistant with OBSE v1.1.esp4B  DropLitTorchOBSE.esp  [Version 2.4]4C  Duplicate_Item_Spell.esp4D  Panzer_Kleidung_03.esp4E  Quest Award Leveller.esp  [Version 2.0.1]4F  Quest Award Leveller - Knights of the Nine.esp  [Version 2.1.0]50  Companion Neeshka.esp**  NRB4 Standard Road Record.esp51  Bashed Patch, 0.esp

BAIN INSTALL ORDER:

Spoiler

Bain Packages:++ 002 - LoreDialogue300_v23_BAIN-25091.7z (C0C0F197) (Installed)++ 003 - nVidia_Black_Screen_Sneak_Fix-13632.7z (DB5DB419) (Installed)++ 004 - DecoratorAssistantOBSEv11-6021.7z (1F0DC8FA) (Installed)++ 005 - Duplicate_Item_Spell-22852.rar (00A9792E) (Installed)++ 006 - Panzer_Kleidung_Transmuter_v03_BAIN-12996.7z (DE7C798E) (Installed)++ 007 - Quest_Award_Leveller_v210-BAIN.7z (7F262AB1) (Installed)++ 009 - COBL_172_lite_21104.7z (A0906B5D) (Installed)++ 010 - DCRP+CURP_v2-4.7z (35353838) (Installed)++ 011 - TamrielResourcePack_v141.7z (1AF1F943) (Installed)++ 013 - Unofficial_Oblivion_Patch_v320-5296.7z (BCBA7B56) (Installed)++ 014 - Unofficial_SI_Patch_v140-10739.7z (79CE866D) (Installed)++ 015 - Unofficial_Official_Mods_Patch_v15-9969.7z (59895567) (Installed)++ 016 - KOTN_UOMP_Hotfix-27710.7z (B213EDDF) (Installed)++ 018 - OC_DarkerNights-4135.7z (6E8691AA) (Installed)++ 019 - Rainbows in Tamriel-8927.7z (E6A8B3B4) (Installed)++ 020 - Beaming_Sunglare_V1_1-16533.7z (7A8938CC) (Installed)++ 021 - Elsweyr-Anequina_v2c_2010Aug-20053.7z (0DC17545) (Installed)++ 022 - Anvil Exterior & Ship Textures v1.1.7z (542ADD85) (Installed)++ 023 - Animated_Window_Lighting_System_-_Meshes_v5-3-3-19628.7z (39896067) (Installed)++ 024 - AWLS_-_Brumbek_Mixed_Textures_v5-1-3-19628.7z (55868814) (Installed)++ 025 - RAEVWD_v1_8-20053.7z (CC621199) (Installed)++ 026 - RAEVWD_Elsweyr_Anequina_v2b-20053.7z (51717FF4) (Installed)++ 027 - UOP_Supplemental_v331-27710.7z (04FE1BDF) (Installed)++ 029 - CityLights_ImperialCity-2979.7z (BE2AD370) (Installed)++ 030 - DarkerIC-Reduced-15500.7z (A6CD32A6) (Installed)++ 031 - RAEVWD_Darker_Regal_IC_2010_08_09-20053.7z (911475E6) (Installed)++ 032 - ImpeREAL IC - All the Districts  Merged-19589.7z (E9FA96C0) (Installed)++ 033 - ImpeREAL - Unique Castles-22446.7z (2579EA74) (Installed)++ 034 - ImpeREAL - Unique Forts-22965.7z (80E6C77A) (Installed)++ 035 - TheElderCouncil_v2-5_BAIN-complex.7z (27D168BB) (Installed)++ 036 - TEC_TempleOfTheOne_v1-5_BAIN-complex.7z (D700E117) (Installed)++ 037 - New_Roads_and_Bridges_v458-20218.7z (7C700E60) (Installed)++ 038 - NRB4_UL-II_Compatibility_Patch-20218.7z (BCC0543A) (Installed)++ 039 - NRB4_Region_Revive_Compatibility_Patch-20218.7z (1BF11900) (Installed)++ 040 - West_Roads v1.3-29523.7z (5988E7A5) (Installed)++ 042 - InquisitorLodgeSI_v1.7z (86C426AA) (Installed)++ 043 - Kvatch_Rising_v1-9_BAIN-complex.7z (4C69773F) (Installed)++ 044 - Kvatch Watch Towers v2_7-19691.7z (F710E47C) (Installed)++ 045 - County Kvatch - Wolfs Gate-16220.7z (5D4B0D96) (Installed)++ 046 - FAR_v140_BAIN-21856.7z (9492F0AD) (Installed)++ 047 - RR-LR_v13-22751.7z (A3FE0D43) (Installed)++ 048 - AFK_Weye_v2-1_BAIN-22828.7z (5F409060) (Installed)++ 049 - VHBloodlinesV12SI-BAIN-14601.7z (149CCE2D) (Installed)++ 050 - DC_Villages_v1_1-BAIN-4890.7z (946FB9B0) (Installed)++ 051 - Feldscar-30000.7z (AAF51607) (Installed)++ 052 - Vergayun-26643.7z (EAC246C4) (Installed)++ 053 - Faregyl_Village-21562.7z (F182678F) (Installed)++ 054 - Faregyl_Anequina_Patch-21562.7z (CBB3203C) (Installed)++ 055 - Millstone_Farm_COBL-29126.7z (CB65B93D) (Installed)++ 056 - Bartholm697&700_BAIN-5022.7z (A2EB9E66) (Installed)++ 057 - Castle_Seaview_v1.1-25574.7z (F790BA25) (Installed)++ 059 - UL_-_Imperial_Isle_v165-9531.7z (1E0A7B3F) (Installed)++ 060 - UL_Beaches_Lost_Coast_v164-14720.7z (8AC2FD6C) (Installed)++ 061 - UL_-_Skingrad_Outskirts_v101-29948.7z (177C0C0C) (Installed)++ 063 - BlackLusterArmor v315e Exnem-10544.7z (EE05CC41) (Installed)++ 065 - AyleidSteps_v34-16316.7z (B0F1356B) (Installed)++ 066 - Kragenirs_Death_Quest_v203-26219.7z (C09D68A2) (Installed)++ 067 - Cybiades_BAIN-11755.7z (162A235C) (Installed)++ 068 - Et in Arkay Ego 1_2-21816.7z (53BCBE88) (Installed)++ 069 - OVBE_v03-25841.7z (DA5B9C59) (Installed)++ 070 - Lost_Spires_v14-BAIN.7z (D15C3A48) (Installed)++ 071 - LostSwordOfTheAyleids-20184.7z (E331FDC2) (Installed)++ 073 - ATP_Blackwood v2.7z (5F34B9C1) (Installed)++ 074 - ATP_Colovia Highlands v2.7z (E278A85D) (Installed)++ 075 - ATP_Gold Coast v2.7z (FEDADA25) (Installed)++ 076 - ATP_Roads&Cobblestones v2.7z (DC708118) (Installed)++ 077 - Improved_Cave_Normal_Maps_BAIN-26472.7z (8F72DB27) (Installed)++ 078 - Koldorns LOD Noise Replacer_BAIN-9952.7z (A1F81AEB) (Installed)++ 080 - ElvenMaps_Barth_NRB_WR_Elswery-31314.7z (0F7EDCD0) (Installed)++ 081 - MedievalMusic_v2_BAIN-22085.7z (B8441AC9) (Installed)++ 082 - Oblivion_Symphonic_Variations_v1_4-11436.7z (55E40A7D) (Installed)++ 084 - Exnem Female Body Replacer - nvde.7z (E8C5DE20) (Installed)++ 086 - VOILA_v07-BAIN.7z (11A016D9) (Installed)++ 087 - Companion_Neeshka_v2_5_BAIN-8256.7z (5D05DC20) (Installed)089 - ==Last==

-Decrepit-

» Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:31 am

I've seen exactly the same effect (on the same items in the same location) with almost no mods installed (my test set-up for checking my own mods against a vanilla Oblivion + SI). It may well happen with a clean base install.

The fact that turning the camera switches it on and off makes me think there's an item at the edge of the view with a corrupt texture, but I haven't tracked it down. There don't appear to be any unique items there other than the ship, and that's still in view when the yellow toggles.

» Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:51 pm

I've seen exactly the same effect (on the same items in the same location) with almost no mods installed (my test set-up for checking my own mods against a vanilla Oblivion + SI). It may well happen with a clean base install.

The fact that turning the camera switches it on and off makes me think there's an item at the edge of the view with a corrupt texture, but I haven't tracked it down. There don't appear to be any unique items there other than the ship, and that's still in view when the yellow toggles.

Interesting, and thanks for the input. To my knowledge you're the first person besides myself to have both noticed and reported this anomaly. I had assumed it was a quirk particular to my combination of mods and setting adjustments, but maybe there's more to it than that.

-Decrepit-