Is there any danger in optimizing meshes that a modder has already tweaked?

If I separate the meshes from QTP3 Redimized, would there be any reason not to pack it into a BSA?
Unconpressed QTP3: 2,226,245,632 - Unconpressed Meshes: 304,930,816 = 1,921,314,816 (< 2GB).

I do not think there is a danger, but PyFFI-optimizing the (original unoptimized) meshes yourself is certainly not a waste of time. I plan PyFFI-optimized QTP3R as well because the newer versions of PyFFI are even better at optimizing than whatever was used to make those optimized uploads.

Good point.
My only concern was after I read this line "We tried to keep all of Qarl's unique features, such as tweaked mipmaps, etc." in the QTP3 Redimized readme. That's why I brought up.

PyFFI has improved a lot since then. There used to be all kinds of "avoids". Now, you only need to worry about that list that is in the first post of this thread (for vanilla Oblivion.)

Thanks!
Sorry, another question. By packing QTP3R Textures into a BSA, am I giving up control of its install order in relation to UOP and other packages? Does it matter what I set the BSA date to?

Not if you set the bsa file timestamps right.

Correct, and using a file redating utility that gives you control over the timestamps of individual files would help with that: http://zabkat.com/x2lite.htm.

If you pack QTP3, the BSA's timestamp will reflect the time at which the BSA is created, later than the UOP files. If you have files that need to override QTP3, then that is a different mater. Use a file redater.

http://sites.google.com/site/oblivionpoinfo/walkthroughs/oooinstall

If I Change the name in OB.ini from SArchiveList "Oblivion - Textures - Compressed.bsa" to "Oblivion - Textures.bsa". Do I need to Change SMasterTexturesArchiveFileName1 from "Oblivion - Textures - Compressed.bsa" to "Oblivion - Textures.bsa" also? Of course, I'm omitting the other names in the list for the purpose of the example.

Huh, I forgot about those settings. You probably do. Why bother renaming the BSAs though?

Does the 300-400 plugin / BSA limit apply to BSAs located outside of the Data folder? For instance, I have my vanilla BSAs on the other hard drive.

I do not think so...

Because with the "Oblivion - Textures - Compressed.bsa", I have uncompressed it. Same with the "Oblivion - Meshes.bsa" now "Oblivion - Meshes PyFFI.bsa".

It does not matter if you altered it. The name can be whatever you want, and I do not see a point in renaming the BSAs. You know that you optimized it or altered it or whatever... Unless, you are trying a different method of BSA loading (that you are clearly not) leave the names alone. You are making extra, unnecessary work for yourself.

Just two small questions: 1- I've read in previous posts that if you pyffi your mesh folder completely, it'll work, but I don't understand if you mean that I can pyffi even the files that are on the skip list in oblivion_optimize.ini and the one which is in your list at the first page, or that I can fix all the meshes folder excluding those that are on the skip list and the one that you've written.

2- I do not have any idea how can I use the further optimization for _Far files, do I have to modify a file or something?

I suppose if you were to shorten the BSA names it would help cram more BSAs into the SArchive list. That way you could load more from outside of \Data, or whatever.

The command is in the first post of this thread.



Yes, but that is not what was being done.


Edit: Also, I do not recommend doing that, unless you know what you are doing and are willing to do the upkeep.

Thank you, but my first question was not answered, so please, could tell me if it's possible to optimize all the meshes folder including those files which are on the skip list and nightmotherstatuebase.nif?

You should add everything to the skip list that is recommended to be added in the first post of this thread. What the skip list does is tell PyFFI which files to skip as it runs. Therefore, if you right-click on the Meshes folder and choose "Optimize with PyFFI", it will skip those file. The user does not need to do anything extra. That is the whole point of the skip list.


Edit: If there is something you want PyFFI to skip, add it to the list. Also, it automatically skips files associated with .egm files.

Ok, thank you very much, you're really helping me with this, just a little question: If I want to recompile all the meshes, trees, and distantlod to a .bsa and I have to generate again all the LOD to make the new optimised meshes work, wouldn't it be better if I don't include the LOD folder inside the .bsa?

No. You can just pack everything back per the instructions in the opening post of this thread. You should pack the LOD back in the BSA. Why wouldn't you? The LOD files were not touched, and there is no reason for you to do anything to them.

Just a small question but doesn't pyffi automatically detect when it needs to run fix_deltangentspace on _far.nifs?

I am not sure. Vorians asked me about that as well. I would really like to know. I asked in the main PyFFI thread not too long ago, but maybe the question got lost among all of the authors. I am usually giving answers in that thread I guess...

*sigh*

I hate having to ask when I probably should know, or should've read it somewhere... oh well, here we go -

The leading spaces meshes - what's the deal exactly? In other words, what happens to them, and what do I need to do about it (I'm using Windows 7 x64 with all the latest Python and PyFFI stuff, FYI) ?

I've added the one specific mesh from the OP to the skip list; that's easy enough! But I don't understand the leading spaces thing. So Win7 will rename them without spaces? OK. Do I just rename them back? If not, then what? Hm, and as for all the other types that shouldn't be touched - the standard skip list will otherwise be sufficient for this purpose - IOW, I can simply right click on the oblivion optimise ini, select run PyFFI, and go from there?

Also, while I'm asking, the timestamp thing - how precisely do I go about making sure that's all as it should be? I seem to have missed some vital piece of information with this, as well. Sorry, it must be one of those days.

The leading spaces are truncated when you move the files. Therefore, you need to pack the files up from where they are optimized. That way they are not moved. Either right-click on the folder the BSA is extract to, or make sure you copy the unoptimized meshes from the "in" folder on top of the "out" folder, choosing "no to all" when prompted to overwrite (in order to complete the structure of the optimized BSA again.) Then, remove the copies of the files with the leading spaces that had the space truncated when you copied (the duplicates from the "out" folder.) With the next UOP update, this may not be necessary. It sounds as though Arthmoor, who is also using WIn7 64-bit, saw that the spaces were truncated during the packing of the BSA as well. If you can confirm that, that would be nice to know.

For the timestamps, get a file redater. The point of that is to make sure the BSA's timestamp predates the loose files that should overwrite it. You can use OBMM's Reset BSA Timestamps function. That will suffice for most setups, but if you have BSAs where some need to load before certain loose data files and others, after, you should use a file redator. You can try this one: http://zabkat.com/x2lite.htm. Please, let me know if it works for 64-bit. I have not tested it yet.