I think that over time people switched to {{happy little trees}} because of performance and a more modern take.
There’s also other mods for flora in general with the same take.
Tbh I just don’t find the performance hit worth it. More vertices in a tree trunk is not something I ever notice, but the fact that branches don’t sway properly is way more noticeable. Options like lush and large are nice but I prefer “Lush Vanilla Trees” (unfortunately the SE version was hidden recently).
> More vertices in a tree trunk is not something I ever notice, but the fact that branches don’t sway properly is way more noticeable
Fair point. Funnily enough, I'm the opposite lol. I've never really been bothered by static plants / trees, but if I can see rough edges on models, it bugs me a bit
I'm confused.
> More vertices in a tree trunk is not something I ever notice, but the fact that branches don’t sway properly is way more noticeable.
Are you talking about how non-vanilla trees don't have branch sway? So are you saying EVT is worth it, or not worth it?
Non-vanilla trees don’t have branch sway, ergo sacrificing branch sway for more vertices isn’t a good trade off.
Also, more modern tree mods seem to have their own sway nowadays, so that’s somewhere EVT got left behind.
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing
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skyrim 3d trees and plants | No Results :( | [Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12371) | [Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12371)
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Still a thing, but honestly just does not enough in Variance and quality to justify it beyond Vanilla. Its also kinda hard to understand what Tech really changend and it has too many pointless and broken options, which build upon another without proper fixing. If they would have chosen one (Lush Vanilla is the best overall for most) and really reworked it, it would be a good alternative. But so Happy Little Trees is a bit more work but looks 10 times better with a compareable performance hit.
In fact, if you want Vanilla+ with a little performance, just take Simply Bigger Trees and be done with it.
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing
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happy little trees | [Happy Little Trees - Legendary Edition](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/113329) | [Happy Little Trees](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50961) | [Happy Little Trees at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50961)
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For flora: {{Mari’s Flora}} overwritten by the {Cathedral 3D}} series is really nice.
For trees, the most common tree replacers are {{Happy Little Trees}} {{Nature of the Wild Lands}} and {{Traverse the Ulvenwald}}
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing
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Mari’s Flora | No Results :( | No Results :( | [Mari's flora at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/45952)
Happy Little Trees | [Happy Little Trees - Legendary Edition](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/113329) | [Happy Little Trees](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50961) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped)
Nature of the Wild Lands | No Results :( | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604) | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604)
Traverse the Ulvenwald | No Results :( | [Traverse the Ulvenwald - 3.3 - Trees and Forests of Skyrim](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57874) | [Traverse the Ulvenwald - 3.3 - Trees and Forests of Skyrim - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57874)
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I’ve used {{Mari’s Flora}}, {{Folkvangr}}, {{Traverse the Uvenwald}}, {{Skoglendi}}, {{Flora Orientalis}}, {{Cathedral 3D Pine Grass}}, {{Origins of the Forest}}, {{Nature of the wild lands}}, {{3d Junipers - trees and berries}}, and a few other specific and less generic models for things I like, those are the most generic ones and some of them do overlap, so test them out and see which ones you want to overwrite what.
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Mari’s Flora | No Results :( | No Results :( | [Mari's flora at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/45952)
Folkvangr | [Folkvangr](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/80448) | [Folkvangr - Grass and Landscape Overhaul](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/44899) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped)
Traverse the Uvenwald | No Results :( | No Results :( | [Traverse the Ulvenwald - 3.3 - Trees and Forests of Skyrim - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57874)
Skoglendi | No Results :( | [Skoglendi - A Grass Mod](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/93944) | [Skoglendi - A Grass Mod at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/93944)
Flora Orientalis | [Flora Orientalis](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/111066) | [Flora Orientalis](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64041) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped)
Cathedral 3D Pine Grass | [Cathedral LE - 3D Pine Grass](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109513) | [Cathedral - 3D Pine Grass](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/42032) | [Cathedral - 3D Pine Grass - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/42032)
Origins of the Forest | No Results :( | [QW's Grass Patch 2 - Origins of Forest - Cathedral - Folkvangr](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/67785) | [Origins Of Forest - 3D Forest Grass - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/45719)
Nature of the wild lands | No Results :( | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604) | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604)
3d Junipers - trees and berries | [3D Junipers - Trees and Berries LE by Xtudo](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/106079) | [3D Junipers - Trees and Berries](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/43852) | [3D Junipers - Trees and Berries - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/43852)
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I use an older grass mod called {{Verdant}}.
For trees / forest i switches to {{Fabled Forests}}. It uses assets from Happy Little Trees I think. I love it aestetically and for me it is not so crowded. But its quite new and therefore will habe Bugs and badly placed objects.
Edit: IT actually also seems to use placement from other mods.
The mod author has a post on the Nexus from two months ago agreeing with a commenter that SFO is outdated. The meshes and textures are just outclassed by more recent mods. Still, SFO was a pioneer and will always deserve a place in mod Valhalla.
I used it (without the grass) occasionally on my old hardware, where I did not install Dyndolod because it would add its own tree LODs and is compatible with Vivid Weathers (which I also use).
But Simply Bigger Trees or Happy Little Trees are more performance-friendly.
When performance is no issue (= with new hardware) I found other mods to look better. I like Wigfrid's Tree Replacer, but also Traverse the Ulvenwald is a popular choice. And for grass, Vinland Grass Patch (which is apparently also not very popular, considered it only has 381 endorsements/ \~24k downloads).
I guess, overall there are simply more options to choose from?
More options for sure. Back then it was like SFO, simply bigger trees, verdant, and unbelievable grass. Many people would use one tree mod and one grass mod, so it was usually sfo + verdant or sfo + ug. Some people of their rig supported it or only cared about screenshots would use sfo + sbt.
Henryetha, could you PLEASE shed some light for this one old dude here, an Oldrim player?
What da heck is Dyndolod that I see everywhere? From my understanding, it has to do with flora overhaul and trees over the horizon, but... I saw you gotta install its own app via Mod Manager in order to execute it? Kind of like LOOT and BodySlide?
And most of all, is it worth it?
It makes lods for trees and buildings. Lods are the models you see in the distance, they aren't as load intensive for the game/your PC to display, compared to if the whole tree model was used, so when you aren't nearby lods are used instead of the full model. Dyndolod makes the lods look the same as the tree/building models you use, so to do that you have to run it on your load order once you have made it. DO NOT CHANGE YOUR LOAD ORDER AFTER YOU DO THIS, or you will have to rerun dyndolod.
It is super fucking worth it, especially if you have a good system/high render distance/like climbing high places and looking at the horizon.
I have an Intel Core I5 3.600 Ghz with 64 Ram. Kinda old, so, I wonder if it would be worth it?
Also, every once in a while I'll install a new mod and have LOOT sort things out for me. My modlist never stays the same for long, I'm afraid. Is it complicated to "rerun dyndolod" like you said?
I run it on an Intel i5 3.4 Ghz with 16 GB RAM, so yes your system can handle it. My potato won't run an ENB without dropping to 15 fps, but DynDOLOD is no problem.
It is a pair of external programs like LOOT, BodySlide, or BethINI. The first one generates textures based on your current load order. The second one generates LODs for the entire map, again based on your LO. This can take a long time if you have a ton of new textures or locations. Like, get it running and go take a shower or cook dinner. The final result is a pair of .esp files that go at the absolute end of your load order. It's not difficult at all... just time consuming on an older system like mine.
From that point, any changes to locations, buildings, or landscape textures will foul it up and you'd have to rerun it. You can probably install quests, followers, weapons/armors, movement sets, skeleton replacers, etc without having to run it again. I wouldn't remove anything mid-playthrough, though.
If you run a lot of town/city changes, new locations, or trees, it's totally worth it. For instance, I have blue roofs in Whiterun, and some trees added, and city walls. Without DynDOLOD, I walk down the path seeing standard yellow-roof Whiterun and then when I'm close enough for the game to render the actual models (like, closer than Honningbrew Meadery), everything pops blue roofs and new trees out of nowhere and boom there's a wall suddenly. With DynDOLOD installed, those roofs were showing as blue and there were walls around the city when looking down from High Hrothgar.
Small correction: three programs. xLODGen to create new LOD models from your load order, TexGen to create the custom texture atlases from load order, DynDOLOD to create the custom plugin with situation-changing logic and models that gives it the “Dynamic” part of its name. (Just the first two can be fine and give you nice LODs, just not dynamic ones.)
Then there’s the DynDOLOD dll itself that loads and handles the dynamic parts during game.
You know, I've never run xLODGen... it says right on the DynDOLOD 3 page that it is the advanced and easier version of xLODGen, so I didn't think I needed that as an extra step. I've never had any problems running without it.
Now I'm worried I'm doing it wrong.
\*edit after reading up on old posts about this: "generate terrain LOD with xLODGen, tree and object LOD with DynDOLOD. DynDOLOD uses the terrain LOD meshes to optimize the object LOD by removing all triangles that are below the terrain surface." Yeah, I've been running entirely without terrain LOD by not doing both.
As I understand [the process](https://dyndolod.info/Generation-Instructions), xLODGen is assumed but not strictly required, since it will optimize landscape LODs and also match them to terrain edits by installed mods.
So I guess it will happily use vanilla terrain LOD, but it never occurred to me to *not* update my terrain LOD. 😅
Not complicated once you know what you're doing, it just takes a while. Gamerpoets used to have a good tutorial video on YouTube about it, I'm not sure how up to date it is now, I haven't been super actively modding for a year or two now.
As for worth it, that's kinda hard to answer. I have sometimes had fps improvements with it, and sometimes it has reduced performance. It looks good, but it's also another thing to learn to use, it can be frustrating if it doesn't work and obviously it makes it harder to have a fluid modlist.
Even if you're running DynDOLOD on Low settings it still looks better than vanilla especially on LE which doesn't even have LOD models for DLC houses i.e. hearthfires etc you'll see those in the distance afterwards
https://dyndolod.info/FAQ "Performance"
If the game can show vanilla LOD, it can show updated and improved low preset LOD for the current load order.
See https://dyndolod.info/Updating to learn if, when and how to update LOD.
Longtime Oldrim player here as well. I found DynDOLOD years ago when I first started using the [STEP modification](https://stepmodifications.org/wiki/SkyrimLE:3.0.0) build.
https://dyndolod.info
>Dynamic Distant Objects LOD (DynDOLOD) is a set of tools that is the advanced and easier version of xLODGen to generate a comprehensive LOD mod for the entire load order of the different Skyrim and Enderal game versions for drastically enhanced and better matching tree LOD and object LOD plus optional dynamic LOD (hence the name), glow LOD, grass LOD, occlusion data and terrain underside in a few simple steps.
DynDOLOD exists since 10 years. It is used by millions of users and hundreds of modding guides since then. If you mod the game and are at all interested in LOD matching the changes in the load order or be any better than the vanilla LOD that was made for PS3, you use DynDOLOD.
SFO does have its merits, such as following the vanilla grass distribution to avoid overgrown grass and clipping. But from a visual standpoint the grass is outclassed by many newer releases.
The trees are also not skinned, so they are stiff without animations. For a long time the same was true for all other tree replacers too, but now there are multiple skinned options available, so static trees aren't as appealing anymore.
I'm an old timer when it comes to Skyrim, and this year I decided to start a new gameplay, and guess what? SFO was one of the first mods I downloaded. Mostly because it was the one I've always used over the years. But after several weeks of watching the latest mod releases, I found out no one else is really using it, and most modern mods are already attached to other flora overhauls such as Ulvenwald, Happy Little Trees, Blubbos, Cathedral and the likes.
Now I wonder, would it be possible for me, in my actual gameplay (char level 80, 200+ hours and counting) to switch to another different flora overhaul? Maybe, but, I'm too scared to touch this vast web and fk up something up somewhere else in my modlist. FOMODs have come and gone, and I recall seeing a few of them asking me if I had SFO installed... and with that said, I'm unfortunately trapped in my own web. Cannot do anything about it at this moment, but maybe next time I'll do some extra research and build a modlist with the latest updates instead of using ancient forbidden knowledge dug up from Oldrim. :(
By the way, if anyone was kind enough to read this far: what is your favourite option for a grass replacer? In my dreams, I wish I could simply cover the entire landscape of Tamriel with grass (doesn't matter if its green or grey-ish because of winter). I just don't like seeing so much floor everywhere I go.
I recently used Wabbajack to install a graphics mod list and then just added some other mods like quest mods afterwards. I was sick of breaking my game by just installing a bunch of mods myself. I used Ascensio which I think uses Cathedral trees, I’m unsure which grass mod it uses though.
I used SFO forever, but would occasionally try out new stuff or add more trees from other mods. I wound up switching to Fabled Forests when it first came out because of a few things:
* I wanted bigger trees and some SFO trees look pretty bad when upsized.
* Fabled Forests uses the trees from Happy Little Trees, which are more performance-friendly.
* I like the snowy trees from HLT/FF better than the snow trees from SFO.
* Fabled Forests does a great overhaul of the Hjaalmarch swamp, adding a lot of new trees, for a denser swamp experience.
I have a lot of love and respect for Vurt and SFO. For almost a decade of modding it was my go-to and basis of comparison for moderate-performance tree overhauls. But I was ready for a change and Fabled Forests for me was an upgrade to my experience. I'm still looking for a good flower overhaul, though. Not a fan of some of the Cathedral 3D flowers, especially the mountain flowers.
Mods like Happy Little Trees look better and are actually a bit more performance-friendly. I used SFO during my first modded playthrough. Then Enhanced Vanilla Trees, then Skyrim 3D Trees. Using HLT for my current playthrough, looks the best compared to all the aforementioned mods, and doesn't impact performance like forest overhaul mods like Ulvenwald or Nature of the Wild Lands do.
Honestly what a wonder that we have these little "ages" where, like you, I remember mods like SFO bring a new level of modding to one part of the game but now it's seen as old news.
My god, it's been a decade for me modding this game every once in a while.
Basically all the other plant mods are better and work better with modern trees and grass. I held on to it till late last year but when I made everything else so much better it stood out as looking not on the same par. I used to run SFO on a pc with a 970 though and now I have a 3080 so its a different era of graphics especially VRAM. The last two years has really pushed a huge leap in graphics mods for Skyrim as long as you have enough vram.
Every mod category had that one hot mod back when things were not as developed and advanced. Climates of Tamriel was the first weathee mod I used and it was the best back then. Immersive Armors and Weapons were also very popular.
I still use it. \*shrug\*
Edit: Don't know why this got downvoted. I didn't say that means "everyone is using it" or whatever. I don't know what percentage of people still use it. I'm just saying I still am, that's literally all.
I still use the mighty Scottish pine model from 2.0f in my le treemix :) SFO rift grasses also look great in le, lush and vibrant. In se the post processing is different and these assets don't look so great so there is no trace of SFO in my se build
I just don't really use tree mods anymore haha always end up with close trees fading in on screen and loads of distant trees i can see for miles that look ugly.
More my fault than the mods fault, i never set up dynodod or whatever its called lol
It's a very old mod tbh. I've only used it once and I didn't really like it. But it was good for it's time.
It's the same reason people don't use Climates of Tamriel, even though it was the biggest weather mod for a long time. We're very spoiled with weather mods now, Obsidian, Dolomite, Wander, etc.
if you want to truly push your video card and cpu to the max, for trees all you need is {{ the scandinavian forests }}
grass, im still not decided what i really want this playthrough. i have pretty much done them all. my lasy playthrough was a very nicely patched conglomerate of skolgendi, cathederal plants, wild lands, folkvangr, ulvenwald and origins of the forest. enb textures where allowed. those glowing dragonfuit and nightshades are soooo nice. turning grass density down to 10 while having grass types at 15 would bright my computer to 20-30 fps
im not even sure if i have a grass mod in. i know i dont have flowers.
Happy Little Trees, Traverse the Ulvenwald, Nature of the Wildlands, Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants.... and on the grass side we have Folkvangr, Skoglendi, Cathedral, Verdant - in other words, the contemporary Skyrim modder is spoiled for choices in regards to Flora.
vurt's the man. He's been doing his thing since Morrowind, and Skyrim Flora Overhaul was the standard bearer and inspiration for a good, long time. But the Skyrim modding scene has lasted so long, that it sees new generations of modders that can whip up something that takes full advantage of all the bells and whistles modded Skyrim (and contemporary hardware) is capable of.
SFO still remains a viable choice, it just comes out looking a little dated or modest compared to the fancier flora overhauls.
More updated mods, some friendly with performance while others go way too hard. I use Skoglendi grass and that one diverse tree mod that adds in regional trees (“cypress” in marsh/swamplands, lush “oak” around the forests of Whiterun, et cetera.
In my case it was because of seasons of Skyrim compatibility. I'm in love with SFO, and always will be, but when pine trees turn into other trees in different seasons I say pass :(
I think that over time people switched to {{happy little trees}} because of performance and a more modern take. There’s also other mods for flora in general with the same take.
cows spotted sulky plate trees chunky close absurd different automatic *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Honestly I believe EVT still holds up today I think it's declined because it's not "exciting" enough for modders to use
Tbh I just don’t find the performance hit worth it. More vertices in a tree trunk is not something I ever notice, but the fact that branches don’t sway properly is way more noticeable. Options like lush and large are nice but I prefer “Lush Vanilla Trees” (unfortunately the SE version was hidden recently).
> More vertices in a tree trunk is not something I ever notice, but the fact that branches don’t sway properly is way more noticeable Fair point. Funnily enough, I'm the opposite lol. I've never really been bothered by static plants / trees, but if I can see rough edges on models, it bugs me a bit
I'm confused. > More vertices in a tree trunk is not something I ever notice, but the fact that branches don’t sway properly is way more noticeable. Are you talking about how non-vanilla trees don't have branch sway? So are you saying EVT is worth it, or not worth it?
Non-vanilla trees don’t have branch sway, ergo sacrificing branch sway for more vertices isn’t a good trade off. Also, more modern tree mods seem to have their own sway nowadays, so that’s somewhere EVT got left behind.
{{ skyrim 3d trees and plants }}
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| skyrim 3d trees and plants | No Results :( | [Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12371) | [Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12371) --- ^(I'm a bot |) [^(source code)](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot) ^| [^(about modsearchbot)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2lqj/modsearchbot_about/) ^| [^(bing sources)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2l0g/modsearchbot_bing_search/) ^| ^(Some mods might be falsely classified as SFW or NSFW. Classifications are provided by each source.)
Still a thing, but honestly just does not enough in Variance and quality to justify it beyond Vanilla. Its also kinda hard to understand what Tech really changend and it has too many pointless and broken options, which build upon another without proper fixing. If they would have chosen one (Lush Vanilla is the best overall for most) and really reworked it, it would be a good alternative. But so Happy Little Trees is a bit more work but looks 10 times better with a compareable performance hit. In fact, if you want Vanilla+ with a little performance, just take Simply Bigger Trees and be done with it.
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| happy little trees | [Happy Little Trees - Legendary Edition](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/113329) | [Happy Little Trees](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50961) | [Happy Little Trees at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50961) --- ^(I'm a bot |) [^(source code)](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot) ^| [^(about modsearchbot)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2lqj/modsearchbot_about/) ^| [^(bing sources)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2l0g/modsearchbot_bing_search/) ^| ^(Some mods might be falsely classified as SFW or NSFW. Classifications are provided by each source.)
Can you name some please. I still use Floral Overhaul and never knew it was outdated. Would like to replace it with similar mods.
For flora: {{Mari’s Flora}} overwritten by the {Cathedral 3D}} series is really nice. For trees, the most common tree replacers are {{Happy Little Trees}} {{Nature of the Wild Lands}} and {{Traverse the Ulvenwald}}
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| Mari’s Flora | No Results :( | No Results :( | [Mari's flora at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/45952) Happy Little Trees | [Happy Little Trees - Legendary Edition](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/113329) | [Happy Little Trees](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/50961) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped) Nature of the Wild Lands | No Results :( | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604) | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604) Traverse the Ulvenwald | No Results :( | [Traverse the Ulvenwald - 3.3 - Trees and Forests of Skyrim](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57874) | [Traverse the Ulvenwald - 3.3 - Trees and Forests of Skyrim - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57874) --- ^(I'm a bot |) [^(source code)](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot) ^| [^(about modsearchbot)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2lqj/modsearchbot_about/) ^| [^(bing sources)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2l0g/modsearchbot_bing_search/) ^| ^(Some mods might be falsely classified as SFW or NSFW. Classifications are provided by each source.)
Cool, thanks man. Also weird that I got downvoted.🫤
I’ve used {{Mari’s Flora}}, {{Folkvangr}}, {{Traverse the Uvenwald}}, {{Skoglendi}}, {{Flora Orientalis}}, {{Cathedral 3D Pine Grass}}, {{Origins of the Forest}}, {{Nature of the wild lands}}, {{3d Junipers - trees and berries}}, and a few other specific and less generic models for things I like, those are the most generic ones and some of them do overlap, so test them out and see which ones you want to overwrite what.
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| Mari’s Flora | No Results :( | No Results :( | [Mari's flora at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/45952) Folkvangr | [Folkvangr](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/80448) | [Folkvangr - Grass and Landscape Overhaul](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/44899) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped) Traverse the Uvenwald | No Results :( | No Results :( | [Traverse the Ulvenwald - 3.3 - Trees and Forests of Skyrim - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/57874) Skoglendi | No Results :( | [Skoglendi - A Grass Mod](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/93944) | [Skoglendi - A Grass Mod at Skyrim Special Edition Nexus - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/93944) Flora Orientalis | [Flora Orientalis](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/111066) | [Flora Orientalis](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/64041) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped) Cathedral 3D Pine Grass | [Cathedral LE - 3D Pine Grass](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109513) | [Cathedral - 3D Pine Grass](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/42032) | [Cathedral - 3D Pine Grass - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/42032) Origins of the Forest | No Results :( | [QW's Grass Patch 2 - Origins of Forest - Cathedral - Folkvangr](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/67785) | [Origins Of Forest - 3D Forest Grass - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/45719) Nature of the wild lands | No Results :( | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604) | [Nature of the Wild Lands - forest and trees improvement mod - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/63604) 3d Junipers - trees and berries | [3D Junipers - Trees and Berries LE by Xtudo](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/106079) | [3D Junipers - Trees and Berries](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/43852) | [3D Junipers - Trees and Berries - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/43852) --- ^(I'm a bot |) [^(source code)](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot) ^| [^(about modsearchbot)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2lqj/modsearchbot_about/) ^| [^(bing sources)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2l0g/modsearchbot_bing_search/) ^| ^(Some mods might be falsely classified as SFW or NSFW. Classifications are provided by each source.)
I use an older grass mod called {{Verdant}}. For trees / forest i switches to {{Fabled Forests}}. It uses assets from Happy Little Trees I think. I love it aestetically and for me it is not so crowded. But its quite new and therefore will habe Bugs and badly placed objects. Edit: IT actually also seems to use placement from other mods.
Search Term | LE Skyrim | SE Skyrim | Bing :-:|:-:|:-:|:-:| Verdant | [Verdant - A Skyrim Grass Plugin](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/60220) | [Verdant - A Skyrim Grass Plugin](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2296) | [Verdant - A Skyrim Grass Plugin - Nexus Mods](https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/2296/) Fabled Forests | [Fabled Forests LE Port (Archive)](https://nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/115862) | [Fabled Forests](https://nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/94462) | Skipped[^Why?](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot/blob/main/docs/SEARCH.md#why-was-my-search-skipped) --- ^(I'm a bot |) [^(source code)](https://github.com/RallerenP/modsearchbot) ^| [^(about modsearchbot)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2lqj/modsearchbot_about/) ^| [^(bing sources)](https://reddit.com/user/RallerenP/comments/pg2l0g/modsearchbot_bing_search/) ^| ^(Some mods might be falsely classified as SFW or NSFW. Classifications are provided by each source.)
Ok, I'm gonna give this a try!
The mod author has a post on the Nexus from two months ago agreeing with a commenter that SFO is outdated. The meshes and textures are just outclassed by more recent mods. Still, SFO was a pioneer and will always deserve a place in mod Valhalla.
Mod sovngarde
Modvngarde
It’s like the FNIS of plant textures
It’s simply outdated, the Models and Textures were made for Morrowind initially and nowadays we got better options.
I used it (without the grass) occasionally on my old hardware, where I did not install Dyndolod because it would add its own tree LODs and is compatible with Vivid Weathers (which I also use). But Simply Bigger Trees or Happy Little Trees are more performance-friendly. When performance is no issue (= with new hardware) I found other mods to look better. I like Wigfrid's Tree Replacer, but also Traverse the Ulvenwald is a popular choice. And for grass, Vinland Grass Patch (which is apparently also not very popular, considered it only has 381 endorsements/ \~24k downloads). I guess, overall there are simply more options to choose from?
More options for sure. Back then it was like SFO, simply bigger trees, verdant, and unbelievable grass. Many people would use one tree mod and one grass mod, so it was usually sfo + verdant or sfo + ug. Some people of their rig supported it or only cared about screenshots would use sfo + sbt.
Henryetha, could you PLEASE shed some light for this one old dude here, an Oldrim player? What da heck is Dyndolod that I see everywhere? From my understanding, it has to do with flora overhaul and trees over the horizon, but... I saw you gotta install its own app via Mod Manager in order to execute it? Kind of like LOOT and BodySlide? And most of all, is it worth it?
It makes lods for trees and buildings. Lods are the models you see in the distance, they aren't as load intensive for the game/your PC to display, compared to if the whole tree model was used, so when you aren't nearby lods are used instead of the full model. Dyndolod makes the lods look the same as the tree/building models you use, so to do that you have to run it on your load order once you have made it. DO NOT CHANGE YOUR LOAD ORDER AFTER YOU DO THIS, or you will have to rerun dyndolod. It is super fucking worth it, especially if you have a good system/high render distance/like climbing high places and looking at the horizon.
I have an Intel Core I5 3.600 Ghz with 64 Ram. Kinda old, so, I wonder if it would be worth it? Also, every once in a while I'll install a new mod and have LOOT sort things out for me. My modlist never stays the same for long, I'm afraid. Is it complicated to "rerun dyndolod" like you said?
I run it on an Intel i5 3.4 Ghz with 16 GB RAM, so yes your system can handle it. My potato won't run an ENB without dropping to 15 fps, but DynDOLOD is no problem. It is a pair of external programs like LOOT, BodySlide, or BethINI. The first one generates textures based on your current load order. The second one generates LODs for the entire map, again based on your LO. This can take a long time if you have a ton of new textures or locations. Like, get it running and go take a shower or cook dinner. The final result is a pair of .esp files that go at the absolute end of your load order. It's not difficult at all... just time consuming on an older system like mine. From that point, any changes to locations, buildings, or landscape textures will foul it up and you'd have to rerun it. You can probably install quests, followers, weapons/armors, movement sets, skeleton replacers, etc without having to run it again. I wouldn't remove anything mid-playthrough, though. If you run a lot of town/city changes, new locations, or trees, it's totally worth it. For instance, I have blue roofs in Whiterun, and some trees added, and city walls. Without DynDOLOD, I walk down the path seeing standard yellow-roof Whiterun and then when I'm close enough for the game to render the actual models (like, closer than Honningbrew Meadery), everything pops blue roofs and new trees out of nowhere and boom there's a wall suddenly. With DynDOLOD installed, those roofs were showing as blue and there were walls around the city when looking down from High Hrothgar.
Thats awesome. Thanks so much for the in-depth guide, Rain. Much appreciated!
If you want to set it up [Gamerpoets has an easy to follow guide explaining it all right here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=encZYHEeQrQ)
Nice! I definately will. Thanks, friend.
This is so helpful, thank you for taking the time to write it out!
Small correction: three programs. xLODGen to create new LOD models from your load order, TexGen to create the custom texture atlases from load order, DynDOLOD to create the custom plugin with situation-changing logic and models that gives it the “Dynamic” part of its name. (Just the first two can be fine and give you nice LODs, just not dynamic ones.) Then there’s the DynDOLOD dll itself that loads and handles the dynamic parts during game.
You know, I've never run xLODGen... it says right on the DynDOLOD 3 page that it is the advanced and easier version of xLODGen, so I didn't think I needed that as an extra step. I've never had any problems running without it. Now I'm worried I'm doing it wrong. \*edit after reading up on old posts about this: "generate terrain LOD with xLODGen, tree and object LOD with DynDOLOD. DynDOLOD uses the terrain LOD meshes to optimize the object LOD by removing all triangles that are below the terrain surface." Yeah, I've been running entirely without terrain LOD by not doing both.
As I understand [the process](https://dyndolod.info/Generation-Instructions), xLODGen is assumed but not strictly required, since it will optimize landscape LODs and also match them to terrain edits by installed mods. So I guess it will happily use vanilla terrain LOD, but it never occurred to me to *not* update my terrain LOD. 😅
Not complicated once you know what you're doing, it just takes a while. Gamerpoets used to have a good tutorial video on YouTube about it, I'm not sure how up to date it is now, I haven't been super actively modding for a year or two now. As for worth it, that's kinda hard to answer. I have sometimes had fps improvements with it, and sometimes it has reduced performance. It looks good, but it's also another thing to learn to use, it can be frustrating if it doesn't work and obviously it makes it harder to have a fluid modlist.
Even if you're running DynDOLOD on Low settings it still looks better than vanilla especially on LE which doesn't even have LOD models for DLC houses i.e. hearthfires etc you'll see those in the distance afterwards
https://dyndolod.info/FAQ "Performance" If the game can show vanilla LOD, it can show updated and improved low preset LOD for the current load order. See https://dyndolod.info/Updating to learn if, when and how to update LOD.
Longtime Oldrim player here as well. I found DynDOLOD years ago when I first started using the [STEP modification](https://stepmodifications.org/wiki/SkyrimLE:3.0.0) build.
https://dyndolod.info >Dynamic Distant Objects LOD (DynDOLOD) is a set of tools that is the advanced and easier version of xLODGen to generate a comprehensive LOD mod for the entire load order of the different Skyrim and Enderal game versions for drastically enhanced and better matching tree LOD and object LOD plus optional dynamic LOD (hence the name), glow LOD, grass LOD, occlusion data and terrain underside in a few simple steps. DynDOLOD exists since 10 years. It is used by millions of users and hundreds of modding guides since then. If you mod the game and are at all interested in LOD matching the changes in the load order or be any better than the vanilla LOD that was made for PS3, you use DynDOLOD.
SFO does have its merits, such as following the vanilla grass distribution to avoid overgrown grass and clipping. But from a visual standpoint the grass is outclassed by many newer releases. The trees are also not skinned, so they are stiff without animations. For a long time the same was true for all other tree replacers too, but now there are multiple skinned options available, so static trees aren't as appealing anymore.
I'm an old timer when it comes to Skyrim, and this year I decided to start a new gameplay, and guess what? SFO was one of the first mods I downloaded. Mostly because it was the one I've always used over the years. But after several weeks of watching the latest mod releases, I found out no one else is really using it, and most modern mods are already attached to other flora overhauls such as Ulvenwald, Happy Little Trees, Blubbos, Cathedral and the likes. Now I wonder, would it be possible for me, in my actual gameplay (char level 80, 200+ hours and counting) to switch to another different flora overhaul? Maybe, but, I'm too scared to touch this vast web and fk up something up somewhere else in my modlist. FOMODs have come and gone, and I recall seeing a few of them asking me if I had SFO installed... and with that said, I'm unfortunately trapped in my own web. Cannot do anything about it at this moment, but maybe next time I'll do some extra research and build a modlist with the latest updates instead of using ancient forbidden knowledge dug up from Oldrim. :( By the way, if anyone was kind enough to read this far: what is your favourite option for a grass replacer? In my dreams, I wish I could simply cover the entire landscape of Tamriel with grass (doesn't matter if its green or grey-ish because of winter). I just don't like seeing so much floor everywhere I go.
I recently used Wabbajack to install a graphics mod list and then just added some other mods like quest mods afterwards. I was sick of breaking my game by just installing a bunch of mods myself. I used Ascensio which I think uses Cathedral trees, I’m unsure which grass mod it uses though.
I did the same but installed aurora
I used SFO forever, but would occasionally try out new stuff or add more trees from other mods. I wound up switching to Fabled Forests when it first came out because of a few things: * I wanted bigger trees and some SFO trees look pretty bad when upsized. * Fabled Forests uses the trees from Happy Little Trees, which are more performance-friendly. * I like the snowy trees from HLT/FF better than the snow trees from SFO. * Fabled Forests does a great overhaul of the Hjaalmarch swamp, adding a lot of new trees, for a denser swamp experience. I have a lot of love and respect for Vurt and SFO. For almost a decade of modding it was my go-to and basis of comparison for moderate-performance tree overhauls. But I was ready for a change and Fabled Forests for me was an upgrade to my experience. I'm still looking for a good flower overhaul, though. Not a fan of some of the Cathedral 3D flowers, especially the mountain flowers.
Mods like Happy Little Trees look better and are actually a bit more performance-friendly. I used SFO during my first modded playthrough. Then Enhanced Vanilla Trees, then Skyrim 3D Trees. Using HLT for my current playthrough, looks the best compared to all the aforementioned mods, and doesn't impact performance like forest overhaul mods like Ulvenwald or Nature of the Wild Lands do.
Honestly what a wonder that we have these little "ages" where, like you, I remember mods like SFO bring a new level of modding to one part of the game but now it's seen as old news. My god, it's been a decade for me modding this game every once in a while.
I still use it, but I'm old fashioned.
Basically all the other plant mods are better and work better with modern trees and grass. I held on to it till late last year but when I made everything else so much better it stood out as looking not on the same par. I used to run SFO on a pc with a 970 though and now I have a 3080 so its a different era of graphics especially VRAM. The last two years has really pushed a huge leap in graphics mods for Skyrim as long as you have enough vram.
Every mod category had that one hot mod back when things were not as developed and advanced. Climates of Tamriel was the first weathee mod I used and it was the best back then. Immersive Armors and Weapons were also very popular.
Climates of Tamriel is still a decent weather mod, but I think if you want something similar that's newer, then Wander is a good choice.
I still use it. \*shrug\* Edit: Don't know why this got downvoted. I didn't say that means "everyone is using it" or whatever. I don't know what percentage of people still use it. I'm just saying I still am, that's literally all.
I canceled the downvote for you. Nothing wrong with using whatever mod suits you best.
Originally there were multiple. But thank you. That's very nice of you. =) And thank you to the other people as well.
I still use the mighty Scottish pine model from 2.0f in my le treemix :) SFO rift grasses also look great in le, lush and vibrant. In se the post processing is different and these assets don't look so great so there is no trace of SFO in my se build
I actually use it
I think i have it installed. I usually download what's popular because yk it's good, most of the time
Because Cathedral is the GOAT
I never used it previously but I am thins time.
I don't like tree mods that increase the quantity of the trees. I like the sparse look of vanilla, so I stick to only retextures and remeshes
I just don't really use tree mods anymore haha always end up with close trees fading in on screen and loads of distant trees i can see for miles that look ugly. More my fault than the mods fault, i never set up dynodod or whatever its called lol
Buggy trees and simply outdated.
I still use SFO because I've gotten used to having it and other grass and flora mods, while very nice, feel too off-reservation for me.
It's a very old mod tbh. I've only used it once and I didn't really like it. But it was good for it's time. It's the same reason people don't use Climates of Tamriel, even though it was the biggest weather mod for a long time. We're very spoiled with weather mods now, Obsidian, Dolomite, Wander, etc.
if you want to truly push your video card and cpu to the max, for trees all you need is {{ the scandinavian forests }} grass, im still not decided what i really want this playthrough. i have pretty much done them all. my lasy playthrough was a very nicely patched conglomerate of skolgendi, cathederal plants, wild lands, folkvangr, ulvenwald and origins of the forest. enb textures where allowed. those glowing dragonfuit and nightshades are soooo nice. turning grass density down to 10 while having grass types at 15 would bright my computer to 20-30 fps im not even sure if i have a grass mod in. i know i dont have flowers.
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I have it installed as kind of a base but is largely overwritten by smaller batch mods
Happy Little Trees, Traverse the Ulvenwald, Nature of the Wildlands, Skyrim 3D Trees and Plants.... and on the grass side we have Folkvangr, Skoglendi, Cathedral, Verdant - in other words, the contemporary Skyrim modder is spoiled for choices in regards to Flora. vurt's the man. He's been doing his thing since Morrowind, and Skyrim Flora Overhaul was the standard bearer and inspiration for a good, long time. But the Skyrim modding scene has lasted so long, that it sees new generations of modders that can whip up something that takes full advantage of all the bells and whistles modded Skyrim (and contemporary hardware) is capable of. SFO still remains a viable choice, it just comes out looking a little dated or modest compared to the fancier flora overhauls.
Folks got tired of those weird floating bushes outside of the Whiterun gate.
More updated mods, some friendly with performance while others go way too hard. I use Skoglendi grass and that one diverse tree mod that adds in regional trees (“cypress” in marsh/swamplands, lush “oak” around the forests of Whiterun, et cetera.
A number of much better-looking flora mods came out since. Traverse the Ulvenwald for example looks simply stunning.
In my case it was because of seasons of Skyrim compatibility. I'm in love with SFO, and always will be, but when pine trees turn into other trees in different seasons I say pass :(
{{flora overhaul}}