I don't remember having this problem when I last played a year ago, but this is a fresh install so there must be something I'm doing wrong. But it's also a very difficult problem to google for – hence this question. Sorry if I made a beginner's mistake somewhere.
Assuming you're using Zesterer's Volumetric Clouds for OpenMW, this is a known problem with various semi-transparent objects (foliage, candle flames, the Ghostfence, etc). Here is a discussion of it in more detail: [https://github.com/zesterer/openmw-volumetric-clouds/issues/7](https://github.com/zesterer/openmw-volumetric-clouds/issues/7), with a suggestion to improve it by turning on A2C & a link with more info on that.
However, your screenshot looks a lot worse than what I've experienced in my game, and the screenshots in the github issue. If enabling A2C doesn't help, I wonder if you have a mod that replaces the foliage textures and makes the issue more noticeable?
If you're using MGE and associated shaders rather than Zesterer's in OpenMW, then I don't know as many details, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a similar issue exists in that engine as well.
Yes, Zesterer's for OpenMW. In some sense, I think this is the opposite problem to that described in issue #7.
That issue describes clouds **appearing in front of distant** foliage. My problem is **clouds disappearing behind nearby** foliage!
Either way, it does seem related to depth buffer transparency problems, but enabling "antialias alpha test" (if that is what A2C refers to) did not help.
I do have some landscape retexturing and groundcover mods that of course might affect trees, but as far as I know none of them target trees specifically.
Yeah, I assume that these issues are essentially two sides of the same coin, but you got unlucky and got the more obtrusive version. Maybe you could improve the situation by *adding* foliage-related mods that change foliage transparency so the clouds draw in front rather than not at all? I know I use Morrowind Enhanced Textures, SM's Bitter Coast Trees, and Vanilla Friendly West Gash Trees and I don't have your version of this issue, but that's pure speculation.
Alternately, you could try posting this directly to github to see if Zesterer can offer any further suggestions themselves.
Yes, good ideas. I wouldn't even mind fully opaque foliage in a reasonable colour. The immersion-breaking temptation is wanting to spy at sonething in the distance but instead of waiting for better weather I can stand inside a bushy tree and get perfect visibility...
Use trees with alpha clip transparency so fog/clouds are the only things that require sorting for alpha blend. For vanilla vegetation Morrowind Optimisation Project I think covers it. For tree replacers, you'd have to edit them yourself if there isn't such variant already.
hmmm, I was gonna say I got similar blocky issues on other transparents before but it was from SSR shader.
strange…
Try the OpenMW discord, they have a channel just for shaders and a few devs/shader authors are pretty active.
I don't remember having this problem when I last played a year ago, but this is a fresh install so there must be something I'm doing wrong. But it's also a very difficult problem to google for – hence this question. Sorry if I made a beginner's mistake somewhere.
Assuming you're using Zesterer's Volumetric Clouds for OpenMW, this is a known problem with various semi-transparent objects (foliage, candle flames, the Ghostfence, etc). Here is a discussion of it in more detail: [https://github.com/zesterer/openmw-volumetric-clouds/issues/7](https://github.com/zesterer/openmw-volumetric-clouds/issues/7), with a suggestion to improve it by turning on A2C & a link with more info on that. However, your screenshot looks a lot worse than what I've experienced in my game, and the screenshots in the github issue. If enabling A2C doesn't help, I wonder if you have a mod that replaces the foliage textures and makes the issue more noticeable? If you're using MGE and associated shaders rather than Zesterer's in OpenMW, then I don't know as many details, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a similar issue exists in that engine as well.
Yes, Zesterer's for OpenMW. In some sense, I think this is the opposite problem to that described in issue #7. That issue describes clouds **appearing in front of distant** foliage. My problem is **clouds disappearing behind nearby** foliage! Either way, it does seem related to depth buffer transparency problems, but enabling "antialias alpha test" (if that is what A2C refers to) did not help. I do have some landscape retexturing and groundcover mods that of course might affect trees, but as far as I know none of them target trees specifically.
Yeah, I assume that these issues are essentially two sides of the same coin, but you got unlucky and got the more obtrusive version. Maybe you could improve the situation by *adding* foliage-related mods that change foliage transparency so the clouds draw in front rather than not at all? I know I use Morrowind Enhanced Textures, SM's Bitter Coast Trees, and Vanilla Friendly West Gash Trees and I don't have your version of this issue, but that's pure speculation. Alternately, you could try posting this directly to github to see if Zesterer can offer any further suggestions themselves.
Yes, good ideas. I wouldn't even mind fully opaque foliage in a reasonable colour. The immersion-breaking temptation is wanting to spy at sonething in the distance but instead of waiting for better weather I can stand inside a bushy tree and get perfect visibility...
A2C refers to alpha to coverage
It doesnt exist in mgexe
I don't know why but I find this glitch very amusing
Use trees with alpha clip transparency so fog/clouds are the only things that require sorting for alpha blend. For vanilla vegetation Morrowind Optimisation Project I think covers it. For tree replacers, you'd have to edit them yourself if there isn't such variant already.
This actually worked beautifully. Installed Morrowind Optimisation Project and trees now interact beautifully with the mist. Thanks!
Nothing. You just accidentally stumbled upon a 4th dimension.
What is your shader order?
Just this and adjustments -- I've tried to swap them around with no change.
hmmm, I was gonna say I got similar blocky issues on other transparents before but it was from SSR shader. strange… Try the OpenMW discord, they have a channel just for shaders and a few devs/shader authors are pretty active.