KPM: Performance Particles

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Do not repost! Thanks.

Updoots appreciated! They tell me I’m doing a job well done and keep morale up.

See my other mods here.

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This mod replaces all .PNG particles image files with lower resolution versions in .DDS format. GPUs cannot use PNG files so the PNG textures are uncompressed on GPU. DDS is a special compression format GPUs can still read. The smaller file resolution and smaller file size (through compression) will help some computers with performance.

This mod is intended to replace other particle performance mods. If you want to have full particles/weather effects and also have increased performance this mod is for you.

Rendering particles generally takes anywhere from 1% to 15% of the time to render each frame depending on settings and number of particles. As a rule of thumb, the lower the graphics settings the more relative time particles take to render. If you run Kenshi at high settings the impact of this mod will be marginal. If you are using low settings the impact of this mod will be greater.

• This mod does not reduce particle effects, instead it makes them more efficient to load and render for the GPU.
• The mod should help in situations where the GPU is either VRAM bound (running out of VRAM) OR where the GPU is bandwidth bound (older iGPUs).
• To use simply Subscribe and Enable.

• Replaces all particle .PNG textures with .DDS versions
• Replaced textures are 1/16th size (0.25 x 0.25 resolution), they look really similar IMO. (This won’t change already small particles)
• Updates related .pu and .material files to make it work.

• Tested to work with Genesis and UWE
• If you run into compatibility issues try to move it lower in the load order, the lower the better for this mod.
• It will work with non-particle performance mods. (IE, Compressed Textures or Reduced Clutter)
• It’ll likely conflict (though still run) with other Particle Performance Mods (Reduced Weather or Reduced Particles). See below for more details.

Generally speaking if this mod is loaded after other particle or weather mod it’ll run. However, there will likely be unusual behavior. As stated before, this mod is intended to replace other particle performance mods. This mod is compatible with mods that add new particles (IE Genesis).

Thanks AmokHarvest for discovering Kenshi uses PNG files for particle textures.