Guide:ENBSeries

Template:Notice A comprehensive guide for properly setting up ENB for n00bs and gurus alike -- by the Wiki Editors & S.T.E.P. Team

Updated: 23:10:52 10 June 2014 (UTC)

GUIDE FORUM THREAD

Introduction

Quickstart

ENB Choices

Installation

SMAA

Editing Enbseries INI

Editing Enblocal INI

Advanced Editing

Troubleshooting

[edit]

Welcome to the ENBSeries Graphics Modification for Skyrim Guide. The ENBSeries is a special type of mod, different from most Skyrim mods, created and maintained by Boris Voronstov. ENB adds in effects to Skyrim that were not available before, like SSAO and Depth of Field, as well as providing a memory manager known as ENBoost. The following will help newcomers become familiar with the basics of installing and using ENB and will also answer many questions for every user, from novice to expert. The STEP Forums now have dedicated ENB subforums, for recommendations of ENB Profiles go to the Post Processor Suggestions (ENB) subforum, and for ENB Support go here.

What is ENB?

ENBSeries is a powerful post processing modification available for Skyrim and other games. It was developed by Boris Vorontsov, who still maintains and updates the mod. The mod also enables users to create custom configurations (ENBs, ENB Profiles) designed to their own specifications by modifying rendering functions and the application of additional effects such as bloom, depth of field, and SSAO. ENB Series has also added a memory manager known as ENBoost which assists in offloading memory from the system memory (RAM) to video memory (VRAM) and avoid crashes. ENBs often enhance overall lighting, colors, and shadows among other aspects of the game, but comes with a performance loss of anywhere between 5% to 50% of total frames per second (FPS), depending on the hardware setup and the ENB features being used. Most users find this loss acceptable compared to the enhancements and features gained from the ENB.

Use Quickstart tab to get right into using an ENB Profile.

What is ENBoost?

ENBoost is a memory reduction feature added to the ENB Series to address the crashes and freezes of Skyrim due to hitting system memory (RAM) limit of a 32-bit application. ENBoost is included in the ENB Series graphics modification and is now a part of all up to date ENB profiles or can be used without the graphic modifications of the ENB Series. The ENBoost tab will explain using ENBoost for users that just want the to use the memory manager without the graphics modifications. ENBoost is designed to work better for more powerful computers that have more video memory (VRAM) available.

Use Quickstart tab to get right into using an ENBoost.

[edit]

Quickstart guide for ENB Profiles and ENBoost. This is for users that just want to jump right in with a simple guide complete with pictures.

ENB Quickstart

1. Download the latest ENB binary.
   • The links at the bottom of the page list all the binaries. Choose the latest file (usually the one on the top of the list), then on the next page click the button.
2. Select and download an ENB Profile.
   • There is a list of recommended profiles on the ENB Choices tab. If RealVision ENB is the preferred ENB Profile then ignore these directions. RealVision uses an install script that is included. Check the RealVision Nexus page for instructions.
3. Download additional ENB mod files, if necessary.
   • Many ENB Profiles will provide additional files to enhance the in game settings.
4. Download the ENB Helper file, if necessary.
   • Not all ENB Profiles need this, check on the ENB Profile's mod page.
5. Extract the downloaded files to the correct folders as listed:
   1. Extract the d3d9.dll and enbhost.exe from the ENB binary archive in the "WrapperVersion" folder to the Skyrim game folder. NOT the DATA folder.

      File:ENBWrapperFolder.png

      File:ENBd3d9.png

   2. Extract the ENB Profile archive to the Skyrim game folder. NOT the DATA folder. (Example below is for Phinix Natural ENB)

      File:ENBProfileFolder.png

   3. Only necessary for some ENB Profiles! Extract the ENB helper mod to the "enbseries" folder, which will be in the Skyrim folder.

      File:ENBHelper.png

      File:ENBSeriesFolder.png

   4. Install the additional ENB files, if there were any provided.
      • These are usually installed like regular mods and can be installed by a mod manager. Check the ENB Profile's web page for instructions.
6. Setup the enblocal.ini:
   1. Open the Skyrim folder and then open the enblocal.ini in a text editor (Notepad++ is recommended).
   2. Find the section marked [MEMORY] and change parameters using the recommended settings from the helper site here.

      File:ENBLocalFolder.png

      File:ENBLocalMemory.png

      File:ENBoostResults.png

   3. Enter total VRAM on line VideoMemorySizeMb=
      • Enter VRAM total in Megabytes i.e. a 2GB card is 2048, a 1GB card is 1024. (Refer to one of the photos above)
   4. Save enblocal.ini and close.
   5. Open the Skyrim Launcher and turn Antialiasing and Anisotropic Filtering to 'Off(best performance)'

      File:ENBLauncherSettings.png

   6. Now open SkyrimPrefs.ini. (This file is usually in the Documents/My Games/Skyrim folder or use the INI editor for Mod Organizer users. Mod Organizer picture shown second.)
   7. Set the following lines accordingly:

      bFloatPointRenderTarget=1

      bTreesReceiveShadows=1

      bDrawLandShadows=1

      bShadowsOnGrass=1

      File:ENBINISettings.png

      File:ENBMOSettings.png

7. Load Skyrim and enjoy!

ENBoost Quickstart

1. Download the latest ENB binary.
   • The links at the bottom of the page list all the binaries. Choose the latest file (usually the one on the top of the list), then on the next page click the button.
2. Open the ENB binary archive and go to the "WrapperVersion" folder, then extract d3d9.dll, enbhost.exe, and enblocal.ini to the Skyrim folder. NOT the DATA folder.

   File:ENBoostFolder.png

3. Open the Skyrim folder and then open the enblocal.ini in a text editor (Notepad++ is recommended).

   File:ENBLocalFolder.png

4. Find the section named [GLOBAL] and change the line, UsePatchSpeedhackWithoutGraphics=false to true.
   • This line will disable the graphic effects of the ENBSeries and only use the memory management of ENBoost.

   File:ENBoostINI.png

5. Save enblocal.ini and close.
6. Load Skyrim and enjoy!

[edit]

ENBSeries

Before installing any of the ENBs, get Boris Vorontsov's ENBSeries. Since the introduction of the ENB Series for Skyrim there have been hundreds of ENB Profiles created and most are not kept up to date; however, refer to the chosen ENB's documentation to be sure and download the correct version of the ENB.

Using Only ENboost

ENB Series now has the option of using the memory reducing features of ENB without the graphic modification. This is helpful for users with low end systems that can handle higher texture quality, but not the enhanced graphics of ENB Series, like SSAO or SkyLighting. The installation of ENBoost does not require an ENB Profile.

Installation:

1. Get the latest version of the ENB Series mod from ENBSeries.
2. Extract the contents of the WrapperVersion folder to the root "Skyrim" folder (not the "Data" folder).
   • Nvidia Optimus users will have to use the InjectorVersion folder.
3. Navigate to the "Skyrim" folder and open up the enblocal.ini in text editor, and then under the [GLOBAL] section change 'UsePatchSpeedhackWithoutGraphics' to "true". Save and close.

Recommended ENB Configurations

There are ENB and other lighting mods that come in just about every style and color. This section can be extremely subjective and as such STEP suggests to browse around to find the perfect solution of preference. The is no official STEP recommendation for ENB, but here are a few excellent profiles and information about installing them with STEP. To make a recommendation or comment on out of date information for the listed ENB profiles, do so on the ENB Guide thread.

SkyRealism - ENB Evolved by MTichenor

Baseline: SkyRealism v2.73 is fully compatible with ENB Series v0.200 and up. More recent versions of ENB Series should also work.

1. Picking preset depends on the lighting and weather mods.
   • The "Vanilla" is a modder's resource and a good preset to use for creating a custom preset.
   • The "Cinematic" and "Vibrant" presets are designed for an enhanced vanilla Skyrim or use with Realistic Lighting Overhaul and Project Reality - Climates of Tamriel.
   • The "Realistic" preset is also good for vanilla Skyrim or with lighting and weather mods.
2. ENB Evoled now has three Depth of Field (DOF) algorithms available and six different DOF focusing algorithms available. To choose a DOF setting and DOF focus setting, open enbeffectprepass.fx with Notepad++.
   • Lines 15 through 30 are for the three DOF algorithms, only use one at a time (Sprite DOF is not recommended for anything but screenshots). Line 33 is to turn on/off the DOF focusing system and lines 34 through 39 and for the focusing algorithms, only use one at a time.
3. Turn off Bloom and/or DOF if preferred via the enbseries.ini file under [EFFECT].
   • For less powerful rigs it is recommended you turn off both DOF and SSAO as they have the most performance impact.
4. Copy the preset folder contents (effect.txt, enbbloom.fx, etc.) to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).

True Vision ENB by Bronze316

Baseline: True Vision ENB v0.221 currently supports ENB Series v0.221.

1. The "Natural" preset the only preset currently supporting the latest ENB Series binaries and is the STEP recommended choice.
   • It is recommended by the author to turn the ingame brightness all the down.
2. Open the "Main files (natural preset)" folder and copy the folder contents (effect.txt, enbbloom.fx, etc.) to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
3. Ignore the "Data" and "Optional effects" folders.
4. Open the "Performance options" folder and choose the SSAO and DOF options. Open preferred folder and copy over the enbseries.ini to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
   • Less powerful rigs use "Option D (No DOF + No SSAO)".

Project ENB by Bronze316

Baseline: Project ENB v0.221cgf currently supports ENB Series v0.221.

1. The current version of Project ENB is specifically made for Project Reality - Climates of Tamriel. Other presets are still under development. STEP recommends the Realistic preset.
   • It is recommended by the author to turn the ingame brightness all the down.
2. Open the "Main files (realistic)" folder and copy the folder contents (effect.txt, enbbloom.fx, etc.) to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
3. Ignore the "Data" and "Optional effects" folders.
4. Open the "Performance options" folder and choose the SSAO and DOF options. Open preferred folder and copy over the enbseries.ini to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
   • Less powerful rigs use "Option D (No DOF + No SSAO)".

Unreal Cinema ENB by Unreal Warfare

Baseline: Unreal Cinema ENB v0.236 currently supports ENB v0.236.

1. The current version of Unreal Cinema is made to work with Enhanced Lighting and FX.
   • Unreal Cinema also has a Data File that needs to be downloaded.
2. Copy all the contents of the Unreal Cinema ENB to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
3. Download and extract the enbhelper.dll plugin to the enbseries folder. Get helper plugin here.
4. Install the Unreal Cinema Data File like any other mod into the DATA directory, or use a mod manager to install this file (recommended).
   • Any effects must be enabled/disabled either the in game GUI, or in the ENB files. Use the Unreal Cinema website for more information and instruction on editing effects properly.

Phinix Natural ENB by Phinix

Baseline: Phinix Natural ENB v1.91a currently supports ENB v0.244.

1. The current version of Phinix Natural is compatible with Project Reality - Climates of Tamriel, Realistic Lighting Overhaul, and Enhanced Lights and FX.
   • It is recommended to also use the custom interiors plugin (separate download), but if using ELFX do not use the ELFX Enhancer or interiors will become to dark. Also, load the interiors plugin after weather and lighting mods regardless of where BOSS puts it in load order.
2. Open the "1-ToSkyrimFolder" folder and copy the folder contents (effect.txt, enbbloom.fx, etc.) to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
   • For higher performance, different palettes, and DoF open the "2- Options" folder. Open preferred folder and copy over the enbseries.ini to the "Skyrim" root folder (not the "Data" folder).
   • Less powerful rigs use "2-HighestPerformance" to have SSAO turned off.
3. Download and extract the enbhelper.dll plugin to the enbseries folder. Get helper plugin here.
4. Copy the interiors plugin to the "Data" folder or use a mod manager to install. Load after lighting and weather mods.

RealVision ENB by SkyrimTuner

Baseline: RealVision ENB v244a currently supports ENB v0.244.

1. This ENB Profile requires that the enbhost.exe and d3d9.dll be taken from the ENB Series folder.
2. Each version of RealVision is designed to work with the combination of Project Reality - Climates of Tamriel and either Realistic Lighting Overhaul or Enhanced Lights and FX.
   • There is also a performance version for each profile, so choose the correct version.
3. This ENB Profile can now be installed with a mod manager such as Mod Organizer.
   • After installing with a mod manager open the Skyrim/data/RealVision_ENB_files folder and run the NMM_install.vbs.
4. The author also recommended that "skyrimprefs.ini" have the following line changed under [Display]: fGamma=1.2400

ENB Complimenting Mods

Presets

• TheCompiler's RCRN Plus - ENB, featuring a new injector method with SMAA, enhanced exterior fog and sunglare.
• z929669's SkyRealism custom preset is good for those looking for realism of both day and night and good performance. Presets exist for CoT, RCRN, and RLwC using the most recent version of ENBSeries. Featuring SMAA, brighter sunny days, brighter colors, realistic day/night sky-lighting and darker nights/interiors. (a bit out of date at the moment until Z finds the time to update) This is actually completely irrelevant at this point ~z929669 Talk 04:31, January 5, 2014 (EST)

Darkness

• Dark Dungeons for ENB This tells ENB to render dungeons as though its night (otherwise it lights them as though its daylight)
• Many ENBs include optional files for darker caves, dungeons, and nights. Check with the ENB Profile for these options before using a third party mod for this. Some lighting mods may not be compatible.

Fixes

• Skyrim Particle Patch for ENB This fixes shaders or blending properties on some object meshes which have their parameters set incorrectly. Some ENB Profiles come with this patch or include it in as an optional file in the download section.

Fog

• Remove Interior Fog V2 This removes the ambient interior fog that is found indoors in many locations. It has support of all DLCs.
• Revamped Exterior Fog This reduces the density of exterior fog and increases the distance that it starts becoming opaque. If using RCRN, there is a compatibility version which should be used instead.
• Interior and Dungeon Fog Remover Completely removes fog meshes from most dungeon and indoor locations. Not compatible with Removed Interior Fog V2; use one or the other, not both.

Some mods that are often combined with ENBs are not compatible with the above mods (i.e. Climates of Tamriel, Realistic Colors and Real Nights, etc) As good modding practice, please review the Readme of any mod being used.

Utilities

• ENB and FXAA Remover Removes ENB and FXAA installations and provides slots to load different ENB configurations for quick and painless switching.
• ENB Customizer Provides a GUI interface to change many of the enbseries.ini settings.
• ENB Manager and Changer Utility which allows the switching between ENB configurations and presets. Useful when testing various ENBs.
• Imaginator In-game tool that allows adjustment of color and lighting setting such as brightness, tint, contrast, saturation, etc. This has been helpful to many in adjusting ENB colors and lighting without having to mess with the ENB preset itself.

[edit]

NOTE: ENB MUST be installed manually; it is NOT compatible with any mod manager.

While slightly more involved than experienced ENB users may be accustomed to, this installation procedure ensures that there will not be any possible issues related to the installation process.

Prior to Installation

This guide assumes the completion of STEP Guide through at least section 1.F. If this has not done, please do before continuing!

• Monitor(s) Calibration: Lagom is great for LCD displays. For laptop users with limited controls use the Windows tool:

  Contol Panel >> Color Management >> Advance tab >> Calibrate display

• Make sure graphic drivers are up to date. If not, please download and install new drivers via a clean installation.
• Download the recommended ENB d3d9.dll for the chosen ENB Profile here.
• Save the folder that has just been downloaded to the desktop.
• Please, if this is the first time using ENB, read the TES documentation here.
• Back up the Skyrim INIs. These are the "Skyrim.ini" and "SkyimPrefs.ini", located in "My Documents\My Games\Skyrim" folder.
• Back up game saves located in "My Documents\My Games\Skyrim" folder.
• If currently using an ENB, FXAA or SMAA, do the following as well:

• Back up the current ENB, FXAA or SMAA post-process injector to another folder.
• Delete ALL ENB and post-processing injector files in the root Skyrim folder.

ENB Installation

Make sure to backed up Skyrim's INIs!

1. Extract the version of the d3d9.dll file which the chosen ENB profile requires into the root Skyrim folder. There is no need for any other files except the d3d9.dll. Most ENBs use the Wrapper version, but check with your chosen ENB's documentation.
   • Do not extract the file to the Data folder! It must be placed in the root Skyrim folder to work.
2. Extract the ENB files from the chosen ENB's folder into the root Skyrim folder. The same place the d3d9.dll file has been extracted to.
3. Back up your ENB's enbseries.ini and enbeffect.fx files if editing for customization. (optional but recommended)
4. Edit Skyrim's INI file as shown below.

Game INIs

For ENB to work as intended, modifications to Skyrim's INIs are needed.

In "SkyrimPrefs.ini", set the following in the [Display] section:

bFloatPointRenderTarget=1
bTreesReceiveShadows=1
bDrawLandShadows=1
bShadowsOnGrass=1
fGamma=1.0000 //this normalizes the gamma so the ENB coloring isn't off

The following modifications are not necessary; however, may increase performance if experiencing heavy FPS loss.

iMultiSample=0 //turns off multi-sampling AA
bTransparencyMultisampling=0 //turns off multi-sampling transparency AA

ENB INIs

With the additional of memory reducing features to ENB there are some INI edits that need to be added to enblocal.ini depending on hardware.

Open enblocal.ini and under the [MEMORY] section the last two lines ReservedMemorySizeMb and VideoMemorySizeMb should according to the hardware specifications from the information below.

Much of the information of this section is provided courtesy of Phinix.

For video cards with 2GB or more VRAM, 512 is a good baseline. For less VRAM, 256 can work better, but needs testing.

ReservedMemorySizeMb=(256,512,1024)

This setting needs to be inputed manually based on the available video memory. As a baseline, set this to 1024 x how many GB of VRAM is available. VRAM is the amount of memory in the GPU, not the system RAM. Here are some common VRAM capacities:

6GB VRAM = 6144

3GB VRAM = 3072

2.5GB VRAM = 2560

2GB VRAM = 2048

1.5GB VRAM = 1536

1GB VRAM = 1024

<1GB VRAM = Number of MB of VRAM (512 for a 512MB card.)

In some cases where other running process (or bad drivers) are causing additional VRAM load, or VRAM is otherwise being maxed out, reducing this value can improve stability and performance. For optimized systems with large amounts of VRAM/system RAM, increasing this setting may offer similar improvements. Do not increase beyond system RAM size.

VideoMemorySizeMb=(256,512,...6144)

[edit]

SMAA (Highly Recommended)

Note: This section is entirely optional! SMAA is NOT required to run ENB.

SubPixel Morphological Anti-Aliasing is a fantastic post-processing anti-aliasing method. Unlike MSAA, SMAA is processed after ENB, which provides nearly equal quality at a faction of the performance hit. For ENB users, any version of the ENBSeries after v0.119, hardware AA is no longer supported. So ENB users only have two options available to them; Edge AA, SMAA or SweetFX using an injector. For users on low-end systems, the ENB's Edge AA is probably the best choice because it comes with almost no performance loss. Users can also use SMAA injector and keep all of the AA option of ENB enabled. SMAA is a great replacement for driver AA or the game engine's AA, so for users on mid to high-end machines, SMAA will be the best option. Transparency AA also can be forced in the drivers for those with systems that can handle the extra bang.

To use SMAA, set the following in the [Display] section of "SkyrimPrefs.ini":

iMultiSample=0 
bTransparencyMultisampling=0

Then, copy the following files provided in the ENB mod download files to the root Skyrim folder :

• d3d9_smaa.dll
• injector.ini
• SMAA.h
• SMAA.fx

Note

Even though some ENB mods may not include SMAA in their download files it is still possible to use SMAA for anti-aliasing as long as there is not an additional d3d9.dll already enabled in "enbseries.ini".

Download SMAA here.

It is also worth noting that SMAA injector can be used without ENB as a standalone replacement for AA. To do so just use extract the SMAA injector from the download above to the root Skyrim directory.

Extract the folder to a desired location and in the d3d9 folder (do not use the files from the d9d10 folder!!!) rename "d3d9.dll" to "d3d9_smaa.dll".

Now copy the following files into the root Skyrim directory:

• d3d9_smaa.dll
• injector.ini
• SMAA.h
• SMAA.fx

To enable SMAA set the following in the [PROXY] section of "enbseries.ini":

EnableProxyLibrary=true
InitProxyFunctions=true
ProxyLibrary=d3d9_smaa.dll

To change the amount of AA, open the injector.ini file in a text editor (such as Notepad++) and change the "preset" parameter:

[smaa]
;smaa preset one of {SMAA_PRESET_LOW, SMAA_PRESET_MEDIUM, SMAA_PRESET_HIGH, SMAA_PRESET_ULTRA}
preset = SMAA_PRESET_HIGH

The presets are listed above the parameter. Low is 60% quality, Medium is 80%, High is 95%, and Ultra is 99% quality. This is similar to 2xAA, 4xAA, etc and each step higher comes with more of a performance loss. Additionally, a custom preset can be created in the SMAA.h file; however, this is a very advanced process so it is not recommend for most users.

[edit]

Editing the Enbseries INI

Template:Notice Small This is not an exhaustive list of all the settings included in the enbseries.ini file. If you are new to ENBs, it is suggested to not edit any settings which are not listed below until you are more familiar with the ENBSeries. The settings below are considered the basic settings in modifying your ENB and have been updated to v0.220 of the ENBSeries. For advanced editing, see the "Advanced Editing" tab above.

To edit the settings below, open your "enbseries.ini" file in a text editor such as Notepad or Notepad++ (recommended) and make your changes. Be sure when saving your changes to save the file with the .ini file extension.

When editing any of the below values use the following format: parameterName=value

For example: EnableAmbientOcclusion=false

---

Global

These [GLOBAL] settings rarely need to be changed unless you are using an external file to store your parameters.

This will enable or disable the ENB effects. In almost versions of the ENB, this can be switched on or off by holding the Shift key and pressing F12.

UseEffect=(false, true)

Editing the ENB Effects

The [EFFECT] section is where you will be making most of your edits. It's here where you can enable and disable the ENB effects such as depth of field and SSAO. Disabling some of these effects will provide increased performance; however, if you are experiencing low FPS, please try the performance tips on the Troubleshooting tab first. Different ENB mods use different settings so not all of the below parameters may be your defaults. Several mods also have different quality and performance options which are simply different parameter settings presets for you to use so that you may not have to manually edit these parameters yourself. To disable any of these effects, simply set the corresponding parameter to "false".

This setting will enable Bethesda's vanilla game post processing algorithm which is useful for rendering the game with the vanilla color palette. This is useful for people that like the vanilla look of Skyrim, but would like to use some of the ENB Series effects.

UseOriginalPostProcessing=(false, true)

This setting is the same as above, but only affects objects/meshes instead.

UseOriginalObjectsProcessing=(false, true)

This will enable or disable the bloom effect of the ENB which is part of high quality post processing for HDR. This means the ENB bloom is higher quality than that of Vanilla Skyrim. This also enables or disables the lens effect as it's processed at same time as bloom. Bloom is a computer graphics effect used to reproduce the imaging of real-world cameras. When a bright light shines on an object or when there is a light source behind an object, the object's edges become feathered and the object itself can sometimes appear hazing from the light. It is also responsible for the overall "hazy" effect in some ENB mods. This can be disabled for a small performance increase. The quality and amount of bloom can also be configured later down in the file.

EnableBloom=(false, true)

This enables or disables the ENB's method of eye adaptation to the screen brightness. This effect mimics the duration it takes for the eyes to adjust to bright lights. Vanilla Skyrim has this feature; however, it happens unnaturally quick. The ENB modifies this duration; making it longer to provide a more natural feel.

EnableAdaptation=(false, true)

This will enable or disable the depth of field (DOF) effect. DOF is a blurring effect in-game which focuses on the point at which you are looking; blurring the surroundings and background. This is a cinematic effect and great for screenshots, but not all users like it while playing. Disabling this also provides a performance increase. DOF can have up to a 12% FPS impact.

EnableDepthOfField=(false, true)

This parameter enables or disables the screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO) and indirect lighting effects. Disabling (false) this provides a performance increase. It is; however, configurable to different levels later down in the file. Each level provides a different quality/performance ratio. This setting can have up to 15% FPS impact.

EnableAmbientOcclusion=(false, true)

This parameter is enable or disable detailed shadows. As the name suggests, this feature adjusts the games shadow rendering; making them more detailed and slightly blurrier than Vanilla. Disabling this provides a small performance increase. This setting only has, on average, a 2-5% FPS impact.

EnableDetailedShadow=(false, true)

This will enable or disable sun rays. Sun rays are the bright rays of light you see when looking towards the sun. Sunrays only has, on average, a 2-5% FPS impact.

EnableSunRays=(false, true)

This setting will enable or disable the enbsunsprite.fx shader. This is recommended to be left to whatever value is set by the ENB Profile author unless having trouble with sun sprites in game.

EnableSunGlare=(false, true)

This will enable or disable the sky lighting. This feature mimics the real world shadowing fade; making shadows darker in the middle and gradually lightening them while moving out towards the edge. This setting can have up to a 15% FPS impact.

EnableSkyLighting=(false, true)

This setting enables an effect that enhances SkyLighting by adding a simulated real world indirect lighting created by the atmosphere to most exterior surfaces.

EnableImageBasedLighting=(false, true)

This will enable or disable the dynamic reflections effects that are added to surfaces.

EnableReflection=(false, true)

This setting will enable or disable softening or smoothing of particle effects, like fires and fire sprites.

EnableSoftParticles=(false, true)

This setting will enable or disable glow effects that be found around light sources, like candles, lanterns, and fireplaces. If the LiteSprite settings are set to true, then those objects will cast light. This does not decrease performance.

EnableParticleLights=(false, true)

Using ENB Weathers

There is a weather system which allows edits to parameters per game weather. All weather configurations placed in folder "enbseries".

To use weather system, download helper mod http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/36318/ and place it to "Data" folder of the game (native Skyrim mod).

If using an ENB Profile with custom weathers then this setting should be set to true and should not be changed.

EnableMultipleWeathers=(false, true)

Editing Time of Day Settings

The time of day settings allow a more precise control of when sunrise, sunset, night, and day should start, using the game time data. This also controls the duration of the transitions for dawn and dusk. All values use a floating point number based on a twenty-four hour day: <parameter> = (0.0...23.9). This section should only be adjusted by advanced users or ENB authors as changing these value could have unexpected consequences on weather and lighting. Enable or disable Time of Day settings.

Enable=true

This setting is the duration that the transition between night and day takes in game hours.

DawnDuration=(0.0...23.9)

This setting is the time that the sunrise occurs in game.

SunriseTime=(0.0...23.9)

This setting is the time that the middle of the day occurs in game.

DayTime=(0.0...23.9)

This setting is the time that the sunset occurs in game.

SunsetTime=(0.0...23.9)

This setting is the duration that the transition between day and night takes in game hours.

DuskDuration=(0.0...23.9)

This setting is the time that the middle of the day occurs in game.

NightTime=(0.0...23.9)

Editing Night and Day Settings

This section is another way of ENB Series using day and night values, like the [TIMEOFDAY] section, except that the color of the sky gradient is used for detection. This is not compatible with customs skies that change the colors of the sky, so it not recommended to be changed by users.

This setting will enable use of the old day/night detection method.

DetectorOldVersion=(false, true)

This setting will enable the default settings and ignore the values below.

DetectorDefaultDay=(false, true)

This parameter will make the detection rely more on the day time settings when lowered and less on day time settings when raised.

DetectorLevelDay=(0.0...1.0)

This parameter will make the detection rely more on the night time settings when lowered and less on night time settings when raised.

DetectorLevelNight=(0.0...1.0)

This parameter will make the detection rely more on the day time settings when lowered and more on the night time settings when raised.

DetectorLevelCurve=(0.0...10.0)

Editing Adaptation

This section creates an effect that mimicks the iris of the human eye. When looking at something bright and then something dark, it will take a moment to adjust.

This setting will enable the use of the AdaptationMin and AdaptationMax values. If set to "false" it will use the AdaptationTime and AdaptationSensitivity settings.

ForceMinMaxValues=(false, true)

This parameter determines how sensity the effect is about light and dark areas.

AdaptationSensitivity=(0.0...1.0)

This parameter determines the reaction time when moving from dark or bright areas.

AdaptationTime=(0.0...1.0)

This parameter is the minimum value of the adaptation effect.

AdaptationMin=(0.0...1.0)

This parameter is the maximum value of the adaptation effect.

AdaptationMax=(0.0...100.0)

Adjusting the Bloom Quality

You can adjust the quality and effect of bloom in the [BLOOM] section of the file.

This setting is the quality of the Bloom effect, either 0, 1, or 2. 0 is the highest quality and 2 is the highest performance. It is not recommended to set this to anything other than 0, since the performance increase is minimal.

Quality=(0,1,2)

The following parameters determine how much Bloom to add. The settings are from 0.0 to 1.0 and the higher the value the more Bloom blurs and adds a slight lighting effect to the scene. If using an ENB Profile then it is recommended to not change these settings.

AmountSunrise=(0.0...1.0)
AmountDay=(0.0...1.0)
AmountSunset=(0.0...1.0)
AmountNight=(0.0...1.0)
AmountInteriorDay=(0.0...1.0)
AmountInteriorNight=(0.0...1.0)

The following parameters determine how much blue coloring to add to objects affected by Bloom. The settings are from 0.0 to 10.0, but going below 1.0 will remove most blue color from Bloom. If using an ENB Profile then it is recommended to not change these settings.

BlueShiftAmountSunrise=(0.0...10.0)
BlueShiftAmountDay=(0.0...10.0)
BlueShiftAmountSunset=(0.0...10.0)
BlueShiftAmountNight=(0.0...10.0)
BlueShiftAmountInteriorDay=(0.0...10.0)
BlueShiftAmountInteriorNight=(0.0...10.0)

Editing Camera Effects

These setting will adjust the amount of lens effects added, and will trigger when looking at a bright surface, like the sun. This section will not do anything if there is no Bloom added or if it is disabled.

The following parameters determine the intensity of the lens effects when looking at bright surfaces. The settings go from 0.0 to 10.0. If using an ENB Profile then it is recommended to not change these settings.

LenzReflectionIntensitySunrise=(0.0...1.0)
LenzReflectionIntensityDay=(0.0...1.0)
LenzReflectionIntensitySunset=(0.0...1.0)
LenzReflectionIntensityNight=(0.0...1.0)
LenzReflectionIntensityInteriorDay=(0.0...1.0)
LenzReflectionIntensityInteriorNight=(0.0...1.0)

This is the sensitivity of the lens effect where higher values create lens reflections only for bright light sources. Values lower than 1 will generate reflections. The settings go from 0.5 to 10.0. If using an ENB Profile then it is recommended to not change these settings.

LenzReflectionPowerSunrise=(0.0...10.0)
LenzReflectionPowerDay=(0.0...10.0)
LenzReflectionPowerSunset=(0.0...10.0)
LenzReflectionPowerNight=(0.0...10.0)
LenzReflectionPowerInteriorDay=(0.0...10.0)
LenzReflectionPowerInteriorNight=(0.0...10.0)

Adjusting the SSAO Quality

You can adjust the quality of SSAO in the [SSOA_SSIL] section of the file. Screen resolution has a direct effect on SSAO performance; the higher the resolution, the slower the SSAO performance is.

This setting will turn on Indirect Lighting which will offset the amount of AO applied to the scene. It will counter the effects of AOamount below that can darken shadows to much.

UseIndirectLighting=(false, true)

This value helps to slightly add indirect lighting correctness. Better performance with this set to "false" without a noticeable difference to indirect lighting correctness. This is recommended to be false, or left to the value or the ENB Profile in use.

UseComplexIndirectLighting=(false, true)

This setting enables more detailed AO, and will place AO better into the scene. This is less of a performance hit than ComplexIL.

UseComplexAmbientOcclusion=(false, true)

This setting will enable an extension of Indirect Lighting, so that Indirect Lighting can be added to new places in the scene.

UseAmbientIndirectLighting=(false, true)

Modifying this parameter will adjust the quality of SSAO. -1 is the extreme quality and 2 is the lowest. Recommended setting is either 0 or 1. Using 2 can cause issues with AO and Indirect Lighting with a loss of definition.

SamplingQuality=(-1, 1, 0, 2)

This parameter is similar to the above in terms of quality. -1 is the extreme quality and 2 is the lowest. Recommended setting is either 0 or 1. This is main control for the SSAO/SSIL effect and should be changed last since it has minimal impact on performance.

SamplingPrecision=(-1, 1, 0, 2)

This parameter will expand the radius of the SSAO/SSIL effect. Higher values can cause an aura that is noticeable in lit places like dungeons and caves. Recommended to be set lower than 1.0.

SamplingRange=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter is the SSAO fading fog range to see the effect on objects which is difficult to see through fog. This will limit the range AO effect goes through fog, since seeing the effect is difficult. Increasing the parameter will remove SSAO from fog while lowering the value will render the effect farther into fog.

FadeFogRange=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter determines the size of the SSAO texture at which the effect is rendered relative to screen resolution. A value above 1.0 will render for sizes bigger than screen resolution, and it is important to note that the number is not linear. Any change is measured exponentially, so 1.1 is twice as slow in performance than 1.0.

SizeScale=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter determines the resolution of textures that SSAO effect reads data. Using 0.5 to 1.0 is better for low resolution display mode. There is no cache for texture reads, so this setting should not be set above 1.0.

SourceTexturesScale=(0.0...1.0)

This setting reduces the noise generated by SSAO, and can bet set to -1, 0, 1, and 2. -1 is the higher quality and 2 is the highest performance.

FilterQuality=(-1, 0, 1, 2)

This setting determines which type of filter is used for the SSAO effect. There are five types with 0 being the highest quality and 4 being from older versions of ENB's SSAO.

FilterType=(0, 1, 2, 3, 4)

This parameter determines how much darkening will take place between a shadow and it's source.

AOAmount=(0.0...10.0)

AOAmountInterior=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter will increase the amount of Indirect Lighting around shadows.

ILAmount=(0.0...10.0)

ILAmountInterior=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter determines the intensity of the AO in a scene. If using a high value for AOAmount, this can be set lower to avoid having overly dark spots in the scene.

AOIntensity=(0.0...10.0)

AOIntensityInterior=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter changes the ssao type being used. This should be left up to the ENB Profile author. Change between 0, 1, and 2.

AOType=(0, 1, 2)

This parameter affects the ambient color of a scene, much like SkyLighting effect. 0 uses the the color factor to decrease effect on bright surfaces, like snow. That is only difference between 0 and 1. 2 and 3 do modulation but produces less realistic effect. 2 uses the color factor to decrease effect on bright surfaces. That is the only difference between 2 and 3. 2 through 7 are mostly like the AO in other games or Nvidia AO and become less apparent while in use going from 2 to 7.

AOMixingType=(0...7)

AOMixingTypeInterior=(0...7)

This setting uses the old SSAO from ENB v0.119 and does not include support for Complex AO and Complex Indirect Lighting from the settings above.

UseOldType=(false, true)

Editing SkyLighting

This section is for creating more depth in shadows. Skylighting is an effect that makes shadows darker at the center of the shadow where less light would reach, and the shadows are less dark farther from the center. There is a bug with Skylighting that can occur depending on overall lighting settings that appear when moving the camera view at certain angles. viewing angle.

This setting is the overall quality of Skylighting, either 0, 1, and 2. 0 is the highest quality, and 2 is the highest performance.

Quality=(0, 1, 2)

This setting is the quality of the effect on the texture, either 0, 1, and 2. 0 is the highest quality, and 2 is the highest performance.

FilterQuality=(0, 1, 2)

These parameters determine the strength of the Skylighting effect with higher values causing brighter effects. By setting these to 1.0 will make Skylighting appear to be completely disabled.

AmbientMinLevelSunrise=(0.0...1.0)
AmbientMinLevelDay=(0.0...1.0)
AmbientMinLevelSunset=(0.0...1.0)
AmbientMinLevelNight=(0.0...1.0)
AmbientMinLevelInteriorDay=(0.0...1.0)
AmbientMinLevelInteriorNight=(0.0...1.0)

Editing Vegetation SSS

The [VEGETATION] section will apply Subsurface Scattering to plants and grass, plus other vegetation. This does not affect every single type of plant life in Skyrim.

These parameters will make vegetation brighter and bring out more color in plants, like trees and grass.

SubSurfaceScatteringMultiplierSunrise=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringMultiplierDay=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringMultiplierSunset=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringMultiplierNight=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringMultiplierInteriorDay=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringMultiplierInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will make vegetation darker and reduce the vibrancy of the colors in plants, like trees and grass.

SubSurfaceScatteringPowerSunrise=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringPowerDay=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringPowerSunset=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringPowerNight=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringPowerInteriorDay=(0.0... )
SubSurfaceScatteringPowerInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Lightsprite

This section will increase or decrease the glow from light sources like fireplaces, torches, and candles. The effect will only work on objects that have the proper effect added in game.

These parameters will affect how intense the glow from the fireplaces torches, and candles appears in game.

IntensitySunrise=(0.0... )
IntensityDay=(0.0... )
IntensitySunset=(0.0... )
IntensityNight=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorDay=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will place a curve on how high the glow will scale from fireplaces, torches and candles by adjusting the contrast.

CurveSunrise=(0.0... )
CurveDay=(0.0... )
CurveSunset=(0.0... )
CurveNight=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorDay=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Window Light

This section will change the windows in game adjusting the brightness which will affect the point lighting of the scene.

These parameters will affect the brightness of the windows.

IntensitySunrise=(0.0... )
IntensityDay=(0.0... )
IntensitySunset=(0.0... )
IntensityNight=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorDay=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will affect the contrast of the windows.

CurveSunrise=(0.0... )
CurveDay=(0.0... )
CurveSunset=(0.0... )
CurveNight=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorDay=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Fog

The [VOLUMETRICFOG] section will affect the fog that appears in exteriors in the mountains around Skyrim. There is a few interiors with fog placed in them as well, but not every interior will affected by these parameters.

These parameters will affect the brightness of the fog. Setting these to 2.0 or higher will make the fog appear as thick as clouds and high curve values will be needed to reduce this effect.

IntensitySunrise=(0.0... )
IntensityDay=(0.0... )
IntensitySunset=(0.0... )
IntensityNight=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorDay=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will affect the contrast of the fog.

CurveSunrise=(0.0... )
CurveDay=(0.0... )
CurveSunset=(0.0... )
CurveNight=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorDay=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters affect the fog sprite and will cause fog clouds to drawl light from the surrounding area with higher values.

LightingInfluenceSunrise=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceDay=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceSunset=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceNight=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceInteriorDay=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Fire

This section will change the effects of fire from both fire sources and fire spells. The water foam and draugr eyes are also effected by this section.

These parameters will change the brightness and saturation of the in game fire. High values for these parameters can cause fire to become overly bright and higher curve values will be needed to compensate.

IntensitySunrise=(0.0... )
IntensityDay=(0.0... )
IntensitySunset=(0.0... )
IntensityNight=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorDay=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will change the brightness and saturation of the in game fire. Higher curve values are needed if using high intensity values.

CurveSunrise=(0.0... )
CurveDay=(0.0... )
CurveSunset=(0.0... )
CurveNight=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorDay=(0.0... )
CurveInteriorNight=(0.0... )

This setting will make fire even more bright and appear like white light if higher intensity values are used. Setting this to "false" will help with fire spells that give off light.

AdditiveBlending=(false, true)

Editing Particles

This section will affect the fog or mist in dungeons and around marshes, the blowing snow, and water foam. For this section to work correctly it is highly recommended that Mindflux's Particle Patch for ENB is used.

These parameters will add brightness and saturation to water foam, fog, mist, and blowing snow.

IntensitySunrise=(0.0... )
IntensityDay=(0.0... )
IntensitySunset=(0.0... )
IntensityNight=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorDay=(0.0... )
IntensityInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will help blend the ambient colors of the scene in with the particles. If using high intensity values these parameters will help compensate.

LightingInfluenceSunrise=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceDay=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceSunset=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceNight=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceInteriorDay=(0.0... )
LightingInfluenceInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Color Correction

The [COLORCORRECTION] section will allow a color gradient to used to blend over the scene. This can be any color used from an included bmp image. Before adjusting the Brightness or Gamma settings it is recommended to do monitor calibration.

This setting determines whether the included color palette image is used.

UsePaletteTexture=(false, true)

These parameter will adjust the brightness and gamma of the color correction. This can help if users are using different in game brightness settings and need to tweak for preference.

Brightness=(0.0...10.0)
GammaCurve=(0.0...10.0)

Editing Depth of Field

Depth of Field (DoF) is an effect that allows the scene to be focused on the center of the screen to mimic the way a camera or human eye might view the scene. Most ENB Profiles will use only one DoF algorithm and make it an option that can be turned on or off, so check with the Profile author. The most common algorithm is Matso's Fast DoF.

This setting is the quality of the DoF effect if it is setup to do so in the enbeffectprepss.fx file. The different quality settings will depend on the DoF implemented, so check with the Profile author if modifying this setting. Lower values are higher quality and higher values are higher performance.

Quality=(0...2)

This parameter will affect the speed that DoF focuses while looking from one place to another.

FadeTime=(0.0...10.0)

Editing Shadows

This section will change the quality and casting of shadows in Skyrim by adding effects and allowing shadows to be cast everywhere. Some of these settings are just fixes, while a few are quality enhancements.

This setting will make Skyrim cast shadows in places that shadows should be showing, or just allowing shadows to be cast everywhere in game.

ShadowCastersFix=(false, true)

This setting increases the size of shadows and then blurs the edges to improve the quality.

ShadowQualityFix=(false, true)

This setting smooths out hard edges of shadows without trying to blur the shadows to obtain smoothness.

UseBilateralShadowFilter=(flase, true)

This setting is for the overall quality of the detailed shadows, can be set to 0, 1, or 2. 0 is the higher quality while 2 is the highest performance.

DetailedShadowQuality=(0, 1, 2)

This setting will decrease the amount of noise from shadows, and helps even more if the ShadowBlurRange below has a high value. The settings are 0, 1, and 2, with 0 being the highest quality and 2 being the highest performance.

ShadowFilterQuality=(0, 1, 2)

This parameter will blur the edges of shadows. Using lower values will keep the shadows very sharp while higher values with blur the shadows a bit. Using a higher value is good if overall shadow quality is set lower to hide some of the shadow pixelation and noise, but make it to high and the shadows will become washed out.

ShadowBlurRange=(0.0...10.0)

Editing Sun Rays

The [RAYS] section is a set of multipliers that are affected by the SunIntensity, SunDesaturation, and SunColorFilter values from the [Sky] section above. If the sun is to bright or not bright enough then these parameters can affect the amount of sun rays added to the scene by using a multiplier, or the SunIntensity setting can be changed before applying these multipliers.

SunRaysMultiplierSunrise=(0.0... )
SunRaysMultiplierDay=(0.0... )
SunRaysMultiplierSunset=(0.0... )
SunRaysMultiplierNight=(0.0... )
SunRaysMultiplierInteriorDay=(0.0... )
SunRaysMultiplierInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Reflections

The following section will add reflections to surfaces and adjust reflections effects from the blur to Supersampling AA of reflections. Many of these settings are going to be balanced for the ENB Profile in use, so changing these settings may change the look of reflections in game. This section is also quite performance heavy.

This setting is for the quality of the reflection effects, by choosing either 0, 1, or 2. 0 is the highest quality and 2 is the highest performance.

Quality=(0, 1, 2)

This setting will reduce the noise of the reflections in the scene, by choosing either 0, 1, or 2. 0 is the highest quality and 2 is the highest performance.

FilterQuality=(0, 1, 2)

This parameter will blur the reflections to reduce the noise generated by the them.

FilterBluriness=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter will scale the size of the reflection textures relative to the screen resolution.

SizeScale=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter affects the resolution of textures that the reflections will draw data from. Do not set this number above 1.0.

SourceTexturesScale=(0.0...1.0)

This parameter will determine how much reflection to add to the scene in game.

Amount=(0.0...10.0)

This parameter acts like the above by adding refections to the scene in game.

Power=(0.0...10.0)

These two parameters are how much reflection is blurred depending on the distance of reflected vector, looks similar to soft shadows, but to simulate reflections of roughness. These will produce blurry reflections, but are less noisy if the max parameter is closer to "1.0".

GlosinessMin=(0.0...10.0)
GlosinessMax=(0.0...10.0)

This setting will remove noise and increase quality of reflections with minimal performance cost. Recommended to be "true".

EnableDenoiser=(false, true)

This setting will remove noisy reflections based on the SizeScale and if reflection filter is enabled. There are four types and ENB Profile authors have probably tested which is best for the profile, so it not recommended to be changed from its default.

DenoiserType=(0, 1, 2, 3)

This setting activates x4 supersampling for reflections, but performance is 4 times slower. This setting is dependent on SizeScale as well, so it recommended to be used with caution. This is a very performance heavy setting, so it is recommended to use with caution.

EnableSupersampling=(false, true)

These parameters will enable the effects for interiors and exteriors for further customization. Exteriors are more demanding than interiors, so exterior reflections will affect performance more heavily.

ExteriorEnable=(false, true)
InteriorEnable=(false, true)

Editing Imagebased Lighting

This section will effect the Imagebased Lighting (IBL), both the vanilla IBL values and added IBL as well. The additive parameters will add IBL to the in game scene, while the multiplicative parameters will multiply the vanilla IBL.

These parameters will add in more IBL to the scene. These have a much stronger effect than the multiplicative parameters below. Adding to much IBL will wash out the scene.

AdditiveAmountSunrise=(0.0... )
AdditiveAmountDay=(0.0... )
AdditiveAmountSunset=(0.0... )
AdditiveAmountNight=(0.0... )
AdditiveAmountInteriorDay=(0.0... )
AdditiveAmountInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters will multiply the vanilla IBL values and more subtle than the above parameters. These are calculated from the in game weather ambient color.

MultiplicativeAmountSunrise=(0.0... )
MultiplicativeAmountDay=(0.0... )
MultiplicativeAmountSunset=(0.0... )
MultiplicativeAmountNight=(0.0... )
MultiplicativeAmountInteriorDay=(0.0... )
MultiplicativeAmountInteriorNight=(0.0... )

These parameters add in IBL reflections to the scene.

ReflectiveAmountSunrise=(0.0... )
ReflectiveAmountDay=(0.0... )
ReflectiveAmountSunset=(0.0... )
ReflectiveAmountNight=(0.0... )
ReflectiveAmountInteriorDay=(0.0... )
ReflectiveAmountInteriorNight=(0.0... )

Editing Rain

This setting will enable the use of ENB Series rain effect and disable the vanilla rain in Skyrim. A custom raindrop texture is needed for this to work, so it set to "true" there needs to a tga texture included with the ENB Profile in use.

Enable=(false, true)

This setting will apply antialiasing to raindrops. Only works on ENB raindrops.

EnableAntialiasing=(false, true)

This enables SuperSampling AA on the raindrops, and is more performance heavy than the above AA. Only works on ENB raindrops.

EnableSupersampling=(false, true)

This parameter will stretch out the ENB raindrops texture to increase or decrease the length of the raindrop.

MotionStretch=(0.0... )

This parameter will set how transparent the raindrops will be in game. Setting this value to high will cause the raindrops to be invisible.

MotionTransparency=(0.0... )

Editing Subsurface Scattering

Subsurface scattering (SSS) is an effect to give transparent objects, like skin or candle wax, a more transparent look. Light can pass through objects to light the back side or return to the surface to help give off a glow, much like a glowing candle. If using a specific ENB Profile then it is not recommended to change these values because the profile author may have already balanced these setting to look best with the ENB settings.

This setting determines the overall performance of SSS. This parameter is not working yet, as of ENB Series v0.220, so leave it set at 0.

Quality=(0, 1, 2)

This determines the distance at which SSS starts to show up on characters and objects that use it. This should be left where the ENB Profile has it set, since the author has it balanced accordingly.

Radius=(0.0... )

This parameter is the actual amount of SSS that is calculated in game. Raising this number above "1.0" is not recommended, and may look bad in game causing neck seem issues.

Amount=(0.0... )

The parameter is light upper layer use, mimicking the upper layers of skin having brighter semi-transparency and it differs from lower skin layers that have blood and flesh underneath. Not used by objects like wax candles or milk.

EpidermalAmount=(0.0... )

This parameter is the type translucency that a material has to light, to simulate light passing through a transparent or semitransparent object.

SubdermalAmount=(0.0... )

Both the next two parameter work the same by applying saturation to the diffuse texture of the models. Normal skin color will turn to red, and it is recommended to only use SubdermalDiffuseSaturation as it fits better with skin lighting.

EpidermalDiffuseSaturation=(0.0... )
SubdermalDiffuseSaturation=(0.0... )

This parameter is how SSS is blended with vanilla skin and subdermal lighting. Epidermal lighting is applied after the subdermal lighting, so these values tend to be more than the epidermal values.

EpidermalMix=(0.0... )

This parameter does not work like the above EpidermalMix, instead low values here let light go through objects to be lit only on back side. Higher values will return more light back to the surface of the object, and gives skin less realistic look. Recommended to keep this setting low and compensate with SubdermalAmount.

SubdermalMix=(0.0... )

[edit]

Editing the Enblocal INI

The Enblocal.ini is now the location of the proxy library, memory reduction feature, fps limiter, anisotropic filtering, and borderless window settings. Not every line in the enblocal.ini will be described here, but this will mention many of the more important ones, like memory reduction and proxy libraries.

Using a Proxy

The [PROXY] section of the INI file allows for use of another d3d9.dll file. This enables the ENB to be compatible with other processors such as FXAA, SMAA, and SweetFX. The following is an explanation of the [PROXY] settings:

This will either enable or disable the use of the proxy. Unless using a separate processor in combination with ENB, this setting should remain as "false".

EnableProxyLibrary=(false, true)

This attaches drawing functions to the proxy library. Set this to "false" only if the second .dll is not hooking rendering functions and just needs to be injected in to game process. (i.e. bug fixes or process memory patchers). If using the proxy option, most d3d9.dll files will need this option set to "true".

InitProxyFunctions=(false, true)

This is the name or full path to the proxy library to be loaded (second d3d9.dll file). The name or path can not contain unicode symbols. For the majority of situations simply include the name because the two d3d9.dll files will be located in the root Skyrim folder.

ProxyLibrary=other_d3d9.dll

Full Example:

[PROXY]
EnableProxyLibrary=true
InitProxyFunctions=true
ProxyLibrary=smaa_d3d9.dll

Global

These [GLOBAL] settings rarely need to be changed unless using an external file to store parameters or to turn on/off the graphic modification provided by ENB.

Use this setting to turn the graphic modifications of ENB on or off. If just using the ENBoost memory reducing features set this to "true" and if using an ENB preset set to "false".

UsePatchSpeedhackWithoutGraphics=(false, true)

This setting will disable SSAO, Image Based Lighting, Reflection and Particle Lights.

UseDefferedRendering=(false, true)

Forces software rendering to take place. It is generally not supported and is recommended to remain set to "false". It was implemented as a fix for AMD users with Patch 1.5, but should now be obsolete. Should not be used with any newer video cards.

ForceFakeVideocard=(false, true)

Performance

This setting was originally implemented to increase performance in some areas and that is all that Boris gave us on this parameter. It is DirectX Optimization code and is recommended to be left true.

SpeedHack=(false, true)

Multihead

These [MULTIHEAD] section settings should normally not be changed. The default settings normally work for all systems.

If set to "true", the ENB ignores the default video adapter output and uses the card selected by the VideoAdapterIndex parameter below. This allows use of multiple monitors and other uses with multiple video card systems.

ForceVideoAdapterIndex=(false, true)

This sets which video adapter that will be used for rendering via index numbers. Useful for multiple card systems. The default adapter is '0'.

VideoAdapterIndex=(0..6)

Memory

ENb now has memory reducing features added that can significantly reduce CTDs caused by hitting Skyrim's memory limit.

The [MEMORY] section settings may need to be changed depending on the hardware available. It is a good idea to use the site on the Installation section for the correct settings. ENBoost which is the new memory reduction feature depends heavily on these settings to work ingame.

Fix for game engine buffer limitations; allows 64-bit systems to access 3-4GB RAM with optimized performance. Can generally be left true even for 32-bit systems. If using a 32-bit system and having problems test as false.

ExpandSystemMemoryX64=(false, true)

This setting is to enable the ENBoost features of ENB to dramatically reduce CTDs. It is highly recommended to use with ENB Series.

ReduceSystemMemoryUsage=(false, true)

Reduce chance of CTD or low performance due to bad video drivers, however with good drivers leaving as "false" can be optimal. When "true", bad drivers can cause lower performance or pauses where they would normally just CTD if "false". Reported to help AMD users. If experiencing CTD even while above setting is set "true", try setting this to "true". If having lag or long pauses, try "false".

DisableDriverMemoryManager=(false, true)

When set "true" can give faster cell load times as geometry/textures are not loaded into video memory until visible. May cause stutter as more data must be dynamically loaded into memory "on-demand" as player looks and moves around. If having long cell load times it is recommended instead to first try using the "free VRAM" key (needs to be set in "enblocal.ini") to clear VRAM before entering a new location, or fast traveling, instead to clear video memory prior to load. Can have a similar benefit without the stutter.

DisablePreloadToVRAM=(false, true)

Workaround mode for users experiencing large amount of stutter, typically systems with large amount of VRAM (4GB+) or for 32-bit systems with 4GB+ RAM. For testing only, unless ENBoost utility recommends setting it "true" for hardware being used. Does not use memory reallocation, compression, or enbhost.exe. Only works when ReduceSystemMemoryUsage=true. Alt+tab will not work in fullscreen when this is true.

EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=(false, true)

Buffer for memory/VRAM swap. Generally, smaller equals less RAM use or CTD, larger equals less stutter in heavy areas with many mods or high ugrids value.

For video cards with 2GB or more VRAM, 512 is a good baseline. For less VRAM, 256 can work better, but needs testing.

ReservedMemorySizeMb=(256,512,1024)

This setting should be set according to the available VRAM. Refer to the values on the Installation tab for settings and additional information.

VideoMemorySizeMb=(512,1024,...6144)

This setting will allow for more compression in system RAM by having more textures moved into VRAM. This can reduce stutter, but will cost much more VRAM. It is not recommenced to be set "true" if already near VRAM limit and be "false" if there is VRAM to spare.

EnableCompression=(false, true)

Window

This section is used to enable borderless window with Skyrim. This can also enable the use of Alt-Tab to run Skyrim in the background, only if EnableUnsafeMemoryHacks=false in the [MEMORY] section in fullscreen.

When enabled this setting removes the border lines of the game window while in windowed mode.

ForceBorderless=(false, true)

This setting will remove the border line of the game window when game is set to fullscreen mode. This is best used for down sampling.

ForceBorderlessFullscreen=(false, true)

Game Engine

The settings in the [ENGINE] section deal with game engine edits. It is noted by Boris that it is best to force anisotropic filtering here instead of in the video card settings. His reasoning behind this is because if forced through video card setting, the filtering will be applied to all textures and some textures should not be filtered; filtering these textures could cause issues with SSAO and parallax. Forcing filter through the ENB; however, skips these textures which should not be filtered. (This theory has not been tested by STEP.) Template:Notice Small

This will force anisotropic filtering for all textures with a linear filtering type. Textures which should not have anisotropic filtering are not changed.

ForceAnisotropicFiltering=(false, true)

This is the level of anisotropy filtering. The values are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16; higher values provide better quality.

MaxAnisotropy=(1..16)

This will enable vsync which is recommenced to always remain active because the Creation engine will have physics issues when over 60 FPS.

EnableVSync=(false, true)

This setting allows downsampling to be used without forcing it through graphics driver. It is recommended to be left false and only to be used by advanced users.

AddDisplaySuperSamplingResolutions=(false, true)

Setting the FPS Limiter

The limiter included in the ENBSeries is a frames per second (FPS) limiter. This will limit or cap the upper FPS limit to a specified number. This is useful to control some performance issues such as lagging, crashes, freezes, and physics issues which are present at high frame rates. This feature can be turned on and off by pressing and holding the Shift key and then pressing the Home key. It should be noted, enabling the limiter could increase load times.

If enabled (true), each frame will wait until the GPU is finished drawing. This is not recommended for performance reasons; however, may fix some of the issues mentioned above. It is the same effect as setting maximal pre-rendered frames to 0 in the video card settings.

WaitBusyRenderer=(false, true)

When set to true it will enable the FPS Limiter feature.

EnableFPSLimit=(false, true)

This is the value in frames per seconds (FPS) at which the upper FPS will be limited to.

FPSLimit=40.0

Changing the Input Key Bindings

In the [INPUT] section you can change the key bindings for the features included in the ENBSeries.

By default, this is the Backspace key. This will reload the configuration file and shaders to view changes made without having to restart the game.

KeyReadConfig=8

By default, this is the Shift key. It is the primary key pressed and held for key combinations.

KeyCombination=16

By default, this is the F12 key. This will turn the ENB effects on and off. This must be pressed together with KeyCombination key (Shift+F12 by default).

KeyUseEffect=123

By default, this is the Home key. This turns the FPS Limiter on and off. This must be pressed together with the KeyCombinaton key (Shift+Home by default).

KeyFPSLimit=36

By default, this is the * key on the number pad. This displays real-time frame rate in the upper right corner in the game. Set to 0 to disable.

KeyShowFPS=106

By default, this is the Insert key; however, the Prt Sc (Print Screen) key also works. This captures a screenshot to a BMP and/or PNG file in the same folder where ENBSeries is installed.

KeyScreenshot=45

By default, this is the Enter key. This will open up the in game GUI when pressing SHIFT+ENTER.

KeyEditor=13

By default, the FreeVRAM function is assigned to f4. This will clear VRAM in use to help not hitting VRAM limit.

KeyFreeVRAM=115

Adaptive Quality

The [ADAPTIVEQUALITY] section allows resource hungry graphical features to be turned off on demand to maintain a minimum FPS. It requires the proper code to exist in the .fx files. Probably best when added to enbeffectprepass.fx because it has the most demanding effects code.

Enable=(false, true)

This is the quality of the effect. It can be set to 0, 1, and 2, where 0 is highest quality and 2 is the highest performance.

Quality=(0, 1, 2)

This setting is the minimum FPS that is allowed, so features will start to turn off to stay above this threshold.

DesiredFPS=

Antialiasing

This will enable or disable four of the ENB's AA solutions. All four can be used together since Boris has taken great care to balance them. It is also possible to these a with SMAA injector, though using Temporal AA and Edge AA together can cause some blurriness around tree branches.

The EdgeAA solution is excellent for low-end systems because the performance impact is very small; however, it does come with some blurriness. Mid to High-end systems may find SMAA a better, higher quality solution for EdgeAA, but can still use TemporalAA and SubPixelAA.

EnableEdgeAA=(false,true)

The TemporalAA setting no longer requires a helper mod, as of ENB v0.213. This is excellent for screenshots at removing jaggies and may not be preferable for general use because it can cause doubling on high motion objects, but that is slightly noticeable.

EnableTemporalAA=(false, true)

This setting will enable SubPixalAA on specular reflections and should only cause a minimal performance impact. This setting recommended to be "true".

EnableSubPixelAA=(false, true)

Set true to use TransparencyAA, for probably the best quality reduction of jagged edges on things like grass and hair. TransparencyAA was only available through driver at a minimal cost, but it would disable deferred rendering that is required for some ENB effects. Now it can be enabled here without disabling deferred rendering, but the reduction in performance may be substantial. Only recommended for high end systems.

EnableTransparencyAA=(false, true)

Game Fixes

The following are fixes for several issues introduced by the ENB or other aspects of the game/hardware. These settings should not normally be changed.

Allows the ENB to fix game related issues and errors. It is generally not needed.

FixGameBugs=(false, true)

This fixes parallax texture rendering issues by changing the shader used on those textures so the effects are rendered correctly. Was implemented as a fix for NVIDIA users, but is generally not needed anymore. Use it if you are having issues with parallax texture; else, leave it set to "false".

FixParallaxBugs=(false, true)

This setting helps reduce aliasing of snow on mountains and other similar objects. It is recommended to be "true".

FixAliasedTextures=(false, true)

Tells the ENB to ignore rendering on loading screens. This speeds up loading and prevents issues related to loading screens. Recommended setting is "true".

IgnoreLoadingScreen=(false, true)

Same as above, but tells the ENB to ignore rendering on the inventory screen. Recommended setting is "true".

IgnoreInventory=(false, true)

This setting fixes the a water transparency issue that can occur with SSAO, sometimes making some water textures to appear black. Recommended setting is "true".

FixSsaoWaterTransparency=(false, true)

The setting fixes transparent objects like hair and eyebrows that computed for SSAO/SSIL reflections. Recommended setting is "true".

FixSsaoHairTransparency=(false, true)

The setting is a fix for the small color differences in the parts of models. If this setting is "true" and ColorPow parameter is greater than "1.0" the differences are more noticeable.

FixTintGamma=(false, true)

This setting will remove Skyrim's static Depth of Field that is used when some weathers are active to blur distance landscapes.

RemoveBlur=(false, true)

This setting will fix the issues with Subsurface Scattering for interiors and exteriors, and will prevent pixelated edges on the characters and objects. Recommended to be set to "true".

FixSubSurfaceScattering=(false, true)

[edit]

General

So you've used ENBs for a while now, found your favorite one and are happy with it. But there are one or two small things that annoy you about it. You've come to the right place to get you started on fixing those small things.

Below, advanced editing of the enbseries.ini file is covered. The intent is not to teach you how to create ENB presets, but rather how to do some advanced tweaking to the ENB. Think of it as a "getting started" guide to point you in the right direction. Most sections below the [ANTIALIASING] section will be described and summarized. These are the sections of the enbseries.ini file that define how the effects are rendered among other aspects of the ENB.

It is HIGHLY recommended you back up your enbseries.ini file before continuing! Users that are not familiar with ENBs, should not edit these settings until some experienced is gained.

Coming Soon

[edit]

Performance Tips

While ENB does greatly enhance your game, these additional effects also take a toll on performance. How much of an FPS decrease you will experience depends on your system specs, INIs, texture mods, and a host of other variables. This is why it is virtually impossible to estimate how much any ENB will affect you personally. That being said, there are some things you can do to improve your performance.

First and foremost it is important to keep your PC in top gaming condition. Like anything else, if you take care of it, then it will take care of you. Some simple ways to do this:

• Make sure that you defragment your hard drive, unless it's an SSD (These should NEVER be defragmented). Not only will this help improve performance with gaming, but can also decrease load times in other applications. Although Windows comes with a simple defragging program, STEP recommends either Auslogics Disk Defrag or Puran Defrag Free Edition. If using Auslogics, use the "Defrag & Optimize" option. Defragment your hard drive at least once a month.

• Disable all unnecessary programs running in the background while gaming in order to free up more resources. Anti-virus programs are especially resource intensive and aren't needed while playing. Some anti-virus software have a "Gaming Mode" or something similar; check the options menu. If you disable your anti-virus program while gaming remember to enable it again when you finish.

• Keep Steam in offline mode. This is just one more thing depleting your resources that really isn't needed.

• There are also a few fairly good "booster" programs that help some gamers. One recommended booster is Razer Game Booster which is free from Razor. If you do choose to use one of these, do some research first and know what you're doing. This is a good policy for anything, including mods.

• Your GPU settings play a tremendous role in determining quality and performance. Striking the right balance in these settings is essential in achieving a beautiful game with smooth, playable frame rates. Use the guides for your card (nVidia or ATi) provided in the STEP guide as your starting point. Adjust and test your setting until you achieve the right balance with smooth game-play.

• Be realistic with your INI settings. Over-tweaking can and will cause performance issues if your system is not capable of handling the additional strain.

• High resolution texture mods also affect your performance. Careful consideration and experimentation should be used when adding these with ENB in order to find the right balance of quality and performance that best fits your system.

• Some of the more FPS-intensive effects can also be disabled in "ENBSeries.ini" to improve performance at the cost of some quality. Instructions on how to disable these effects can be found in the Configuration section of this guide.

If after following these performance tips you are still unable to achieve playable frame rates, your system may not be capable of running ENB. At this point you may wish to consider not using an ENB or upgrading your PC to the right performance levels.

Shadow Striping

One of the great things about ENBs is that they usually fix shadow striping; however, some configurations don't get it quite right and some striping can remain. In the screenshots below it's hard to tell from their reduced size in the gallery, but if you'll notice the fuzziness along the edges of the shadows and the lines across some of the textures; this is shadow striping.

Figure 1. Shadow Striping

Figure 2. Shadow Striping

(click on the image to open the gallery, then right click on image and click "View Image" to be able to see it in full size and the full effect)

To fix this adjust the iBlurDeferredShadowMask parameter in your SkyrimPrefs.ini file. It should already be set to "3" from the STEP Installation Guide. You can adjust this setting from 0-7. If you find you have striping, increase this parameter's value by one (up to 4 from 3), save your ini, and test the new setting in-game. Continue to repeat this process until your shadow striping is gone.

If the above is not helping enough or making the shadows too blurry, adjusting the fShadowDistance parameter may help. This is the distance at which shadows are drawn from the object. Decreasing this will make these shadows less elongated and help to eliminate striping at lower iBlurDeferredShadowMask values.

AMD/ATI Users

Set the following in "ENBSeries.ini".

In the [FIX] section:

The following tweaks should only be used for pre version 113 configurations.

ForceFakeVideocard=true

In the [SHADOW] section:

UseBilateralShadowFilter=false

• SSAA is not recommended for use with ENB, unless you have an AMD 7870 or above. If using a less powerful GPU, SMAA is the better option.

• When updating drivers be sure to uninstall your current drivers before installing your new drivers. It is also not recommended to use Beta drivers. The current stable drivers can be found here.

• If you must use anisotropic filtering (AF), then either ENB-enabled or CCC-enabled is fine, but this depends entirely on the capability of your CPU since Skyrim is more CPU-intensive than GPU. ENB-enabled is better, but up to 8x is recommended unless you have at least 2GB of VRAM (generally the 69xx, 78xx, and 79xx series).

Possible Crossfire Fix

Please apply the following process to ensure Crossfire compatibility:

1. Right-click on your desktop and open the Catalyst Control Center.
2. Enter the 3D Applications Profiles.
3. Choose "Use AMD Pre-defined profile" in the list at the bottom
4. Select the "Assassin's Creed Brotherhood profile" (acp?b.exe)
5. Go back to the top, select "New application" and press the "Save" button.
6. Choose the "TESV.exe" application (in the root Skyrim folder) when the browser window pops up.
7. Answer "Yes" when CCC asks if you want to override the default TESV profile.

For users using 13.x drivers

1. Open up the AMD Vision Engine Control Center (or the Catalyst Control Center).
2. Make sure your are in Advanced View mode by clicking Preferences.
3. Select "Gaming" and choose "3D Applications Profiles".
4. Select "Add" and browse to and select "TESV.exe".
5. "TESV.exe" should now show up on that page. Select it and scroll down to "CrossfireX Mode"
6. Select "Use AMD Pre-defined profile" and locate the "Assassin's Creed Brotherhood profile" (acp?b.exe)
7. Overwrite the default profile when prompted.

Disable ENB In-game

A common issue with DOF is that it is difficult to see your character while in the creation menu. There is a very simple solution for this. While playing, just press Shift+F12 to disable ENB. This can be quite useful when creating your character or modifying it later via the showracemenu console command. When finished, just press Shift+F12 again to enable ENB.

Long Loading Times

Some people may experience long loading times while using ENB. An easy way to greatly decrease your wait is by pressing Shift+F12 before or just after entering the loading screen to disable ENB. When the screen is loaded press Shift+F12 again to enable ENB.

Although this still works, it's and old trick for those with v0.119 or older. On newer ENBSeries versions, simply edit the enbseries.ini file; setting the IgnoreLoadingScreen parameter under [FIX] to true. Now never worry about this again.