13 replies to this topic

[BlueSteelRanger]

Salutations, Nexus!

 

Ah, I love being a newbie sometimes -- so many questions. Yes, I come with yet another question attached to a rather...confusing issue.

 

I've seen people use Modders' Resources more than once, and they seem to work out flawlessly. So I thought I'd try one myself. Honestly, the resource I chose is stunningly beautiful, and my brain just went "I MUST USE THIS!"

 

So I get to work, grab the resource (With full intent on proper crediting and everything you SHOULD do when utilizing a resource!), and manage to create the beginnings of a beautiful space in one of my main rooms.

I save frequently, because I am paranoid like that and it's just good practice to save frequently.

 

I open the Kit, mark the relevant files, set my house mod as Active, go through all the proper bits you should......

 

.....and every last scrap of what I had used from the Resource has vanished. Completely. In the render window, there's empty space where there should have been a beautiful wall partition, and throne décor.

In the window detailing which pieces you've used, the proper pieces are gone. Completely.

 

What...is the matter here? Did I overlook something? Or is this one of those "This is a Modder's Resource, so you've got to take special steps to use it" things?

 

I'm quite confused!

 

--BlueSteelRanger

[IsharaMeradin]

A couple approaches could be taken here.

 

Approach one:

Load your mod and the resource mod in the Creation Kit at the same time.  Duplicate resource records you wish to use and then use the duplicates as you see fit.

 

Approach two:

Temporarily make the resource mod a master file by using "esmify" in Wrye Bash.  Then load both your mod and the resource mod in the Creation Kit and use the resource records as you see fit.  Just be sure to "espify" the resource mod when you are finished.

 

Approach three:

Create your own records that utilize the NIF and DDS resources that came with the resource mod.  Then use those records as you see fit.

 

Approach three and approach one have the same end result. The only difference is in how the record forms themselves are obtained.  Approach two ends up requiring the user to download, install and use the mod resource's ESP file as well as yours.  That said, approach one or three would be best.

[BlueSteelRanger]

Ishara,

 

First, thank you for such a swift reply. I do hope your Thanksgiving holiday (if you celebrate it, for I don't know which part of the world you reside) goes well with happiness and a bounty of great food.

 

I apologise for this next, possibly stupid, question. As I mentioned, I am a genuine newbie to this whole thing of modding and creating mods and given that this house mod I'm working on is my first project, I'd prefer to get it right.

 

 

Approach one:

Load your mod and the resource mod in the Creation Kit at the same time.  Duplicate resource records you wish to use and then use the duplicates as you see fit.

 

How would I go about doing this? Where would I place/store said duplicates? Indeed, the resource is not mine and I refuse to rip people off, or require people to "get the extra bits" just to use my mod-in-the-making, with exception to the Bethesda-released DLC's of course.

[IsharaMeradin]

Okay...  Let's see.  An example usually works best.

 

Let us assume that a resource mod consists of several new meshes that are meant to be used as clutter.  One of those meshes is a sliver platter with a bunch of food on it.  You wish to use this silver platter on a table.  The mod resource has a demonstration plugin that shows off all the resources in a test cell.  This would mean that there is a plugin (ESP file) which contains records that utilize the meshes including the silver platter that you want to use.

 

Approach one's method would have you load the ESP file along side your plugin in the Creation Kit.  Your plugin would be the active plugin.  To make the silver platter a part of your mod you would locate the base object record which the silver platter reference in the mod resource's testing cell points to.  Once you locate the base object record, you again have two more options.  Easiest is to right click on the base object and choose duplicate.  The second is to edit the record and change the ID name. 

 

At this point, if you were to save your plugin and reload it without the resource mod you should find the duplicated base object record pointing to the resource mesh.  You can now use the resource in your plugin without requiring the user to download the original resource mod.  Just be sure to include the NIF & DDS files your records point to otherwise the user would need the resource mod.

 

Hopefully this was helpful.

Edited by IsharaMeradin, 28 November 2014 - 02:25 AM.

[BlueSteelRanger]

So, in essence, I would duplicate a piece (AKA that platter) in the far-left window (That window with the entire list of files, objects and things that you can use to make a mod), then change the file-name? (AKA From "silverplatter" to "myplate", or something to that effect?) It sounds as if I'd need to place the duplicated object somewhere, within the Kit? Again I apologise for any lack of understanding.

Using a Modder's resource is quite new to me.

[IsharaMeradin]

Duplicate it on the left in the object window, yes.

Save & reload, that duplicate record is now part of your mod.

Drop a copy of that duplicate record into the render window where you want it. Or use it however you wish to use it.

 

That is all there is to it.  Just make sure that the external files (NIF, DDS, etc) that are associated with that duplicate record are included in your mod.

[BlueSteelRanger]

So there's no special place I need to put the duplicate in? And final query, how does one make sure the NIF and DDS things associated with the duplicate file are included?

[IsharaMeradin]

No special place.  You just duplicate the record so that the new record is in your plugin as opposed to trying to use the plugin from the resource.  It would be similar to using TES5Edit, right clicking on a record in mod A, choosing 'copy as new record', and selecting your plugin as the plugin to copy to.

 

As far as the NIF and DDS files, you simply need to make a note of what external assets the records point to and when you package up your mod make sure they are included in the BSA (if you make one) or zipped up (if supplying loose files).

[BlueSteelRanger]

Ahh. Hmm, I think I've got this right. Thanks!

 

Sorry again for any slowness, or pure dunce on my part. Still new, still learning, all that lovely newbie rot. Thanks again! ::goes to figure this out LOL!::

[BlueSteelRanger]

Hmm. Sorry again for the second call here, Ishara. I do believe I may have missed something.

 

I duplicated the piece I wished to use, gave it a file-name I could easily identify (It asked me "Create New Form?" I said "Yes".)

I then placed the duplicated/renamed piece in, and uninstalled the mod resource (As a test, to see if I'd done everything right).

 

The duplicated/renamed piece definitely now appears in my list of available pieces. But now, in the Object Window (The big gray window where you get to put everything together and see it build up)...there's a big....huge....red....box-thing where the renamed piece should be.

 

I do believe I might have misstepped somewhere. Or missed something.