Creating a custom follower with a custom race

[VictorAlkaiser]

I'm truly at my wit's end here.

 

First, I downloaded the Lunari race mod: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/21602

 

I wanted to make my own custom follower from this mod, thus I scoured the internet for a few tutorials that sadly didn't work for me.

 

First, this one: http://j-u-i-c-e.hub...into-a-Follower

 

It details how to make a custom follower using the "SPF" command ingame to export a character's face, then import it into the CK as a new npc. Everything went well up until the end. I had some problems with the hair, but was able to fix it within the CK itself. I'm also using Extended Slider Colors mod so I can make my custom follower have silvery-bluish skin and white hair. I'll immediately state that the problem is NOT with Extended Slider Colors. Even without using it, the mod failed. But anyway...

 

Made my follower, placed her in The Bannered Mare (Whiterun's tavern), saved, closed the CK, hopped on Skyrim...only to find myself CTD'ing as soon as I try to open the door to the tavern. Tried it again...didn't work. Moved her to another cell...didn't work. Removed Extended Sliders (like I said earlier)...still didn't work.

 

I then tried using an existing mod that added a Lunari follower. Duplicated the follower and remade mine....tried to save and the CK just kept freezing up. Tried it multiple times and it would freeze as soon as I try to save the .esp

 

So then I scoured the internet a bit more, and found this: http://forums.nexusm...ost__p__5115660

 

I grabbed Skyrim NPC Editor. It seemed to work fine made sure the only mods that were activated were those that I needed for the face just as I was told (Basically: Skyrim.esm, Apachihair.esm, LunariRace.esp)

 

But when I tried to change the race to Lunari, I got an error.

 

 

"Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit, the application will close immediately.

 

Object Reference not set to an instance of an object."

 

If I press Continue, none of the changes I do show up on the NPC head I'm trying to edit. Basically stops working.

 

I've currently tried everything I can think of to get this to work, and so far I'm either CTD'ing or everything just simply doesn't work. This seems to be a big problem as well, since there's quite a few threads on multiple forums detailing this exact problem I'm having; only no one answers them.

 

I really hope someone answers this one. Thanks in advance...

[budcat]

I answered nearly the exact same question the same way, but just so you don't miss it, here it is.

 

Custom race mods should be converted to master files if you have interest in creating anything other than a Playable Character. This process is universal for all custom race mods. The process is as follows:

 

1. Duplicate your race mod's .esp (i.e. <whatever>.esp and <whatever> - Copy.esp)

2. Rename mod copy and change file extension from .esp to .esm (<whatever> - Copy.esp ==> <whatever>.esm)

3. Download tesvsnip from Nexusmods

4. Open mod copy file (<whatever>.esm) in tesvsnip

5. Find and double click on the tes4 header on the tree on the left, a dialog box with lots of checkable boxes should appear

6. Check top left box : esm

7. Save file as .esm (Master File)

8. Bring the new .esm to the top of your mod load order, just below other esm's

9. Create npc esp's with esm loaded as master file in the Creation Kit

 

You can also change the original without duplicating the mod but it will corrupt any prior saved games. It will also become impossible to edit the file without converting it back, as the Creation Kit will not allow you to overwrite a master file. If you make changes to customize your .esp, you must delete your master file and duplicate a new one or they will conflict and likely cause a crash.

[VictorAlkaiser]

I answered nearly the exact same question the same way, but just so you don't miss it, here it is.

 

Custom race mods should be converted to master files if you have interest in creating anything other than a Playable Character. This process is universal for all custom race mods. The process is as follows:

 

1. Duplicate your race mod's .esp (i.e. <whatever>.esp and <whatever> - Copy.esp)

2. Rename mod copy and change file extension from .esp to .esm (<whatever> - Copy.esp ==> <whatever>.esm)

3. Download tesvsnip from Nexusmods

4. Open mod copy file (<whatever>.esm) in tesvsnip

5. Find and double click on the tes4 header on the tree on the left, a dialog box with lots of checkable boxes should appear

6. Check top left box : esm

7. Save file as .esm (Master File)

8. Bring the new .esm to the top of your mod load order, just below other esm's

9. Create npc esp's with esm loaded as master file in the Creation Kit

 

You can also change the original without duplicating the mod but it will corrupt any prior saved games. It will also become impossible to edit the file without converting it back, as the Creation Kit will not allow you to overwrite a master file. If you make changes to customize your .esp, you must delete your master file and duplicate a new one or they will conflict and likely cause a crash.

 

It worked! Thank you so much... I apologize if you already posted this before and I didn't find it. This sort of information really should be stickied somewhere!

 

But now I have another problem. Skyrim is...incredibly laggy now. Every time I load into the world after teleporting, it takes a long time to load as well as freezes as soon as the world appears. If I walk around it stutters violently, and seems to freeze whenever -anything- happens. I checked the new Lunari .esm I made and it's 10 mbs - almost ten times as much as the original .esp file. Was that supposed to happen?

 

Could also be the 130+ mods I have, so I'm going to do some pruning.

[budcat]

No need to apologize I just didn't want moderators to think I was spamming my mini-tutorial all over. :biggrin:

 

I think something may have gone wrong somewhere. My master file I converted from my custom race mod only went up 30 kb to 994 from 964. Likely my esp is far simpler though and I have no idea what goes on when tesvsnip does its thing. Word is it isn't the most reliable tool, so if you are concerned about using it I've read something about changing the file header with a hex editor, but you'd have to do some google sleuthing.

 

My gut tells me that the order of magnitude growth in file size shouldn't be happening, though.

[VictorAlkaiser]

No need to apologize I just didn't want moderators to think I was spamming my mini-tutorial all over. :biggrin:

 

I think something may have gone wrong somewhere. My master file I converted from my custom race mod only went up 30 kb to 994 from 964. Likely my esp is far simpler though and I have no idea what goes on when tesvsnip does its thing. Word is it isn't the most reliable tool, so if you are concerned about using it I've read something about changing the file header with a hex editor, but you'd have to do some google sleuthing.

 

My gut tells me that the order of magnitude growth in file size shouldn't be happening, though.

 

Yeah I read up more about tesvsnip. Seems there's some sort of problem with its compression techniques. It's literally bloating the esm... Original LunariRace.esp = 1.210kb. LunariRace.esm made using tesnip = 10,287kb. Pretty ridiculous.

 

But the fact of the matter is that making LunariRace.esp into an esm worked... Thus I'm going to indeed do some Google sleuthing to get this working correctly.

[VictorAlkaiser]

Alright! I got things working properly again without even doing any pruning (though I will anyway).

 

I had the program I needed installed all along! Wrye Smash (Wrye Bash. Seems its called both names nowadays. Even the program itself says Smash and Bash xD).

 

All I needed to do was right click LunariRace.esp, select "Esmify Self", agree with the warning, and boom... It's "ESM-ified". I always wondered what esmify meant....well, now I know!

 

It'll still be named LunariRace.esp, but it would be counted as a .esm anyway (but it's still a good idea to rename it to LunariRace.esm). I checked the file and it stayed 1.210kbs! No bloating!

 

Skyrim now runs very well again. So I suggest to everyone NOT to use TESVSNIP for making an esp into an esm. Wrye Smash(Bash) works perfectly, and does all sorts of other great stuff to keep things working properly.

 

Either way, thank you again budcat! Definitely not downplaying your help...maybe it was just an odd fluke that TESVSNIP didn't work correctly for me. Either way you helped me immensely, and deserve at least 20 internets. Since I can't give those though, I'll give you a kudos :laugh:

 

My new follower thanks partly to you: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/VictorAlkaiser/Niopii.jpg

Edited September 8, 2012 by VictorAlkaiser

[IsharaMeradin]

It'll still be named LunariRace.esp, but it would be counted as a .esm anyway (but it's still a good idea to rename it to LunariRace.esm). I checked the file and it stayed 1.210kbs! No bloating!

do not esmify a mod and then rename it to have the esm extension. you only need esmify the mod long enough to work with it in the Creation Kit. After that go back to Wrye Bash and espify it back to an esp. If you really need a permanent esm of a mod (one you are building) then use the "copy to esm" option.

 

It will still work without the parent mod being a master, so long as it was a master when the plugin was made. Only requirement being that the plugin be loaded after all of it's parents.

[VictorAlkaiser]

It'll still be named LunariRace.esp, but it would be counted as a .esm anyway (but it's still a good idea to rename it to LunariRace.esm). I checked the file and it stayed 1.210kbs! No bloating!

do not esmify a mod and then rename it to have the esm extension. you only need esmify the mod long enough to work with it in the Creation Kit. After that go back to Wrye Bash and espify it back to an esp. If you really need a permanent esm of a mod (one you are building) then use the "copy to esm" option.

 

It will still work without the parent mod being a master, so long as it was a master when the plugin was made. Only requirement being that the plugin be loaded after all of it's parents.

 

Ah thank you. That answered a silent question I had about other people making Follower mods with the CK while also being able to share them with others.

 

I made a backup of LunariRace.esp, so I'll just simply uncheck the esm I made and use the esp from now on. :)

[budcat]

Look at us, all learning together. :dance:

 

Thanks for the info, VictorAlkaiser and isharaMeradin, now I know the why to all this and not just "this is what worked for me."

[MasterAsia208]

Not sure if I should start a new thread, I'm having the same issue but with the Noiral custom race. I have tried everything listed here but still won't save properly as NoiralRace. Every time I use Wrye Bash to change a file from .esp to .esm, CK locks up on FaceGen. I have been able to get the race to show under CK, but unable to get it to stick. Even used TESVsnip to no avail. Still not sure if I should start new thread with same issue name as this one. Any help or feedback would be welcome.

 

 

 

Please Ignore This Post, I Discovered And Fixed My Issue!!!

Edited December 1, 2012 by MasterAsia208