From Race Menu LE to Race Menu SE? Presets?

[Gorgopis]

We tried to create a character preset in LE relying on Race Menu, and generating NIF facegen and texture facetint files in our SKSE plugins for chargen.

 

We also altered the resolutions of the DDS files to match those for characters in SE.

 

We next cut and pasted these presets to the Skyrim SE SKSE plugin for chargen, and we noticed that in skyrim SE, the native preset files appear in JSLOT format.

 

(We don't really understand the jslot difference yet.)

 

When we tried to import (F9) the cut and pasted LE preset into our SE game in the Race Menu for SE, we got "torn" eyes, stretched forehead, and a weird head shape!

 

Now, could it be that the weight of our existing character (100) didn't match the weight of the character preset we tried to import (60)?

 

We also tried all this without starting a new game. We used an existing file (Save # 2) from just after the opening sequence in Helgen Keep.

 

We will try starting a new game, after this post, and seeing if we can import the character preset brought over from LE.

 

Any ideas or tips?

Edited April 5, 2022 by Gorgopis

[Algabar]

I noticed this, too. Presets from LE can be read by Racemenu SE/AE, but they often don't look the same. Unfortunately, that's just the way it is. Sometimes LE presets work at least "okay", sometimes they don't.

 

In general, always make sure to have the right race for a preset selected. A preset made for a Breton won't look right on an Imperial head. Also make sure you use the same head mesh: Presets made for Vanilla heads won't look right on a high poly head. Another important thing are facial animation mods, like this one. They change the appearance of faces, especially the mouth region. You can't use a preset, that was made without such a mod, when you have a facial animation mod installed - and vice versa.

 

So, importing presets from LE is difficult.

 

What you can try: Load an old save game from LE (basically they are compatible) with the preset you want to use already on your character. Open racemenu, save the current settings for SE. This way I somehow "saved" my favourite mage from "Oldrim" times. I had to make some adjustments, but he's back.

[Gorgopis]

Update: Thanks!

 

We'll try the game save technique. Sounds possible!

 

We were finally able to make a JSLOT preset in LE for our beloved character, which we at first did not know how to do, but when loaded that Preset into Race Menu in SE, the eyes and forehead had weird texture-tearing, even with the right race selected.

 

We ARE running a hi-poly head in our BSA files, to replace the vanilla, which has given us nice female heads on all NPC's. But, with your post, now we're pretty sure that the lo-poly head in our LE jslot is causing the tearing.

 

We could try to go back in LE and replace the character's head with a hi-poly one? Then make a new preset?

[Algabar]

We could try to go back in LE and replace the character's head with a hi-poly one? Then make a new preset?

As I said above: There are many variables involved. It's hard to transfer faces exactly. But at least worth a try I'd say.

[Gorgopis]

OK, while we were experimenting, we made a preset that worked in our SE game. Now we'd like to share it as a mod.

 

So, dumb question, maybe for the CK forum, (?), but do we just package our jslot file into a folder structure that matches the SKSE-plugins structure? And then Zip it?

 

Do we need to "warn" the community about "It's a Nord" head in our description?

[anjenthedog]

Afaik, just package it in the same "framework" as any other jslot base preset. racemenu presets are (ime) one of those "mods" that can very easily be installed even without "installing" them, since they don't have any internal management aside from the jslot itself. (ie, no esm/etc)

 

If it was made with a certain set of assets, you might want to make players aware of the assets you're daring on, since specifying the use of "evangilinini's special nostrils v 3.2.1" in the jslot isn't sufficient to import those assets using a standard racemenu preset. The player will have to have that mod installed to access the required assets for WYSIWYG, even if they're referred to in the jslot spec.

 

Some you can add directly, like custom makeup overlays you've created, but if it's calling on presumed "external resources" (eyes, teeth, etc) it's good to list them, so that folks know what to expect "oh, cool I have that...yeah and i have that too... and that and that...hmm...ok, it needs that too.....ok I can/can't install that resource (the latter because of some contention) so I can can't use this preset. Cool!

 

Race seems to be noted in most presets I've seen, so that's probably a "given" user expectation.

 

In addition, if high poly head, yes, please tell people it uses high ploy head. Not everyone uses it for this reason or that. (in my case, I've never successfully signed up there so can't use it... for some reason they never issue me the confirmation email, so I'm locked out. I sometimes (rarely) wonder which Gawd I offended, although it's probably something far more mundane)

[Gorgopis]

Thanks! We uploaded it, and it's available, as a preset now! Not popular, not endorsed, but "out there" as our way of saying thanks to the community.

 

++

 

(We can't become "premium members" because the pay-options do not meet our security concerns. So we try to pay back, by putting up mods, and by endorsing elite mods. We think these might be reasonable sorts of good-faith payments? Until Nexus issues a Nexus pre-paid card, or collaborates to issue some such thing, we will have to hold back.)

 

As for your last paragraph, we have some guesses: Your cookie settings might be too restrictive. (Good hygiene!) Your virus checker might be state of the art! (Greenlight that!) Your VPN might be protecting your computer. (Don't know how that might impede, actually.)

 

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