Need Help Learning How To Make A Mod

[HungryDan39]

I finally decided to delve into modding as I have many things I would like to alter in the game so I am looking for help getting started, I have FO4 Edit and have looked into how editing things works however many things still escape me.

 

My first question is how do I make a brand new blank ESP, its probably a silly question but I have no idea how.

Second, I would like to add recipes in my first mod, now I looked and understood how to ALTER recipes but I have no idea how to add a new item to be craftable (An item that exists in the game but isn't craftable) from what I understand I create a new constructable object but then I am lost as to what form ID do I use, I tried getting the form ID of the item I want to craft but it says that item has a different signature.

 

Any help and tips would be appreciated and I am excited to join the community and become a modder

[roumor]

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/3493150-fo4edit-mini-guide-please/

 

also this is from FO4Edit nexus page.

short manual by Kesta:

Here are a few pointers to get started :

- You can either rename the .exe to get it working with FO4, or use parameters (command line or shortcuts).
- If you have the game in a non-english language, you can specify it with the -l:xx parameter, where xx is the indicator for your language (fr for french).
- Non-english language need utf-8 support for FO4. It is untested, so don't make plugins on utf mode yet, but if you're willing to beta-test it, add -cp:utf-8 parameter and post reports on github.
- Here is an example of my own shortcut with all parameters :
"C:\Users\MyUsenameName\Desktop\FO4Edit 3.1.3-2737-EXP\TES5Edit.exe" -fo4 -edit -l:fr -cp:utf-8

Once you're in :
- You have to wait for the "Background Loader: Finished" message before you can do anything.
- Holding Ctrl while clicking on a referenced record jump to this record
- Blues arrows in the top-right corner act as previous/next buttons in a web-browser
- Using the arrows to move through the Tree Panel is way more convenient than the mouse. (Right/Left to expand/collapse)
- Holding Alt while in the view tab and using arrows allow you to keep browsing through the Tree Panel.
- Alt+F3 bring up the Worldspace Browser, which allow you to jump directly to a cell's record.
- Ctrl+F3 bring up the Asset Browser, which allow you to browse the content of various .BA2 as well as loose files, without having to extract them.
- Using Other-> Build Reference Info and building ref infos for Fallout4.esm will make the "Referenced By" tab fully built, which allow you to see by what a record is referenced (for instance, you can instantly find the records of the recipe to make stimpacks from the stimpack record itself). Building ref infos for Fallout4.esm take about 1:30 min.
- It is impossible to directly edit Fallout4.esm, you have to create a new plugin.
- Use "copy as override" to copy a record in a new/other plugin, so you can modify it (i.e. you're modifying an already existing element).
- Use "copy as new record" to create a brand new record, using the copied record as a template.
- Right-click->edit on a field allow you to directly modify the string representing this field. It isn't advised to use it as you have to be very accurate in what you write in here.
- Making two clicks on a field with a little pause between them (i.e. not a double-click) allow you to edit it in a field-specific manner, much more convenient.
- When editing a field that reference other records, instead of browsing the list, typing a few characters of the editorid of the form you want to reach will make you move toward it in the list.
- To add an entry to an "arrayed field", use right-click -> add on the top-most line of this arrayed field. (the one with the signature).
- To remove a field/record, use right-click -> Remove (work both in the View tab and in the Tree Panel).
- You can create new records from scratch in the Tree Panel, by using "Add" (you first have to add the GRUP if not present). But it's way more convenient and somehow safer to use "copy as new record" from a record similar to what you want to create.
- You can save your work either by exiting FO4Edit or pressing Ctrl+S

Edited December 4, 2015 by roumor

[HungryDan39]

Awesome thank you very much this is very helpful! Additional question, is there any possible way to add a recipe to multiple different workbenches? For instance if I wanted to add a recipe that shows up in both the cooking station and chem station.

[DWooT]

Thanks. I was looking for this very same thing to get my own works started.

[damanding]

Thanks. I was looking for this very same thing to get my own works started.

If I were you I would definitely NOT learn from tutorials on how to mod from before the Creation Kit came out. Learn the proper way to mod using the Creation Kit instead. Look at Skyrim tutorials, there are a lot more of them and better quality than many available for Fallout's Creation Kit. For the most part the information still applies. This very forum section has a PINNED thread full of tutorials. https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/3760875-fallout-4-modding-tutorials/

[StuykGaming]

 

Thanks. I was looking for this very same thing to get my own works started.

If I were you I would definitely NOT learn from tutorials on how to mod from before the Creation Kit came out. Learn the proper way to mod using the Creation Kit instead. Look at Skyrim tutorials, there are a lot more of them and better quality than many available for Fallout's Creation Kit. For the most part the information still applies. This very forum section has a PINNED thread full of tutorials. https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/3760875-fallout-4-modding-tutorials/

 

This thread hasn't been updated in a while. I recommend scavenging the pages too.

[damanding]

True many haven't been updated, but they're still a better resource than the original post of this thread. The intent being...look for newer stuff.