Pack loose files as bsa will need change on mod (esp) file?

[vladcuatro]

I already ask Skibadaa for advice on why the packing process went south with his mod. Maybe i could get some insight by unterstanding the internals of the game engine but that´s beyond me.

On the overriding thing i don´t know why more than 3 replacers will be problem since the other 2 will not be used in game. Another game quirk maybe?

Now that i am recalling, those same bugs show when you are using more than 2 texture replacers for bodies. They show on the game as mixed textures.

This is great. Thanks everyone for the great advice and opinions.

[vladcuatro]

From my experience you can only have one texture replacer at a time, for the same item. Like Power Armor.

Sometimes you can get two world replacers to work together, but for the most part the game will only recognize one replacer, and the other might bug out something else.

 

As far as packing into Ba2's, then it is just my bad luck. I have never been able to get it to work correctly. But then I need to do more with Ba2's than I do.

Exactly that happened with those body texture replacers! i had Echelon with SHB and those textures together screwed the skin of all characters in game! I don´t remember the other but i had 3 replacers and bodies everywhere seem like sewed body... things. patched with diffrent colors.

[Dubbyk]

Only did a quick skim of the posts so sorry if some of this has been covered but here is a list of the important stuff I've learned about BA2s.

 

Naming is Important, system works like this ESPNAME - Main.BA2 and ESPNAME - Textures.BA2 Notice the spaces between the dash as well. If your BA2 files do not follow this naming system they will not work. You can also have BA2 files such as - Voice.BA2 and - Sound.BA2 but they are uncommon and normally not needed.

 

Make sure you set up the correct BA2 type when making a new archive. A "General" archive is need for the - Main.BA2 and a .DDS is needed for your - Textures.BA2.

 

only .DDS files should go into a Textures BA2 while materials, meshes, vis and some other forms of data can go into your Main BA2.

 

Compression: Now this is where you see people start having problems with their BA2. Your Textures .BA2 should always be set to the "default" compression ratio, if you turn compression off on your textures BA2 your pretty much defeating the reason your bothering to pack them up over having them as loose files. But the MAIN BA2 is where the question of compression is a little more complex. Compression on the main BA2 is not as helpful as on the textures BA2 as the files inside the MAIN tend to be smaller and suffer issues with compression. This is where you see mods such as Weapon Smith Extended talk about sound problems. It has nothing to due with the sound files being inside a BA2 it's the compression on the BA2 that's the problem.

 

So you have two options I've found to deal with this, the simple one is to just turn off compression on your - Main.BA2, this will lose you some performance on your meshes and materials but you will have less issues with your sounds and scripts. Option two is to keep compression on but only put materials and meshes and vis data inside your MAIN.BA2, and keep your sounds and scripts as loose files.This is the best option from my experience . So when I have a mod packed up and ready to be imported into NMM the .7z file will contain a file structure like this,

ESPNAME.ESP

ESPNAME - Main.BA2

ESPNAME - Texutrues.BA2

Sound(s) FOLDER

Scripts FOLDER

 

This system should allow you to have the benefits of compression on your large files and a cleaner data folder, and since your loose files are still being imported into NMM and a .7z file they can still be easily removed VIA NMM so no random files from long uninstalled mods cluttering your data folder.

[kevkiev]

That's good info, Dubbyk, thanks. I haven't had any problems yet with putting sounds in the main ba2 but, yeah, good to know. (Scripts too, but I think I've only encountered that with weapon mods, so usually just the level list stuff.) Probably not a bad idea to leave that stuff loose, as it's usually a relatively small anyways.

 

Funny, though, I remember looking for a compression option when I last packed up a couple ba2s but didn't see it. Or at least I don't recall, and I was focusing on that only for textures as I didn't even think of compression issues for the main file (thanks again for that info). I remember double-checking the texture ba2 afterwards (i.e. opening it up with the archive2 tool) and seeing the compression radio buttons at that point, and default was selected so all seemed well. Gonna pay attention to that more carefully next time with the main file too. Might even go back and double-check my homemade main ba2s to scope out the compression thing.

[chucksteel]

I've found that using the automated system within the Ckit does a better job of packing then packing by hand with Archive2. It also will always properly name the archives.

 

1. log into Beth.net from within the ckit
2. go to upload a mod
3. the ckit will look for the files to be packed
4. If any files are missing add them
5. click pack
6. at this point you can cancel the upload and not put the files on beth.net if you choose
7. Your archives have been created with all the proper compressions.

Just my two cents but, it works for me.

[Dubbyk]

When going back and checking the compression on already made BA2 files I think you have to REMAKE the archive to change the compression, or at least re add all the files, if you change it after it's created only files added AFTER then change will comply with the changed setting.

 

I know a while back I went and changed the compression from OFF to default on a file and it's size didn't change, remake the while BA2 with the compression on and it's size went down a lot.

[payl0ad]

What kevkiev says is correct, ba2 files load in the order of precedence that their corresponding ESP files, resulting in something you could call al "final fileset" that the game uses. The phenomenon described was probably a loose file that got overlooked. Those always turn up in the final fileset; this is probably how stuff worked in development of FO4 - everything in loose files. Literally millions of files.

 

There are some mods or files that don't like compression. I also am a notorious archiver because I know for a fact it's free FPS. Some textures from Armorsmith Extended don't compress using DDS optimization though. Probably something about the dds that the archiver doesn't understand. I haven't tried if they work using General compression but it could very well be. Sound files can not be compressed at all, they'll simply not play if compressed. Use "None" compression for them when archiving.

[kevkiev]

I've found that using the automated system within the Ckit does a better job of packing then packing by hand with Archive2. It also will always properly name the archives.

 

1. log into Beth.net from within the ckit
2. go to upload a mod
3. the ckit will look for the files to be packed
4. If any files are missing add them
5. click pack
6. at this point you can cancel the upload and not put the files on beth.net if you choose
7. Your archives have been created with all the proper compressions.

Just my two cents but, it works for me.

Def gonna try that out. Thanks

[chucksteel]

I only came to this conclusion because I do a lot of Xbox mods, I play on both PC and XB1 but, I have never been able to pack an Xbox archive properly in Archive2 the texture compression is always messed up even if I know I've chosen the right one.

 

Now I do it for all archives, I have only about 5 or so mods I've created but, I've ported 57 other mods to xbox.

 

Again it works for me but, there may be better methods.

 

All ports with permissions! not a thief! :dance:

[Dubbyk]

All of this talk of compression, any one have thoughts on if compression is a good idea for Pre-combimed meshes and visibility data?