ViolentNed

Read this: http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/626710-how-to-fix-the-grey-face-npc-issue-in-esm-files/ This fixes the Grey Face issue and can be done very fast and easy.

Check this post, hope it helps. http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/626710-how-to-fix-the-grey-face-npc-issue-in-esm-files/

I've just tried this fix and it worked for me. I've been angry about the grey faced npc's since I started making house mods, now I've found a solution. Here's what I did: Step 1: I created a mod with an NPC in my custom house. Step 2: I used TESVSnip to convert the house mod "esp" (plugin file) to an "esm" (master file) Step 3: Open the new "Master" file (esm) in the Creation Kit. Step 4: Use the same method that's been used by everyone for esp fix. Select the "ACTOR" selection from the Object Window in CK, type in your NPC's ID (in my mod I have multiple NPC's so I use the same initials at the beginning of each one, in this case mine is "MH" so I search for my npc's by typing in MH. Step 5: Click to highlight your NPC (hold "CTRL" when selecting each one, to select multiple npc's) then hold CTRL and press F4 This process will generate the "FaceGenData" for the ESM specifically, since the face data doesnt convert along with the rest of the files from the ESP. So, after generating the face data from the ESM, I have now created new files in my Skyrim directory. File path is as follows: Steam/SteamApps/common/skyrim/Data/Textures/Actors/Character/FaceGenData/FaceTint/"CellName" Steam/SteamApps/common/skyrim/Data/meshes/Actors/Character/FaceGenData/FaceTint/"CellName" (This process has added a new folder with the name of the CELL the NPC is located in, as a directory to read the face appearance textures and meshes from) I'm not sure if adding the generated face data to a package file for downloading will work or not, havent tried or tested. It might be easier for each user to open each file containing a grey faced npc with ck and just generate the data themselves, easy to do and doesnt take long at all. Besides, I don't know if each generated face files have the same "ID" or if it's different for each user. Hope this helps anyone that had this issue.

So..... Nobody knows how to make a new Bard work correctly?

You have the marker set in the air? Not on a surface thats safe to spawn on to?

Turn off the "Full LOD" then save the mod, test in game again, house should show up now. This is what I did. A mod I made I couldnt see the house in game, so in CK i checked "Full LOD" and saved the mod, then tested in game and the place was there, so in CK i turned LOD back off, saved again, tested again, it's been working fine since then. The Mod I made is called Lake View Estate, try it out :P

Can anyone point me toward a good tutorial on making a real working Bard? Or, tell me here? I've got a bard made (cloned from the bard in markarth silver blood inn) he has all the correct factions from what I can tell, also has the bardplayspot marker, etc. He still doesnt sing, play instruments or take requests. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

What exactly are you trying to do? Make the home the NPC is placed in "tagged" as his/her home? From what I've learned, the custom NPC calls it home wherever they're placed. Example, I made a home called Lake View Estate, within the home is an NPC named Damian, so far he can be a Follower and train you in Block. I've also made him Marriable, went through a test last night, marriage system worked great. Afterward i returned to the house, waited a few hours (NPC's take time to get home), found him in his room and when I spoke to him, selected to use HIS house as home, which apparently is the house i created and placed him in. I never selected anything specific in his data to make him refer to Lake View as his own, I'm guessing the simple fact that it's where he was initially placed makes it his "return point". Give it a try, hope it helps. If by chance you're trying to get a vanilla NPC to settle down in your created area, there is a mod on nexus that allows you to do so. I don't remember what it's called but it shouldn't be too hard to find.

I had this issue when i made my Lake View home. Try setting the building as Full LOD, save the mod. Go into the game and see if the building is there now. If it is, go back into the creation kit and uncheck the Full LOD setting, then save mod again, repeat the process of going in game and see if the house is still there. Mine was, and has had no issues since, in this category anyway :P

I'm having an issue of the opposite effect, some of the items (trees, mountain rocks, birds nest, etc) are re-appearing in my mod after ive deleted them. In the original plugin file (esp) this doesnt happen, but I loaded the esp into TESVsnip and saved it as a master file (esm) now those items are showing up in game when they shouldnt be, but not showing up in CK. I went through the details list, marked everything that had a D next to it for ignore, still nothing. I've even right clicked the exterior cell name, chose edit, ticked the "Hand Changed" box, still nothing. Any ideas?

I'm currently working on a new home for Skyrim called Lake View Estate. I tried the fix for navmesh, which consists of converting the esp file to esm (master file) and the navmesh works great now but since converting it to master file, some of the stuff on the exterior cell that i deleted in order to place the house correctly, seems to have came back on its own. Now when i fast travel to my home, or load a game that was saved outside, my character and follower are now buried under mountain rocks that are not there in the esp file. Seems to be a huge difference between plugin and master files. Why are these things coming back when they arent supposed to? Last night I uploaded the mod to nexus, search in homes to find it, if anyone knows how to fix the re-appearing items please let me know. I'd like to fix this issue ASAP! Thanks in advance, Nate. EDIT: I've tried the cleanup procedure in CK (Details) and set the so called "Deleted" items to ignore, still didn't work.

Sounds like the Navmesh bug has struck again.

Personally I wouldnt want to re-create an already made house, the vanilla homes are fine as is. You seem to have ideas of what you want in your own home and thats a fine idea to have, but remaking someone elses work? Why not just start from scratch? Build your own home to be proud of.

So after the file type is changed, is it safe to go ahead and get rid of the original esp? Meaning, can I still edit the file in CK / upload for other users to have?

I'm not too sure that using items from a pre-made house is an issue, I copy and pasted the entire BookShelf setup from one of the already working bookshelves in the Markarth (Vindrel Hall) House into my custom home, the cell location, or whatever its called, changed to "None" and the bookshelves all work perfectly fine, except the books appear to float about an inch above the shelf instead of looking to be comfortably placed.

Cool thanks! I seem to have found another issue as well, go figure. I made a follower npc and placed him in my custom house, now when I dismiss Lydia to go home, she goes to the outside of my house, right where I placed the map marker. I even tried ditching her in whiterun, she went back to the yard in front of my house again!

Change his voice type, this happened to me also. I chose the grumpy old man voice and my npc did the same. Changed voice to MaleBrute (same as argis the bulwark) now he will follow me. The voice type has to be one thats already associated with a follower type npc (vanilla npc) I'm guessing that not all voice types have the required scripting or lines the npc needs to communicate with you.

I think I may be having a Navmesh issue as well. I've got a saved game outside of my custom home, when I enter the home the first time everything is fine, my follower can follow me and access every area of the home. Yet when I go outside of the home, then back in, the follower seems to spawn in a different room of the house and doesnt want to follow me. Some rooms the follower will go in, some the follower wont. She just stands there looking like an idiot...... Is this a Navmesh issue? If so, how am I to make the file an esm instead of esp? If I make it an esm will people still be able to download it and play it normally?

Bump.

I'm brand new to modding skyrim and creation kit, can anyone point me toward some tutorials? I'm building a player home, figured out how to make areas, kinda..... Finally found the Mannequins in the creation kit, placed a couple, ran a test, they dont work...... it's like the mannequin isnt even there, i can see it but it doesnt have any text or interaction capabilities. If there's anyone who can help with this and a few other questions, let me know please. I would like to create a really nice home that I can share with the community, used to build mods on the original Neverwinter Nights, but this is far different and its been over 10 years lol