Updating an .esm from an .esp?

[joshua121]

I've been googling this for two days now and I'm getting really frustrated because none of the info I'm finding is up to date or seems to work for me.

 

I started working on an old wip project that I haven't worked on since 2014 in New Vegas. It's an esm. Like an idiot I did all my work as an esp update thinking I could just merge the two together. Apparently that's not the case anymore.

 

I know I did this back then with fovedit or tessnip or something, but I can't seem to figure out to to do it now.

 

I downloaded xedit and zedit and fnvedit and fomm and some other stuff, I've watched a bunch of tutorials and nothing I find seems to work.

 

The mod is a massive quest mod with custom world spaces, dialogue, weapons, armor, statics, activators, scripts, etc....

 

 

So the question is, is it even possible for me to merge this? Or did I just completely screw myself and lose two weeks of work I have to redo now?

[Druuler]

Off the top of my head, I would suggest opening your ESM in FNVEdit, and remove the ESM flag from it, save and exit. Then open FNVEdit again, and attempt your file merge. Save and exit when you are done that, then open it again, and re-enable the ESM flag on you ESM. I hope that helps.

 

Edit: There should also be a way to actually change your ESM into an ESP, using either FNVEdit or TESnip, but I currently cannot remember which.

[M48A5]

Using FNVEdit, doesn't "Master Restore" change an .esm that was "Master Update" back to an .esp?

[joshua121]

To both of your questions, yes, I can change the esm to an esp, but it doesn't change my update esp from requiring the original as a master, and I can't copy all of the stuff to it.

[madmongo]

It sounds like you are referring to version control.

 

https://geckwiki.com/index.php/Version_Control

 

The intent behind version control is to be used by a team of people working together, but you can use it as a single user. You just have to fake out a local folder as your "network share". Instructions on how to set it up are in the above article. The instructions were originally written for FO3 so make sure to pay attention to the things in the instructions that need to change for FNV.

 

When using version control, a local user makes their changes to an esp which depends on the esm as a master. When the changes are done, they get merged into the network master during check-in. Don't forget to copy the new esm with the merged changes back to your FNV directory.

 

Since you apparently did not create your esp with version control enabled in the GECK, you will need to check out all of the changes and then check them in. Make sure you make backup copies of your original esm and esp before you do anything. If you do it wrong, you can mess up your files to the point where your only choice will be to recover them from your backup copies.

 

When you check an esp into an esm, many records will be re-ordered. If you made new dialog and already recorded the lines, the file names for the voice files will change due to the records being relocated in the esm. If you don't have any new dialog then everything else should work ok.

[joshua121]

It sounds like you are referring to version control.

 

https://geckwiki.com/index.php/Version_Control

 

The intent behind version control is to be used by a team of people working together, but you can use it as a single user. You just have to fake out a local folder as your "network share". Instructions on how to set it up are in the above article. The instructions were originally written for FO3 so make sure to pay attention to the things in the instructions that need to change for FNV.

 

When using version control, a local user makes their changes to an esp which depends on the esm as a master. When the changes are done, they get merged into the network master during check-in. Don't forget to copy the new esm with the merged changes back to your FNV directory.

 

Since you apparently did not create your esp with version control enabled in the GECK, you will need to check out all of the changes and then check them in. Make sure you make backup copies of your original esm and esp before you do anything. If you do it wrong, you can mess up your files to the point where your only choice will be to recover them from your backup copies.

 

When you check an esp into an esm, many records will be re-ordered. If you made new dialog and already recorded the lines, the file names for the voice files will change due to the records being relocated in the esm. If you don't have any new dialog then everything else should work ok.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

I think this is what I was looking for, and if I remember right, this is what I used to use, I just couldn't remember. Getting old really sucks.

 

I'll read up on this, try to get it set up, and report back.

[joshua121]

So I have followed the tutorial and managed to get version control turned on, my network folders set up, and my .ini files made.

 

When I get to the generate .fud files, I get a list of forms.

 

No matter what settings I change in the ini's I cannot get it to generate the files.

 

The first time I started it up it said it would look for the .fud for falloutNV.esm but it just sat for 30 minutes and did nothing.

 

 

My GECKCustom.ini

 

bUseVersionControl=1

SNetwork Path=\\DESKTOP-DJUQKQC\Merging\

SNewVersionBackupPath=\\DESKTOP-DJUQKQC\Merging\VersionBackup\

SNetworkMasterPath=\\DESKTOP-DJUQKQC\Merging\Data\

SLocalSavePath=Saves\

SLocalMasterPath=Data\

SLocalBackupPath=Data\CheckInBackup\

[sudoWhoCanMerge]

Joshu=1

DESKTOP-DJUQKQC=1

[sudoWhoCanForceCheckout]

Joshu=1

DESKTOP-DJUQKQC=1

 

My ConstructionSetNetwork.ini

 

[users]

1=DESKTOP-DJUQKQC

DESKTOP-DJUQKQC=1

1=Joshu

Joshu=1

I'm at a loss on what to do next.

*UPDATE*

After posting this I reread the tutorial again, and notice I had missed the append to the geckprefs ini part.

I added this

[users]

1=DESKTOP-DJUQKQC

DESKTOP-DJUQKQC=1

1=Joshu

Joshu=1

to the bottom of geck prefs and then I was able to generate the .fud files.

Another thing I noticed was that the tutorial says to add the esm's to the merging folder, but doing that didn't work for me. The geck kept saying that it couldn't find the master files.

When I generated the .fud files they were made in the CheckinBackup/Data folder, so placing the esm's there fixed the problem.

I have now been able to successfully update my .esm file.

THANK YOU madmongo!!!!!!

Edited August 31, 2021 by joshua121

[JimboUK]

I would edit your email address out of that, bots will find it and you'll get spammed to death.

[Purr4me]

I've been googling this for two days now and I'm getting really frustrated because none of the info I'm finding is up to date or seems to work for me.

 

I started working on an old wip project that I haven't worked on since 2014 in New Vegas. It's an esm. Like an idiot I did all my work as an esp update thinking I could just merge the two together. Apparently that's not the case anymore.

 

I know I did this back then with fovedit or tessnip or something, but I can't seem to figure out to to do it now.

 

I downloaded xedit and zedit and fnvedit and fomm and some other stuff, I've watched a bunch of tutorials and nothing I find seems to work.

 

The mod is a massive quest mod with custom world spaces, dialogue, weapons, armor, statics, activators, scripts, etc....

 

 

So the question is, is it even possible for me to merge this? Or did I just completely screw myself and lose two weeks of work I have to redo now?

Send me the package, I'll fix it for you

Use the PM please.

EDIT: NVM.

 

Kitty Black

Edited August 30, 2021 by Purr4me

[joshua121]

I would edit your email address out of that, bots will find it and you'll get spammed to death.

 

Thanks I didn't think of that.