Tool for merging an .ESP into another .ESP?

[DeltaType90]

Hi guys and girl :smile:

 

Anyone know if there is a tool that will allow you to merge an .ESP into another .ESP (or even better, into an .ESM) without changing the existing data of the 2nd .ESP?

 

I can only find tools that merges two .ESPs together, rearranging the IDs of the data in both :confused:

 

Thanks in advance for any help :thumbsup:

[DieFeM]

If understand correctly, you want to merge 2 esp without changing the Form IDs of the merged one.

 

The problem resides in the IDs itself, from its 8 digits, the first 2 or 5 digits of the ID (depending on the format, esp/esm or esl) are the load order of the plugin, so when you move the record to another plugin those digits will be the ones of the plugin to which you are merging, about the other digits, let's say I do a script that is programmed to keep such ID, if the plugin to which I'm merging the data has a record that already uses this same ID it would not be able to merge such record, it doesn't allow for duplicated ids, so that you can not keep the same ID structure.

 

On the other hand, you can merge those records keeping the form id's, but those would become what is called "override records", which are meant to change a record existing on a master plugin. And you need the master in order to load it.

F4Edit used to let us to remove masters without removing such records, and those become "injected records", to which I'm not familiar, so I don't know the behavior of the engine with this kind of record, but ElminsterAU removed such capacity, so I guess there must be a reason for it.

Edited April 18, 2023 by DieFeM

[DeltaType90]

If understand correctly, you want to merge 2 esp without changing the Form IDs of the merged one.

 

The problem resides in the IDs itself, from its 8 digits, the first 2 or 5 digits of the ID (depending on the format, esp/esm or esl) are the load order of the plugin, so when you move the record to another plugin those digits will be the ones of the plugin to which you are merging, about the other digits, let's say I do a script that is programmed to keep such ID, if the plugin to which I'm merging the data has a record that already uses this same ID it would not be able to merge such record, it doesn't allow for duplicated ids, so that you can not keep the same ID structure.

 

On the other hand, you can merge those records keeping the form id's, but those would become what is called "override records", which are meant to change a record existing on a master plugin. And you need the master in order to load it.

F4Edit used to let us to remove masters without removing such records, and those become "injected records", to which I'm not familiar, so I don't know the behavior of the engine with this kind of record, but ElminsterAU removed such capacity, so I guess there must be a reason for it.

Thank you for the very elaborate reply, appreciate it :thumbsup:

 

But I am sorry to say that this was not what I meant :confused:

 

Basically what I am trying to do is this:

 

I want to create a single .ESP (my "main" .ESP) containing every new weapon I add to my game, so I have them all in one "place", making it easier to use the data to build replacer mods for my personal game. But this requires that the IDs doesn't change in the main .ESP, when I add another .ESP to it.

 

So far I have only found tools that will merge .ESPs indiscriminately, resulting in the renaming of IDs in both .ESPs, which will then break any replacers I have made using the main .ESP as a master.

 

What I am looking for is a tool that will merge new .ESPs into the main .ESP without it touching the existing IDs of the main .ESP.

 

Hope that makes it clearer :sweat:

[hereami]

Still might try Inject Forms into Masters (RB on Filename), but requires manual work, i don't know if automation tool or script exists.

Let's say A is aggregated file, B is addendum.

Make B have A as Master (e.g. override anything from A), use Inject command (B to A), now copy all records from B as override into Master A.

Save A, don't save B.

Not sure how corresponding archives should be merged.

[DeltaType90]

Still might try Inject Forms into Masters (RB on Filename), but requires manual work, i don't know if automation tool or script exists.

Let's say A is aggregated file, B is addendum.

Make B have A as Master (e.g. override anything from A), use Inject command (B to A), now copy all records from B as override into Master A.

Save A, don't save B.

Not sure how corresponding archives should be merged.

 

This is basically how I have been doing it so far, but it takes an insane amount of time, so I was hoping there was a tool for it hehe :sweat:

[hereami]

Deep Copy as Override?

[DeltaType90]

Deep Copy as Override?

 

Overriding means keeping the original .ESP, which is what I want to avoid :confused:

[DeltaType90]

Okay, I found a way to do it, it is still manually done, but at least it is faster than before :dance:

 

Thank you for the replies and suggestions, much appreciated :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[NeinGaming]

Do share :P

[DieFeM]

Okay, I found a way to do it, it is still manually done, but at least it is faster than before :dance:

 

Thank you for the replies and suggestions, much appreciated :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

The CK has a merging feature, Version Control, it's a bit complicated to setup, but once you get it ready you can merge data without your master getting any ID changed.