Version Control -- Setup and Clarification

[kyago8]

On 2/12/2025 at 10:27 PM, madmongo said:

Run the GECK as administrator. Even before you select your data files, you should be able to click on File and see an option for Version Control. That lets you know you at least have Version Control set up in the ini files.

Thank you! This helped a lot and definitely got me on the right path.

I'll update with either my success or obstacles.

Edited Sunday at 04:08 PM by kyago8

[kyago8]

When prompted to select the ConstructionSetNetwork.ini, the GECK did not automatically create the .ini file, requiring for me to manually create the file and place it in the \Merging folder. However, when selecting this in the GECK, I get a popup stating "Invalid Path Only full paths are allowed. Please select the file through a network that includes the machine name."

I'm assuming that there's some setting in the .ini file that must be input, as the only text in that document are as follows:

[Users]

1=kyago

kyago=1

 

Has anyone experienced this prompt before?

Edited Sunday at 04:16 PM by kyago8

[madmongo]

I don't have a ConstructionSetNetwork.ini file on my system. Those instructions were originally for Fallout 3 and they added the differences for Fallout New Vegas afterwards. Maybe that file is only for Fallout 3?

I followed a different set of instructions when I set mine up (and I didn't put my network shares in the same place). But the instructions that I followed had a couple of errors. Your instructions are better, I think.

If you delete that file and still get the error, check your paths in your ini files. Make sure there isn't a space between Path= and the path for each. Also, make sure there IS a space in "SNetwork Path".

SNetwork Path=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\
SNewVersionBackupPath=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\VersionBackup\
SNetworkMasterPath=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\Data\

You should also be able to copy and paste these into the address bar on File Explorer and they should take you directly to your network folders. If they give you an error then your network shares aren't set up properly.

\\127.0.0.1\Merging\
\\127.0.0.1\Merging\VersionBackup\
\\127.0.0.1\Merging\Data\

 

[kyago8]

5 hours ago, madmongo said:

I don't have a ConstructionSetNetwork.ini file on my system. Those instructions were originally for Fallout 3 and they added the differences for Fallout New Vegas afterwards. Maybe that file is only for Fallout 3?

I'm not sure how, then. When I try to launch the GECK (I run as administrator), I receive the first popup. When I click "OK", it opens my file browser to select the ConstructionSetNetwork.ini. Since I don't have that file and the GECK didn't create it, I click "Cancel" and receive the second popup, closing which closes the GECK entirely. 

I suppose I can try to direct it to either the GECKcustom.ini or GECKPrefs.ini, but I'm assuming that it needs to be name specific and intended to be its own file. Did you encounter this at any point while setting up version control?

[madmongo]

On my system, these are the differences in GECKCustom.ini between my local ini files and my networked (version control) files:

 

SNewVersionBackupPath=

SNewVersionBackupPath=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\VersionBackup\

 

SNetworkMasterPath=

SNetworkMasterPath=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\Data\

 

bAllowNonGroupedVersionControl=0

bAllowNonGroupedVersionControl=1

 

SNetwork Path=

SNetwork Path=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\

 

bUseVersionControl=0

bUseVersionControl=1

 

My GECKPrefs.ini networked version has this at the bottom, which is not in the local non-networked version (the user name on my system is "me"):

 

[SudoWhoCanMerge]
me=1

[SudoWhoCanForceCheckout]
me=1

 

[madmongo]

And it turns out I do have two ConstructionSetNetwork.ini files. I was looking in the wrong place for them.

One is in \\127.0.0.1\merging and the other is in \\127.0.0.1\merging\Ini

The one in \\127.0.0.1\merging\Ini has this:

[Users]
1=me
me=1

The one in \\127.0.0.1\merging has more in it, with most of it being mods that I have worked on using Version Control:

[Users]
1=me
me=1
[CheckinBackups]
LOMongoFreeside.esm=1320642110
HIMongoFreeside.esm=31129608
LOMongoInteriors.esm=2593994871
HIMongoInteriors.esm=31131241
LOMongoBM1.esm=1859166374
HIMongoBM1.esm=31128947
LOMongoHH1.esm=3500798072
HIMongoHH1.esm=31159324
LOMongoWestside.esm=690084381
HIMongoWestside.esm=31000000
LOMongoAerotech.esm=3831531078
HIMongoAerotech.esm=30901776

[kyago8]

5 hours ago, madmongo said:

If you delete that file and still get the error, check your paths in your ini files. Make sure there isn't a space between Path= and the path for each. Also, make sure there IS a space in "SNetwork Path".

SNetwork Path=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\
SNewVersionBackupPath=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\VersionBackup\
SNetworkMasterPath=\\127.0.0.1\Merging\Data\

You should also be able to copy and paste these into the address bar on File Explorer and they should take you directly to your network folders. If they give you an error then your network shares aren't set up properly.

\\127.0.0.1\Merging\
\\127.0.0.1\Merging\VersionBackup\
\\127.0.0.1\Merging\Data\

So I found that deleting my GECKcustom.ini, running the GECK to regenerate the file, and then editing the setting according with the tutorial ended up fixing this entirely. I'm assuming that there were multiple entries of the settings and some were being overwritten.

I have now successfully set up Version Control and got the bit array files from all of my masters

[kyago8]

17 minutes ago, madmongo said:

And it turns out I do have two ConstructionSetNetwork.ini files. I was looking in the wrong place for them.

One is in \\127.0.0.1\merging and the other is in \\127.0.0.1\merging\Ini

Yes! Just after setting up the Master files (.fid,.fud,.fvd) I see that this file was automatically created.

[madmongo]

Glad you got it working!

[kyago8]

[[RESOLVED]]

Special thank you to madmongo for being an amazing resource of information and representing the best of the community (as always). I don't believe that a separate tutorial for this is necessary, but there are some notes from going through this process that I think would benefit anyone setting up Version Control for New Vegas for the first time.

1) Make sure your file shares are set up correctly. Go into the properties tab on \Merging and \CheckInBackup folders, click "Advanced Sharing Settings" and make sure that "Everyone" is given full control. madmongo included a helpful command in this thread.

2) Double check and triple check settings for GECKcustom.ini. Remember that any setting that exists in multiple instances, the first that appears supersedes any that follow. Also remember to include "Sudo" in the required settings for New Vegas. If the .ini settings are input incorrectly, but everything else is set up correctly, you will be prompted to select the ConstructionSetNetwork.ini, and I'm going to get into why that's a problem.

3) The ConstructionSetNetwork.ini is a lie (for New Vegas). Don't worry about it, if everything is set up correctly, it will not come across your mind. It will not be created at the point dictated in the guide on the Wiki, and will instead be made automatically within the \\127.0.0.1\Merging folder after creating the bit array files in the \Merging\Data folder.

4) Just always run the GECK as administrator. Personally, while making stuff with the GECK on its own, I've never personally come across issues with not running as an administrator (I kept forgetting, so I made a shortcut with "run as admin" checked), but not doing so whilst setting up version control brought be to a lot of weird problems, so it's best just to avoid it.

(As a helpful user tip, you can simply toggle between version control and local editing by editing the setting in the GECKcustom.ini to "bUseVersionControl=0" [off] and "bUseVersionControl=1" [on].)

Otherwise, if you follow the guide on the Wiki as well as madmongo's advice in this thread, it should not be an issue to set up VC for New Vegas.