.BSA files not showing up in game with .ESM plugins

[Luminiari]

(X-posted to TES Eye Candy)

My apologies if I've posted this in the wrong area.

 

Believe it or not, I've never needed to make a .BSA file before. When I decided to update my race mods, I figured it'd be easier to pack all the meshes and textures into .BSA files so there weren't a million and one files cluttering up people's data folders. Now, I like making my race plugins Master files so I can easily make companions with them. However, while testing the newest version of my Persocoms mod, none of the files in the .BSA would show up when the .ESM was active- the .BSA would ONLY work if I used the .ESP version of the mod. Is there something I'm meant to do differently to get the .BSA to work with the .ESM, or are they not meant to work together (aside from Oblivion.esm)?

[ziitch]

Now, I've never had to deal with creating bsas, but I think you have to exactly match the .bsa name with the patch or master, not entirely sure. Of course, that might cause conflicts if two data files were referring to the same file, and both are the have the same base name (excluding the esp/esm difference.)

 

Maybe "ghost" the .esp after deactivating it? Wrye Bash has a ghost function that stops Oblivion from reading inactive files so that conflicts caused by inactive mods are set to a minimum.

[Luminiari]

When I swap the .ESM for the .ESP, I move the one I'm NOT using to the desktop so I'm not accidentally running both at the same time. And just to be sure I've not messed anything up, I've made the name for both the plugin (.ESM and .ESP) and .BSA the same. Every .BSA file I make does this. Only ever works if it's running under a .ESP.

[Tomlong54210]

ESMs do not load BSA files. Oblivion.esm does not load those Oblivion - XX BSAs. They are registered in the Oblivion INI file.

 

BSAs and Archive Invalidation

 

 

Edit: If you make your mods OMOD-Ready, you can try the following:

Create a dummy ESP (i.e., Oblivion.esp which is already recognized by BOSS) and rename the BSA accordingly (Oblivion - <BSA Name>.esp if you use the dummy plugin, Oblivion.esp) and add the following script. I rename most of my BSAs to load off of one dummy plugin or (as I do now) load off of Viconia.esp (no spaces and unlikely to be dropped from my LO.) Using Oblivion.esp is more likely to save plugin slots.

 

DontInstallPlugin <Dummy plugin to load BSA>

DontInstallDataFile <BSA Name>

 

If DialogYesNo "Do you use Shivering Isles?" "<mod name>"

CopyDataFile <BSA Name> "DLCShiverIsles - <BSAName>"

Else

InstallPlugin <Dummy plugin to load BSA>

EndIf

[Luminiari]

Ah, I thought there was something fishy! Ah, well, looks like I'll be leaving them as .esp's then. Thanks for your help!!!

[Tomlong54210]

I understand wanting to make ESMs. This page is still in development as I build the new site, but it might be worth pointing out to those interested in using your plugins and source files.

 

Plugin Dependencies - http://tesivpositive.animolious.com/index.php?page=plugin_dependencies

 

I knew I needed to link this. I try to keep the pages on TESIV:POSItive short, but this is a well-developed resource.

 

De-Isolation Tutorial - http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/De-Isolation_Tutorial

 

Another option (in order to promote this) would be to include ESM duplicates of your plugins. That way, all a user would have to do is point to the ESP afterward. It cuts down on a bit of the work for them, I guess.

 

 

Happy gaming (and modding)!

- Tomlong54210

[wollam11]

I'm kind of having the same issue.

I need to load .bsa's into the OBMM and I have to create a dummy .esp to do so.

 

Now, the above advice says to rename the .bsa's (Better Cities) to "oblivion-BravilDocks.esp" and so on?

Is that right?