Floder Merging

[DarthOmnis]

Ok people say that if you have more thatn one mod that includes a Mesh, etc. folder. That you put the new folder in there and say 'yes' to merging. My problem is that it doesn't give an option to merge it just wants to replace the folder. So how can I get it to merge?

[GrindedStone]

Find the data folder, right click it, create shortcut, place that shortcut on the desktop, right click it, properties then change the icon, there is a nice fallout like icon in the Bethesda Softworks/fallout 3 folder.

 

Then when you want to install a mod, open the .Rar or .Zip look at what is in there, an compare it to what's in the data folder. So one window is the .rar, an the other window is the data folder.

 

You could also use a temp file on the desktop, unpack the .Rar or .Zip to this temp folder, open that in one window then open the actual data folder in the other, thus comparing what's in the data folder to what you are going to put in the data folder once this mod is installed.

 

You only have to look at them until you actually know what you are doing, then you only end up looking on the quesitonable mods.

 

When you want to install just drag the stuff in the .Rar or .Zip or your temp folder to the shortcut you placed on the desktop.

 

This will prompt you that if yes is selected that the folders will be replaced (but not the actual contents of the folders)

 

Most of the time I just hit "yes to all" which blindly overwrites whatever is in those folders with what I just dropped there.

 

 

 

Example

 

 

In my data folder I have Data/Meshes/Weapons/OneHandPistol/10mmPistol.nif

 

Then mod I just downloaded has Data/Meshes/Weapons/OneHandPistol/32pistol.nif

 

In the mod I have to at least open it past the Data folder they had in there so I'm actually dragging the meshes folder over to the shortcut.

 

When I drag the mod over to my desktop shortcut I created on the data folder it says it's going to replace those

 

Hit "yes to all" Which will blindly overwrite because I looked an nothing is going to be replaced, or nothing high quality is going to be replaced by low quality, or I just don't care

 

now it's got both the 10mmpistol.nif an the 32pistol.nif located in Data/Meshes/Weapons/OneHandPistol/

[DarthOmnis]

I thought there was some sort of download that you got that would merge files for you.

[GrindedStone]

You're confused. There is no reason to need anything to perform what it is you are talking about, which is handled automaticly by windows when there are two folders by the same name.

 

FO3 edit's Merge Patch- A semi automated process to merge most list type data in a load order. Think loot list or container. Pretty much everybody needs a Merge Patch. There is also a format similar to this built into Gary bash "Bash Patch" which is pretty much the same thing. FO3 edit webinsized guide by CSB

 

FO3 Plug in utility- is a different tool used to merge two mods into one. However unless you have near 250 mods you shouldn't need to merge. This being because often merging two or more mods into one will break the game. Other times it just might only break part of a mod. It's an advanced experimental process. Personally I only merge tiny mods which only add one thing or deal with game settings. Then sometimes a mod is flawed by design an merging it makes a better version. Plug In Utility

[DarthOmnis]

What I mean is that if you find videos on how to mod. they talk about how there will be multiple 'mesh' folders in the DATA. they then say to put the new mesh folder in there and say 'yes' to merging. But it only gives me the option twoards replacing or overwriting the folder thus losing the infromation in that folder and possibly having another mod not function correctly.

[GrindedStone]

Whatever it is that you are talking about, it is incorrect. How to install mods for Fallout 3 @ Nexus