Re-installing with Seamless Heads

[pacman555000]

So story is, I installed seamless heads for nuska's OCOv2 and the results did not line up. After troubleshooting and much discussion with more knowledgeable people, I've decided to do a clean install and only the bare essentials for the mod to work.

 

I'm starting this discussion with a clean oblivion install, latest patch (1.2.0.416), OBSE, Wrye Bash, and OBMM installed.

 

I'll be returning at 8pm (EST) to hash it out. Hopefully the ambiguously gay duo (Ike and Striker) will be available by then.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those interested, these are my old installers and load order.

 

Installers List - http://pastebin.com/zvgSW5yG

Mods List - http://pastebin.com/pP7meTjZ

Edited March 9, 2015 by pacman555000

[IkeCoast]

"Ambiguous"? Me? Behold how unmistakably virile I look right now:

 

Sorry for the messy hair and informal attire. I didn't expect visits today so I did not dress up.

 

To work. *me puts his latex gloves*

 

NOTE: before storming to your Mod Managers and Windows Explorer and starting to do this and that as instructed in this BWoT, I recommend to wait a little in case any more experienced Seamless User sees it and spots some mistake made. As if I could make mistakes. Ha.

 

NOTE 2: Do not, under any circumstance, skip the "start the game and check if the previous step worked". If it did not, STOP RIGHT THERE and report it. Do not skip, I repeat, and stop and report. Don't ignore this. I know where you live.

 

We will assume that you DID follow Bben's reinstallation guide, including the "clean Windows Registry" and "defrag your Hard Drive". And that you have not only OBSE, but also Blockhead, already installed.

 

It's a good time to make a backup of your installation, either following Bben's instructions, or using mTES4 Manager or Multiple Oblivion Manager. Nowadays, not using a Profile Manager is barely less than suicidal.

 

HINT: do not use Mod Organizer. It's not the same as the two aforementioned utilities. Oblivion does not get along well with MO "profiling" unless heavy configuring and meddling, while those two work flawlessly out of the box.

 

In any case, and assuming again (I can hear Jack Crawford grinding his teeth) you already initialized this clean installation of Oblivion, I would suggest starting to add any non-OCO related mod you intend to use. But if you prefer installing Bodies, OCO and Seamless, let's rock.

 

Since OBSE and Blockhead are already in place and working (are they?), the next step is installing the Body Replacers of choice so OCO and later the Seamless mods have the base directory structure in place. Install them following carefully their respective installation methods. If one of them states "install manually", install it manually, do not attempt to install it with OBMM or Wrye Bash unless you know FOR SURE they can be used.

 

Are the body replacers installed yet? Yes? Activate them and start your game. Check they work as intended. Exit the game (choose either saving or not, it doesn't matter).

 

HINT: if using HGEC, do not install the Khajiit Fix. It will interfere with OCO. Install only the base body pack.

 

Now the Outfits and Equipments replacers for those body replacers. The standard ones, not the Seamless ones, this is important. Again, once installed, launch the game and check if they work as intended. Exit the game, otherwise you will not be able to see the Desktop and the following steps will be tricky.

 

Time to install OCO. I recommend OBMM. Take the downloaded package and convert it into an omod installer as per the usual procedure. Use this omod installer to install. Or install it manually. Or Wrye Bash. NMM is fine too, but do not use NMM for anything other than installing OCO. Do not install OCO's Texture Patches, we need to be able to see the neck seam with the standard body textures from the body replacers.

 

Once OCO is installed, use OBMM or Wrye Bash to deactivate the body replacers esps. You will not use them, and they will mess up OCO's work if left checked. I mean it.

 

Now let's check in-game if OCO works. We approach an Imperial NPC and he/she looks good (albeit with the traditional neck seam). Then we approach a Dunmer and... surprise! It's a vanilla one! WTF DUDE?

 

NOTE: since I purposefully told you to NOT installing Nuska Texture Patches, the neck seam is scandalous. Ignore it.

 

I deliberately omitted a crucial step. Exit the game and return to OBMM or WB and activate OCO's esp. Now, (following instructions are for OBMM, translate them to WB yourself if needed) locate the Utilities button, select "Archive Invalidation", make sure the "BSA Redirection" option is selected, and make no changes at all to any of the other options, as tempting as meddling with them are. Do not try to outsmart OBMM and create your own Archive Invalidation procedure. OBMM is not so easily fooled. If you play under Steam, now click the "Reset BSA Timestamps" button (you can click it if you don't play under Steam, it will have no harmful effects, so go ahead, suit yourself, click, click). Then locate and press (with the mouse pointer, not your finger, you brute) the "Update Now" button. As soon as the "Done!" status message appears, you can safely close the Archive Invalidation window and start the game.

 

Move around, look at the NPCs, dress and undress yourself and any unsuspecting passer-by who did not see you sneaking behind them with that dagger in your hand and that grin in your face, so you can rest assured everything worked.

 

Now time to go to the fridge and stuff our snouts and grab something to drink.

 

*Later*

 

Now it's time to install Seamless Heads Nuska Head Editions. Tha base package come in two flavours: a BAIN installer intended to be used if no body replacers are used, and a manual install one that includes the textures for both Robert Males and HGEC Females. If you use Robert Males along with Robert Females, use the Bain installer and later we will add the needed body textures. In case we think we will need to add additional body textures later, I recommend using the BAIN installer or taking only the meshes (the whole Meshes folder) and head textures (only the head-related files) from the manual install version. If using both Robert Males and HGEC, install the Seamless textures included for both.

 

As soon as the Seamless Heads are installed, go in-game and check. The neck seam is probably still there, but greatly diminished when undressed.

 

We need now to install the Seamless Equipment for both body replacers. Grab the ones needed and install them according to their respective instructions.

 

That's all. If still not working, re-run Archive Invalidation.

 

We will talk later about preemptive measures to be taken before adding any mods to your game.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 9, 2015 by IkeCoast

[pacman555000]

So if I use EVE for the "Outfits and Equipments replacers" I shouldn't install the upper and lower bodies that come with it?

 

Forgive the ignorant question but I needed to make sure.

 

Edit: Also, what BBB mods would you recommend using with this fresh installation?

Edited March 10, 2015 by pacman555000

[IkeCoast]

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-01/enhanced/webdr02/5/22/anigif_enhanced-buzz-7529-1388977913-0.gif

You need to install all the meshes, the only thing you don't need to install are Nuska Texture Patches.

 

Since you use EVE, a summary of the installation would be:

 

Robert Male v5 Body Replacer. Movomo says the Outfit Replacer is not needed but I installed it anyways and it later went OK.

EVE HGEC Variants. Additional equipment replacers you could need.

Additional EVE HGEC replacers (look at EVE mod page to find them and know why you could need them).

Seamless Heads Nuska Edition

Seamless Equipment Robert Male and HGEC. And the corresponding versions of the "normal" additional equipment replacers you installed previously (if any).

 

If you don't install the meshes the Seamless Equipment packages include, then you will not have seamless bodies.

 

Install only one thing at a time, and test it before installing the following mod.

 

Moreover, make sure all the requirements for the mod you're about to install are satisfied.

 

What do you think about using a Profile Manager? It would save you having to uninstall and reinstall the whole game in the event of other catastrophe.

 

Cheers!

 

PD: Sorry, I re-read this before posting and realized I sound a little bit harsh. It's not that I'm being consciously harsh, I'm right now interchanging slaps to the face with Oblivion trying to take screenshots. As of now, the game is winning the match.

[pacman555000]

Wow, now I get to see this game as how it should be.

Thanks for all the help Ike, couldn't have done it without you.

Anything else you need to tell me before I dive back in?

Edited March 10, 2015 by pacman555000

[IkeCoast]

Whoa, I sincerely wasn't expecting things workin outright the first time. Hooray!

 

Yep, one more thing, it's a good time to make a second back-up of your installation (as per Bben's guide or profile manager) before starting to add more mods.

 

The "install one mod at a time and test it before you add more" should be one of your priorities, especially when installing large mods or overhauls. Remember what I told you about Unnecessary Violence being incompatible with OCO:

 

Any issues or unpleasant surprises that may arise in the future, you can use this thread if you don't feel in the mood of starting a new one.

 

My job here is done. Now my planet needs me.

 

*Heroic pose. Cape flapping. Leaving the room through the window. Falling the three stories. Waiting for paramedics.*

 

Cheers!

[pacman555000]

Oh dear, I might have found how the issue arose in the first place.

For my synx race, it was recommended that I turn "bFaceGenTexturing" off. I did that and forgot about it.

It would seem that turning that off creates the neck seam issue.

Oops.

Edited March 10, 2015 by pacman555000

[Striker879]

As they say "Good to know". Thanks for reporting back with more than the typical "Found the problem" and then a poof.

 

And thank you Ike for getting my day started with another good chuckle ... goes well with those first few sips of coffee.

Edited March 10, 2015 by Striker879

[IkeCoast]

That's interesting. I did not know about that disabling this line in the ini file. Sometimes, in order to turn off the game engine shaders used to apply the "FaceGen Tone texture slider settings", what I do is using blank egt files: I take the Head06 blank egt head file Throttlekitty included in her Head06 pack and use it for the body too. This way, "Tone settings" are disabled.

 

And anytime, Striker, how did that visit to that University Campus or wathever with your granddaughter went? Did you manage to outrun the Campus Security this time?

 

Cheers!

[Striker879]

LOL ... you must have forewarned them ... shackles on through the whole tour.

 

It went well. Not sure about the granddaughter, but I'm ready to sign up. It's a pity that back in ancient history when I was at that crossroads I still had all the young punk wiring installed in my head (money, cars, women ... in that order, as the prior is needed for acquiring the next).

 

So now I know what that file is for. So much of all that texturing stuff just flies straight over my head, not even ruffling the hair on the way by.