Ten rules to get a mod setup with a lot of workshop & crafting mods to work

[wax2k]

@Micdeez:

 

You can do that in FO4Edit, except for the nif rotation, for which you would need to use nifskope.

[wax2k]

I updated the original post with some more details and some tweaks to the example load order to hopefully avoid some more common misunderstandings.

 

I also added a recently reported CTD issue due to custom .ba2 files and made some design changes to improve readability.

Edited February 12, 2016 by wax2k

[Sarinia]

@wax2k: Thanks for the feedback on the breadbox. You have saved me the embarrassment of sending a bug report that isn't actually a bug. For once, "it's not a bug, it's a feature" is actually true. :smile:

 

The next part is for anyone who is willing to offer their opinion (trolls excluded, of course, but that hasn't really been a big problem on this forum topic, thank goodness).

 

Back when I was playing FO New Vegas, I used Wryebash to combine some patches and small mods together to avoid hitting the 255 max plug-in limit. Since I'm up to almost 240 active plug-ins on my current Fallout 4 game, I was curious what similar options there are, if any. I would guess that close to 20 of those plug-ins, maybe more, are just patches to make different mods work together. I have noted lots of references to FO4Edit, but I've never used it. Will that do something similar or does it serve a different purpose? As I am not a mod author, I don't really have any reference for it.

 

Also, if it does allow merging of patches and/or mods, is there a general consensus on the difficulty level of learning the application? I understand that everyone has varying levels of tech saavy and that will have an impact. In my case, I don't generally have too much difficulty learning new applications if there are at least a couple of semi-decent reference docs or tutorials and the UI is reasonable. That being said, while I work in a semi-tech job, I am not a coder, so if it requires extensive coding to make it work, I might not have as much luck.

 

Finally, is it possible (in FO4Edit or anything else currently available) to fully merge multiple .esps/mods together and if so, are there any guidelines on doing that? I would obviously not be looking to post them as they belong to the original mod authors and anything I do would be strictly for my own use. I mention this because there are a lot of smaller mods that serve a similar purpose (such as adding just a few new items to the settlement build menus) or that all support the same purpose (such as the mods for enhancing your settlement stores) which I think would fit well together in a merged format. I wouldn't want to use new mods that are still working through bugs and getting stabilized. This might not be possible until later in the game's lifecycle, but it doesn't hurt to ask. :smile:

 

Thanks again for any feedback.

[Ethreon]

xEdit doesn't support the merge function, and it hasn't for a while now, despite its presence in the options. For F4, I recommend you use "copy as override/Copy as new record" to put together small mods into a larger mod. Don't let this be an automatic process, or you'll have issues.

 

As for the small mods adding a few items to the settlement build - if they're vanilla, you can ditch them soon, or at least as soon as I finish with this bloody vanilla snap system. I plan on broadening both snap ranges (ceiling to floors etc.), and adding, at first, a variety of cut items with working nodes, then nif-ing some new ones (like windowless windows, or interior doorways that look crappy).

[wax2k]

@Sarinia:

Like Ethreon wrote: right now, every merge has to be made manually and thoroughly in FO4Edit to be on the safe side. But as soon as you get into FO4Edit a bit, it's not that complicated anymore, at least when merging smaller mods/patches. Merging something like Homemaker and Snap'n Build however would certainly prove to be a huge pain in the a$$! :wink:

Edited February 12, 2016 by wax2k

[Sarinia]

xEdit doesn't support the merge function, and it hasn't for a while now, despite its presence in the options. For F4, I recommend you use "copy as override/Copy as new record" to put together small mods into a larger mod. Don't let this be an automatic process, or you'll have issues.

 

As for the small mods adding a few items to the settlement build - if they're vanilla, you can ditch them soon, or at least as soon as I finish with this bloody vanilla snap system. I plan on broadening both snap ranges (ceiling to floors etc.), and adding, at first, a variety of cut items with working nodes, then nif-ing some new ones (like windowless windows, or interior doorways that look crappy).

 

 

@Sarinia:

 

Like Ethreon wrote: right now, every merge has to be made manually and thoroughly in FO4Edit to be on the safe side. But as soon as you get into FO4Edit a bit, it's not that complicated anymore, at least when merging smaller mods/patches. Merging something like Homemaker and Snap'n Build however would certainly prove to be a huge pain in the a$$! :wink:

 

Thank you both for the information. Sounds like I need to download FO4Edit and start figuring out how to do manual merge files. I also like the idea of being able to remove the few duplicate items I have run across in smaller mods.

 

@Ethreon - The mods that I was thinking are generally not vanilla items. For example some of the alternate standalone beds, rugs, or posters which might only add from 1 to 10 items. While a few of them have some high res textures, the textures and meshes are separate from the .esp files.

 

Also, I look forward to your snap system once you are ready to release it! It will make building settlements much easier.

 

@wax2k - Just the thought of trying to merge Homemaker or Snap 'n' Build with anything else is enough to nearly make me panic. That being said, I am curious if it would be possible to change the menu mapping for items. I'm not suggesting non-SK menus. After all StuykGaming did a great job creating the menu structure and I just spent a lot of time installing all SK compatible versions. However, I might have an easier time finding a few specific items if they were organized under a different menu that is already part of SK. Is that possible or am I just asking for trouble?

[wax2k]

@Sarinia:

 

This might help you on that matter ;)

[Ethreon]

It's not snap system improvement, I lack the coding knowledge for that. It's just me learning snap points to the point where I became pretty familiar with them, and then modifying vanilla items for better/more snapping.

 

For those mods adding 1-10 elements, you need to copy as new record (to avoid having initial mods as masters), then you most likely need to port the merge to vanilla or SK if the mods use custom keywords. Paths don't matter, as xEdit applies them by default, even if mods come with custom textures/meshes.

 

I am trying to get multiple things out at once.. since my job decided to be paused atm. So time is plenty, just patience isn't, nor energy.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Ethreon

[Sarinia]

wax2k and Ethreon - Thank you both, once again. At this rate, I should just create a signature line that says that. :tongue:

[wax2k]

Update: Added some more detailed explanation to the guide.

 

Btw.: whom should I be sending flowers to, if I want this thread to be pinned?

Edited February 15, 2016 by wax2k