Question about packaging Meshes and Textures

[jcdenton2012]

I've always had issues with packaging mods, specifically meshes and textures, for upload onto Nexus, and now I think it's best to finally figure this crap out once and for all before I start doing anything big and fancy in Fallout 4. Keep in mind, I've always had issues with this very simple and very basic thing, and I'm asking here because I can't find a step by step guide, and the F4 forums have a current higher visitor rate so the odds of me getting help are pretty high... (though if a link to such a guide was posted I would be just as elated as receiving physical help).

 

Pretty much, let's assume I have some meshes and textures in the data folder. How do I get those meshes and textures from the data folder to a winrar file for export with an esp or esm, so that those meshes and textures can be installed elsewhere and actually work properly. I've tried numerous methods... and it pretty much never works. This is especially annoying given that I mainly design landscapes for other mods, and getting the LODs installed has always proven... well... it's never worked.

 

I think most people end up creating a duplicate data folder for the install process Data(2). Buuuuut, I'm uncertain about that.

[Ethreon]

My routine

 

go to desktop

create data folder and open it

create meshes/textures/materials etc folder as needed.

go to game's Data folder, open meshes, paste into the appropriate folder inside the one created on desktop

repeat for any other folders your mod has (such as textures, materials etc).

[dazzerfong]

If you want to use BSA's, just use CK to do it for you:

 

1. Load plugin.

2. Click on File - Create Archive - Pack Files.

 

Remember to save the first one as "(plugin name) - Main" and the second one as "(plugin name) - Textures". Get rid of the quotation marks and brackets.

[chucksteel]

If your using the Ckit to pack your BA2's make sure you don't have other loose files in your data folder or some may get packed by mistake. The CKit WILL pack any assets it thinks are needed even if they are not. See this thread for further Info on unintended files packed by the Ckit.