How Is an Item Copied From One Mode to Another?

[KnightBlade2]

I'm using GECK to add some decorations to a house mod for personal use (it's a bit bare). I'd like to use some items from other mods, moving them into the house .esp and then placing them with GECK. I can't seem to find a simple way to do this, however.

 

I tried using GECK, with the house mod set as the active file and the other mod open too. This allows me to place items from the original mod but I don't think that actually copies the item data to the house mod. This means I'd have to load the original mod, probably loading it first.

 

I tried using FNVEdit. When I attempt to copy the item into the house mod as a new record or as an override, it seems to insist on making the original mod a master. I just want the item and don't want to have to load the original mod, so this isn't what I want.

 

I'd appreciate help figuring this out. I just want to grab an item here and there and copy them into my house mod so that I can decorate with them. I don't want to have to load the original mods when I'm done.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[nosisab]

If you want only use the original textures and meshes, you should rename the files and place them on your mod, BUT this is not enough, one more thing need to be done. Open the mesh file with nifscope and search for a field with the path to the correspondent texture used by this mesh and correct it to point to your changed texture path(and name). Failing to do this is the most common mistake in reusing assets.

 

Notice when the change on the files names and paths is done but the original mod is yet present, the error may be not evident because the mesh still finds the original texture, but trigger the issue the moment the original is lacking.

Edited August 31, 2011 by nosisab

[Gracinfields]

Actually to save on over all size and if this is a personal mod just create your own record of the item in geck and use the same file pathing as the orginal bam your done. No need to edit pathing on the mesh to the texture, and you don't have two copies of the same mesh/texture taking up twice the space.

[KnightBlade2]

If you want only use the original textures and meshes, you should rename the files and place them on your mod, BUT this is not enough, one more thing need to be done. Open the mesh file with nifscope and search for a field with the path to the correspondent texture used by this mesh and correct it to point to your changed texture path(and name). Failing to do this is the most common mistake in reusing assets.

I appreciate the reply but have some questions. First, when you say "rename the files and place them on your mod", are you talking about creating a whole new item? If so, that seems complicated. My goal is to use the original meshes and textures in their normal location, so I don't see a need to rename everything. Remember, this is for my own use, not to redistribute.

 

Let me give you an example of one item I want to use. One of the sword mods contains a sword stand that I'd like to have in my player home. In the original mod, it's a container. I already have the meshes and textures installed. Now, I just want to put a copy of the stand (container) in my home mod. I honestly don't think I need to touch the meshes and textures, I just need the container copied. When I try that in FNVEdit, though, the program wants to make the sword .esp a master of the house mod.

[KnightBlade2]

Actually to save on over all size and if this is a personal mod just create your own record of the item in geck and use the same file pathing as the orginal bam your done. No need to edit pathing on the mesh to the texture, and you don't have two copies of the same mesh/texture taking up twice the space.

Exactly. That's what I'm trying to do but it doesn't seem to save in the house mod. Can you give step by step instructions?

 

Here's exactly what I did. I found the sword stand under "containers" in the object tree and drug it to my object palette. I then placed it in my house from the object palette and saved the .esp. The sword stand isn't there when I loaded the house, though, and when I reloaded the .esp in GECK, it didn't seem to save.

 

I must be doing it wrong.

[nosisab]

About changing the names, it is just changing the names indeed, the advantage is it does not impact if the mod is used together with the original (but since is for particular use only you can indeed reuse the original asset without changing the name and path as correctly suggested by Gracinfields).

 

In that case all you need is to "physically" copy the original inside the /meshes and /textures and only them, you should remove the original mod before doing so.

 

The point is you don't need to activate the original mod to have access to those assets if they are in the correct places inside the /data structure. So you must NOT activate the original mod when editing yours.

 

The situation becomes complex if the original includes activators instead just meshes and textures or any kind of referenced or scripted objects.

Edited August 31, 2011 by nosisab

[Gracinfields]

Ok how to make your own container in geck.

 

First step is to create a new Container ID in your mod. First go to the container section in the Object window on the left, then right click in an empty area and then select New. Now name it to what every you want but something that shows its tied to your mod like KnBladecustomswordstand. Then fill out the rest as you would like but when it comes to the model you just point to where the mesh currently is located.

 

Unlike nosisab said you do not need to have that mod activated to have this item show in your mod, as it is now referenced in your mod. The only thing but just remember if for what ever reason you want to do away with the other mod just don't delete the resources, just the esp/esm file. I use this a lot in some of my personal mods to cut down on esp/esm in use.

Edited August 31, 2011 by Gracinfields

[nosisab]

My English must be worsen than I believed, I said the original mod must NOT be activated when editing his own :)

[KnightBlade2]

Thank you both for your help. I really appreciate it. :thumbsup:

[nosisab]

One word of warning, if keeping the original files names and the original mod is installed with FOMM (for example) and later disabled/removed... "yours" files will go together since they are the same... that's the reason I first stated that changing their names is the secure way.

 

PS: For the inverse reason, keeping the same files names and folder structure as another mod (even if the files are self contained in each mod) should be avoided at all costs if the mods are published... removing any of them cripples the other mod. I mean, removing the copy would harm the original author.

Edited September 1, 2011 by nosisab