Toggle Chameleon, Override Pip-Boy Light

[xualas]

I'm a nub at actually making mods, so I'm getting nowhere with this. I'd really appreciate some advice or whatever help I can get.

 

What I'm trying to do:

I want a mask item with the chameleon effect.

The effect needs to toggle on and persist until toggled off or unequipped. (So, invisible sprinting, jumping, etc.)

The effect needs to override the Pip-Boy light.

 

When I equip the mask, I hold TAB to activate stealth. I run around, doing stupid invisible crap for thirty years. I hold TAB to de-activate stealth. I unequip the mask and hold TAB to activate the Pip-Boy light.

 

I know overriding the Pip-Boy light is possible, because the power armor headlamps swap the omni-directional Pip-Boy light for the focused helmet light. What I don't know is... basically everything else. I remember doing petty tweaks in Morrowind and renaming NPCs in FO3, but this is... different.

 

(I originally posted in the Mod Requests forum, but it's starting to feel like Mod Talk was better suited for this. The original topic:

https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/4470190-replacing-pip-light-wtoggle-chameleon-device/

[BlahBlahDEEBlahBlah]

I'm confused, why the need to bind it to tab and not an an unused button (or at least a. Button that doesn't already have 2/multiple functions associated with it)? Thematics, balancing of power (i.e.: think invisible and a light may be overpowered), something else?

Sidestep many of the issues right there.

 

Edit: as far as which forum?

Request: Someone else building it

Mod talk: generally building it yourself, which it sounds like you're trying to do (in which, more power to you, glad to see new modders)

[xualas]

Thanks for the response. Honestly, I just felt like tab would be most "convenient", or natural. None of the other nearby buttons were available, except maybe x or z, and I can't remember if those even have... huh. X is auto-walk, and Z is open. Maybe I can swap auto-walk to Z and have X available for activating this?

[noahdvs]

Don't try to reinvent something if you don't have to. You could make a mod that controls stealth like the bullet time mod. Instead of trying to make a hotkey, use FO4 Hotkeys for hotkeys.

[xualas]

Don't try to reinvent something if you don't have to. You could make a mod that controls stealth like the bullet time mod. Instead of trying to make a hotkey, use FO4 Hotkeys for hotkeys.

 

Ah. I wasn't aware of that being a thing. I'm definitely interested, from how they explain it in the description. I'm still trying to get my head around everything at this point, but every fresh start has to build momentum. I just have a habit of wanting to fly before I can walk. XD

[noahdvs]

 

Don't try to reinvent something if you don't have to. You could make a mod that controls stealth like the bullet time mod. Instead of trying to make a hotkey, use FO4 Hotkeys for hotkeys.

 

Ah. I wasn't aware of that being a thing. I'm definitely interested, from how they explain it in the description. I'm still trying to get my head around everything at this point, but every fresh start has to build momentum. I just have a habit of wanting to fly before I can walk. XD

 

Basically, there are a bunch of keys defined in \Data\hotkeys.ini and you can use an in game configuration item to bind an item in your inventory to a key. The bullet time mod gives you an aid item that toggles bullet time and uses up action points. You can assign the bullet time item to one of the hotkeys and use it just like an alternative to vats without using up one of your favorites slots.

 

You could make a mod that allows you to toggle stealth in exactly the same way. If you use anything from the bullet time mod, make sure you ask for permission to use it first and even if you don't borrow anything, it would be polite to say you were inspired by it. Now, if you still want the effect to be attached to the mask, maybe you could attach a special keyword on the mask and have the stealth toggle item check to see if the mask is present by checking to see if the keyword is there, but I'm not experienced at all when it comes to stuff like that, so I could be talking BS.

[xualas]

Yeah, if it's possible, that sounds like the way to go. I'm definitely building this for personal use first, just to see if it even works. Hopefully it won't be a lovely mess of convoluted crap. After that, I figure out what went into it and get permissions as needed. Of course, inspiration never gets enough credit.

 

Hm. Instead of an aid item, I could make a perk or a craftable mod that would function in the same way. If I did that, I wouldn't have to include an "equipped item" check, because the perk/mod would be applied to the mask anyway. Bah. I need to just start simple and only refine once I actually have something working.