Remove Precombined Objects + Regenerate PreVis?

[pra]

Tried making a bat like this, which recieves an ESP's filename as a CLI argument:

 

@echo off

set ckExe="CreationKit.precomb.exe"

set modFile=%1


echo Generating precombineds
%ckExe% -GeneratePreCombined:%modFile% clean all

echo Generating previs (this will take the longest)
%ckExe% -GeneratePreVisData:%modFile%

echo Compressing PSG
%ckExe% -CompressPSG:%modFile%

echo Building CDX
%ckExe% -BuildCDX:%modFile%

CreationKit.precomb.exe is a copy where I did the hex edits.

 

This generates the two ESPs and previs and precomb data.

 

 

Now, am I understanding it right that I have to use the CK's Version Control to merge the changes back into the main file in order to make it work? How would I do that?

[yarrmateys]

%ckExe% -CheckinPlugin:CombinedObjects.esp %modFile%

%ckExe% -CheckinPlugin:PreVis.esp %modFile%

need to be done right after related generation, otherwise the next steps will get messed up.

 

the modified creation kit won't generate previs and cdx properly. for me it always crashes on load, only unmodified one worked, but maybe it'll be different for you.

Edited January 8, 2020 by yarrmateys

[pra]

Dumb question: what are the files

mod - Geometry.csg

mod - Geometry.psg

mod.cdx

for? Can't remember then being generated when doing it manually.

 

 

Also, I read the post of VIitS again and tried opening and saving the file in the ck. After that, the files were being used, but the previs was s#*!, flickering everywhere. Meh :/

[yarrmateys]

shared geometry (psg), compressed shared geometry (csg) and indexing for it (cdx). they contain stuff that's commonly shared by all the precombines to reduce their overall size by several times. as far as i know they're not used by ck because they create a sort of finalized set of precombines. you can't modify them anymore without breaking them, you'll have to regenerate the entire precombine and previs set if you modify anything in that mod.

Edited January 9, 2020 by yarrmateys

[pra]

After I resorted back to generating precombines manually, I found another edge case:

 

If you manage to actually make every single Static in a vanilla cell scrappable, and then regenerate precombined geometry, the CK simply won't output anything. This is bad, because then the game will then load the vanilla physics nif, giving you invisible obstacles which you can't get rid of.

 

I managed to do that in a cell of my Huntress Island settlement, which is mostly water, trees, and garbage. I have no idea whenever you can make an empty NIF just to prevent the vanilla one from loading, so I just placed a new rock under water and regenerated again. Not optimal, I know, but it works.

[VIitS]

In the case of no precombineds being generated by the CK*, you can also use xEdit to remove the PCMB and XCRI subrecords to fully disable precombineds. If you want to fully disable previs, you do the same for VISI, RVIS, and XPRI.

 

*with that being sort-of intentional, like in the case you mentioned, where there is nothing that fits the requirements of the CK to include in precombineds. As opposed to nothing being generated due to a bug, in which case you should just fix whatever caused the problem/try again.