[LE] Deconstructing and reconstruction mods

[vrugtehagel]

Hi!

 

I recently decided to start looking into making mods. I learn best when I have examples, so I figured I'd deconstruct a mod, and try to change bits and pieces, and as a result, learn how those mods are put together. I've started doing so with a (relatively) small mod called "Lock-On - adds a lock-on system" by himika. I've linked it at the bottom of my post. Anyway, as I understand it, there is a .bsa file in the skyrim/Data folder, and that is a compressed version of the loose mod files, which, in this case, are a couple of .pex and .psc files, and a .swf file. The .psc files, to my understanding, are the uncompressed, readable, verions of the .pex files (hence they are found in the /Source folder). When changing the .psc files, but not compression/converting them to their respective .pex file, skyrim will use the old .pex file; not what we want. Anyways, on to what I did and what went wrong (but please, if anything of the above is incorrect, do correct me).

 

So I've decompressed the .bsa file (the compressed files are also downloadable manually on the mod page, but I didn't know that at the time and the files are the same). I changed a couple things in the .swf file, and apparently, skyrim prefers the noncompressed version (with which I mean, there's a .swf inside the compressed .bsa file, and I put one uncompressed in the /Data/Path/To/Swf folder, and skyrim uses the latter). I was now ready to make some changes to the .psc files; and so I did, but then the problem arised. I can't compress them to .pex files! I'm using the Skyrim Creation Kit, and what I'm doing is the following (did this with the original, unchanged, files):

 

I boot up the Creation Kit, and go to Gameplay > Compress Papyrus Scripts..., select a .psc file and click Compile. The compiler runs for a second or two - and shows Failed. This are all the errors I'm getting (all the errors of one of the .psc files, I mean):

Starting 1 compile threads for 1 files...
Compiling "lockon_main"...
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(0,0): unable to locate script SKI_WidgetBase
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(7,8): ski_widgetbase is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(22,1): variable UI is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(22,11): variable HUD_MENU is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(22,21): variable WidgetRoot is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(22,4): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(27,1): variable UI is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(27,11): variable HUD_MENU is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(27,21): variable WidgetRoot is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(27,4): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(31,1): variable UI is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(31,11): variable HUD_MENU is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(31,21): variable WidgetRoot is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(31,4): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(35,1): variable UI is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(35,11): variable HUD_MENU is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(35,21): variable WidgetRoot is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidgetbase.psc(35,4): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidget.psc(5,8): OnWidgetInit is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidget.psc(6,1): variable VAnchor is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidget.psc(6,1): type mismatch while assigning to a none (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidget.psc(7,1): variable Y is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_hudwidget.psc(7,1): type mismatch while assigning to a none (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(24,24): UnregisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(26,24): RegisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(35,22): UnregisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(37,22): RegisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(46,20): UnregisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(48,20): RegisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(57,22): UnregisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(59,22): RegisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(68,23): UnregisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(70,23): RegisterForKey is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(243,1): UnregisterForMenu is not a function or does not exist
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(262,11): variable SKSE is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(262,16): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(262,5): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(287,26): variable Input is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(287,32): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(287,5): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(288,25): variable Input is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(288,31): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(288,5): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(301,12): variable Input is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(301,18): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(301,1): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(302,12): variable Input is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(302,18): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(302,1): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(303,12): variable Input is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(303,18): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(303,1): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(304,12): variable Input is undefined
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(304,18): none is not a known user-defined type
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\Scripts\Source\lockon_main.psc(304,1): type mismatch while assigning to a int (cast missing or types unrelated)
No output generated for lockon_main.psc, compilation failed.

Batch compile of 1 files finished. 0 succeeded, 1 failed.
Failed on lockon_main.psc

I'm guessing there has to be some reference to a bunch of variables that are being used in these files, but what? The .bsa file works fine, how come this doesn't?

 

 

 

Lock-On - adds a lock-on system by himika: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/33791/

Edited May 26, 2017 by vrugtehagel