Need help to build a non-dirty Mod

[QQuix]

Hi. I finished my first mod and it was very dirty as I learned CS on the way.

 

So, I restarted it from scratch, saving and making copies of the .esp frequently.

This morning, I noticed that the “AbandonedMine” cell had an (*). I don’t know why, as I had been very careful not to touch anything else but my new cell. Anyway, I went back a few saves until I found one where the “AbandonedMine” had no (*) and restarted from there. Saving often, each time making sure there was no (*) on the “AbandonedMine”.

 

This afternoon, there it was again! And this time ALL my saved .esp have an (*) on the “AbandonedMine” (I tried each and every one). Even the .esp I had duplicated in a different drive.

 

After trying this and that, I found a most weird behavior:

1- I started CS, checking only the Oblivion.esm (no active esp)

2- Created a new cell using (on the menu) World >> Cells... >> right click on the cell list >> New

3- Typed the name of the new cell and hit enter

As soon as I hit enter, the “AbandonedMine” gets the (*)

 

I just reinstalled CS, but it is still the same.

 

Is this normal? What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance for any help/hint you may give me.

[nosisab]

Hi. I finished my first mod and it was very dirty as I learned CS on the way.

 

So, I restarted it from scratch, saving and making copies of the .esp frequently.

This morning, I noticed that the “AbandonedMine” cell had an (*). I don’t know why, as I had been very careful not to touch anything else but my new cell. Anyway, I went back a few saves until I found one where the “AbandonedMine” had no (*) and restarted from there. Saving often, each time making sure there was no (*) on the “AbandonedMine”.

 

This afternoon, there it was again! And this time ALL my saved .esp have an (*) on the “AbandonedMine” (I tried each and every one). Even the .esp I had duplicated in a different drive.

 

After trying this and that, I found a most weird behavior:

1- I started CS, checking only the Oblivion.esm (no active esp)

2- Created a new cell using (on the menu) World >> Cells... >> right click on the cell list >> New

3- Typed the name of the new cell and hit enter

As soon as I hit enter, the “AbandonedMine” gets the (*)

 

I just reinstalled CS, but it is still the same.

 

Is this normal? What am I missing?

 

Thanks in advance for any help/hint you may give me.

All changes, intentional or accidental you did and saved will reflect as edited in the mod. One way to clean this is marking the mod in CS and click details. So, to each entry you see as not pertaining to your mod, mark it and press delete key. The entry will be marked as ignored. Once you repeat this to all entries close the window and start the mod as normal. Do any bogus change so to save it and exit.

 

After, use TESGecko (download it if necessary) and use the "clean mod" option.

This may be enough to completely clean the mod.

[QQuix]

Thanks nosisab! You saved me many hours of rework (I was about to restart from scratch). I’d seen the details window, but didn´t know it was possible to remove things there. It worked fine. The mod is clean again.

 

But I am still puzzled (just technical curiosity, as the main problem is now solved) on how the (*) appeared on the AbandonedMine. I am ABSOLUTTELY sure I didn´t touch any original cell, let alone the AbandonedMine (I know! .. everybody says that). I just created an interior new cell and was adding objects.

 

Oddly enough, creating a new cell by duplicating an original cell (and deleting everything to start with a clean cell) does not put the (*) on the AbandonedMine, as creating thru the menus does.

 

I can only presume there is a bug in the CS and I was unfortunate to hit it.

[nosisab]

Strange indeed. Anyway, any reference you see in your mod that isn't meant to be there can be 'ignored' that way, since the original is never touched.

 

When uploaded I'll try your mod, it seems very fun :)

Since I probably don't have all the mods it can use, this may be an way to test it under different conditions.

[Vagrant0]

Thanks nosisab! You saved me many hours of rework (I was about to restart from scratch). I’d seen the details window, but didn´t know it was possible to remove things there. It worked fine. The mod is clean again.

 

But I am still puzzled (just technical curiosity, as the main problem is now solved) on how the (*) appeared on the AbandonedMine. I am ABSOLUTTELY sure I didn´t touch any original cell, let alone the AbandonedMine (I know! .. everybody says that). I just created an interior new cell and was adding objects.

 

Oddly enough, creating a new cell by duplicating an original cell (and deleting everything to start with a clean cell) does not put the (*) on the AbandonedMine, as creating thru the menus does.

 

I can only presume there is a bug in the CS and I was unfortunate to hit it.

Abandoned mine is the first cell that is listed whenever you go to specify a reference. You may have accidentally linked to a door, or a reference there before you went and linked it to the right place. It's an easy mistake, especially if you are trying to do things quickly.

 

Another neat thing about deleting cell entries, you can undo alot of accidental mistakes, like moving parts of interior spaces slightly, deleting items, duplicating items since all the changes within that cell will be stored as part of that cell. Deleting the entry for the cell usually clears any changes you might have made. I think there are some exceptions to this, but can't really remember.

[QQuix]

Abandoned mine is the first cell that is listed whenever you go to specify a reference. You may have accidentally linked to a door, or a reference there before you went and linked it to the right place. It's an easy mistake, especially if you are trying to do things quickly.

My Mod has only a single interior cell. The only two things I need to change outside the cell are DE’s door to the basement and to add one single object in DE cell (underground). And I left those two for last (following WIKI’s Beginner's Guide tutorial advices) and have not done it yet.

And I was taking my time decorating my cell (i.e.,the curtains’ x/y are aligned to the 4th decimal)

Just try the 3 steps I mentioned in the initial post and you will see for yourself the (*) appear out of nothing In the AbandonedMine (I just did it two more times, just to make sure). Or load any clean Mod and follow steps 2 and 3: same result >> (*) in the AbandonedMine!!

 

Another neat thing about deleting cell entries, you can undo alot of accidental mistakes, like moving parts of interior spaces slightly, deleting items, duplicating items since all the changes within that cell will be stored as part of that cell. Deleting the entry for the cell usually clears any changes you might have made. I think there are some exceptions to this, but can't really remember.

This is good. It may be of use in my future, more complex Mods.

 

 

(Nosisab, Vagrant0, you have been most helpful and I mentioned you both in the “Thanks” section of the readme I wrote last week – kudos to both)

[Vagrant0]

Abandoned mine is the first cell that is listed whenever you go to specify a reference. You may have accidentally linked to a door, or a reference there before you went and linked it to the right place. It's an easy mistake, especially if you are trying to do things quickly.

My Mod has only a single interior cell. The only two things I need to change outside the cell are DE’s door to the basement and to add one single object in DE cell (underground). And I left those two for last (following WIKI’s Beginner's Guide tutorial advices) and have not done it yet.

And I was taking my time decorating my cell (i.e.,the curtains’ x/y are aligned to the 4th decimal)

Just try the 3 steps I mentioned in the initial post and you will see for yourself the (*) appear out of nothing In the AbandonedMine (I just did it two more times, just to make sure). Or load any clean Mod and follow steps 2 and 3: same result >> (*) in the AbandonedMine!!

Dunno, it doesn't happen that way for me, Maybe it's where you're clicking, or what you have selected when you go to add a new cell. Don't even think this is something that the 1.2 CS does. What are you naming the new cell?

 

*Edit*

Made 3 new cells, starting without any plugin loaded. Took a screenshot. Been working on interiors today, added a few new ones, loading and unloading the file, didn't notice anything like what you're saying. Using the 1.1 CS.

[QQuix]

I was looking at the Cell View window. So I went to see how the (*) behave in the World>>Cells.. window and noticed something even worse:

I don’t even have to create a new cell. Just selecting a different cell puts the (*) in the AbandoneMine.

 

The screenshots below were taken just before and just after I hit the down arrow key on the keyboard to go from AbandoneMine to AbandoneMine02. Using the mouse has the same effect. After this point, anything I do replicates the (*) to the Cell View window, even minimize/maximize the CS window without closing the World>>Cells.. window. (third picture [Removed])

 

Also noticed that the World>>Cells.. window pops up with the “Hand Changed” checked for the AbandoneMine. Does yours?

 

If it does not happen to you, there must be something wrong in my Oblivion directory.

 

Could my Oblivion.esm be corrupted somehow? I made a full copy of the oblivion directory after I installed the game & patches. Just hashed the backup esm and the one in use and they are exactly the same, byte by byte (different timestamps thou: the original has 05/19/2006 14:42 and the one in use has 01/01/2001 19:06).

 

I am running CS 1.2.404 (just reinstalled yesterday) and OBSE v0014a.

 

[EDIT] Just noticed it is not only AbandonedMine. As I go down the list with the down arrow key, every cell gets the (*) (last picture). Using the mouse in a random order also puts the (*) when I select a different cell.

[EDIT] Removed the 3rd picture, as it was not significant

 

[Vagrant0]

Mine is also flagged with "hand changed". Other than that, not experiencing anything similar to what is reported. Your best bet is finding someone with the same CS and OBSE version (since I don't use OBSE and have the 1.1 CS) to find out if this is happening for them too.

[QQuix]

Well . . . I will have to reinstall Oblivion anyway to test my new mod under different environments.

 

Maybe I have some corrupted file and reinstalling will fix the problem.

 

Thanks, guys.