Is there a "Skyrim Edit:?

[bigv32]

Hello,

 

First off, let me say that I have just gotten back into Skyrim and have begun to start adding mods. While I have not had any problems with compatibility, I still always feel uncomfortable by adding a new one because by using the NMM, I feel as if I don't really understand what each mod adds.

 

What I mean is that yes, I could manually install each mod like I did back for fallout new vegas, and fallout 3, but the NMM is so great and convenient it really saves time and energy. However, when a problem arises with a mod in Skyrim, finding the reason is much more difficult for me. In new vegas or FO3, I would just boot up their respective "edit" mods and make a merge patch. At the very least, I would understand and visually see where the error was.

 

I can't seem to find any form of "Skyrim Edit" or "TESVEDIT" or whatever you want to call it. Is there one and I just don't know where to find it? If there isn't, will there be one?

 

Thanks for everything guys.

 

PS: Yes I use BOSS, understand load order, and could manually install each mod. The main question here is about whether there is an "editor" program/mod like the two for fallout new vegas and fallout 3.

 

EDIT: For those who are not aware of what the editors did in the fallout games, I will do my best to explain.

 

Basically, the editors would "load" all the esms and esps and other files (If you use BOSS for skyrim, all the files it gives you info on basically).

If there was an error that would cause an immediate CTD if you were to actually launch the game, the program would stop and tell you it failed. You could use some of the information it gave you on the side to tell roughly where the problem was.

 

After the editor was able to "load" all the files without a simulated CTD happening, it would have a list of all the mods, their folders, and subfolders. Basically, everything in the mod could be seen if you clicked deep enough into the files.

 

The person could choose to have a color scheme that would show a variety of information, but (for me) the most useful was red to show any other conflicts. These conflict could ether be conflicts that would cause a CTD in the game while the player was playing, or it could be the conflict would just block something from one of the mods.

 

The person then had several options they could do. I actually found I understood load order better after seeing these programs run, but the main thing you could do was create a merged patch which would allow a seperate esp to be either automatically made by the program or manually adjusted by the person that would resolve the biggest problem. What I mean by this is that for each conflict, one mod could be chosen to take "priority" over the others even if they were loaded before. The program did this by copying the information of the desired mod into the new esp which would be loaded last in order to help preserve the overall load order.

Edited May 23, 2012 by bigv32

[gasti89]

I don't know anything about Fallout games, but here there's Wrye Bash for mod managing and merging (only some features are merged, those wich create conflicts) and TESVNip wich will let you completely merge mods manually.

[bigv32]

I edited my first post to explain what the editors did for those who are not aware of them.

[gasti89]

This is exactly what Wrye Bash does (and i think you were using Wrye Bash lol), even if it's still a WIP for Skyrim.

 

But it shows errors in red (like missing language strings), allows you to merge some features, and allows you to flag esps (no merge, delev/lev, etc.).

 

It also allows you to select what features to merge among the possible ones.

 

Finally, it creates a bashed patch .esp that will load after everything.

[bigv32]

I did not use bash in the fallout games because of the others. I have considered using bash for skyrim but when I tried to install it, it said I should reinstall skyrim outside the program files folder.

 

Can anyone tell me if I should be okay if I go a head an install it? If not, can anyone point me to a thread explaining how to reinstall skyrim outside the normal folder? I have tried but steam keeps installing it in the same place.

 

Thanks

 

OH, and I know for a fact I was not using bash for fallout lol.

Edited May 23, 2012 by bigv32

[ripple]

Wrye Bash and TESEdit/F03Edit/FNVEdit are not the same kind of utility, although they were conventionally used for the same purpose by players (to make compatibility patches). TESEdit/FO3Edit/FNVEdit were useful tools for modding. Aside from the fact that I've always found the *Edit utility indispensable for cleaning dirty entries from esp's, sometimes I found it quicker to edit esps through *Edit than the CS.

[CalenEllefson]

I use NMM for nearly all of my mods. But, I like to understand what I'm putting in my game. So, before I install a mod, I use WinRAR, WinZip, or 7Zip, as appropriate, to look inside the archive file I've downloaded. (Sometimes I have to correct the file structure so it will install correctly.) While I can install mods manually, keeping track of which mod replaced which file would get mind-numbingly dull. Quickly. I let NMM keep track of all that. I think of it as the best of both worlds approach: look inside the archives and better understand the mod, but use a manager to track the umpteen files switcheroos.

 

If more mod authors made their mods BAIN compliant, I might use Wrye Bash for my installer. Still, Wrye Bash for the Bashed Patch, for sure.

 

And, BOSS is, of course, the boss of load order. (Mostly.)

 

TESVsnip is out there to look inside the ESP files, but it doesn't handle the compressed sub-records well, so I don't make changes with it. And there is BSA Browser and BSA Unpacker, both of which work well, if you want to look inside the BSA files. Or even unpack them so the ESP is available for WB merging, or just so the mod will work. (Some mods won't work without the loose files.)

[DreamKingMods]

There isn't a TESVedit yet, but one is in the works. (And also this.)

[blove]

There is SkyEdit. It is limited but I'll take it until something better comes along.

[GePalladium]

TES5Edit

Edited February 10, 2014 by GePalladium