Creating an own race with a different body

[BigBoyBob]

First of all hello.

English isn't my mother language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes I might make.

I'm new to this and I'm new to oblivion (hell yes, everyone is playing Skyrim, and I start to learn how to work with the TES Construction Set...) Well, anyways... I wanted to create a CM Partner, but he should look more like a thin mage boy, while my character looks like a warrior. I used Roberts Male Body Replacer to change my character to a more muscular one.

I figured out, I need a new race using the boy like bodytype from Roberts Body Replacer, to get a CM Partner that looks just like I want it to.

But I can't figure out how to get the game to give my newly created race the body I desire for them.

Every time I try to start a game with this race their body is completely purple, or just default.

 

Is there any easy way to do so? Or a tutorial a newbie could understand?

 

Thanks for reading and even more thanks for help!

[Striker879]

Have you followed the tutorial that was included with CM Partners Basic? The file is CM Partners Creating Custom Partners.doc ... you'll want to pay attention to the section Using Custom Faces/Races near the bottom.

[BigBoyBob]

Yes, I have read that one. But it doesn't help me to find an answer about how to change the body of a new created own race.

[Striker879]

What method of mod de-isolation did you use?

[BigBoyBob]

Nothing, cause I don't know about that yet. As mentioned, I'm completly new to this.

[Striker879]

Ok, no problem. We were all new to this once.

 

The basics behind the problem in a nutshell is that mods you make with the Construction Set are just changes applied to some base starting point. If you were just creating a new character using vanilla races for example that base starting point would be Oblivion.esm version 1.2.0416 (which is why it's important for everyone to update to the latest version of Oblivion ... so all mods created have the same starting point). Those base starting points always have to be a master file (and are given the file extension .esm).

 

The problem you are running into is that the custom race you are trying to use as a base for your CM Partner is in an esp file, and the custom CM Partner esp file you are trying to make is using that esp as a master, which won't work without using one of the workarounds. Here's a link to a CS Wiki article explaining in more detail: De-Isolation Tutorial.

 

On top of the mentioned workarounds the simplest for a new modder to implement is probably to use Construction Set Extender, but that will require Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE), something that you may have already installed as it's a requirement for so many mods these days. After you get it installed you will be able to create your custom partner using the method which has failed you using the regular Oblivion Construction Set.

[BigBoyBob]

Ok, I'm going to read that. Thanks!

[LFact]

One thing I can tell you is, there's no way to give a race unique body type without wearable body part trick(which requires body parts as non-playable clothes and scripting).

[Striker879]

My favourite for what LFact has brought up (a very valid point for what you are wanting to achieve) is BBB Designer Body Spell. Includes a number of options for males, including three versions of Roberts. Could make your project as simple as creating a vanilla male CM Companion, hitting him with the Body Spell and then finding appropriate armor and clothes for him.

[BigBoyBob]

Yes, something like that was what I was looking for. Thanks to both of you!