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How do you create ESMs?


XJDHDR

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Hi Guys

 

I would like to know if anyone knows how to create and edit ESMs for Oblivion? I did a search on the internet and only found four results (two in Norse) and all apply to Morrowind. Your help will be greatly appreciated by myself and everyone else that reads this post with the same question.

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The basic procedure is to create an esp plugin, add your "objects" and then use a tool to convert it from an esp to an esm.

 

But there are general guidelines for what you do and do NOT put into an esm file. I know it exists somewhere because that was the guideline I used when I created Lamps of Oblivion but I do not know where that guide is right now.

 

Basically though, esm files should only contain objects and not actually add "any" content to the game...only make it available for plugin files to use them as resources to add items to the game.

 

LHammonds

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The larger a mod the more chance that conversion to an ESM will corrupt it. I have had 50meg esms cause problems with the CS but still load. EG requestors never open so when i go to choose a new nif or sound, nothing happens.

 

Also ive had the tools most use bug out on me when merging 2 large files like those generated for regions.

 

So if your needing it for a small mod, id say you should be ok, if your needing it for a large mod, make backups first, lots of backups.

 

Also get in to the habbit of adding new stuff to a new esp and merge that with your esm, do not keep converting your esm. Its far far safer that way. Less problems.

 

Giskard

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.esm should be used only if you intend to share resources between mods otherwise, they just take two slots instead of one in the mod list. If you create an .esm make sure it contains only new resources and not stuff that overwrites oblivion.esm resources.

 

Tes4 Gecko can merge esps, merge esms, convert to esm, split esps and esms, etc!
True but nothing beats a manually created .esm. Personally I dislike the tes4gecko split function as it automatically adds all the "unique" stuff to the .esm even if it is not really relevant. It is best to create an .esp containing only what needs to be included in the .esm (resources that will be shared) and then convert it to an .esm.
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Later versions of TES4Gecko shouldn't have this problem, you just need to make some adjustments to your java settings and the windows shortcut so that the .jar file can make use of more memory. It explains the process somewhere within the documentation. You'll still ultimately be limited by how much memory your computer has available, but should be able to work with .esm files larger than 200mb.

 

It's also safer to merge a .esp into an existing .esm file (even a blank one) than it is to convert that same .esp into a .esm for some reason.

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Later versions of TES4Gecko shouldn't have this problem, you just need to make some adjustments to your java settings and the windows shortcut so that the .jar file can make use of more memory. It explains the process somewhere within the documentation. You'll still ultimately be limited by how much memory your computer has available, but should be able to work with .esm files larger than 200mb.

 

It's also safer to merge a .esp into an existing .esm file (even a blank one) than it is to convert that same .esp into a .esm for some reason.

 

 

Btw ive been using the latest releases of all the tools your likely to suggest, all this is recent findings with the latest releases.

 

I do agree about the esp merging to esm being safer, i got more done working that way than working any other way but once the esp becomes large or holds a lot of objects, your going to corrupt the esm. Thats the draw back.

 

Still you could do it 2 or 3 times and it might work once but how would you know that once is the one that was done properly, corruption doesnt always come with a banner saying the file is corrupt, as i know only too well after using tools like these Kvatch Aftermath. Im still finding bad entries and fixing things up.

 

So backups and testing are a must.

 

Giskard

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Thanks for the help everyone but can you use TES4 Gecko to remove content fron an .esm ? If anyone missed the download link posted by shadowace (like I did for 5 minutes), it is here:

 

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8665

 

Tes4 Gecko can merge esps, merge esms, convert to esm, split esps and esms, etc!
True but nothing beats a manually created .esm.

 

What do you mean by 'manually created .esm', Toutatis? Are you saying that you can create an .esm without TES4 Gecko?

 

XJDHDR

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