another Bodyslide help request...

[Deleted24130229User]

Ok, I know that many of you are getting tired of seeing the same basic help request over and over, and I fully expect at least one person to yell at me for not doing my own research. However, before anyone criticizes me, please at least read what I need help with...the answer might be simple.

 

First, I am NOT a computer expert in any way, other than I know how to find my way around the file system in Windows, so think of me as a total noob when it comes to computer stuff.

 

Second, I have been playing Skyrim LE with lots of mods using NMM for a couple of years, so at least I'm not ignorant about that part.

 

Third, I HAVE been doing my research on this. I have looked at several different sites and read at least 50 different threads on this subject, and not one of them has yet given me the answer that i need.

 

Ok, here is the problem...I recently started using Vortex as my mod manager for Skyrim, and generally it works just fine. However, up until now, I have been using the UNP body exclusively for my game, and I wanted to try out the CBBE body and sort out how to use the Bodyslide studio. Let me also be clear here...I only want to use Bodyslide to edit the shape of the CBBE body, NOT learn how to re-edit clothing.

 

Here is what I have done so far...I added Bodyslide to the Vortex tool list. I have also downloaded about a half dozen CBBE Bodyslide preset shapes using Vortex. I have opened Bodyslide, selected the shape preset I want to use, hit "save", then checked the "build morphs" box and clicked on "batch build" (I assume that's what you do to apply the new shape to not only your own character, but all of the NPC's). When I did that, it brought up a list of clothing items to apply it to, then another window to select which specific body to use (CBBE HDT). Then that's it. I start up the game and go into racemenu, but I can't find the preset that I saved, and changing the "cbbe morph" sliders don't seem to have any effect on my character.

 

What am I doing wrong? Can someone please give me a newb friendly step by step on how to get the presets to show in the game where I can apply them? Any links to walkthroughs? Also, is there a way to add more than one preset to access ingame?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

**NOTE - if you aren't here to help, but only post stupid comments, then don't bother. I might be new-ish to using mods, but i am not new to forums.

Edited November 28, 2018 by Guest

[NexusComa]

The Batch Build is for the clothing items listed to fit the body you have installed.

You should have the CBBE body nif in Data\meshes\actors\character\character assets ...

And the textures in Data\textures\actors\character\female ...

Then run the BodySlide.

[Deleted24130229User]

The Batch Build is for the clothing items listed to fit the body you have installed.

You should have the CBBE body nif in Data\meshes\actors\character\character assets ...

And the textures in Data\textures\actors\character\female ...

Then run the BodySlide.

This is sort of what I was talking about...what is a nif? Where do I find it? and no, it's not in that folder. What textures? Once I have all of these, and run Bodyslide, then what do I do?

[NexusComa]

A .nif file is refering to a file type ... the .nif is an extension on the file defining it's type. Just as .txt is a text file or .gif .jpg .bmp is a type of picture.

You can see this by clicking [ View ] on a open folder and checking [ Show File Extension ].
Example: note.txt , picture.jpg , femalebody_0.nif (a mesh) , femalebody_1.dds (a texture) ...

All files have an extension, this is how the computer knows what a file is ...

 

You will need to download a CBBE body and install that ... I use [ Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Edition -CBBE- ]

If downloaded manually and unpacked it is as simple as grabbing the mesh and texture folders and dropping them into the data folder.

 

Example: once unpacked there is a folder named [ 01 Curvy ] if you open that folder you will see two more folders named [ meshes ] and [ textures ]

You simply copy both folders to Skyrim's data folder pressing yes on overwrite - Or grab and drop the folders, again pressing yes on overwrite.

 

Given the fact as you stated you are not very versed with how all this works and working with a computer at this level ...

I would highly suggest you stick with what you have working now.

 

Modding Skyrim manually involves knowing many things about how to mod and how a computer works.

It is very very easy to make a simple mistake and add errors to Skyrim. Sadly some mod makers assume you have a high level of computer knowledge to add their mods. This is the case with most body mods ... Adding [ HDT ] is again not as easy as it sounds without understanding how this is added.

 

In short what is going wrong for you is you are adding presets to the BodySlide without a CBBE body to work with in the first place ...
( The presets alone will do nothing for you without the CBBE body installed. )

Edited November 30, 2018 by NexusComa

[Deleted24130229User]

...

Edited November 30, 2018 by Guest

[Deleted24130229User]

Ok, that makes a lot more sense. Like I said, I do know my way around Windows filing system pretty well, I just don't have the experience necessary to troubleshoot problems. I actually did have the CBBE body downloaded through Vortex, but it seems it never unpacked the files. So, I just manually downloaded it and unpacked with 7z, so i can see the folders you are talking about.

 

ONe question though...Vortex has the ability to run multiple profiles with different mod configurations. Right now, my base game is using the Temptress race with the UNP body, so I'm assuming that the existing files in the mesh and texture folders are for that one. What I wanted to do it to run a second profile (with it's own savegames) using the CBBE body. Can you have the files for both UNP and CBBE in the data folder at the same time? Or do you just have to choose one or the other? If it works with both, where would I put the CBBE folders so they don't interfere with the UNP files?

[Deleted24130229User]

... oops, stupid computer double posted

Edited November 30, 2018 by Guest

[NexusComa]

You have to pick one sadly. However some followers are stand alone and can have different bodies in their own folders. I too use Temptress and sadly the outfits do not work all to well with CBBE.

I'm glad you know how to unpack files and set them in the correct spots. That's 1/2 the battle! I don't use Vortex myself as I want to do everything manually. However as far as outfits go and you are

working with the BodySlide you might want to check out this mod ... [ Remodeled Armor for CBBE Bodyslide TBBP HDT ] it is a wonderful mod that makes all the armor (in sexy form) fit like a glove

when you use the BodySlide that comes with the package. You should download it manually. It's kind of complicated but well worth the time to figure out. It sure will take away the sting of losing the

outfits from Temptress. It's also a very compelling reason to switch to CBBE.

 

If you want to get deep you could actually re-aim Temptress females to use the UNP by creating a new folder for the UNP bodies and editing their .nif files with NifSkope to use them.

This is how others make them stand alone followers that use their own bodies. However this would be very complicated as you would have to unpack the Temptress mod and manually put them in the

data folder edit all the files with NifSkope and set up target folders with the bodies and textures. Myself I just use Temptress with different outfits from the Remodeled Armor set.

 

Switching bodys and understanding how all this works is a pretty big step, you are doing great! Keep in mind everyone has to put in the work to learn this stuff and it is a self taught skill.
So you are way better than you think at this stuff - great job! I felt bad telling you, "you may want to stick with what you have working" ...
Not everyone has the patience to put in the work to learn this stuff. That is a key quality a programer must have.

Edited December 1, 2018 by NexusComa

[Deleted24130229User]

I actually had a thought on how this might work, but I need to confirm something first. The version I am using right now is Skyrim LE. If I load Skyrim SE, will it try to overwrite all of the LE files, or does it operate as a completely independent game? So like can I continue to run LE with the UNP body that I already have, and then set up SE with CBBE body? I already own SE on Steam, but I haven't actually downloaded it to my computer because I am unsure if it replaces LE or is it's own thing. If it is a totally separate game, that should solve the problem of being limited to only one body type.

 

Edit ~ ok, I feel stupid now. After a little bit of checking, I confirmed that Skyrim SE is a totally different game with it's own mods (something that most people here already knew about), so I'll try to go that route and just start fresh with SE.

Edited December 5, 2018 by Guest