FO4 can't find F4SE when launching from Vortex

[rmm200]

May be time to simply rewrite the Knowledge Base Script Extender article.

Replace it with a simple "do this, this, and this" so there is no confusion.

This is not rocket science... Although it is error-prone.

I propose Augusta draft a proposal. But then I have a thing for Latin and Shakespeare quotes.

[HadToRegister]

I think I see where the problem might be

Because of this part, I have a feeling that people are just putting the entire contents of the Zip file, into the new folder named DATA, so even the extended script loader.exe is ending up in the game DATA folder along with the DLLs, because the people following this, may not understand the terminology of "Top Level" when talking about the newly created Data folder.

 

In the example of SKSE64, you need to create a new folder called "Data" on the top level and move the scripts folder inside it.

Then move skse64_1_5_53.dll, skse_loader.exe, skse64_steam_loader.dll to the top level. You can delete the skse64_2_00_10 folder after this.

You should now have a Data folder (containing the scripts), 2 DLL files and an EXE file on the top level.

I've seen other people complaining that they don't know what "TOP LEVEL" means

The thing is, the way that the Script Extenders are zipped up, they already have the correct files and paths set up in the folder inside the zip, like SKSE64 for example (depending on the version you download, will have a folder inside the zip named skse64_2_00_10.)

Once you extract that folder, skse64_2_00_10, all you have to do is zip it up to skse64_2_00_10.7z and you've got the mod all ready to be installed without having to do all those other steps in the knowledge base, once you move it to the download folder, or drag and drop it on Vortex

So, All you have to do is drag the Folder out of the archive, it's already set up as a root (top level) folder, with a DATA folder inside, so it's just a matter of zipping up that extracted folder and moving it to the Vortex Download folder, and Vortex will detect it and you can hit INSTALL

[AugustaCalidia]

 

The thing is, the way that the Script Extenders are zipped up, they already have the correct files and paths set up in the folder inside the zip, like SKSE64 for example (depending on the version you download, will have a folder inside the zip named skse64_2_00_10.)

 

Once you extract that folder, skse64_2_00_10, all you have to do is zip it up to skse64_2_00_10.7z and you've got the mod all ready to be installed without having to do all those other steps in the knowledge base, once you move it to the download folder, or drag and drop it on Vortex

So, All you have to do is drag the Folder out of the archive, it's already set up as a root (top level) folder, with a DATA folder inside, so it's just a matter of zipping up that extracted folder and moving it to the Vortex Download folder, and Vortex will detect it and you can hit INSTALL

What you propose should work, provided all the elements of the script extender are on the top level. However, there is one additional step before pushing the Install button. You need to select "dinput" as the mod type so that the script extender will be installed in the game folder rather than in the game data folder.

 

What about the extraneous elements such as the SRC folder and certain text files? Would you just zip them up with everything else, or first remove them and then zip? Finally how would you characterize this "script extender as mod" process? Is it advanced?

[rmm200]

Extraneous files, source files, and documentation are really irrelevant. Same category as old dlls.

Keep them, discard them. Does not affect the game.

Good housekeeping would say remove everything you install when uninstalled.

[HadToRegister]

 

 

The thing is, the way that the Script Extenders are zipped up, they already have the correct files and paths set up in the folder inside the zip, like SKSE64 for example (depending on the version you download, will have a folder inside the zip named skse64_2_00_10.)

 

Once you extract that folder, skse64_2_00_10, all you have to do is zip it up to skse64_2_00_10.7z and you've got the mod all ready to be installed without having to do all those other steps in the knowledge base, once you move it to the download folder, or drag and drop it on Vortex

So, All you have to do is drag the Folder out of the archive, it's already set up as a root (top level) folder, with a DATA folder inside, so it's just a matter of zipping up that extracted folder and moving it to the Vortex Download folder, and Vortex will detect it and you can hit INSTALL

What you propose should work, provided all the elements of the script extender are on the top level. However, there is one additional step before pushing the Install button. You need to select "dinput" as the mod type so that the script extender will be installed in the game folder rather than in the game data folder.

 

What about the extraneous elements such as the SRC folder and certain text files? Would you just zip them up with everything else, or first remove them and then zip? Finally how would you characterize this "script extender as mod" process? Is it advanced?

 

All of the elements of the script extender are on the top level of the folder inside the zip

The BEST thing to do would be (for me, it's the easiest and fastest, but I just manually install it because it takes two steps)

 

1. extract the folder from the zip

2. double click on the folder to open it

3. delete the SRC folder

4. Using the right mouse button, highlight all of the remaining files and DATA folder, when you release the Right Mouse button, the Right Mouse Context Menu displays

5. pick SEND TO----------->Compressed (zipped) folder (if you've installed 7z, or Winrar, there will options to use those directly by using "Add to Archive" rather than using SEND TO)

6. now you have a zip file that has the script extender files at the "top Level", along with the DATA folder in it, which contains the Scripts Folder along with the PEX files.

7. Move the new zip file to your Vortex Download folder, -OR- Drag the zip file to Vortex.

8. Vortex now recognizes the zip file, and you can install it, once you do that extra thing you mentioned in your post.

[AugustaCalidia]

I think I see where the problem might be

 

Because of this part, I have a feeling that people are just putting the entire contents of the Zip file, into the new folder named DATA, so even the extended script loader.exe is ending up in the game DATA folder along with the DLLs, because the people following this, may not understand the terminology of "Top Level" when talking about the newly created Data folder.

 

 

 

In the example of SKSE64, you need to create a new folder called "Data" on the top level and move the scripts folder inside it.

Then move skse64_1_5_53.dll, skse_loader.exe, skse64_steam_loader.dll to the top level. You can delete the skse64_2_00_10 folder after this.

You should now have a Data folder (containing the scripts), 2 DLL files and an EXE file on the top level.

I've seen other people complaining that they don't know what "TOP LEVEL" means

You're exactly right. This confusion is what I was referring to earlier in this thread when talking about folk who stuffed all of the script extender elements into the top level Data folder.

 

I think the paragraph quoted needs to be rewritten to make it crystal clear that the Data folder should contain only the Scripts folder and nothing else. It would also help to explain what "top level" means. I've tried several times to revise the paragraph, but so far I'm not happy with the results.

 

@rmm200. If I come up with a revision, I'll be sure to translate it into Latin for you. :smile:

[HadToRegister]

 

I think I see where the problem might be

 

Because of this part, I have a feeling that people are just putting the entire contents of the Zip file, into the new folder named DATA, so even the extended script loader.exe is ending up in the game DATA folder along with the DLLs, because the people following this, may not understand the terminology of "Top Level" when talking about the newly created Data folder.

 

 

 

In the example of SKSE64, you need to create a new folder called "Data" on the top level and move the scripts folder inside it.

Then move skse64_1_5_53.dll, skse_loader.exe, skse64_steam_loader.dll to the top level. You can delete the skse64_2_00_10 folder after this.

You should now have a Data folder (containing the scripts), 2 DLL files and an EXE file on the top level.

I've seen other people complaining that they don't know what "TOP LEVEL" means

You're exactly right. This confusion is what I was referring to earlier in this thread when talking about folk who stuffed all of the script extender elements into the top level Data folder.

 

 

 

"Top Level" contains...

 

F4SE_Loader.exe

f4se_<version>.dll

f4se_steam_loader.dll

f4se_readme.txt

f4se_whatsnew.txt

CustomControllerMap.txt

DATA (folder)

 

 

 

Next level down, (after double clicking and opening the DATA folder

SCRIPTS (folder)

 

 

Next level down (after double clicking and opening the SCRIPTS folder

SOURCE (folder)

several PEX files

 

 

 

I'll try and put it in Sonnet Form in several Quatrains

 

 

[rmm200]

:cool:

[jaydawg55]

I just re-read the Knowledgebase article on Script Extenders. It's a good explanation. Had I read it, the likelihood of correctly installing F4SE as a mod would have been much higher.

 

What is also clear from reading the article -- to HadToRegister's point -- it takes a lot of steps to install a script extender through Vortex. To make it worth the effort, are there user benefits later on to taking that approach? Would it be fewer steps or less error-prone for less knowledgeable users (like me) to install the new version with Vortex when an update becomes available?

 

Maybe a short, step 1, 2, 3 at the beginning would be helpful for the impatient, followed by the longer explanation like what is there now for those who want or need to understand what to do on a more in-depth basis.

 

Even more user-friendly would be if the script extender could be downloaded as a 7zip archive with something inside it that told Vortex to install it as a dinput mod sort of like what is done with FOMODs. That is probably a longer term development project, but it would be easier to accomplish than getting knuckleheads like me to read the instructions before doing anything.

[AugustaCalidia]

 

What is also clear from reading the article -- to HadToRegister's point -- it takes a lot of steps to install a script extender through Vortex. To make it worth the effort, are there user benefits later on to taking that approach? Would it be fewer steps or less error-prone for less knowledgeable users (like me) to install the new version with Vortex when an update becomes available?

 

The biggest user benefit from using Vortex to install a script extender as a mod is that it can be cleanly and completely uninstalled. When updating a script extender, this would allow you to remove all vestiges of the old script extender before installing the new. Furthermore, using Vortex, you can disable rather than uninstall the script extender mod. This may be useful for people wanting profiles with and without a script extender. There may be other benefits, but those mentioned here are the most obvious (to me, at least).