Software and Hardware for making mods

[Vulcanoctus]

I decided that I wanted to be a part of the modding for Skyrim and wondered what modding software works best. I know that some people use the creation club and blender, but I was wondering if there's other tools that I can use. I also don't know about the pros and cons when it comes to the special edition and the standard edition.

 

I'm also wondering what hardware I would need as well. I'm currently working with an Inspiron 15-5568 laptop with 4 gigs of RAM, an Intel-i3-6100U core processor, and a 64-bit based operating system (windows 10) and processor. I know that this isn't exactly high end by any means, but I also want to avoid spending too much on a new laptop. I would also use a desktop, but I tend to travel often so I opt for getting a laptop.

 

I hope that none of these questions are too stupid and I'd appreciate any sort of response. I wish you few bugs and lots of donations.

 

Sincerely,

A Noob

[thumbincubation]

Start here. It will get you set up with creation kit. It covers Skyrim and Skyrim Special Edition, so you'll need to ensure you're getting the right creation kit for the job. https://www.creationkit.com/index.php?title=Category:Getting_Started

 

Afterward, this will cover a basic retexture, and will detail some of the other programs you'll use to extract meshes and textures, modify them, and get them back into the game. https://www.creationkit.com/index.php?title=Retexture_Tutorial

 

What I use is BSA Browser, GIMP with .dds plugin, and Nifskope. Then I also employ xedit, LOOT, and wrye bash, for various testing, and for making my mods play nicely together. As I don't know how to do 3d modeling, I can't say which is the best program for that, though I hear Blender is free vs 3dsmax.

[andrewlans0]

The best software for games from bethesda is their own software.

Edited January 12, 2022 by andrewlans0