Creation Kit help

[Sierra312]

Hello.

 

I would like to use the Skyrim Creation Kit to combine the armor textures from this mod - http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/712#content

 

With the elite elven armor given to Thalmor soldiers instead of Glass by this mod - http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/19170#content

 

That way, your standard Thalmor patrol will use the default, gold elven armor, but higher level Thalmor will use the elite elven armor which will then be black with gold trim.

 

Could somebody walk me through this process, as I have never used the Creation Kit before, and I could really use the help of somebody with experience.

 

Many thanks, Skyrim Nexus

 

:)

[Iv121]

I don't understand the question - do you want to retexture armor ? Then it's not the creation kit you need , but NifScope . I'm no pro at modelling so I cant help you here.

 

If you just want thalmor soldiers to wear the armor from the top mod you don't need the second one. Open up your creation kit. You will see 3 windows - I will refer to the big window to the left as the object browser.

 

Before we will continue we must first select an active mod. The changes you make in the CK will be saved into the active mod. Go to file -> Data (Or the folder picture on your toolbar). Click twice Skyrim.esm. find the thalmor armor thing .esp file in the list , click it and press "Set as Active" . Press ok.

 

What I just did ? (it's a bit complicated so read it only if you really want to know how to mod) What it does is showing your skyrim game (you loaded skyrim.esm) and the armor mod. Note that any other mod you installed is not visible because their .esp is not activated. Note that in order to combine mods it's not enough to just select them and set one of them active as each one of the mods can't see the other. It means you cannot use things from one mod in another without transferring them. For this very reason we set your armor mod as active, so we won't have to import the armor.

 

 

Now in your object browser go to Items -> Levelled item. Randomly click on an item in the list and start typing "SublistT" . It should bring you down to the thalmor sublists. Select the ones with the glass (with and without helmet).

 

 

Now in your object browser go to Items -> armor. Find the armor you want in the list, if the creator of the mod is indeed giving meaningful names it will be easy to find this armor. If not you'll have a good example as to why you should use meaningful IDs. When you found this armor drag it from the object browser to your levelled item window. Drag all armor pieces you want and press ok.

 

What I just did ? Levelled items are Bethesda's way to randomize loot and make it fit the player's level. This same mechanism is used in the character’s outfitting system. Those sublists you edited are parts of a bigger levelled list that controls Thalmor armor. It is later selected on each thalmor soldier as an outfit.

 

 

Now in order to save your progress just go to File -> save or press the save button on the toolbar.

 

Accepting Kudos :D , nah rate whatever you like :)

[Sierra312]

Thank you for taking the time to post a descriptive step by step guide - exactly what a beginner like me needs.

 

But before I follow it, will this stop Thalmor wearing glass later in the game, instead wearing the black elite armor, whereas lower level Thalmor will still wear golden elven armor?

[Iv121]

They should be.

[Sierra312]

Kudos for you then, friend :)

[Sierra312]

That said, I still need help to retexture the armor using the textures from the first mod to apply them to the second?

 

EDIT: Oh no, I don't, do I. Thanks!

Edited August 4, 2012 by Sierra312

[Sierra312]

Ah, I still have a problem in that the dark armor is only a texture and not an actual item . . . any workaround for this?

 

EDIT: I mean, I could copy the standard elven armor meshes and assign a texture to them, then put them in the levelled list, but I can't find them in my data files.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Sierra312

[Iv121]

Your standard armor is located under items -> armor in your object browser. There should be "elven" tab. If you double click the armor a window will open. In that window enter a new ID for the item, click "ok" , it will ask you "create new ? " you press yes . Now in order to retexture the item you will need to open it's mesh in NifScope. Here pretty much my tutorial ends as my knowledge in modelling is rather noobish. You will also need BSA browser or a similar program to open up the BSA archive and extract the elven armor mesh in order to edit it.

 

Oh and when you are done toying with the meshes you should end up with new meshes. In the same armor window in the CK you can select a path to the mesh, place it in "meshes" folder in some sort of a subfolder to ease up finding and then select it in the CK .

Edited August 4, 2012 by Iv121

[GileadMaerlyn]

Your standard armor is located under items -> armor in your object browser. There should be "elven" tab. If you double click the armor a window will open. In that window enter a new ID for the item, click "ok" , it will ask you "create new ? " you press yes . Now in order to retexture the item you will need to open it's mesh in NifScope. Here pretty much my tutorial ends as my knowledge in modelling is rather noobish. You will also need BSA browser or a similar program to open up the BSA archive and extract the elven armor mesh in order to edit it.

 

Oh and when you are done toying with the meshes you should end up with new meshes. In the same armor window in the CK you can select a path to the mesh, place it in "meshes" folder in some sort of a subfolder to ease up finding.

 

Wrong. In order to retexture it, and keep the original texture for the original armor, you only need the new texture in you data folder and the CK.

 

First, go in TextureSet under Miscellaneous in the Object Window. Right click on the list and click New. A TextureSet window appears. Name your texture.

Click on Diffuse, then Load Image and choose the texture in your data folder. It should appear on the right.

If a normal map is provided (XXX_n.dds), load it in Normal/Gloss line.

Click OK.

Do the same for the female texture if male and female are different.

Go back to the armor list and open the form you created from the elven armor.

In the model tab, there's an Armor Addon (ElvenCuirassAA, normally) click on it.

Rename it, click OK, say yes to create a new form.

Delete ElvenCuirassAA from the Model list, and right Click->New to add the one you just created.

Open it.

There's a line called biped model, click on the select button.

Now you should see the armor.

Under Alternate texture, double click on the name of the armor mesh and select your texture set. Click OK.

Do the same for the female.

Click OK on the armoradon and armor windows.

 

You have now an elven armor with a new texture, while keeping the original one.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Gilead Maerlyn

[Iv121]

Hey it's not wrong ! It's worse than your way though ...