Need help getting started with basic body and physics mods

[DirkTB]

I am gearing up for a modded run of Skyrim but I find that I am confused about mods that would change PC and NPC bodies and body physics. I think there are a lot of old mods on Skyrim that may or may not be compatible with other newer mods so I am having trouble figuring out to do from just reading the mod descriptions.

Basically, if someone wants to modify PC and NPC bodies, it seems to me that they would have to install CBBE. Okay, simple enough so far.

But, if you want to also have body physics, I am confused about what exactly someone would need. There's HDT Physics Extension, but it's not clear to me if this is compatible with CBBE.

The CBBE page recommends installing BodySlide, but while I understand that BodySlide lets you customize NPC and PC bodies, I am not sure if this has anything to do with body physics.

The CBBE page recommends XPMSE, which in turn requires RaceMenu (and is RaceMenu included with Bodyslide or not?) and NetImmerse Override, but I'm not clear if simply installing XPMSE would create the body physics, or if that would require an additional mod on top of that.

Finally, there are a bunch of vanilla armor and clothing mods for CBBE, but the official one is incompatible with Bodyslide and it says not to use it. So to my understanding, that means that any time your character has armor or clothing equipped, the vanilla armor or clothing would override whatever settings you had under CBBE.

Basically, my real question is, what is the simplest, easiest, and most stable way to get basic enhanced PC and NPC bodies and body physics in a game of Skyrim?

[NexusComa]

Well, first off you're going to be bummed how much this really takes to pull off and understand ... (backup your whole Skyrim folder, you can thank me for that latter :tongue:)
I'm sure there are many ways to do this or at least other ways. This is the path that worked for me ... and <insert shameless plug on modded game state>.
You do install the CBBE body (Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Edition -CBBE-). Then you will also need the modified skeleton that uses HDT mechanics (XP32 Maximum Skeleton).
I use SKSE so download that too (SKSE) (you may as well anyways, most of the better mods use SKSE too). Now we need the HDT files for SKSE (HDT Physics Extensions).
This is my hdtPhysicsExtensions.ini file ... (not sure you need to copy it, but I do remember having to edit that a bit)

[simulator]

numThreads = 0
solverBufferSizeInKBs = 4096
solverTau = 0.8
solverDamp = 0.8
solverIterations = 8
solverMicrosteps = 1
enableDeactivation = false

You should have body bounce mechanics now ... The problem is none of your armor or cloths know how to handle that correctly. So things start clipping.
This is where the Body Side comes in (BodySlide and Outfit Studio). Unpack to a spot you can work with and create a folder called Tools. Drop in the folder
CalienteTools you find in the 00BodySlide folder. Also drop in the CalienteTools folder you find in the 01CBBE folder. After that you will need to add to your Data
In your Skyrim/Data folder drop in the Meshes folder you will find in the 05 CBBE Pre-bult + Morphs folder. And also the Meshes folder you will find in the
06 CBBE HDT Pre-bult + Morphs folder. And also drop the FOMod folder into the Skyrim/Data folder too. Take the folder you created (Tools) and drop that into
the Skyrim/Data folder also. Now everything is set up and we just need actual HDT cloths and/or armor. You will have to read up on how the Body Slide works.
Should be easier now that you have everything in place correctly. The Body Slide will create your custom HDT Body and can also set the HDT cloths/armors
meshes to fit correctly with a batch build after you make the body. The HDT cloths/armors you download will have files you will need to add the the Body Slide's ShapeData folder.
This is how the Body Slide know how to covert the cloths/armors to fit perfectly to your created body with a batch build ...

At this point you can skip the RaceMenu stuff. If or when you ever install that remember there are files here you may want to add. For now skip it ...
This stuff is more for editing a custom looking characters especially faces and/or followers. The body side can handle the body part.
You can get by without that and is more of a "Now I got all that down what else can I do" kind of thing.

Not as hard as all that sounded ...
You basically set the Body Slide to CBBE HDT (I used the TBBP setting). Set the sliders for the body you wish to make and hit build.
Then hit batch build for the HDT cloths/armors to fit correctly. Here is an example of a full blown set both for you and/or every NPC in Skyrim
(Remodeled Armor for CBBE Bodyslide HDT). Using standard items and modified items.


This is a good starting point and a mile in front of most if you can install this correctly, Good luck!

Edited March 21, 2019 by NexusComa

[DirkTB]

Thanks so much for your helpful post. I spent some time last night working on this. Strangely, I didn't get any "bounce" on anything, except that I installed one standalone mod that edits the prisoner rags, and then the prisoner rags only had "bounce". Also I noticed that the CBBE sliders accessible in-game through Race Menu visibly changed the character appearance only when the character was not wearing the modded prisoner rags.

 

So, when following your instructions above, the HDT physics extensions matched yours, but it looks like the Bodyslide folder already had a folder called Caliente Tools, and the Caliente folder only has a meshes folder and a textures folder. I put something on TinyPic to show these folders but apparently that URL is blocked. http://[removed].com/r/2i0ao43/9

 

I notice there is a BodySlide application in the Bodyslide folder. Should I run that outside of the game to create the HDT body you mention? Or have I misunderstood something?

 

I am currently using Vortex and here are the mods I am using that relate to body and physics etc.:

 

1. Racemenu v 3-4-5

2. FNIS 7-4-5

3. SkyUI 5-1

4. FNIS Data

5. XP32MSE

6. CBBE 3.4

7. HDT Physics Extensions

8. FNIS Sexy Move 7.1

9. FNIS Sexy Move 360 pack

10. Bodyslide and Outfit Studio 4.7.1

11. Vanilla Outfits Bodyslided

12. Topless Female Prison Rags CBBE HDT V2

 

 

Thanks for any thoughts!

[DirkTB]

Follow up to my last post. I was working on this some more today and long story short, after I applied the outfit mod linked in the first reply, all the outfits had the bounce. I also figured out how to run Bodyslide and compile a HDT body. I think the main thing I was missing before was I didn't know you had to run Bodyslide outside of Skyrim first. So I think I got the basic stuff figured out. Thanks!

[NexusComa]

Great! took me a year to get all that down. That's why I jumped in to help you. That stuff seems hard till you get it then it's easy.

You also get butt bounce with that ...

 

As far as the folders just make one and fill it there. The reason I said make a folder called Tools and put them in there is you will find most all the tools work better from that spot.

Mine is set up as Data/Tools/BodySlide ... I also have in that tools folder ...

 

AnimCatcher

GenerateFNIS_for_users

LOOT9

Merge Plugins

NifSkope

SaveCleaner

TES5Edit

Edited March 27, 2019 by NexusComa

[blombardo]

I'm here looking for tips as well. I've spent.. quite a lot of hours these last few weeks installing and trying out various mods; now I've ran across this new program that allows people to share 'mod lists' that will automatically download from nexus (if you have paid... ) - I'm not here to plug some random software that (I haven't even tried yet.. its installed and sitting there lol)

 

I'm close to where I want my game... But - if I was going to do this again -I'd 100% use that Wabbajack thing and just take someone elses pre built mod list (not pack; as it is only a text list that downloads the mods from here...)

 

- I'm tweaking the last few beautification mods and just trying to see what else I might be missing out on.

 

Hope this helps the next player.

[masterofmolerats]

Finally a recent post about this.... I've been struggling too. Vortex is giving me an error for the physics extentions:

 

"hdtPhysicsExtentions.dll" (HDT Physics Extentions): not a valid dll (Code 193)

I downloaded it from Nexus today and also checked that it was placed into the correct location in my Skyrim/Data folder.

 

Also do I really need the Body Slide program since I have the Seraphim armor replacer? Or is Seraphim just not supported any more since the creater took it down?

 

My mods that relate to body:

1. RaceMenu SE 0.4.12

2. Seraphim body replacer (which is UNP if I recall... and I think it should work???)

3. Seraphim Vanilla Armor replacer 1.2

4. XP32 MSSE 4.71

5. FNIS Behaviour SE 7.6

6. FNIS Sexy Moves SE 7.2

7. HDT Physics Extention 14.28

 

Thanks in advance

Edited March 25, 2020 by masterofmolerats

[NexusComa]

This why I have a problem with any type of mod manager. If you don't really know how the mods are set up and a small problem happens the manager becomes no help to you at all.
Not that they are not convent. I just don't think you should install utilities or tools with them.

One of the things the BodySlide will do with the batch build is also add in the .tri files along with reformed .nif files. The .tri file is how the bounce mechanics work. I seem to have missed explaining that
in my 1st response. So yes you will need the BodySlide. I also recommend the TextureBlender. Ir's not part of any bounce or armor fit but it is pretty cool and can definitely add to your body looks.

The hdtPhysicsExtentions.dll goes in the Skyrim\data\skse\Plugins ... folder. with the hdtPhysicsExtensions.ini file.

Looking at your related files. I noticed you have one called HDTPhysicsExtention I don't use that at all and have both butt and breast bounce. I do use one called hdtHighHeel.esm.
So possibly that one is cover it. Not sure if it's even needed if you follow my 1st post. Well I should say I know it's not needed as I don't use it and everything works fine for me.

I may be wrong about the .tri files or possibly that's how it works for me with my armor set link in the 1st post. Just always assumed that was the case.
I took a look at your armor set and seen it has no BodySlide files with it. So the BodySlide will not change that armor. For me If the armor doesn't have the BodySile files I will not install it.
This may be where your problem is coming from ... I do know how to use this stuff but I'm not an expert by no means. Just relating what worked for me.

Edited March 26, 2020 by NexusComa

[masterofmolerats]

Well I redownloaded the HDT file manually and placed it in the SKSE folder (they were already there, I said the wrong directory earlier). Vortex still giving me an error.... But then I installed the CBBE and removed Seraphim, and XP32 then reinstalled XP32 to make sure it was the last skeleton installed and the error for HDT went away. It's too late for me to work on the Body Slide portion so i wlll tackle that tomorrow.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it!!

 

I hope this helps anyone else.

Edited March 26, 2020 by masterofmolerats

[NexusComa]

Sounds like you're making progress. That's how this whole bounce thing worked for me ... 1st I could get it going at all then after triple checking everything (and like you did re-downloaded a few things to be sure) it started working great.
After all that I had to go edit the ,ini file as it was crazy bouncy.