UF4P is changing PreVis Files Timestamps of some of the worldspaces (?)

[Anqayas]

What does it mean, and does it affect anything performance/stability wise? I also have a lot of mods that alter the same worldspace/cell, should I forward the Unofficial Patch alterations to the PreVis Files Timestamps?

 

I am sorry if I sounded like a newbie, but that's what I am on the subject. I'm just worried I might be breaking the game by forwarding the changes (or overriding them).

 

Thank you.

[VIitS]

TL;DR, copying those timestamps won't hurt anything, but things can still be broken if you copy precombined REFRs, as described below.

 

Precombined REFRs are ones mentioned in the XCRI subrecord of the cell, and they will show as [Placed Object] next to the FormID rather than Placed Object.

 

 

 

Assuming the timestamps are newer*, it will hurt nothing, and not carrying them over can disable previs/precombineds and cause performance issues. The sole purpose of those timestamps is to determine if precombineds/previs should be disabled by comparing the timestamp in that subrecord to the Version Control Info 1 subrecord in the precombiend REFR records contained in the cell.

 

Two things will trigger the system that disables previs/precombineds for a given cell. 1) If any of the precombined REFRs have a newer date than that timestamp, previs/precombineds will be disabled for that cell, or 2) If any of precombined REFRs have no timestamp, it will disable previs/precombineds.

 

The second is very common, as any record that is copied using FO4Edit/xEdit will have the timestamp removed. This is due to an issue that copying them over caused when using Version Control in the Oblivion Construction Set (something very much needed for managing heavily modded setups). Up until FO4, not having those values didn't hurt anything.

 

You can fix the timestamps on the REFR records by opening the mod in the CK, right clicking the cell -> Update previs/precombineds timestamps** -> Save and exit the CK. If the mod has any .esp files as a master, this is a bad idea because the CK will "helpfully" remove that file as a master and completely break your plugin.

 

The only other way you can fix it is to use the "Copy version control info from another plugin" script in xEdit. The script that comes with xEdit has a check to confirm that both the source and the target files have the same masters, but that is unnecessary***. Since it is an absolute pain sometimes to get them to match****, you can just remove that section and it will let you copy timestamps just fine without having to ensure both have the exact same masters. The section in question is:

            if not SameText(MastersList(GetFile(e)), MastersList(fromPlugin)) then begin
              AddMessage('Masters do not match between plugins!');
              fromPlugin := nil;
            end;

There are some other bits that can be removed as well but that is the only part that has to be removed.

 

*Most likely, as the only way to make them older would be to manually edit that sub-record in xEdit, and there is no reason to do so when you can just click "Update Previs/Precombined Timestamps" in the CK.

 

**Just selecting the cell and saving will add timestamps to the REFR records without timestamps, but the timestamp will be for the day you resave the mod, which would be newer than the value of the VISI and PCMB subrecords, so previs/precombineds would still be disabled.

 

***I spoke to zilav, the person who made the script, and they said that was just included because the person they made the script for requested it. I have used it with that part removed without any problems.

 

**** Particularly if you are trying to get a timestamp from a DLC. If you are trying to get a timestamp from Fallout4.esm it would be impossible.