What do I do when fixing precombines & previs in Fo4Edit?

[bloxyman]

I'm trying to fix the precombines & previs for the following mods to work with my load order:

 

- Yet Another Prydwen Overhaul

- Diamond City Expansion

- Diamond City Outskirts (The Hole REDUX)

 

If anyone knows how to do this with Fo4Edit, I'd appreciate it if you could help me with this.

 

 

-Bloxyman

[MissingMeshTV]

If by "fix" you mean generate precombined meshes and previs data for those mods, you'll need the CK. You can't generate new precombines/previs with xEdit.

[hereami]

Fixing precombines by XEdit means Unbreak i suppose?

In object refs list find all placed in [brackets] and overriden by mods. Copy those from Fallout4.esm into a new file and apply "Copy version control info" script (copy from Fallout4.esm) - will need to comment out by // this string "fromPlugin := nil;" to bypass masters check.

 

In CELL restore Precombined and PreVis (if there was) Files timestamps.

 

Also might try to break selectively - look at XCRI Combined references structure in CELL. From References struc remove Reference pairs (Ref+Mesh) for objects, that should be kept modified by other mods (do not copy those object refs into plugin). Make sure to do it for all refs that belong to a particular concerned Mesh. From Meshes struc delete corresponding mesh. Honestly, never had a need yet to do such partial edit, but looks sensible. PreVis should be disabled in this case, i think.

 

May look here https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/5522717-fallout-4-optimization-and-performance-systems-explained/

[VIitS]

^ this. The game will automatically break precombineds and previs selectively if the timestamps on the REFR records (placed references) are either newer than the VISI or PCMB timestamps in the CELL record, or are missing. Copying a record to another plugin using xEdit*, due to it causing a problem with certain modding workflows when it is copied**, results in the version control info being stripped out, and until Fallout 4 and the precombiend/previs systems, it never mattered.

 

So if you copy that data back in from the original plugin, and the timestamps are the same, precombineds and previs will be re-enabled. If the mod has nothing in the RVIS, VISI, PCMB, XPRI, and XCRI subrecords, the mod author purposefully disabled precombineds and previs and you will need to copy that data back over as well if you want to re-enable them.

 

HOWEVER, doing so will effectively undo any change made to the placed reference in question, so it is generally not something you want to do unless precombineds/previs were rebuilt for the mod, and you are just needing to copy the records to another plugin for some reason. So in your case, you would want to follow RedRocketTV's advice, since the CK is the only way to rebuild precombineds.

 

You could, as hereami said, manually edit the XCRI data to remove specific precombined .nif files and the referenced records***. But you would either need to remove entire .nifs and all relevant records at once, or manually edit the .nifs using nifskope to remove that specific record (not easy, since nothing is visible so you have to go by textures). Removing the referenced record from the XCRI subrecord without removing/editing the relevant .nif will result in two copies of it being rendered, one in the original position and one in the altered position. The problem with this method is, 99% of precombined records have the collision data combined into a single CELLID_physics.nif, so the collision for the old location will still be there. If you open the precombined nif relevant to the placed reference and it has a bhkNPCollisionObject block, you will probably be fine****, but really it is easier to just rebuild the precombineds. Especially since previs can't be edited in that way, and should be disabled unless the thing you removed from the precombineds was small enough to not be used in previs calculations. Otherwise you will see things flickering in and out near the original location of whatever was moved/deleted/replaced.

 

*Generic name for FO4Edit. xEdit=TES4Edit=FNVEdit=FO4Edit=...

**namely, using the version control mode of the CK to merge plugins into a master plugin, IIRC

***a process made much less painful by using this script, made by zilav on my behalf

****though maybe not, I can't guarantee that will be collision for everything that is part of the mesh as opposed to just some of them

[hereami]

...The problem with this method is, 99% of precombined records have the collision data combined into a single CELLID_physics.nif, so the collision for the old location will still be there. If you open the precombined nif relevant to the placed reference and it has a bhkNPCollisionObject block, you will probably be fine****,....

Damn... Didn't know that, thanks.

[Blinxys]

Had a quite similar question and didn't think a new thread was the best place to highlight relevant topic.

 

Trying to make a smash patch / and totally clean up my current mod base once and for all... :ninja:

 

In Worldspace:

I literally have 10 mods that have their own precombines of the same CELL.

All of them are itm, Except... 8 are looking at Fallout4.esm and 2 are looking at DLCCoast.esm and a smash patch at the end showing DLCCoast data.

 

CELL:0000E400

2015-09-04 and 2016-05-13 respectively.

 

Since a clump of trees was added by Far Harbor. (really, 1 TreeClusterDead01 in REF:03032CCA1 at the end).

Making DLC required as master for the orphans. :geek:

 

1) What is the best way to proceed?

2) Would like to just update ref/masters/VISI/PCMB version control in each making them ITM for DLCCoast and irrelevant and cleaning them later.

3) is the Data for the Cell because it varies from 4423,4426,4429,4432,4432,4435,4437, and the patch is 3442... will that update with above changes, or is that in the Cell not Worldspace sub.

Is there something I'm missing, or not understanding?

Would option 2 work out ok? :unsure:

 

Really am weary or nto too kean about making cell changes in CK due to heavy load(s) multiple multiple files and the dangers of irrelevant edits (as i am unpracticed in that env), especially for such a little thing- of which I have several dozen to do, and more similar questions to follow. :pinch:

 

Note: saw FO4PrecombinedDataEditor

But take to heart warning about knowing... and... nope, not all there yet. :sweat:

[VIitS]

Data size for the cell is literally just that, and it does not have any impact on Precombineds/previs.

 

If you want to remake precombineds to work for all the mods together, you are better off flagging them all as ESM (Do NOT change the file extension, just add the flag using xEdit), loading them all in the CK, and rebuilding precombineds/previs for that cell, saving it into a patch. You can then remove the ESM flag from those plugins. You have to add that flag before loading up the CK, as it will automatically remove any non-flagged .esp plugins as masters, horribly breaking the resulting plugin.

 

If none of them touch a record that is part of vanilla precombineds (shows as [Placed Object] in xEdit for the REFRs), you are probably better off just using the vanilla precombineds, as they don't require you to remake them for the changes to apply.

 

If you want to learn more about precombineds/previs, check out this thread.

[Blinxys]

VlitS you are so up on it! [respect]

I on the other hand; am downright discouraged...

 

I spent several More Hours going through the 5 stages of greiving reading related threads, and still don't feel any wiser.

(TMI, Information Overload, so much back and forth over the top, missing stuff in the middle).

 

 

If you want to remake precombineds to work for all the mods together, you are better off flagging them all as ESM (Do NOT change the file extension, just add the flag using xEdit), loading them all in the CK, and rebuilding precombineds/previs for that cell, saving it into a patch.

^ This can be done, when i get to that portion of the program.

However,

Am trying to make a smash patch overall, already.

 

The workflow does not flow...

Think I need a decision tree / flowchart to navigate this.

Or an FO4edit Cell/Precombine Glossary/Index.

 

E.G.
Lootable Skeletons points to bad references, and at times wrong record types (something got jiggered in thar). :pirate:
Other mods have taken it upon themselves to initially disable items randomly, which i want to remove without NULL:000000 reference.

 

These have to be fixed via FO4edit first (if that is at all possible).

I can correct most of them, it seems, but...

Edit: Using/taking info from earlier parts of this thread, though it is scant on any specific scenarios.

 

Edit: Ok, have realized a serious problem with smash patch vs. previs/precom.

Smash elects to incorporate "differences" based on sometimes uncertain criteria with no relative consistency.

I.E. it takes additional references, but uses initial precombine data, # of objects, time stamps etc. from other records leading to issues down the road.

Meanwhile, DLCs remove and add objects, seemingly for no good reason, except to mess with an already fragile system

and to make finalizing a mod install base a nearly impossible PITA. :yucky:

 

Conclusion (If i get there):

Must eliminate Smash Patch once all inconsistencies are ruled out for all mods, previs not withstanding.

Then rebuild previs for entire worldspace with all mods that alter any of it loaded as esm's in ck...

(Somehow that doesn't even sound feasible). :sick:

 

Does anyone ever truly have a finalized install base? :unsure:

Edited October 17, 2020 by Blinxys

[Blinxys]

Posted method for fixing bad references in Mod Troubleshooting.

Bad Worldspace REFs: FO4Edit Fix

If anyone has a better solution or if I left something important out, please advise. :huh: