I made a noob mistake..

[SilverKnight566]

So basically I was in the middle of talking to someone over Discord and when I started working on my mod, I forgot to set an active file and ignored the dialogue box by mistake. I made some considerably huge changes to the mod and now I am trying to save the mod, but CK is directing me to save the changes I made as a new mod rather than overwriting the targeted mod file. I didn't notice that I forgot to set the active plugin until I tried to save my changes. When the explorer opens, I choose my mod as the target plugin but it still will not let me overwrite it because "the file "slv_RealisticSettlementOverhaul.esp" is a master file or in use."

 

 

Is there a workaround or will I have to restart CK and redo all of the changes that I have made?

[SilverKnight566]

I was thinking about saving the changes as a new mod and then using xEdit to copy over those changes to the original mod. Would that be the correct way or is there a better way to approach this?

[taryl80]

I would also try it on this way. Can't say if it will work out, but it would be the best option in this case imo.

[StormWolf01]

SilverKnight- First off, don't feel bad, we've all gotten distracted, tired, frustrated, or something, and forgotten to take certain steps or made mistakes. You are literally not a modder, unless you've goofed somewhere. It happens to all of us.

It is frustrating sometimes tho. LOL.

 

 

I was thinking about saving the changes as a new mod and then using xEdit to copy over those changes to the original mod. Would that be the correct way or is there a better way to approach this?

It depends on how you go about it, in xedit. If you straight out copy the new changes from a seperate esp, as "Copy as new record" it's going to create a dependancy on the esp. Essentially, creating the exact same files, as a plugin. Which, in this case, you've already got. So if you used that method, it would be a redunancy, and for the most part.... a waste of time.

 

What I'd do, is open both your "master" file, that has most of the work in it that you'd done prior, and the file that you've saved the extra work in, that you didn't save correctly.

First, look at the what I'm going to call "emergency save" file. You may have categories like "Constructable object" "Aim Model" "Static" "Activator" or whatever.

Now, look at your master file, and using the right click options in the left side panel, Choose ADD.

 

It may take a bit of re-naming some stuff, due to the fact that you are adding these new categories in again, and have to use new names for them when you add the new categories back in. But aside from that, it's tons better than having to completely remake the entire changes.

Then add blank listings for each of those categories that you need to add back in/copy over.

 

Once you've got those set up, you can use the Compare Selected (2) and drag and drop methods that I was telling this guy about, for a lot of it, so as to make your workflow go a lot faster and smoother. https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/8142703-customizable-deadpool-outfit/&do=findComment&comment=74993938

Edited November 19, 2019 by StormWolf01

[VIitS]

Before doing anything else, verify that all the mods that should be masters are masters. If any were .esp plugins without an ESM flag, the CK will rip them out. If the last master is the one ripped out, you can fix it by loading in xEdit, manually editing the File Header* to add it back in. If it wasn't the last listed master, you MIGHT be able to get it fixed by manually reordering the master list to match how it would have been before the CK ripped masters out, but it will be tricky. Once you have the master list back the way it was before the CK ripped things out, save and exist xEdit.

 

If you save a plugin in xEdit after it was broken by the CK, before fixing the master list, then that plugin is basically broken and you might as well restart. It will be easier than finding all the records broken by the CK.

 

*do NOT use the "Add master" option, that does things properly, which means it won't fix the problems caused by the CK ripping a master out. 99% of the time editing the master list in the file header will break things, the only time it won't is when fixing problems caused by the CK ripping out masters, and editing a master name so a patch will still work when a mod author renames the main mod.

 

 

If the CK did not break your plugin:

 

Starting with xEdit 4.0 (4.0.2 is released now, with 4.0.3 to be released shortly*), there is an easier way to merge your new plugin into the existing one:

 

1) Load your new plugin into xEdit with the existing plugin (if it is a master, it should load automatically if you select your new plugin)

2) Right click the file name -> Inject Forms Into Master

3) Select all the record groups -> Deep Copy as Override (with overwriting) into the existing plugin.

4) Save.

 

Step 2 will automatically change any new FormIDs to have the load order ID of the selected master, which is required to be able to copy the new records into it, and the "with overwriting" option means that any changes to existing records will be copied. If you just do "Deep copy as override", it won't copy any records that already exist in the target plugin, so if you made any changes to existing records you want to do the with overwriting option.

 

*The release candidate can be downloaded from the xEdit discord