EXPERIENCED MODDERS PLEASE HELP? How Do I Locate Certain Meshes and Te

[Shiloh8686]

I am using the GECK to make a crafting mod that I need to make certain new items for, such as blueprints or scrap parts. Because I don't know how to make meshes or textures, I was going to use the normal in-game mesh and texture of any schematic for my new blueprint items, and the normal mesh and texture of scrap metal for my new scrap part items. Unfortunately, I cannot find the meshes or textures for either of those within C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\fallout new vegas\Data. Yes, I looked in /meshes and /textures before you ask. I'm not stupid.

 

I have three questions:

 

1) Where is the schematic mesh and texture located within the FNV directory?

2) Where is the scrap metal mesh and texture located within the FNV directory?

3) I don't want to have to post a new topic on the forum every time I have a problem like this- is there an easier way to find an item's mesh and texture within the FNV directory? A video or tutorial that you could point me towards would be very helpful.

 

Thanks for helping if you helped and Merry Christmas!

[TheFourthHorse]

Are you looking in the folders or the BSAs?

[Shiloh8686]

Are you looking in the folders or the BSAs?

 

Let me clarify a little bit. I am new to modding and the GECK. I don't know what a BSA is and after a quick google a still don't really know. What I do know is that I was looking, at least somewhat, in the right place. I have NIFskope and WTV, so I could see that I was looking in folders where there were meshes and textures because I viewed some of them. Aside from that, I really can't answer your question that well.

[Xaranth]

Are you looking in the folders or the BSAs?

 

Let me clarify a little bit. I am new to modding and the GECK. I don't know what a BSA is and after a quick google a still don't really know. What I do know is that I was looking, at least somewhat, in the right place. I have NIFskope and WTV, so I could see that I was looking in folders where there were meshes and textures because I viewed some of them. Aside from that, I really can't answer your question that well.

 

BSA stands for, I think, Bethesda Software Archive, or something like that. It's basically the same as a zip file in theory, in practice, you need a special tool to get at them. The best one, IMO, is Fallout Mod Manager. Get it. Then run it, and from the tools menu select 'BSA Browser'. Meshes are in the Fallout - Meshes.bsa, and Textures are in Fallout - Textures.bsa and Fallout - Textures2.bsa.

 

You can find a SPECIFIC mesh with the GECK. When you open a form, there's a field for 'model'. That field has a relative path that directs you to the model. If you want to cross-type a form (I.E., turn a container into an activator), the best way to go about it is to find the path of the model you want, use FOMM's BSA browser to extract it into the same relative path, create your new form and select the models you want, then save your work, kill the GECK, and delete the model - the game will then go back to using the one in the archive.

 

If you want to use a model for the same TYPE of form, then just open the form you want, change the name, and tell the GECK to make a new form.

[Shiloh8686]

Are you looking in the folders or the BSAs?

 

Let me clarify a little bit. I am new to modding and the GECK. I don't know what a BSA is and after a quick google a still don't really know. What I do know is that I was looking, at least somewhat, in the right place. I have NIFskope and WTV, so I could see that I was looking in folders where there were meshes and textures because I viewed some of them. Aside from that, I really can't answer your question that well.

 

BSA stands for, I think, Bethesda Software Archive, or something like that. It's basically the same as a zip file in theory, in practice, you need a special tool to get at them. The best one, IMO, is Fallout Mod Manager. Get it. Then run it, and from the tools menu select 'BSA Browser'. Meshes are in the Fallout - Meshes.bsa, and Textures are in Fallout - Textures.bsa and Fallout - Textures2.bsa.

 

You can find a SPECIFIC mesh with the GECK. When you open a form, there's a field for 'model'. That field has a relative path that directs you to the model. If you want to cross-type a form (I.E., turn a container into an activator), the best way to go about it is to find the path of the model you want, use FOMM's BSA browser to extract it into the same relative path, create your new form and select the models you want, then save your work, kill the GECK, and delete the model - the game will then go back to using the one in the archive.

 

If you want to use a model for the same TYPE of form, then just open the form you want, change the name, and tell the GECK to make a new form.

 

Thanks. I normally use NMM, but now I guess I'll download FOMM. Now time to start modding again!

[Shiloh8686]

Actually, there's something I still don't understand. I right-clicked 'SchematicsBottlecapMine' in the object window and then I clicked 'edit'. I found the mesh that it used: 'clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif'. I assumed that was the normal mesh for schematics and blueprints. However, I tried to access that file using the GECK to set it as the mesh for the blueprint item I created, but for some reason, I am not able to access that folder. In fact, when I open the 'data\meshes\clutter' folder, the junk folder doesn't even show up- the only sub-folders that show up are 'Canteen', 'Oasis' and 'Skeleton'. I'm assuming this has something to do with the 'clutter\junk' folder actually being a BSA file, but I can't, or don't know how to, access it from the GECK. Can anyone please tell me how?

 

Thanks for helping.

[Xaranth]

As I said before. You need to extract the clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif file from the Fallout - Meshes.bsa if you want to use it to make another item using it. The most effective way is to extract it into the same relative path, that is: meshes\clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif. Then you can use it to make a different type of form - I'm guessing you want a miscellaneous item? Only AFTER it's extracted can you work with it in the GECK. The GECK can read items in BSAs from existing forms, but can't read them into new forms. Moreover, there's no way to key a model or texture path by hand to avoid the rigamarole of extract, create, select, then optionally clear. Very poorly designed, actually.

 

You'll also need an icon or two if you're ginning something up from scratch.

[Shiloh8686]

As I said before. You need to extract the clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif file from the Fallout - Meshes.bsa if you want to use it to make another item using it. The most effective way is to extract it into the same relative path, that is: meshes\clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif. Then you can use it to make a different type of form - I'm guessing you want a miscellaneous item? Only AFTER it's extracted can you work with it in the GECK. The GECK can read items in BSAs from existing forms, but can't read them into new forms. Moreover, there's no way to key a model or texture path by hand to avoid the rigamarole of extract, create, select, then optionally clear. Very poorly designed, actually.

 

You'll also need an icon or two if you're ginning something up from scratch.

 

Oh, now I get it. This was extremely helpful, thanks.

 

However, I still am a bit confuse about something. I'm sorry if this might be tiring you out, but I'm pretty sure this is my last question.

I did everything you said (and understood at I was doing), and it worked absolutely fine- I now have a schematic that looks like a schematic and shows up like one in the Pipboy- however, what if I wanted to put this mod up on Nexus. Basically, what I mean is that I extracted some BSA files into the NV directory, and then made those files the mesh and textures for my schematic. The only problem is, if someone chooses to download my mod and install it, they most likely won't have extracted the same mesh and textures to the same place, let alone extract those textures and the mesh at all. I have two questions:

 

1) Wouldn't that result in some giant red exclamation points for them because the game can't find the files I directed it to?

2) If not, why not?

3) If so, how do I remedy this problem?

 

Thank you VERY MUCH, especially Xaranth.

[Xaranth]

If you preserved the relative path, they would be fine. By which I mean, if the original mesh was located int Fallout - Meshes.bsa with a bath of clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif, and you extracted it with the same path into the data\meshes folder, it will be fine. So if you take clutter\junk\blueprintPaper01.nif out of fallout -Meshes.bsa and put it into meshes\clutter\junk\BlueprintPaper01.nif, then build your item, then distribute the mod, it'll work.

 

It works because FNV looks in the Data folder for a resource first, then in the mod's associated bsa, then in the base game's bsa for a resource, and as long as the paths line up, it can find it in the game bsa if that's where you took it from.

 

You can test this easily by just deleting the mesh you used, then trying it out in the game. If you got it right, everything will look as it is supposed to. If you didn't get it right, you need to check your paths.

[TheFourthHorse]

Yup... totally forgot about this post :unsure: