BAIN Support for Vortex

[HadToRegister]

I've been installing mods for Morrowind, however, there seems to be a lack of support for mods that are packaged as BAIN.
From the comments I'm seeing, MO and/or MO2 can handle BAIN packages, so why not Vortex?

Essentially a BAIN package is just a bunch of options without scripting like a FOMOD has, you get choices like this


00 Core - and a list of ESPs, and Meshes, and Textures folder

01 Option 1 - Textures by x modder - a Textures folder with that modder's textures in it to use in place of the default textures in CORE

02 Option 2 - Textures and Meshes by Y Modder - a Textures and Meshes fodlers to use in place of the Textures and Meshes in CORE

03 Option 3 - Optional ESP if you use Tamriel Rebuilt - Contains an ESP to replace the esp in CORE


Now, why couldn't an extension be written to detect this setup, and open up a screen (kind ok like in Wrye Bash) where you get the check boxes for each entry, and you can pick and choose which ones you want to use.

Of course CORE would be picked by Default because there are always necessary files in it, but then below that, you have the Option 1, 2 and 3 option, where you can put a check mark to install the optional Textures or Meshes or ESP etc.

COuld Vortex, as it's processing the file to install, detect the 00 - Core, 01 - Option, 02 - Option layout etc, and pop up a screen to allow you to check off the options and install the options that have been checked off?

This is basically a layout of a basic BAIN package

[Pickysaurus]

Is there a way to actually detect this format? It looks like it uses an arbitrary folder structure that could quite easily be a FOMOD instead. The advantage with more modern installers is that they have a JSON/XML/whatever that Vortex can look for when extracting the archive.

 

It's possible that .txt file contains some info, but as it doesn't have a consistent name it gives us the same problem as Reshades.

 

I'd love to see a community made extension for this. It'd require a fair amount of research on all the weird and wonderful packing techniques for the team to do it officially (and dedicating dev time to what is essentially a long dead format). So if someone who already knows the format feels like giving it a shot, we'll definitely support them.

[HadToRegister]

Is there a way to actually detect this format? It looks like it uses an arbitrary folder structure that could quite easily be a FOMOD instead. The advantage with more modern installers is that they have a JSON/XML/whatever that Vortex can look for when extracting the archive.

 

It's possible that .txt file contains some info, but as it doesn't have a consistent name it gives us the same problem as Reshades.

 

I'd love to see a community made extension for this. It'd require a fair amount of research on all the weird and wonderful packing techniques for the team to do it officially (and dedicating dev time to what is essentially a long dead format). So if someone who already knows the format feels like giving it a shot, we'll definitely support them.

 

AFAIK A BAIN package ALWAYS has a "00 CORE", I don't think a Fomod does.

 

How does MO or MO2 do it?

According to some description pages, the mod authors are saying to use Wryebash or MO, or MO2 to install

 

So, it must be possible

 

Also, don't Fomod packaged mods actually have a FOMOD folder in the archive?

 

Maybe an option where vortex says, this los like a BAIN packaged archive, do you want to try the BAIN interface?

ANd you answer, and it gives you the interface, where you can pick and choose with checkboxes to install options from 1, 2 or 3 etc (like the fomod interface in Vortex, but for BAIN)

 

 

 

 

[Pickysaurus]

This is the MO2 source for it, and looking at the commit history they too are having problems identifying what exactly is part of the installer: https://github.com/ModOrganizer2/modorganizer-installer_bain

 

C++ may as well be Ancient Egyptian to me I'm afraid, but it may help someone who wants to pick this up.

[HadToRegister]

This is the MO2 source for it, and looking at the commit history they too are having problems identifying what exactly is part of the installer: https://github.com/ModOrganizer2/modorganizer-installer_bain

 

C++ may as well be Ancient Egyptian to me I'm afraid, but it may help someone who wants to pick this up.

 

 

How does Wryebash do it?

[IsharaMeradin]

BAIN ready mods contain a carefully crafted folder structure (which can have any name but for easier reference many choose to use a standard of a double digit prefix followed by a short descriptive title) where each folder selected to be installed will override any conflicting files in the selected folder(s) above it in the list. Each folder could be considered as a separate mod as they are each equivalent to the "Data" folder. Some may contain a wizards.txt file which contains instructions similar to an OBMM script (also known as an OMOD).

 

In theory, for MO / MO2 a user could run Wrye Bash from inside MO and install the BAIN mod. MO should catch the output in the overwrite folder and the user could then create a new MO mod folder from that output. The user could then uncheck the new mod folder in MO (left side), go back to WB and uninstall the BAIN mod completely. Then return to MO and reactivate the mod.

 

If that is theoretically possible with Vortex, I do not know.

 

Please back up anything and everything before testing such theories. I will not be held responsible for blowing up anyone's hamsters running their potatoes.

[HadToRegister]

Well, one workaround is to install the BAIN archive, whichwill install every single option, but the optional stuff will be on folders named "01 - Option 1", "02 - Option 2", then right click on the mod and select "Open in File Manger", which opens up the Mod Staging folder, then just open the optional folder and Ctrl-X from the option folder and CTRL-C to the CORE folder, then redeploy

But that's a PITA

[Tannin42]

This has been requested ages ago, it's simply a matter of finding the time to implement it: https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/issues/95

 

MO/MO2 - at least when I maintained it - simply checks different installer mechanisms one after the other and apply the first one that is supported. Since fomod is tested first, if the mod does contain a fomod script.cs or the xml file, it will treat it as a fomod. If not but it can be interpreted as a BAIN archive, it will do that.

Vortex uses the same mechanism so there wouldn't be a fundamental problem adding support.

 

The "wizard.txt" thing is a lot more complex though since that is an entirely separate DSL (domain specific language) we'd have to implement. but MO2 doesn't support those either.

[HadToRegister]

This has been requested ages ago, it's simply a matter of finding the time to implement it: https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex/issues/95

 

MO/MO2 - at least when I maintained it - simply checks different installer mechanisms one after the other and apply the first one that is supported. Since fomod is tested first, if the mod does contain a fomod script.cs or the xml file, it will treat it as a fomod. If not but it can be interpreted as a BAIN archive, it will do that.

Vortex uses the same mechanism so there wouldn't be a fundamental problem adding support.

 

The "wizard.txt" thing is a lot more complex though since that is an entirely separate DSL (domain specific language) we'd have to implement. but MO2 doesn't support those either.

 

 

Well, that's some good news then.

Hopefully something will come about soon.

There are a TON of BAIN mod for Morrowind and Oblivion out there.