invalid directory error when designating .nif files

[Silverfox101]

This is my first in depth mod, beyond just changing the stats on items I should say. Anyways, I have been working on a mod that would allow me to carry my staff of my back, not as a weapon but rather, as an armor, or vanity item, it would have some nice enchants on it, that could help, but not break, my game-play (e.g. +50 health, +50 magicka). so I've tried different things, I do have the mod elderscroll on back, and was trying to emulate how that worked, just replacing the files that have the artwork with the artwork of the staff I am trying to carry around then I would apply the Bonuses I wish it to give me. Problem is all I keep getting are invalid file directory errors when I replace the .nif files. I've extracted the .nif files from the skyrim meshes of the weapons, and when I select them I get the afore mentioned error, I've been stuck at this point for a few days now, and am at a complete loss of ideas. Do I need to extract the meshes from elderscroll on back? and add some in? Or am I going about this all wrong? If someone has done this something similar and can walk me through this or can refer me to a site with the instructions I would be much appreciative. If you need additional information, I shall be happy to provide it. Happy modding! And thanks in advance.

[DrakeTheDragon]

Can't say for certain for Skyrim, but if it's anyway like Oblivion, it dislikes accessing files from outside their proper directories.

If your NIF files aren't located inside the respective folder structure designated for the type of item you're assigning them to, chances are good the game will refuse their usage.

 

Especially by no means whatsoever try to point the game to a file outside of the data folder or even the Skyrim folder to begin with!

[Silverfox101]

well it is a weapon that im trying to 'make' into an 'armor', ill try moving a copy of the nif file into the armors file. currently all files are withing the skyrim\data\textures location

 

 

Edit: moved a copy of the nif file to the armors folder, with a new folder to hold it, still had the invalid directory when i change the nif file for the world model.

Edited April 7, 2013 by Silverfox101

[DrakeTheDragon]

Did you say "textures" for your NIFs' location or was that a typo? Anywhere inside "textures" certainly isn't the right place for "meshes". Though I'm not sure if Skyrim really bothers that much about it.

If it's meant to be an armor you're creating, no matter what you're creating it from, you're creating an armor form in the CK and trying to assign a NIF to it, so its NIFs should be totally fine and at the right place inside an armor folder.

 

However, I'm at a loss at this point, as I don't know Skyrim's inner workings other than what it took from Oblivion, obviously, and as such can't be of more help. I'm sorry.

[Silverfox101]

well, it is outside of the textures folder at this point, still in the data folder, its now in skyrim\data\staffofblood\armor\staffofbood.nif and it still doesnt work :(

[DrakeTheDragon]

Hmm, shouldn't the existing folder structure rather be like "skyrim/data/meshes/armor/" then your folders and your files?

Unless they totally redesigned their folder structure from the ground up, that is.

 

Just in case, where is this "skyrim" folder anyways? Just so we're not unknowingly talking about folders inside where the savegames and such are located, as that'd be the wrong one. Mod files go into the one inside the Steam folders.

 

And then it could also be a file access rights issue with more recent versions of Windows and having Steam inside "program files" or similarly over-protected system folders. In this case you might be browsing into some compatibility folder instead of the actual ones inside "program files", and while the Explorer will keep lying to you, the game won't find the files where it claims they are.

Edited April 7, 2013 by DrakeTheDragon

[Silverfox101]

well, this first way i tried it was C:\Programfiles(x86)\steam\SteamApps\common\skyrim\data\textures\meshes\weapons\staffofblood\staffofblood.nif

 

and I've moved it around everywhere, keeping it within the data folder. I tried moving it to the armor folder, no success, I've moved it to literally right in the middle of my data folder, no success, and eventually I've come to put it in its own folder, I've noticed when I look at other armor mods, the armor nif location is 'customarmorname\customarmorname.nif' so I figured I would try it, to no avail. I feel like I'm missing something, I pulled everything out I used BSAopt, tried it that way, I used FOMM, tried it that way, I've opened them in nifSkope, saved it under a new name, all for naught :\ I feel like I'm missing a teeny tiny little step, and when I figure it out I'm gonna be like DERP! XD I didnt think that this would be that hard to do, I'm just making the Skull of Corruption, unmodified for now, into an armor piece, you'd think that wouldnt be all that hard, its just how the game represents it on screen, I'm replacing the picture of an elderscroll with that of the skull of corruption, it shouldnt have been this difficult XD

Edited April 7, 2013 by Silverfox101

[DrakeTheDragon]

Hmm, it looks like you always seem to be getting the categories mixed up or the orders reversed or something.

 

"skyrim\data\textures" while it should be "meshes"

"skyrim\data\staffofblood\armor\staffofbood.nif" missing "meshes" and "staffofblood" <-> "armor" flipped

"skyrim\data\textures\meshes\weapons\staffofblood\staffofblood.nif" putting folders from the 'same' level one into the other

 

If it's still the way it was in the past, the folders should always be like that:

 

- "data"

- then the resource file category ("meshes", "textures", "sounds", etc.)

- then the item/object type category ("armor", "clothes", "weapons", etc.)

- then the folder for the item or a set of items (e.g. "staffofblood") (and this doesn't have to be the same name as the files contained by any means either)

- and last but not least the file itself (eg. "staffofblood.nif")

 

So the final folder path I would use for your purpose, an armor item's NIF file, would be

" data / meshes / armor / staffofblood / staffofblood.nif "

(I inserted blanks so the structure becomes more readable).

 

 

But why isn't anybody else chiming in here who 'knows' what it must be like? I'm just 'guessing' here (no matter how much 'educated' a guess). I don't even have the game! We could really use some 'knowledge' for a change. :ermm:

[Silverfox101]

see, im not sure if getting the path messed up is a problem. so long as it has the file it needs, the path shouldnt matter, correct? at least names of folders shouldnt matter. because file names change alot, and if you had to go in and program the path it needed to take it be even more horrendous than it already is. and yes, this conversation REALLY needs some expert advice :( we are both sitting here whooting in the dark with blindfolds on XD

[DrakeTheDragon]

Well, path doesn't matter only to a certain extent. In Oblivion it was rather loose altogether. For most things you had totally free reign inside the "meshes" or "textures" folders, but the key point here is "not for everything"!

 

Even this older game, Oblivion, already refused file paths to resources outside of their usual location, like texture files in "meshes" or NIFs inside "sounds" (not sure about those exact examples, but there were some types which were refused when found at odd locations).

And it even went further in and refused certain 'types' of items' NIF files outside of their proper categorized 'subfolder' inside "meshes" (like if you were not allowed to put weapons' NIFs anywhere else but inside "meshes/weapons/...").

 

So sticking true to the 'traditional' folder structure always was a given to me. As I never know when the next item/resource type I'm trying to add will just run into another "invalid directory" error again, if I messed up its proper location inside the 'fixed' folder structure of the game again.

 

By what you were describing I was deducing in Skyrim it might be even more strictly checking the proper locations thing now and that's what's giving you the error I remember from messing up files' locations myself in the past.

It might not even be that way at all with Skyrim, but to me the risk it couid be is enough to already avoid it and stick true to the 'fixed' folder structure for resource files and item types by all means.

 

(Needless to say, a dis-organized, or 'broken', folder structure coming from some mod I installed, placing files into totally wrong locations, like NIFs into textures, DDS and NIF into the same places, etc., always was a total pain to overview and manage in the past.)

 

 

But we could really need some "yes, it is that way" or "no, it is not that way" with Skyrim cue here now.

 

edit: "fixed" structure as in "static", not as in "repaired"... a language issue on my end here, lacking the correct term currently.

Edited April 8, 2013 by DrakeTheDragon