SkyrimCustom.ini file -- Does it work?

[IsharaMeradin]

It was self created, meaning I had to create a blank text file, rename it and add the entries to it.

 

The Creation Kit does not create any custom ini files, well it might create something in relation to specific mods or mod files, but never anything that would be used to control the game or itself as a whole.

 

I know there are some mod organizer programs out there that allow you to modify game settings. Perhaps one of them created the SkyrimCustom.ini. Otherwise, no idea how you got yours.

[xingo22]

Hi,

I know this thread has been dead for a while but it has been revived once before... i might as well share what I have experienced regarding SkyrimCustom.ini.

First of all a general tip that can't be said too many times...
WARNING!!! When playing with game files (or really just using any mod whatsoever), however benign they might be and no matter how extraordinarily clever and amazing you are, always be ready for when the you-know-what hits the fan (yes WHEN, not IF, if you play around enough it WILL happen eventually). If you have a digital copy of skyrim and don't want to download again, save your install files if you can or back up your entire Skyrim game folder, your documents folder (my games or whatever) and to be on the safe side any AppData files you are able to find! Also, both digital and physical owner, if you have a complicated mod collection installed (maybe an overhaul like SkyRe and a whole bunch of other mods that you have spent hours and hours getting to work together), do another separate backup of your game, documents and appdata files (don't forget your loadorder.txt (NMM users only... ? ) and plugins.txt so that you dont have to fiddle with your load order again). Sorry, off topic but it has to be said at least once on every single thread :wink:

I had experience some very odd behaviour regarding the ini:s so i played around with a new save and regenerated (ultra) ini:s (but with quite a few mods, many of which cannot be uninstalled just by unchecking data files and I did not want to spend time packing up my current skyrim files and restoring my factory backup and back again). This is what i found:

Anecdote:

For me, SkyrimCustom.ini was first created when i played around with ini settings and RefINI and SaveINI console commands. I wanted to print out all skyrim settings to play around with. To do so I went into the game and used the SaveIni console command and expected skyrim to overwrite my Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini as I had read on the internet... but it didn't. Prefs.ini was edited with the few new lines that are not there to start with but skyrim.ini was untouched and no other ini:s (neither SkyrimCustom.ini or anything else) were in sight...

WARNING once again, playing with SaveINI printed ini:s is generally a bad idea, they tend to print out some strange things that (apart from increasing load time since skyrim loads its standard settings and then has to overwrite every single one again even if they are exactly the same) can make your game unstable. Two common examples of this is the red-tinted loading screen and main menu models and messed up world map meshes/textures. If you want to try out different settings, move the printed ini:s and use them as a "library" of sorts. Look for interesting settings and write them in clean ini:s.

So i googled up a few interesting settings to play around with instead. To prevent having to restart Skyrim everytime I tweaked a setting I used the RefIni (RefreshINI) command to refresh the setting from the ini without restarting (only works on some settings, will crash your game for others and possibly corrupt saves). So I edited a few settings and had some effects, nothing major but I could clearly see something changed when i used RefINI, but for some reason nothing was loaded when I restarted the game, not before I used RefINI did I see the changes I had made in the .ini.. very odd, but at least it was working and I kept busy.

 

Now, i don't know why but, i used the saveini command again and THIS TIME it created the SkyrimCustom.ini filled with the complete SaveINI printout. I didn't notice it at the time so i kept tweaking and fiddling but now nothing seemed to work at all (as I later found out it was because the custom file WAS being used after all, but I'll get to that), also I started seeing strange things suggesting that a SaveINI printed ini was in use... It was driving me nuts when nothing I changed had ANY effect, even after I found and deleted skyrimcustom.ini and even deleting and regenerating both standard ini:s... I put uGridsToLoad=9999 just to get skyrim to f♥♥♥ing wake up, you know, just to get a point through to skyrim, make it understand my plight and make it stop buggering 'round... pardon my french... but nothing

Then finaly, after reading about "modname".ini:s on this thread a found that I had an ini in my data folder that was filled with settings, most of them standard settings that did nothing other than overwrite everything I tried to do! Fist of I didn't see the complete connection, i thought I had installed a bad mod that came along with a auto generated ini or something... but finaly i realised that it was being created/edited when I was using SaveINI... sometimes, but not always, sometimes skyrimcustom.ini was created/edited instead... bugger me! Some freaky s*** that is! Why on earth does it create a "modname".ini file??! and why does it sometimes choose to create SkyrimCustom.ini instead which it doesnt even seem to use?!

When I deleted both the custom and "modname" ini:s everything worked as it should, all strange "SaveINI" effects were gone, obviously created by the printed "modname".ini. All well and good! But now, why did all those strange things happen? It is far from impossible that some mod I have installed is creating this effect but I can't think of any one that should in any way affect ini:s, (apart from the "stable uGridsToLoad" mod which I uninstalled completely (i am pretty sure i left no trace) and started a new game but the same strange still stuff happening). So I tried loading with three different settings for the same property, map zoom speed in my case as vanilla setting in Sky.ini, really fast in custom.ini and 0 in modname.ini, the results were:

With all three files: No zoom when I first started the game, really fast after RefINI.

Without custom.ini: No zoom first and vanilla after RefINI.

Without modname.ini: Vanilla zoom first and really fast after RefINI.

I also noticed that SaveINI always printed to modname.ini before i used RefINI and always to custom.ini after using it.

Sooo...

 

 

My conclusion based on my experiences (see anecdote for details)

What files are being loaded and when?
Skyrim loads its two standard ini:s when the game starts, nothing new there, and as is already posted on the thread it then loads any "loadedmodname".ini in your data folder.

SkyrimCustom.ini IS being used by skyrim, but not when the game loads, only when you manually tell the game to reload inis with the RefINI command. It loads the standard ini:s first and then SkyrimCustom.ini overrides any comnflcting settings

"LoadedModName".ini does not load when you use RefINI!

 

What does the console command SaveINI do?

If you start a game and use the command it will print out all current settings into the SkyrimPrefs.ini and "NameOfLastLoadedMod.ini" in your data folder.

If you, before using SaveINI has used RefINI, skyrim will print out to SkyrimCustom.ini INSTEAD of "NameOfLastLoadedMod.ini"

 

So once again, this is only based on experiments on a modded version of skyrim so I can naturally guarantee any of this will be the same for you, but if it is, please share! If you know why it works this way, please please please explain, I am not really good with all this computer stuff but it is a hell of a lot of fun trying so please enlighten me!

 

Hope someone finds this useful and thank you for information about "modname.ini:s"

 

Loaded mods FYI (CZ prefix mods are my own patches and edits)

 

 

This load order works very well for me and with very fiew CTD or other conflicts (so far), I also use a few SKSE mods not listed and ENBoost part of ENBseries. Some of these mods are notorious for being script intensive and/or creating instability later on in a save, so use with caution (dynamic timescale and uGridsToLoad (if you use a higher that 5) can cause weird quest and script effects).

Update.esm
Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp
Dawnguard.esm
Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp
HearthFires.esm
Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp
Dragonborn.esm
Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp
WinterholdDestruction.esm
ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
HighResTexturePack01.esp
HighResTexturePack02.esp
HighResTexturePack03.esp
Unofficial High Resolution Patch.esp
aMidianborn_Skyforge_Weapons.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-DragonbornTernFix.esp
StaticMeshImprovementMod-FurnitureChestSnowFix.esp
SkyUI.esp
LessIntrusiveHUD.esp
iHUD.esp
RaceMenu.esp
RaceMenuPlugin.esp
RaceMenuOverlays.esp
D13LeveledItemsUpgradeD.esp
Weapons & Armor Fixes_Remade.esp
Clothing & Clutter Fixes.esp
StorageHelpers.esp
My Home Is Your Home.esp
chfshPlayerVoicesets.esp
Dynamic TimeScale.esp
Equipping Overhaul.esp
Convenient Horses.esp
FootstepsSoundsOverhaul.esp
IHSS-FSO.esp
SoundPropagationOverhaul.esp
SoS - Civilization.esp
SoS - The Dungeons.esp
SoS - The Wilds.esp
EnhancedLightsandFX.esp
ELFX - Exteriors.esp
ELFX - Dawnguard.esp
ELFX - Dragonborn.esp
ClimatesOfTamriel-Dungeons-Hardcore.esp
ClimatesOfTamriel-Interiors-Warm.esp
ClimatesOfTamriel-Nights-Level-6.esp
ClimatesOfTamriel-Dawnguard-Patch.esp
ClimatesOfTamriel-Dragonborn-Patch.esp
RRBetterWhiterunInt.esp
WhiterunFortified.esp
WhiterunREVISION.esp
DawnofRiften.esp
DawnofWindhelm.esp
ExpandedWinterholdRuins.esp
ImpeREAL Empire - Unique Cities - Falkreath.esp
better_torches_brighter_torchlight.esp
People Have Torches.esp
KhajiitChildren.esp
Inconsequential NPCs.esp
GypsyEyesCaravan.V.2.esp
Civil War Overhaul.esp
ABT - Loot Arrows +25%.esp
ABT - Merchants Arrows +50%.esp
BFT Ships and Carriages - HF.esp
towBlockSteal.esp
CrimeDecay.esp
TradeBarter.esp
Acquisitive Soul Gems.esp
When Vampires Attack.esp
Immersive Weapons.esp
Hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp
Hothtrooper44_Armor_Ecksstra.esp
Unique Uniques.esp
DeadlyDragons.esp
DeadlyMonsters.esp
AlternativeCraftingSystem.esp
Complete Crafting Overhaul_Remade.esp
1nivWICCloaks.esp
Chesko_WearableLantern.esp
daymoyl.esp
The Paarthurnax Dilemma.esp
SpeechTree.esp
Character Creation Overhaul.esp
Chesko_Frostfall.esp
SkyRe_Main.esp
SkyRe_Races.esp
SkyRe_StandingStones.esp
SkyRe_Combat.esp
SkyRe_EnemyAI.esp
SkyRe_EnemyScaling.esp
SkyRe_EncounterZones.esp
SkyRe_Survivalism.esp
CCO - Diverse Races And Genders.esp
CCO - Dynamic Skill Progression.esp
CCO - Oblivion Carry Weights.esp
Run For Your Lives.esp
Lock Overhaul.esp
UFO - Ultimate Follower Overhaul.esp
UFO - Dragonborn AddOn.esp
UFO - AllwaysDrawWeapons.esp
RealisticRoomRental.esp
ELFX - NoTaverns.esp
RealisticNeedsandDiseases.esp
RND_Dawnguard-Patch.esp
RND_HearthFires-Patch.esp
RND_Dragonborn-Patch.esp
RND_AnimalLoot.esp
RND_USKP-Patch.esp
qotsafans LeveledLists IW IA Patch.esp
Unique Unique's_Skyre Patch.esp
CCF PreReProccer Patch.esp
CCOR_SkyRe_Patch.esp
Pre ReProccer WAFR IA7 IW UU aMidianSS Patch.esp
ReProccer.esp
ASIS-Dependency.esp
ASIS.esp
Post ReProccer Fixes IA7 IW UU aMidianSS Patch.esp
Post ReProccer Fixes CCOR IA7 IW UU aMidianSS Patch.esp
CZ WinterIsCom Override.esp
CZ Better torches override.esp
CZ ELD magic edits.esp
CZ Giant level edit.esp
CZ RND override.esp
CZ SoundPropagationOverhaulEdit.esp
CZ Cowardly citizen.esp
CZ GypsyEyesCaravan light.esp
CZ Inconsequential NPC override.esp
CZ SOS Override.esp
CZ UFO Override.esp
CZ Frostfall.esp
CZ Stuff.esp
CZ aMidian Skyforge + Weap Arm fixes.esp
CZ CCO override.esp
CZ IA Override.esp
CZ IW Override.esp
CZ CCO + Torches.esp
CZ Clothing and clutter + Footsteps.esp
CZ SkyRe Override.esp
CZ SkyRe Speech edit.esp
The Dance of Death - Ultimate Edition.esp
Alternate Start - Live Another Life.esp
SKSE Hotkeys.esp
ImmersiveFP.esp
Animations.esp

 

 

EDIT: I said SaveINI prints out ALL settings, I meant a lot of the settings. There are probably still many hidden lines that you have to find some other way !

Edited March 9, 2014 by xingo22

[Lord Garon]

@xingo22: FWIW, your description is precisely my experience as well. I'm not sure WHY they did it like that, but it "seems" they wanted to allow per-mod global settings changes with the modname.ini files, probably for testing or checking new DLC and/or game effects (maybe for different people working on different mods and each submitting a set of ini values for their mod). Saveini seems to generate a list of things changed up to that point in the load stream (last modname.ini loaded) AND console changes. Refini seems like a restore, sort of undo current (console?) changes but keep the custom settings I'm testing? If someone were developing/testing default ini settings, the process might make sense.

 

</incoherent_ramblings>

Edited March 9, 2014 by Lord Garon

[xingo22]

Good to know! Are we using many common mods that could possibly do anything like this or can we assume this is how skyrim simply does it?

My theory on why would be someone had the idea of using SkyrimCustom.ini as a custom override, and probably implemented it in some way since the author of the INI section of creationkit wiki added it (or maye it was just based on a rumor). Later someone had the idea of mod specific .inis and made the custom ini obsolete but forgot to change RefINI too look for mod ini:s instead of custom ini... hehe my theory at least ♥

 

/X

[cubedj21]

I think, that the main purpose of SkyrimCustom.ini (printed/created only by console command in-game) is the ability to save in-game changed *.ini values, but not to override values in Skyrim.ini or SkyrimPrefs.ini... I assume, it was meant to serve only for devs or for debugging... That would explain, why it isn't loaded when starting the game, because these values (if needed) were implemented in Skyrim.ini and SkyrimPrefs.ini...

[xingo22]

That is of course possible, but it seems kind'a sloppy to let it print to "modname.ini" normally and only print to SkyrimCystom.ini if one has first tried to load it (an we all know the peeps over at Beth are real neat freaks, and not at all prone to leaving messy leftovers ;), sorry Beth I love you anyway♥). Was a real pain in me ar♥e before i noticed it.

B.t.w. it still prints over SkyrimPrefs.ini though, but the settings there don't tend to cause any problems as opposed to the printed settings in the normal SkyrimCustom/modname.ini.

[lmstearn]

The custom.ini is very large. Here it's more than quadruple the size of Skyrim and Prefs together. It's possible that it means to contain every known ini setting in Skyrim.

In that case it does not contain uGridDistantcount, uStaticNeverFade plus some others. Maybe they were never implemented.

And at the date of file creation, it had uGridsToLoad=5 even though I was running uGridsToLoad=7.

 

And the red tinted loading screen? Don't know how it got there, but the game is stable,- and it's really quite nice. :ohmy:

[xingo22]

SkrimCustom.ini is not added during installation or by the game at startup. If you didn't create your SkyrimCustom.ini yourself, and it is bloated as you describe it, it was probably created by the "SaveINI" console command which will write all non-hidden ini settings into .ini files even if they are the standard settings and will only override the settings with the exact same number. It is so large because it has been filled by your (probably) request.

Since SkyrimCustom.ini does not (for me and many others) load when the game does, if you loading screen is red and you are not using a bloated Skyrim.ini, it is likely you have another bloated .ini file loading at startup. My theory would be that you have used SaveINI without first using "RefINI" which will (at least for me) create a .ini file in your data folder with the same name as one (last loaded) of your active mods, Dragonborn.ini for example if only using official DLCs (Likely huh? *cough*). Since that ini will have almost all settings (except hidden ones) from the last time you used SaveINI, if you were to edit some settings in Skyrim.ini they would not take effect since the old settings in ModName.ini would override the new ones in Skyrim.ini (uStaticNeverFade would not be affected since it is a hidden setting, if it actually is used at all). SaveINI spews out properties, and somehow manages to write some settings that it itself will choke on on next startup, causing strange effects like red tint.

On a different note, you mentioned uStaticNeverFade and bForceFullLOD, I have never gotten those to work myself. If it works as some have claimed it would make the game look similar to having a very large uGrid distance but without scripts and quests going a-wire when they think you are near just because the cell is loaded. How did you get it to work? what category in your ini did you put it? If you have an old SaveINI generated "ModName.ini" in your data folder it is likely it actually overrides the uGrid setting you have put to 7 in Skyrim.ini but you never actually noticed it since you had (maybe) gotten uStaticNeverFade to work.

[lmstearn]

No DLCs

Yeah, was playing around with this stuff some time back.

Probably requested to run saveini as part of a mod install/uninstall or such and there may have been a <mod>.ini but long time deleted. Might have used refini as well.

 

(Could have been part of an defunct uGridsToLoad change schema. Might explain that.

Best to to try the saveini refini thing, and use Winmerge to compare the settings.)

 

 

In the light of what we know now, it appears all that was useless anyway. Wanna backup the ini? Copy it and upload to OneDrive etc.

According to the Skyrim Commands documentation,

 

"SaveIniFiles (saveini)

Writes all the .ini files."

Does that mean the Skyrim directory (and subdirectories) are scanned for _everything_ with an ini extension?

"RefreshINI (REFINI)

Refresh INI settings from file."

But are the ini settings refreshed from Skyrim.ini or Custom.ini?

It may writeout the DLC inis even though they are not installed.

 

Kudos for anyone who can shed more light on this.

 

 

But all that happened well over a year before the modified date on the custom.ini.

uStaticNeverFade and bForceFullLOD? Never seen them work. Bit of a pipe-dream really. :rolleyes:

[cubedj21]

That is of course possible, but it seems kind'a sloppy to let it print to "modname.ini" normally and only print to SkyrimCystom.ini if one has first tried to load it (an we all know the peeps over at Beth are real neat freaks, and not at all prone to leaving messy leftovers :wink:, sorry Beth I love you anyway♥). Was a real pain in me ar♥e before i noticed it.

B.t.w. it still prints over SkyrimPrefs.ini though, but the settings there don't tend to cause any problems as opposed to the printed settings in the normal SkyrimCustom/modname.ini.

Custom *.ini file saved by using console command can't be count as "messy leftover"... ;)) There's no need to apologize yourself in meaning of trust in Bethsoft.