FOMOD Issue Question

[TheCourierModder]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions here for a specific issue I am having with installing a FOMOD via Vortex.

 

I have consolidated my recent mod for Fallout New Vegas, The Courier, into a FOMOD using the latest available FOMOD Creation Tool and following the "How to create mod installers" guide on Nexus. The FOMOD works perfectly with Mod Organizer 2, which is what I've been using, but I've had a few reports from users that the mod is not installing correctly through Vortex and NMM.

 

Today I installed Vortex, linked it to New Vegas, installed the mod, and tested it out myself. The FOMOD opens correctly and appears to work initially. After it is completed and the mod is installed, I checked the mod's file manager and tested in-game, and saw that part of the FOMOD did not install correctly. The specific issue in question is one panel of the FOMOD where users can choose from a variety of optional camouflage textures to overwrite the mod's base jacket camouflage texture. After installing via the FOMOD, the optional textures do not show, instead leaving the mod's vanilla base texture intact.

 

I initially thought this was a user error or mistake during installation on the user's parts, but now I can confirm that the FOMOD I created is not installing correctly on Vortex. However it works just fine with MO2 which is confusing. I am at a loss as to if this is a Vortex issue, a FOMOD issue, or some other mistake on my part. Any help would be appreciated. =)

 

- dasmart88

[dizietemblesssma]

Perhaps it is the order that Vortex processes the Fomod options, the camo styles all seem to be one file - wcourierdesert.dds; which is also in the main selection. Maybe Vortex is applying the instructions in reverse order to the selection?

I did a test where I renamed the camo files to something unique and those renamed files showed up.

Perhaps put the file in the main section in the 'Standard Desert' camo option instead?

 

 

diziet

[TheCourierModder]

Hmm that sounds like a good idea. Yeah the main file installs both brown and desert jacket .dds files, and then the optional camo page is supposed to overwrite the desert jacket file (which is why they all have the same name). I will do as you suggest and move separate the desert jacket texture file from the main file and add it to the optional files, and then the FOMOD should theoretically only install one of those options.

 

This issue doesn't affect Mod Organizer 2 for some reason, as it installs the overwriting texture files correctly. Why would this only happen with Vortex?

[TheCourierModder]

Also, I have noticed that with Vortex, when installing this FOMOD it can install meshes, then later overwrite them successfully with other mesh options, but it won't do the same thing for textures, as we have seen with my mod. Bizarre.

[dizietemblesssma]

I'm no expert on FOMODs, I just use the FOMOD Creation Tool! :) But I'm wondering if the repetition of complete filepath/names might be an undefined behaviour?

I can't find anything here:

https://fomod-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/specs.html

that seems to cover this issue, perhaps the Vortex developers could chime in and tell us what behaviour to expect, if defined?

 

diziet

[TheCourierModder]

I have had a mini breakthrough, though I don't know if my hypothesis is correct. I renamed the folders of the mod with numbers in front of their title, corresponding to the order the FOMOD has the user install them. Ex. "1 Main File," "2 Style," "Choose Texture," etc. I then re saved the FOMOD, tested it, and it worked! I didn't change any file paths, just renamed the folders with numbers in the order the FOMOD should install them.

 

For example, in my initial FOMOD that wasn't working, the texture folder was called "Camo Options," the second folder was called "Main File," and the third folder was called, "Styles." When the FOMOD installed, the main file would be installed first, then you choose a style that overwrites the main file, then you choose a camouflage texture that overwrites the main file. The problem was that meshes in the style folder were overwriting correctly, but texture files from the Camo Options folder weren't overwriting.

 

My hypothesis is that the FOMOD was installing the files not in order that the FOMOD installer had you choose them. But alphanumerically based on the folder names.

[TheCourierModder]

In my case, Camo Options came alphabetically before Main File, and Styles came alphabetically after Main File. This is why I think the Camo Textures were being overwritten by the Main File folder and then the meshes of the Main File folder were successfully wing overwritten by the Styles folder.

[ChuAlbert]

是的是的，你的假设正确！我在安装怪物猎人世界的fomod时，也出现了这种问题，vortex貌似按照文件名的顺序来决定优先安装什么，这导致了文件名顺序排列不正确，主文件没办法被可选文件覆盖掉，非常感谢您！

Yes, your assumption is correct! I also encountered this problem when installing the fomod of Monster Hunter World. Vortex seems to decide what to install first according to the order of the file names, which leads to incorrect order of file names and the main file cannot be overwritten by the optional file. Thank you very much!