TK's Mod Questions Thread, Got mod problems, or are you just lost with a tool? Options

[haute ecole rider]

How does one add shadows? In one tutorial it says to left click in the landscape editor, pick your color, and paint it. But when I left click in the render window, all it does is raise and lower the ground. Right clicking paints the ground texture. How do I activate the terrain editor? The other tutorial wasn't very helpful, either.


Never mind - just figured it out. Hot-key Q will set the mouse to vertex shaders. Onward!

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Apr 17 2011, 03:03 AM

[Thomas Kaira]

You can also just tick the checkbox in the vertex shader area that says "edit colors," too.

[haute ecole rider]

These are very simple questions with potentially very complex answers.

What is the best way to change the texture (appearance) of hair on an NPC? And can I adjust the shades/colors of the eyes a little from standard? I only want to do this for specific NPC's, can this be done?

Here's what I'm thinking, for example:
Change Martin's eye color from default blue to hazel (custom color).
Add a patch of white hair to Steffan's head.

I want to create a modest plug-in that will recreate the unique conditions of OHDH.

I already learned how to adjust height of specific NPC's from the command console, though I'm thinking doing this through the CS would be safer. Only I can't find a place to adjust height in the CS. And I also learned how to go into the CS and make NPC's essential/nonessential.

I'm looking forward to fixing up Gweden Farm!

[SubRosa]

The first is very simple. Just open the CS, go to the Object Window -> Actors -> NPC -> (the race of the person you want to edit) -> Sex -> and pick out the person you want. From there go to the Face tab. If you have trouble with the CS crashing (I do on my windows 7 box, but not on my XP box), go to the Face Advanced tab first. Then go to the Face tab and it will not lock up. You can change their eyes, hair color, style, and length there. In the Face Advanced tab you can do all the stuff in the game to change their face.

As far as changing the height of specific NPCs, I believe the only way you can do that through the CS is to create a new race, and make the NPC a member of it. Then you can set the height and weight of the race (and the person). It is not as difficult as it sounds. You can see how to create a new race here

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Apr 18 2011, 04:16 AM

[Thomas Kaira]

I've actually had the idea of making a sort of quest mod in Gweden Farm where you eventually restore it from an old, overgrown, burnt out farm plagued by ne'er-do-wells into a respectable manor, with you at the center...

... but that comes after I've finished with Brina Cross.

The quest I have in mind there picks up where the Anvil Recommendation quest left off. A gang of mages will ransack the town, destroying the market square and making off with many Septims worth of goods, and you will need to track them down and get the goods back.

But first thing's first, I want to get a nice settlement in place first, then I'll think about the quest.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Apr 18 2011, 04:23 AM

[haute ecole rider]

The first is very simple. Just open the CS, go to the Object Window -> Actors -> NPC -> (the race of the person you want to edit) -> Sex -> and pick out the person you want. From there go to the Face tab. If you have trouble with the CS crashing (I do on my windows 7 box, but not on my XP box), go to the Face Advanced tab first. Then go to the Face tab and it will not lock up. You can change their eyes, hair color, style, and length there. In the Face Advanced tab you can do all the stuff in the game to change their face.

As far as changing the height of specific NPCs, I believe the only way you can do that through the CS is to create a new race, and make the NPC a member of it. Then you can set the height and weight of the race (and the person). It is not as difficult as it sounds. You can see how to create a new race here

Actually what I want to do is change a small part of the hair texture/mesh (not sure of the right term) - the color is for the entire hair, and I only want to make a small part of it white. Also, hazel is not one of the popups for eye color, and I don't see a way to edit the color to my taste.

I've already adjusted Steffan to more closely fit his description in OHDH. I just need the patch of white hair and to adjust his height and he's done! I believe I can adjust the height from the command console - the adjustment isn't that great.

[haute ecole rider]

I've actually had the idea of making a sort of quest mod in Gweden Farm where you eventually restore it from an old, overgrown, burnt out farm plagued by ne'er-do-wells into a respectable manor, with you at the center...

... but that comes after I've finished with Brina Cross.

The quest I have in mind there picks up where the Anvil Recommendation quest left off. A gang of mages will ransack the town, destroying the market square and making off with many Septims worth of goods, and you will need to track them down and get the goods back.

But first thing's first, I want to get a nice settlement in place first, then I'll think about the quest.

Ah, but I'm not into quest-writing just yet! I only want to make Gweden farm Julian's new home after she clears out the squatters.

Now as for the sequel . . .

[Thomas Kaira]

Actually what I want to do is change a small part of the hair texture/mesh (not sure of the right term) - the color is for the entire hair, and I only want to make a small part of it white. Also, hazel is not one of the popups for eye color, and I don't see a way to edit the color to my taste.

I've already adjusted Steffan to more closely fit his description in OHDH. I just need the patch of white hair and to adjust his height and he's done! I believe I can adjust the height from the command console - the adjustment isn't that great.

You can't do that in the Construction Set. At least, not entirely.

What you are talking about there is altering the hair texture, so you'll need a tool like Photoshop to do that. However, at the same time you don't just want to straight replace the hair texture because then EVERYONE with that hair will look aged. You'll need to create a special hair mesh that uses your texture and then assign that hair mesh to Steffan so that only he uses it. You'll need these tools to do that:

Construction Set - to assign the new hair mesh to Steffan.

Oblivion Mod Manager - you will need to extract the hair mesh from the Oblivion Mesh BSA archive. OBMM can do that for you.

Photoshop - or similar (Paint.NET or GIMP) to alter the hair texture.

NifSkope - to assign the new texture to the hair mesh. You don't need to redesign the mesh or anything, you just need to redirect the specific mesh to use your texture.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Apr 18 2011, 04:41 AM

[mALX]

You can change the height of specific NPCs in the CS, just bring up their tab for edit. On the left upper side under their name is their ratio - that is how I made Janus Hassildor a giant vampire. (it says 1.0 on everyone, as a giant he is 1.2).

[Thomas Kaira]

Just don't get TOO carried away, you can screw up an actor's collision if you are too heavy-handed with the height modifications.

1.2 is perfectly reasonable, though.

[haute ecole rider]

I only want to modify specific NPC's heights to the next increment (i.e. only slightly taller or shorter than typical for that race/gender). Redguard men are slightly taller than Redguard women, and I wanted to bring Julian up to the males' height. Doing this in the command console works great, and I don't think it messes up her collision data too much. Likewise, for Burd, I'll make him the same height as an Altmer (the next tallest after a Nord). And so on. I won't do anything so drastic with any of them.

So far Laterensis Maro is sticking to his routine in my game. Of course, I've only progressed one game day since changing him from "Imperial Legion Soldier." I haven't changed any of the other generic names yet, because I want to play the game a while and see what happens with Maro. If he sticks, then Marc Atellus with Bucky and Drusus with Mariel are next! However, I'm thinking of taking the base ID's in the CS and making new forms with them, keeping the original scripts and just changing names, maybe heights and eye color, hair, etc.

So my ideas are pretty small in scale. I'm not looking at adding new scripts or quests to the game, just modifying what's already there. It would be nice if I encounter a Legion soldier on the road and I'm able to know which one he is or if he's one I've already met.

According to a source on the TES CS wiki, Texture Replacer and the command-line BSA Unpacker were recommended instead of OBMM and NifSkope. Are the ones you recommended better in any way? Why those two in particular?

[Thomas Kaira]

OBMM's BSA utilities are much easier to use than BSA Commander, and NifSkope is simply a must-have tool for anyone who wishes to perform mesh/texture modifications. NifSkope also allows you to see exactly what you are doing, so you will be able to view how your new texture looks on the mesh. You can't do that with Texture Replacer.

[mALX]

I only want to modify specific NPC's heights to the next increment (i.e. only slightly taller or shorter than typical for that race/gender). Redguard men are slightly taller than Redguard women, and I wanted to bring Julian up to the males' height. Doing this in the command console works great, and I don't think it messes up her collision data too much. Likewise, for Burd, I'll make him the same height as an Altmer (the next tallest after a Nord). And so on. I won't do anything so drastic with any of them.

You can change it by tiny increments = 1.01, 1.02 or .99, .98 probably then.

This post has been edited by mALX: Apr 18 2011, 03:37 PM

[haute ecole rider]

@ mALX: I already have the list of scale heights for the command console from somewhere on the UESP wiki. I'm using that and it seems to work well (on Julian that is). She's now eye to eye with Boldon!

I just wonder if it would be more stable in the long run to use the CS instead for renaming generic NPC's, etc. as I just described. I'm not planning to do anything so drastic to most of them, just minor tweaks in appearance here and there.

After the MQ ends though, I might get a little more ambitious with the folks at Cloud Ruler Temple. I've been trying to figure out what happens to them after Martin dies. There goes the entire reason for their existence - to protect the Dragonborn. Without another heir to step into Martin's shoes, what's there for the Blades to do?

That's something I might tackle in the future, but right now I'm focused on modifying pre-existing structures and NPC's in the game. Oh, and maybe add a housecat or two . . .

@TK: I had already downloaded OBMM, but haven't installed it yet. I will do that today and get to know it. I will also look for NifSkope and download that as well. I'm going to see if my Mac application can open DDS files (it's not Photoshop, but is very similar), if not, then I'm in trouble, as I'm running into difficulties installing the DDS plugin into the GIMP I've installed. It's frustrating that the GIMP app might be 64-bit, and the plugin is only 32 bit, but I can't find where to install the 32 bit GIMP. ARGH! Why do Windows programs have to be so Rube Goldbergian!

[Thomas Kaira]

@TK: I had already downloaded OBMM, but haven't installed it yet. I will do that today and get to know it. I will also look for NifSkope and download that as well. I'm going to see if my Mac application can open DDS files (it's not Photoshop, but is very similar), if not, then I'm in trouble, as I'm running into difficulties installing the DDS plugin into the GIMP I've installed. It's frustrating that the GIMP app might be 64-bit, and the plugin is only 32 bit, but I can't find where to install the 32 bit GIMP. ARGH! Why do Windows programs have to be so Rube Goldbergian!

I linked the NifSkope download for you, by the way. It was a bit hard to see, I know, but it is there.

Also, if you're looking for a good program you can use to make minor texture edits, I'd suggest Paint.NET, as well. It's not as powerful as Photoshop and Co., but it supports DDS out of the box.

EDIT: If you are looking for a mod that does something after the fact with the folk at Cloud Ruler, there is a pretty huge project nearing completion called Reclaiming Sancre Tor. You can follow development over at TES Alliance.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Apr 18 2011, 08:40 PM

[haute ecole rider]

I actually got GIMP to work with .dds files on my Mac Partition (automatically runs in the X11 environment.

The next step is figuring out how to accomplish what I want to do with the file! Not easy, as I've never worked with texture maps before and have no idea how to accomplish things. My experience with layers is very limited. Most of my pixel pushing have been in photographs and in vector-drawn objects.

And NifSkope did not show the file containing the specific hair I wanted to work with (short). So I'm putting this on hold for now.

[Thomas Kaira]

You need to extract the mesh from the BSA first. That's where OBMM comes in. You'll find all the hair meshes under the filepath meshes\characters\hair (there's a lot, and it's probably a generic style, so check the styleX.NIF files first). Each hair has three associated files. The NIF contains the base mesh data, but also note the presence of .EGM and .TRI files with identical names. The .EGM and .TRI extension files contain all the data used by FaceGen for the hair meshes, but you don't need to concern yourself with those if all you want to do is retexture the hair.

I am not skilled at creating diffuse maps, either, so I can't really advise you any further on this. All I can tell you is don't forget to generate those mipmaps!

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Apr 18 2011, 09:06 PM

[haute ecole rider]

Okay, now I'm getting very frustrated.

I downloaded a simple mod and added it to the game. It ran with no problems so far. But now I wanted to try something more ambitious - Cobl. So I downloaded that and installed it. For some reason it's not showing up in OBMM (which I really haven't figured out how to use yet), WryeBash, or the Oblivion Launcher data files menu. So now I'm wondering what to do next? I noticed that it installed as several subfolders in my Oblivion Data directory, the one with all the visible mods/patches/esm/esp's. I looked inside the one labeled Cobl Core and went eep! More subfolders! I left it alone and now I'm trying to figure it out. Do I have to move all those files manually? Or will OBMM or Wrye Bash do it for me? I'm not fully clear on what those two programs do for me, though I know they're supposed to make handling multiple mods easier.

Oh, and I saw a couple of smaller mods that require OBSE. If I were to install that, is it another program I need to learn to use? Or will its presence in the Oblivion files be enough to install those interesting mods (one of which is to command/call my horse to follow or stay).

Sorry to be such a complete noob at this, but I'm learning the Windows file hierarchy system at the same time I'm learning the ins and outs of modding/playing mods on Oblivion. Wish I could find a tutorial online that will help me get from installing Oblivion to playing with installed mods without conflicts or crashes. This reminds me of the bad old days of Mac Classic OS (pre OSX) when I had to manage extensions with Conflict Catcher!

[Thomas Kaira]

COBL is an example of a mod that has been packaged as "BAIN-ready." All those sub-folders contain all the various options available for thew mod. Lucky for you, I use it myself, so I'll talk you through it.

A BAIN-ready mod is designed so that you can drop it into the Bash Installers folder It's where Oblivion's base directory is located, but separated, usually XXX/XXX/Bethesda Softworks/Oblivion Mods/Bash Installers. Drop the package in there and BAIN will see it. From there, you will see a list of Sub-packages in the package config. window.

-Tick the checkbox beside "00 Cobl Core," and then a list of ESPs will appear in the ESM/P filter window. Check the ones you want. The only ones you should concern yourself with at this point are Cobl Core, Cobl Glue, Cobl Tweaks, and Cobl SI.

-Balanced Races does not concern you unless you want Cobl Races, and for that you need to download a separate 200Mb cosmetics package.

-If you want to overhaul Salmo the Baker and give him a proper shop, go ahead and add him in as well, but take note that Salmo's plugin has a tendency to cause CTDs, and no one has any good fix on why.

-Ignore the TNR entries.

-Everything else is either obsolete or doesn't concern the lay user.

I would also suggest looking over the BAIN chapter in the Wrye Bash pictorial guide, as it is a very powerful and very useful tool, and every second you spend learning how Bash works is a second well spent.

For OBSE, it's mostly just drop-n-pop. However, you will need to use the special launcher they provide so that OBSE can be injected into Oblivion.EXE. You'll know it's working if you see a black command prompt box appear for a second then vanish before Oblivion starts.

And don't worry too much about getting to the point where you can play with hundreds of plugins installed with few conflicts. We all have to start somewhere. Just take it slow, add one mod at a time for whatever tickles your fancy at the time, play to make sure it's working right before adding another, and always always always ask whatever questions you might have. There is nothing wrong with an inquisitive new modder, it shows us you care about what you are doing to the game.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Apr 19 2011, 12:20 AM

[haute ecole rider]

So when I download the install package and save it to my downloads folder (my default behavior), I can just drop that whole thing into the BAIN installers folder without having to "unstuff" it first? I find Stuffit irritating, especially as SmithMicro doesn't want you to download just their Stuffit Expander alone (free) without downloading StuffitDeluxe (paid). It drives me nuts because it doesn't work in the background the way Stuffit Expander does, and I can't remember how I managed to get Expander by itself on the Mac partition that I can do it the same way on the Windows partition.

Since Cobl is BAIN ready, I'm going to try what I just asked! I'll copy it there so I don't mess up the original download.