Wrye Bash - What kind of files can go in?

[Red1086]

So, after reading the Wrye Bash guide and some of the readme for it, I am still completely lost.

 

I am brand new to modding things beyong just putting them in my data folder. I would really like to enhance my Skyrim experience, but i cannot get my head around Wrye Bash. I guess my problem is two part.

 

1. Are all the packages able to be read or will I have to open and repackage them? ex. Ancient Nord Armor Fix, can i just place that in the installers folder or will it have to be repackaged due to layers?

 

2. Packages that have multiple options within itself. ex. The skill point enhancer and HD3dMaps. The Maps mod has 3 zips you need, 2 of them contain multiple folders for different options available to you, do you just drop the folder you want in the installer, or what?

Related to that, the maps mod, for the 2 files, although the zips are different anmes the folders are the same names with differnet files in them, would I just merge them or cry myself to sleep at night?

 

I hope you all fidn some kindness in your hearts to help a relativly new modder to this complex STEP experince.

 

Red

[hylskrik]

I tried getting into Wrye Bash but it honestly confused me -- it seems like it's made for people who are well-versed with Elder Scrolls modding and maybe not so much for the rest of us :)

 

My biased opinion is this: use Mod Organizer instead. It's much easier to get your head around, has a built-in tutorial, helps you fix badly structured mod files and, best of all, doesn't actually touch the Skyrim directory at all. It makes its own virtual Skyrim data folder.

 

I'd suggest looking at Neovalen's Skyrim Revisited on the STEP wiki -- it's more in-depth than regular STEP and might seem daunting but it'll explain the modding "procedure" in better detail than STEP currently does. Quoting Neo's guide:

Mod Organizer is the mod manager of choice for this guide. The reasons for doing so are listed below:

1. Profiles allow us to have multiple configurations set up per character/function and does so cleanly by NOT touching the Skyrim data folder or ini files.

2. Mod Downloading via NXM allows us to download mods directly into the tool using the "Download With Manager" button on the nexus web site.

3. Mod Version Tracking allows us to leverage the power of the nexus to track major mod updates. This is not a replacement for the track file option on the actual site for optionals!

4. NMM Installer Compatibility allows us to use Nexus Mod Manager installers.

5. BAIN Installer Compatibility allows us to use BAIN packages.

6. Manual Installation Option allows us to select the data folder in an archive manually, allowing us to fix path problems at install time.

7. Sort By Category allows us to easily sort through a mass number of mods easily.

8. Run Executables allows us to use tools such as BOSS, BUM, Wrye Bash, and TES5Edit without physically touching the data folder.

[z929669]

FYI guys. I suspect that neither of you have given the WBG a fair read. All of the gritty details of using WB are in the guide. Carefully read the following sections:

• Package Restructure
• BAIN Installers
• Installing mods

Please post questions about WB in the WBG thread.

 

Thanks

---

PS: although Neovalen is a great modder himself, he is nonetheless biased in his favor of MO, as I don't believe that he has ever given WB a fair shot (ask Farlo ... he used to be another heavy MO preacher, but after giving WB a fair try, that is the tool he uses now ;) ). If you want to really learn how modding works, WB is a better training ground, as there is much more hands-on work required in maintaining mod packages.

 

Don't get me wrong, we highly recommend MO too, but keep an open mind and judge what is best based on your own experience. (for each of Neo's MO "strengths" listed above, there is also a weakness, so it is a tradeoff)

 

EDIT: Almost forgot ... STEP is best for those new to modding, as it requires much less work and does not change much of the gameplay aspects ... in other words, it is MUCH simpler to get STEP to work "out of the box" than Skyrim Revisited (although SR works well, given that the instructions are very carefully followed ... takes a LOT longer to build though).

 

In fact, using MO for STEP is probably the safest bet for anyone that wants to just get it done and be finished with it

[Red1086]

So I was reading through the guide again, repackaged Ancient Nord Armor Fix so it was just the main folder and meshes. Renamed the folder with Bain before the number id and repacked it into an archive. It still shows up as a grey box in Wrye Bash. the full archive reads as Ancient Nord Armor Fix\meshes\armor\draugr\1stpersondraugrmormale_0.nif.

 

I cant even get the first file to repack right. The instructions seem unclear to me, not enough pictures to reference and definatly no useful youtube videos. :(

[z929669]

If you study figs 4-5 on the Guide, it pretty clearly depicts and explains the proper structure in the examples using various file/folder types (including meshes as in the Nord Armor Fix).

 

Note the middle box under fig 5:

Ex 4. Standard files & folders (3 levels). This is exactly the same as Ex 3, but the Data directory is now beneath yet another parent directory. Unfortunately, WB stops looking for anything more than 2 folders deep at this time. Many mods come packed this way, and were not created by modders that are thoughtful of BAIN. This will need to be extracted and repack according to Ex 1 or Ex 3.

 

The Nord Armor fix mod fits within this example. Its "meshes" folder is 3 directories deep, ...

 

ROOT/1/2/3/:

Ancient_Nord_Armor_Fix-2808-1.rar(ROOT)/Ancient Nord Armor 1st Person Fix(1)/Data(2)/meshes(3)/

 

... so it must be moved up at least one directory. I personally always treat package ROOT as equivalent to Skyrim/Data/ to resolve:

 

ROOT/1/:

D_Ancient Nord Armor Fix_BAIN-v1-2808(ROOT)/meshes(1)/

 

[ skyrim/Data(ROOT)/meshes(1)/ ]

 

HTH

[EssArrBee]

I kinda wish that WB would install stuff into the skyrim directory too. That way ENB and SKSE type stuff would be easy to install/uninstall without an extra program.

[Vond]

I kinda wish that WB would install stuff into the skyrim directory too. That way ENB and SKSE type stuff would be easy to install/uninstall without an extra program.

 

Skse plugins can be installed via WB just fine

[Red1086]

If you study figs 4-5 on the Guide, it pretty clearly depicts and explains the proper structure in the examples using various file/folder types (including meshes as in the Nord Armor Fix).

 

Note the middle box under fig 5:

Ex 4. Standard files & folders (3 levels). This is exactly the same as Ex 3, but the Data directory is now beneath yet another parent directory. Unfortunately, WB stops looking for anything more than 2 folders deep at this time. Many mods come packed this way, and were not created by modders that are thoughtful of BAIN. This will need to be extracted and repack according to Ex 1 or Ex 3.

 

The Nord Armor fix mod fits within this example. Its "meshes" folder is 3 directories deep, ...

 

ROOT/1/2/3/:

Ancient_Nord_Armor_Fix-2808-1.rar(ROOT)/Ancient Nord Armor 1st Person Fix(1)/Data(2)/meshes(3)/

 

... so it must be moved up at least one directory. I personally always treat package ROOT as equivalent to Skyrim/Data/ to resolve:

 

ROOT/1/:

D_Ancient Nord Armor Fix_BAIN-v1-2808(ROOT)/meshes(1)/

 

[ skyrim/Data(ROOT)/meshes(1)/ ]

 

HTH

So I can completely drop the rest of the files, I don't need /armor/draugr folders? I can just pretty much have nordarmorfix/meshes/nordfix.nif ? Other mods, for example, the female body mods, say to put the file in data/mesh/character/female/etc, so, wrye bash doesnt need all that?

[EssArrBee]

I kinda wish that WB would install stuff into the skyrim directory too. That way ENB and SKSE type stuff would be easy to install/uninstall without an extra program.

Skse plugins can be installed via WB just fine

I know just want to be able to install SKSE and other extenders/injectors with WB so everything can be in my mod installers folder.

[z929669]

If you study figs 4-5 on the Guide, it pretty clearly depicts and explains the proper structure in the examples using various file/folder types (including meshes as in the Nord Armor Fix).

 

Note the middle box under fig 5:

Ex 4. Standard files & folders (3 levels). This is exactly the same as Ex 3, but the Data directory is now beneath yet another parent directory. Unfortunately, WB stops looking for anything more than 2 folders deep at this time. Many mods come packed this way, and were not created by modders that are thoughtful of BAIN. This will need to be extracted and repack according to Ex 1 or Ex 3.

 

The Nord Armor fix mod fits within this example. Its "meshes" folder is 3 directories deep, ...

 

ROOT/1/2/3/:

Ancient_Nord_Armor_Fix-2808-1.rar(ROOT)/Ancient Nord Armor 1st Person Fix(1)/Data(2)/meshes(3)/

 

... so it must be moved up at least one directory. I personally always treat package ROOT as equivalent to Skyrim/Data/ to resolve:

 

ROOT/1/:

D_Ancient Nord Armor Fix_BAIN-v1-2808(ROOT)/meshes(1)/

 

[ skyrim/Data(ROOT)/meshes(1)/ ]

 

HTH

So I can completely drop the rest of the files, I don't need /armor/draugr folders? I can just pretty much have nordarmorfix/meshes/nordfix.nif ? Other mods, for example, the female body mods, say to put the file in data/mesh/character/female/etc, so, wrye bash doesnt need all that?

:o_O:

 

There is one file in the mod. It is under meshes/armor/draugr/

 

If you don't include the directory hierarchy, then no mod installation utility can install the mod correctly.

 

I suggest that you go into skyrim/Data/meshes/ (and ./textures/ and ./*/) and look at the folder structure.