Estimated completion time 20 to 30 hours
In this step you semi-automatically process your plugin by using a scripts from DIY Previsibines Repair Toolkit – REDUX package. This process creates PreCombines and PreVisibility (= Previsibines) from your plugin, which now contains references to vanilla interiors and exteriors, almost all modifications to them and also completely new areas.
Script will automatically merge Previsibines data (CombinedObjects.esp and PreVis.esp) and creates archive which will contain all loose files. The process is designed to be as much of hands-free as possible. In the end, if everything goes as planned, all you need to do is some clean up (with scripts) and remove temporary changes.
Requirements
- Download DIY Previsibines Repair Toolkit - REDUX package from this mod Files section. Extract it to temporary folder.
- From temporary folder, subfolder PreVisibine_generation_scripts_for_your_plugin copy files named 1_process_your_mod.cmd and 2_remove_Previsibines_files_from_ALL_archives.cmd to the root folder of Fallout 4 directory (where Fallout4.exe is).
Usage
Scripts uses colors in command console to show what is going on:
Green means it is working on something.
Yellow means it is waiting for your input.
Red means there has been an error and something needs to be done with it.
Black and white means all is done.
Following steps may take up to 20 hours to complete.
1. In the root of Fallout 4 directory execute 1_process_your_mod.cmd by double clicking the file.
2. Script will soon turn command console to yellow and asks for your plugin name, for example PreCalc.esp. Type it in the command console, but do not add file extension to it. For example:
If plugin file name is plaa.esm, just type in plaa.
Or unga bunga.esp, just type in unga bunga.
But leave file extension .esm, .esp or .esl out.
NOTE: This script with F4 Creation Kit fixes 1.7 (or higher) can process plugins with spaces in file names, but please avoid them. If you must separate words in file name, use underscore instead. For example: unga_bunga.esp.
3. When script opens Creation Kit and command console is yellow again, do following steps:
1. In Creation Kit. Choose File, choose Data…, select only your mod, for example PreCalc.esp (check it) and then select OK.
NOTE: No need to set active plugin or select any others. Just press OK.
2. When loading is complete: Select File, select Data..., select only your mod, for example PreCalc.esp. Choose Details..., choose Yes, tap keyboard combination SHIFT+CTRL+B and choose Yes.
NOTE: No need to press + sign. That only signifies that these keys need to pressed at the same time.
3. Then choose Close, choose Cancel and close Creation Kit.
NOTE: Now script starts to working on generating PreCombines and calculating PreVisibility. This will take a long, long time.
4. When script is done and command console is black and white, there is four new files in the root of Fallout 4 directory subdirectory Data. For example:
PreCalc.esp (your plugin, the mod).
PreCalc - Geometry.csg (compressed spatial geometry database).
PreCalc.cdx (cell resource index file list).
PreCalc - main.ba2 (non-compressed archive with almost 200K of Previsibines files in it).
Following steps may take up to 9 hours to complete.
5. Open FO4Edit.
NOTE: use X64 version of FO4Edit. X86 version of FO4Edit will crash on "out of memory" message.
6. in module selection right click and choose Select none. Choose only your mod, for example PreCalc.esp.
7. Select your mod, for example PreCalc.esp, right click it and select Apply script..., select script Remove identical to previous override records. This clean up process can take as much as 9 hours to complete.
NOTE: This script should be in Edit scripts folder by default, because it is shipped with xEdit installation package, but if it is not, get it from here.
8. When script is done, select your mod, open File Header double click column next to Record flag (sorted). In drop down list remove ESM flag.
9. Remove ESM flag from any of the "heavy hitters" that you flagged with article 1. References counting and making some temporary changes and are masters of your plugin.
NOTE: It you used "ESMifyer" script, do not remove ESM flag.
10. Save and close FO4Edit.
11. From the root of Fallout 4 directory, subfolder Data, move your plugin and its corresponding files outside of Fallout 4 directory. These files are, for example:
PreCalc.esp
PreCalc - Geometry.csg
PreCalc.cdx
PreCalc - main.ba2
12. In the root of Fallout 4 directory execute 2_remove_Previsibines_files_from_ALL_archives.cmd by double clicking it.
NOTE: This script goes trough archives in Fallout4\Data directory, it extracts them, removes VIS and Meshes\PreCombined folders from them and repacks them in to folder fallout4\Merging\TMP\PROCESSED_ARCHIVES. Script does not modify original archives in folder Fallout4\Data. Archives in folder fallout4\Merging\TMP\PROCESSED_ARCHIVES are completely new ones.
13. Move your plugin and all of its files from temporary location, for example C:\TEMP\ in to folder Fallout4\Merging\TMP\PROCESSED_ARCHIVES.
14. Zip contents of Fallout4\Merging\TMP\PROCESSED_ARCHIVES with your favorite archiver (WinRAR?) and install this package using your favorite mod manager.
15. Your mod manager will ask you about overwriting other mods archives. You must do so. Then your mod manager will place your plugin somewhere in middle of the Load Order. This is just fine. Maybe just under last master of your plugin, but above any LOD mod, should suffice.
Optional: If you have Previsibines Repair Pack (PRP) installed, remember deactivate PRP.esp, but leave PPF.esm activated. Also make sure that in the Load Order PPF.esm is just under Unofficial Fallout 4 Patch.esp, before any other mods (use your favorite mod organizer to organize it).
One more last thing. There is "save/reload" effect. After making a change in your Previsibines, load a save, make a save and shutdown the game. Start
game, load new save and you will see the difference.
Done!
5 comments
xEdit won't let me uncheck PRP.esp it only turns it square. Which I presume means there's other plugins still depending on it. But I ticked every single box off I could and the only things I couldnt disable are prp, ppf, the official plugins and the DCnR mods.
Which, they remodel all the settlements so I think that counts as exteriors, but they shouldn't be dependent o. Prp. It's not listed as master for any of them. I checked. So I'm just gonna move forward and hope that doesn't cause issues.
What's the worst that can happen?
Issue 2 - some of the language of the guide is unclear or I'm just stupid, because when you say run script on either cell or world space.. that sounds like one or the other. But running the script on both results are very different.
xEdit does a loooooot more stuff on world space, so I'm like....did I need to do both?
What if I just don't care and skipped all that and did run script on all plugins without sorting masters? My PC pretty good, it can do fast. Shrug
I wish I wasn't so late to the friggin game that i didn't need to ask questions for a modding scene that no one is around for anymore lol
Thanks God I got here in time!
Edit. I also tried to run the "Explore virtual file system" option of ModOrganizer2, where you can open a terminal in this mounted space and then run your script. It worked again up untill the point of spawning the CreationKit without the master files to select. Using the CreationKit import function you can see the Kit has "broken" the virtual file system and searches around in the original files.
Edit2: As the only "sensible" solution to still use your work with MO2, i will try to use the virtual folder architecture to copy a full modded copy of the game to another drive.