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About this mod
A Workshop Framework layout that aims to replace some vanilla buildings in Hangman's Alley.
Scraps most of the affected vanilla buildings, then uses Snappy HouseKit and vanilla assets to recreate them, this time including an explorable interior space.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
A Workshop Framework layout that aims to replace some vanilla buildings in Hangman's Alley. No, this is not really a Transfer Settlements blueprint, but that is the closest category. Suggestions for other possible categories are welcome.
This upload's purpose is twofold.
The primary one is to be a proof of concept, or a tech demo of sorts. To showcase just what is possible with the current tools available to us.
1. Scrap Everything, well, let's you scrap (nearly) everything.
2. Build High - Expanded Settlements makes your settlements bigger, and its Scrapper's Patch makes even more things scrappable if you combine it with the previous mod.
3. Snappy HouseKit gives us an incredible amount of buildable objects that are just like the vanilla ones that were used to build all kinds of things in the game, but better.
Now, on with the actual details:
1. You need to scrap two objects. I know, I'm sorry.
2. There are some minor changes to the exterior I made. I tried to stay as true to the vanilla design as I could, but having just that one entrance to this vast interior space would've been just silly. Anyway, speaking of changes...
3. The interior
It's big. It includes that one big building with the skylights on the roof and two smaller buildings it architecturally devours. Ever notice that? They just sort of clip into each other. Anyway...
I used some vanilla assets that are not in any way reachable from the settlement build menu. Spawned them in through the console, placed them, and the export did include them and so does the layout. Because Workshop Framework is just that cool. Should they not appear for you, please let me know. Notable ones include a tool case (as opposed to toolboxes and tool chests), 2 blue cash registers, a broken terminal, and two Sanctuary-style showers. The last ones are the most noticeable, so keep an eye out for those.
You really should experience the interior for yourself, but as an alternative, here is a video showing most of it.
4. Other things
Make a proper save before you apply the layout. The reason being it is actually quicker to load a save than scrap (or refresh) the layout itself.
Yes, I know this type of thing would be more suited for the CK (I do intend to do just that), but the point of it all is to show everyone that it can be done without it. This method also has advantages:
- Just about anyone can do it.
- Having precombines disabled does tank performance, but it also enables you to change what you don't like about a layout like this on the fly. Make and publish your own version even. Probably should pick a more reasonably sized building though, for sheer practicality. (Or pick a bigger one. I can't tell you what to do.)
- Might just be inspiring enough for some people to eventually learn using the CK and create their own mods. If for nothing else, then simply because of the frustration of otherwise not removable objects.
5. Recommendations
Sim Settlements and its expansions. The dimensions of the apartment rooms were made with interior plots in mind.
Workshop Plus. Creating this without it would've been agonizing.
Place Everywhere, for a very similar reason. Not all things you see are at their proper snap points.
Settler Sandbox Expansion to go with Build High - Expanded Settlements.
Bullet Time - Slow Time, the XM2010 and See Through Scopes. They have nothing to do with settlements, I am just in love with these.
6. A very special thanks goes out to
kinggath for creating Workshop Framework and many other things mentioned here,
robotten and Phoenix46 for Snappy HouseKit
ThemonWillow for Build High - Expanded Settlements
and shadowslasher410 for Scrap Everything.
Probably shouldn't forget CDante either. Had he not come up with the idea of transferring settlement objects across different characters, probably none of this would've happened.
This upload's purpose is twofold.
You can just download it, build it (in about 2 minutes), make the 2 minor manual adjustments (see below), and then pretend your character found the place like this and spent the aforementioned 2 minutes to remove the plywood over the entrance of the apartments building. Then just carry on exploring the place from the inside. Wonder what the architect was tripping on when he designed the place, marvel at the use of vanilla assets unreachable from the settlement menu, poke the cash register, get drunk in the shower. The possibilities are endless! All this, however, is merely the secondary reason for this file's existence.
The primary one is to be a proof of concept, or a tech demo of sorts. To showcase just what is possible with the current tools available to us.
1. Scrap Everything, well, let's you scrap (nearly) everything.
2. Build High - Expanded Settlements makes your settlements bigger, and its Scrapper's Patch makes even more things scrappable if you combine it with the previous mod.
3. Snappy HouseKit gives us an incredible amount of buildable objects that are just like the vanilla ones that were used to build all kinds of things in the game, but better.
The combined use of these mods effectively lets any user just straight up replace previously hollow vanilla buildings with ones that include an actual interior, while maintaining the exterior look. If only there was some tool that could automate the whole scrapping and building process and let us share the results with each other, then we could finally rebuild all those hollow buildings across all the save files of every gamer that wants to have them!
4. Enter: Workshop Framework.
4. Enter: Workshop Framework.
All that is possible now, without even touching the Creation Kit. I legitimately can not overstate the importance of this. Up until this point, this kind of change would've required a world edit. Including rebuilding the precombines and previsibility. Did I mention the navmesh? There probably should be a navmesh. Etc.
Now, however, anyone who can use the in-game building tools can just do this on the fly, while playing the game, without the CK even installed.
The end user then can just take your generated .esp or .esl, drop it in, wait a few minutes, and done! Plug&play!
Sure, in this specific case here, you need to make 2 lousy manual scraps as a finishing touch, but let's face it, it is still magnitudes better than having to scrap all of it by yourself. Besides, I'm fairly sure both of these are, and will stay, special and very rarely encountered cases.
Now, however, anyone who can use the in-game building tools can just do this on the fly, while playing the game, without the CK even installed.
The end user then can just take your generated .esp or .esl, drop it in, wait a few minutes, and done! Plug&play!
Sure, in this specific case here, you need to make 2 lousy manual scraps as a finishing touch, but let's face it, it is still magnitudes better than having to scrap all of it by yourself. Besides, I'm fairly sure both of these are, and will stay, special and very rarely encountered cases.
Now, on with the actual details:
1. You need to scrap two objects. I know, I'm sorry.
There's this chained door. I'm sure you've seen it before. When you activate the chain, the chain poofs out of existence and the door opens by itself. Workshop Framework was never meant to deal with this kind of vile sorcery, so you'll need to scrap this yourself.
The other object is this unassuming deco wall. But do not let its ordinary appearance fool you! It is actually the evil twin of another, very similar looking deco wall! That is, they have the same coordinates and angles and whathaveyous. One is actually removed during applying the layout, but since there is another, with properties of equal value save for the ref ID, it stays. Anyway, DESTROY IT.
The other object is this unassuming deco wall. But do not let its ordinary appearance fool you! It is actually the evil twin of another, very similar looking deco wall! That is, they have the same coordinates and angles and whathaveyous. One is actually removed during applying the layout, but since there is another, with properties of equal value save for the ref ID, it stays. Anyway, DESTROY IT.
2. There are some minor changes to the exterior I made. I tried to stay as true to the vanilla design as I could, but having just that one entrance to this vast interior space would've been just silly. Anyway, speaking of changes...
Here's the entrance most in keeping with the vanilla design. Had to remove that grime on the wall, because the texture was on top of the door area too. That would've resulted in floating textures with an open door.
I decided to make another one right here. This is one of the only two places the vanilla building would suggest a certain type of wall should be, but I used another.
This is the other one. You can't stop me, you know.
Decided to make this area into a little fire escape. I also didn't use the roof textures here, but those being roof pieces didn't really make a whole lot of sense to begin with.
Dedicated a room to provide access to the roof. These are the only walls I placed where no walls were before, masterfully highlighted in these snot coloured circles. I did find a better place for it since (which would've required no extra bits), but using that would've meant I need to redesign about half of the interior. It's just not worth it. Besides, this whole thing is meant to inspire you lot to make similar things, so go do something better. You have no excuses now.
I decided to make another one right here. This is one of the only two places the vanilla building would suggest a certain type of wall should be, but I used another.
This is the other one. You can't stop me, you know.
Decided to make this area into a little fire escape. I also didn't use the roof textures here, but those being roof pieces didn't really make a whole lot of sense to begin with.
Dedicated a room to provide access to the roof. These are the only walls I placed where no walls were before, masterfully highlighted in these snot coloured circles. I did find a better place for it since (which would've required no extra bits), but using that would've meant I need to redesign about half of the interior. It's just not worth it. Besides, this whole thing is meant to inspire you lot to make similar things, so go do something better. You have no excuses now.
3. The interior
It's big. It includes that one big building with the skylights on the roof and two smaller buildings it architecturally devours. Ever notice that? They just sort of clip into each other. Anyway...
- one of them is the apartments building. Now it has 5 apartments inside, some bathrooms and a receptionist area. This is the building with the roof access.
- The other is the white bricked building right next to the workshop. The ground floor opens into what used to be the shop of a local technician. When you wanted something mechanical or electrical fixed but you already voided the warranty, you came here. Later on, the guy got divorced, only kept the TV and his comic book collection, and started just living in the shop. Eventually he opened up a comic book store when the mall opened.
- The mall? Oh that's the big building. It connects to the motel and the comics store. Had a little clothing shop inside, and a stall where the gardener girl, who was employed to keep the flowers in the planters alive, sold those same flowers to people with too much money. Yes, it has those 4 things. It is like a big shopping mall though. It's just, like, a mini mall.
I used some vanilla assets that are not in any way reachable from the settlement build menu. Spawned them in through the console, placed them, and the export did include them and so does the layout. Because Workshop Framework is just that cool. Should they not appear for you, please let me know. Notable ones include a tool case (as opposed to toolboxes and tool chests), 2 blue cash registers, a broken terminal, and two Sanctuary-style showers. The last ones are the most noticeable, so keep an eye out for those.
This shower should totally be here:
You really should experience the interior for yourself, but as an alternative, here is a video showing most of it.
4. Other things
Make a proper save before you apply the layout. The reason being it is actually quicker to load a save than scrap (or refresh) the layout itself.
Yes, I know this type of thing would be more suited for the CK (I do intend to do just that), but the point of it all is to show everyone that it can be done without it. This method also has advantages:
- Just about anyone can do it.
- Having precombines disabled does tank performance, but it also enables you to change what you don't like about a layout like this on the fly. Make and publish your own version even. Probably should pick a more reasonably sized building though, for sheer practicality. (Or pick a bigger one. I can't tell you what to do.)
- Might just be inspiring enough for some people to eventually learn using the CK and create their own mods. If for nothing else, then simply because of the frustration of otherwise not removable objects.
5. Recommendations
Sim Settlements and its expansions. The dimensions of the apartment rooms were made with interior plots in mind.
Workshop Plus. Creating this without it would've been agonizing.
Place Everywhere, for a very similar reason. Not all things you see are at their proper snap points.
Settler Sandbox Expansion to go with Build High - Expanded Settlements.
Bullet Time - Slow Time, the XM2010 and See Through Scopes. They have nothing to do with settlements, I am just in love with these.
6. A very special thanks goes out to
kinggath for creating Workshop Framework and many other things mentioned here,
robotten and Phoenix46 for Snappy HouseKit
ThemonWillow for Build High - Expanded Settlements
and shadowslasher410 for Scrap Everything.
Probably shouldn't forget CDante either. Had he not come up with the idea of transferring settlement objects across different characters, probably none of this would've happened.