[sky] Advantages of making a master file

[Ashenfire]

Rewrite:  original post deleted.

 

Hard to ask question when I am unfamiliar with the territory.

I need to know about the pros and cons of making [.ESM]

or master files.

 

• I want to do tedious 'warehouse' tasks that involve keywords, forms, lists, etc.

         This means making a resource mod that is available for drag and drop for

         ALL mods I create.   I don't want to edit the resources one by one and choose

         a model.  I just want to drag & drop and it is already filled out ready to use.

 

So how do I do this?   Am I MERGING two [.ESP] files into a larger [.ESP] file?

Or

Am I making a master warehouse file that all mods rely on and I have to tell

the users to download two files, both the .esm and the .esp file?

Edited October 17, 2014 by Ashenfire

[WillieSea]

Am I making a master warehouse file that all mods rely on and I have to tell

the users to download two files, both the .esm and the .esp file?

This.

An ESM can be used just like any other master file. It will load all your objects, and your ESP will be dependent on it.

[Ashenfire]

Right.

 

I am wondering if for instance:

 

I have 5 .esp files.

Each one has a warehouse cell that I created for different things

(potion display, weapon rack display, button display, gem display.

 

I have a sixth .esp that is an adventure that wants to use the 5 warehouse mods.

 

Is there any advantage of merging the 5 mods into the 6th?

Is there a risk of losing elements of the warehouse when merging?

Or

 

Do I play it safe and merge all 5 mods into one .esm file that the sixth mod will

be dependent on?

[WillieSea]

The ESP files (with the warehouse cells) will be INVISIBLE and UNUSABLE to any other ESP or ESM files.

Although, there may be a work around where you can create a 'pointer' to the ESP files using script.

Look into the 'GetFormFromFile' command.

Here is an example of detecting if Dragonborn.esm is loaded in the players game.

Armor DLC2ArmorBonemoldBoots = Game.GetFormFromFile(0x0001CD92, "Dragonborn.esm") As Armor

[Ashenfire]

Thank you for that.

 

I suppose this means I am better off figuring out how to merge all warehouse files into one master file.

[WillieSea]

You could make them master files. But then they would be dependent on each other.

[Ashenfire]

Ok, I guess that was a silly question.   You are saying that it still holds true that they are unusable/invisible to each other. 

 

For some reason I thought we could 'merge' files into each other.  I was creating mods independently so they would

 

have fewer risk of being infected by any dialogue bug or any mistake that I make would be contained.

[WillieSea]

Master files (ESM) can be used by any other master file or plugin file (ESP).

The kicker is, they must exist and be loaded or the mod will not work (It will not be loaded).

Any ESP or ESM that requires an ESM must have that ESM installed and loaded.