Some tips for testing your mods

[spicydeath82]

Hi all, here are some useful tips to help you test your mod.

first and foremost is learn to use the console.

"Where is this console you speak of?" you ask, press the tilde key " ` " it's the key on your keyboard just under the esc key (on most/all English keyboards)

this will pause the game and allow you to enter commands. press tilde again to exit the console.

Ignore the quotes in the following paragraphs, they are merely there to show either the commands or how to use them properly

one such command is: "tpg" or "togglepathgrid" minus the quotes.

What this does is makes all the path grids visible in game, this is useful for determining why npcs aren't using that convenient bridge you added, or are getting stuck against a new wall you placed.

another one: "tfc" or "toggleflycam"

this allows you to detach the camera view from your player and fly around, handy for taking those picturesque snap shots of your mod.

another: "qqq"

Let's you quickly exit the game completely, much quicker then going through the menus when you need to quit and fix thos pesky glitches in your mod.

another: "coc" or "centeroncell" usage "coc cell's editor id"

Note: according to the cs wiki this is for interior cells, however it works on any named cell, Ie not wilderness cells "35,-25" etc..

quickly moves you to the center of the stated cell. don't use the in game name, or the form id, but use the editor id.

an example would be if you wanted to quickly get to Amelion Family Tomb exterior, you'd bring up the console by hitting the TILDE key"`" then entering "coc AmelionTombExterior" (minus quotes) then press enter. if you entered the cell's Editor Id correctly you'll see a load screen, then you'll appear in the center of the specified cell, in this case amelion family tomb exterior cell.

another: "coe" or "centeronexterior" usage "coe 36,-25"

(those coordinates are where you build your house at in the cs basics class)

this is handy for getting to a cell in the world that isn't named in the cs or has the generic "Wilderness" id

"tcl" or "togglecollision"

i believe this disables collisions with statics, could be handy. i'll test it and confirm. if it does then it would be a good thig to use with either "coc" or "coe" as there might be an object at the center of the cell you jump to.

More to come as deemed appropriate to this forum.

Edited May 10, 2010 by spicydeath82

[WillieSea]

The most important tip for testing your mods is to use a clean save game. That is a save game that has 'never' had your work in progress mod active when you made the save game.

You can also make several type/levels of characters to test your mod using the Levelers Cheat mod.

[spicydeath82]

good, point. don't save while testing your mods.

[grond]

Good suggestions, spicy. Yes, TCL disables collision.

Remember - if you click on an object in console mode, its ID will appear at the top of your screen. Be sure before you TCL that there's nothing selected. Otherwise you will disable that object's collision, not yours.

Use WillieSea's suggestion as the 1st Commandment.

And never forget TGM. "ToggleGodMode" - makes you invincible.

EDIT - Something else to remember - "fw38eee" - Forces weather to clear skies.

[spicydeath82]

thanks grond, i wondered how to do that. that'll be handy for those picturesque screenies again....

[WillieSea]

Look at the functions on the WIKI.

For screenshots, you can set any weather you 'need'.

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/ForceWeather

There are many console commands:

http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/index.php/Category:Console_Functions