Help with bsacommander

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Cool stuff. Thanks sandor! :goodjob:

[Ibsen's Ghost]

I'm just sorting out a HUGE bsa update for BM and I came across the part in the tutorial where it mentions changing the texture property's path from "/" to "\". I'm pretty sure this was a big problem last time so the solution is to use TES4Files, as it states.

However, the tutorials repeatedly remark upon the need to use an esp file whilst doing all of this. Step 2 here: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/ind..._TES4Files mentions having to refer to the esp file. When dealing with esm files, I would use that instead, right? And would I need to have my latest esp file merged in order to do this? Otherwise, it might fail to recognise the new stuff or something....?

Can someone help, please?

Edit - I just packed everything up and requested the file to be named after the esm but it's just finished and I can't find the bsa file. It's not in my source directory or my target directory. Where the hell has it gone...? ?( :eek:

[sandor]

Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
However, the tutorials repeatedly remark upon the need to use an esp file whilst doing all of this. Step 2 here: http://cs.elderscrolls.com/constwiki/ind..._TES4Files mentions having to refer to the esp file. When dealing with esm files, I would use that instead, right? And would I need to have my latest esp file merged in order to do this? Otherwise, it might fail to recognise the new stuff or something....?

It also works for esm's.
If your esp adds new objects (meshes) the file has to be merged prior to fixing the texture paths.

Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
Edit - I just packed everything up and requested the file to be named after the esm but it's just finished and I can't find the bsa file. It's not in my source directory or my target directory. Where the hell has it gone...? ?( :eek:

Bsa file creation.

1. Copy your meshes, textures, trees etc. to a new folder outside the data folder.
   
2. Open bsa commander
   
3. Click on "Pack".
   
4. Select recursive subdir and compress.
   
5. Type FFFFFFFF in both the archive flag and file flag field.
   
6. Define the path for the source (step1)
   
7. Select the archive name and browse to the data folder.
   
8. Make sure you select "all files" and select the BlackMarsh.esm, replace the esm extension with bsa and save.
   
9. Click on "Pack".
   
10. When done you'll find the bsa file in the Data folder.
    
11. Always unpack the new bsa to check if everything went fine.
    

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Originally posted by sandor
It also works for esm's.
If your esp adds new objects (meshes) the file has to be merged prior to fixing the texture paths.

Will I not need to send you the files in the first place to have the esp successfully merged? In other words, should I send you the files as I normally do for merging and only then create a bsa archive....?

I'm pretty sure I followed that procedure. It looks similar to the tutorial but I'll go by your instructions next time. Thanks... :goodjob:

I've just remembered a few things I need to add though...

[sandor]

Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
Will I not need to send you the files in the first place to have the esp successfully merged? In other words, should I send you the files as I normally do for merging and only then create a bsa archive....?

Yes.

Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
I'm pretty sure I followed that procedure. It looks similar to the tutorial but I'll go by your instructions next time. Thanks... :goodjob:

I never had a problem when creating a bsa file using the procedure I described.

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Okay, thanks as ever, sandor! :goodjob:

Just one last thing: would I be correct in presuming that if a resource I've bundled into the bsa archive but is not yet activated in the CS could indeed be activated perfectly okay at a later date so long as I unpack the archive into my data folder?

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Okay, it looks like I've got myself a bsa archive. Too late in the day to test it though....and I suspect I'll need Tes4Files to sort out the "\" or "/" issues.

Thanks sandor!

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Well, the results were to be expected. Nothing is ever simple!

Not only are the textures not showing up which was something accounted for by the tutorial but all of the meshes are missing as well....?

[sandor]

Did you register the bsa in the ini files (assuming the unpacking went fine)?

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Originally posted by sandor
Did you register the bsa in the ini files (assuming the unpacking went fine)?

I don't think so. How do I do that?

I didn't unpack anything because I'd wanted to use the bsa as it was (and as it should be used). Nonetheless, the filepaths were correct as far as I could see. They look like they're exactly the same format as stuff like 'Lost Spires' and all of the vanilla stuff....