Difference between revisions of "Category:Data Files"

Latest revision as of 17:31, 18 October 2010

A Tes4 module consists of (potentially) a number of types of data files. TES files (esm and esp files) form the core data modules that define the logical structure of the game world. Resource files (meshes, textures, voice files, music, sounds, video) give the gameworld its reality.

TES Files[edit | edit source]

TES Files - Basic introduction to the major concepts of working with esm and esp files.
Esp vs. Esm - Differences between esps and esms.
Modding Terminology - De-obfuscating "records", "objects", "references", etc.

Resource Files[edit | edit source]

Archives
- BSA Files
- Tools: BSA Unpackers
Images/Textures:
- DDS Files
- Portal:Texturing
Modelling
- NIF Files
- Portal:Modeling
Animation
- KF Files
- Portal:Animating
SDP shader packages
- SDP Files
XML Menu Files
- Oblivion XML

Troubleshooting[edit | edit source]

Windows Vista - Why Windows Vista doesn't like mods and how to fix that.

Subcategories

This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.

F

► File‎ (8 P)

G

► Graphics‎ (3 C, 1 P)

Pages in category "Data Files"

The following 10 pages are in this category, out of 10 total.

A

Active File

B

BSA Files

D

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The Construction Set works off of a primary file called a TES file. This is basically a database of all of the data for the world, including object data, dialogue, gameplay settings, object placements, AI settings, landscape, script commands, cells, etc. Basically everything that goes into the editor is stored in TES files.
+__NOTOC__
+A Tes4 module consists of (potentially) a number of types of data files. TES files (esm and esp files) form the core data modules that define the logical structure of the game world. Resource files (meshes, textures, voice files, music, sounds, video) give the gameworld its reality.
+== TES Files ==
+* [[TES Files]] - Basic introduction to the major concepts of working with esm and esp files.
+* [[Esp vs. Esm]] - Differences between esps and esms.
+* [[Modding Terminology]] - De-obfuscating "records", "objects", "references", etc.
-There are two types of TES files, masters (MASTER_FILE.esm) and plug-ins (PLUGIN_FILE.esp). A master file is autonomous. It relies on no information other than itself. A plug-in (esp) file relies on information from a Master TES file. Plug-ins CANNOT refer to information in another plug-in. They can only refer to data from a master. Plug-ins can refer to multiple master files.
+== Resource Files ==
+* '''Archives'''
+** [[BSA Files]]
+** [[:Category:Tools: BSA Unpackers|Tools: BSA Unpackers]]
+* '''Images/Textures:'''
+** [[DDS Files]]
+** [[Portal:Texturing]]
+* '''Modelling'''
+** [[NIF Files]]
+** [[Portal:Modeling]]
+* '''Animation'''
+** [[Glossary#K|KF Files]]
+** [[Portal:Animating]]
+* '''SDP shader packages'''
+** [[SDP Files]]
+* '''XML Menu Files'''
+** [[Oblivion XML]]
+== Troubleshooting ==
-Most TES files are changes to the main Oblivion.esm file (a master file). The files get loaded in order of their last modified date. Masters get loaded first, by date. Then plug-ins get loaded by date. Each file is a "layer" that gets added to the world. The player can turn off the ones they don't like with the loader program, and these layers will be removed. This makes it impossible for a player-created TES file to completely break someone's game.
+* [[Windows Vista]] - Why Windows Vista doesn't like mods and how to fix that.
-Users of The Construction Set will have all of their changes placed in an esp file. They can then allow someone else to load this file and play with their changes. They can add anything to the game, provided the artwork is there to support it.
-The editor can have multiple esp files loaded at once, but only one of these is active. Active means that all of the user's changes are being saved into the [[Active_File|active TES file]].
-The current downloadable version of the Construction Set does not allow users to create new master files or merge an .esp to an .esm file. A fan made [[TES4_Plugin_Utility|utility]] offers this possibility.
-'''Windows Vista'''
-Please note that Microsoft's new operating system (Vista), makes some security related changes that affect the use of the TES Construction Set. Specifically, any file in that is located under the C:\Program Files directory is protected from being changed. If you have installed your Elder Scrolls game into the default directory, it will be affected by these security changes. The following is a list of how this affects the construction set and .ESP files:
-* While copying .ESP files into the default game directory, you will be prompted to allow the operation. To compound this, editing files in that directory directly is strictly prohibited by the operation system security. Thus, editing of any .INI files and the .ESP files are not permitted at this location.
-* If you create a new .ESP file using the contruction set, the file will NOT be located where you would expect it to be. Instead, Windows Vista places the new file into a special directory under the "C:\Documents and Settings" location. This location is also used for screen shots taken during game play while operating under Vista.
-* Editing an existing .ESP file that is located in the "Data" directory of a default installed game will prevent you from saving the file if it is checked as "Active". Again, this relates to the Vista file security system. Newly created files (files without the "active" check-box) are not affected by this but are placed in the "C:\Documents and Settings" location and NOT the standard "Data" location. The game doesn't seem to mind this though and CAN use files in either location for game play.
-* Because the contruction set is NOT expecting files in other locations, it cannot go back and edit files that do not reside in the standard "Data" folder. This presents a major problem for editing files repeatedly as is typically the cast when play-testing your mod.
-'''Solution to the Vista Problems'''
-If you install your Elder Scrolls game into any directory OTHER than the default, none of these problems occur. Thus, you can bypass the Vista security issues by installing the game onto another hard drive or into a new directory that is not located withing the "Program Files" root directory (such as "C:\Games").