Difference between revisions of "Archive.exe"
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So because of these issues, it is good to be able to package your files using a different program. Archive.exe will work even if the CK is just giving out error messages. Archive.exe can help you package any mod, no matter how complicated it is and no matter how many pieces it comes in. So you could use it to pack up mods to upload to Steam Workshop as well as mods to upload to various Skyrim mod sites. | So because of these issues, it is good to be able to package your files using a different program. Archive.exe will work even if the CK is just giving out error messages. Archive.exe can help you package any mod, no matter how complicated it is and no matter how many pieces it comes in. So you could use it to pack up mods to upload to Steam Workshop as well as mods to upload to various Skyrim mod sites. | ||
==Why | ==Why Not Just Pack Up the Loose Files and Not Even Have a .bsa File?== | ||
Mods that use .bsa files instead of loose files are easy to install. Gamers will not install them wrong so frequently and complain to the mod maker about the mod not working because of their own mistakes. | Mods that use .bsa files instead of loose files are easy to install. Gamers will not install them wrong so frequently and complain to the mod maker about the mod not working because of their own mistakes. | ||
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So packing mods with a .bsa file instead of with loose files is considered to be following best practices for Skyrim modding. | So packing mods with a .bsa file instead of with loose files is considered to be following best practices for Skyrim modding. | ||
= Where to | = Where to Find Archive.exe on the Computer = | ||
[[Image:Archive.exe01.JPG|200px|thumb|right]] | [[Image:Archive.exe01.JPG|200px|thumb|right]] | ||
Different people install Skyrim in different places, but the directory will be like this: | Different people install Skyrim in different places, but the directory will be like this: | ||
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Select the .psc script files associated with the mod and drag and drop them into the Archive.exe window. | Select the .psc script files associated with the mod and drag and drop them into the Archive.exe window. | ||
And why are these even needed? The gamer does not need them. Skyrim will play just fine without them. But modders will not be able to open the mod and figure out exactly how things work. They will not be able to study the skillful way | And why are these even needed? The gamer does not need them. Skyrim will play just fine without them. But modders will not be able to open the mod and figure out exactly how things work. They will not be able to study the skillful way the mod was built and learn from it. They will not be able to tweak it to make it suit the way they like to play. | ||
The worst thing is that they will not be able to troubleshoot it. It could be that they will figure out a solution to a bad problem. They will share this information, and a better version of the mod can be uploaded with very little effort on the original author's part. a wise modder would not want to forgo this valuable information. A generous modder would not want to give people a mod they could not admire in the CK, learn from, and tweak to their taste. Open source is a good thing. Skyrim would not be so fun if it was closed source and no modding possible. So it is good to share this ability with other modders just as Bethesda shared a moddable Skyrim with the | The worst thing is that they will not be able to troubleshoot it. It could be that they will figure out a solution to a bad problem. They will share this information, and a better version of the mod can be uploaded with very little effort on the original author's part. a wise modder would not want to forgo this valuable information. A generous modder would not want to give people a mod they could not admire in the CK, learn from, and tweak to their taste. Open source is a good thing. Skyrim would not be so fun if it was closed source and no modding was possible. So it is good to share this ability with other modders just as Bethesda shared a moddable Skyrim with the Elder Scrolls fans. | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
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In this example voiced dialog is being added to the .bsa. Voiced dialog is easy to add to the list because the dialog is in a folder named after the mod. (Which is why the voiced dialog gets broken if an .esp is renamed by a gamer who does not like the original name.) The whole folder can be dragged and dropped because "Recurse Directories" is checked. | In this example voiced dialog is being added to the .bsa. Voiced dialog is easy to add to the list because the dialog is in a folder named after the mod. (Which is why the voiced dialog gets broken if an .esp is renamed by a gamer who does not like the original name.) The whole folder can be dragged and dropped because "Recurse Directories" is checked. | ||
The voiced dialog files in a mod should be refuzed into .fuz files rather than left as .wav and .lip files. There is a common problem where the voiced dialog will not play on a measurable minority of random computers if the dialog is left in .wav + .lip format rather than .fuz format. There seems to be no way to predict which mods will not work on which computers. So it is safest to refuz the voiced dialog files before uploading | The voiced dialog files in a mod should be refuzed into .fuz files rather than left as .wav and .lip files. Unfuzer may be downloaded here: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=9797 There is a common problem where the voiced dialog will not play on a measurable minority of random computers if the dialog is left in .wav + .lip format rather than .fuz format. There seems to be no way to predict which mods will not work on which computers. So it is safest to refuz the voiced dialog files before uploading | ||
Another advantage of .fuz files is that they are tiny. When building a mod with voiced dialog, it can quickly become too huge for easy uploading and downloading. Using .fuz file helps greatly with file size. | Another advantage of .fuz files is that they are tiny. When building a mod with voiced dialog, it can quickly become too huge for easy uploading and downloading. Using .fuz file helps greatly with file size. | ||
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To figure out how to package a mod, it might be handy to look at one that has been downloaded and played. One that is known to be packaged right because it works properly. Here is how the sample mod, "My Quest Mod" is packaged. It is shown in three views from top to bottom. The folder that will be compressed with 7-Zip is the one named "My Quest Mod 1_0" Note that this is where the version number is placed along with in the file description in the .esp and in the readme. It is very important to give mods version numbers. There is always one more bug somewhere. It is only a matter of time until it is found. Conscientious modders will fix these bugs and release new versions. | To figure out how to package a mod, it might be handy to look at one that has been downloaded and played. One that is known to be packaged right because it works properly. Here is how the sample mod, "My Quest Mod" is packaged. It is shown in three views from top to bottom. The folder that will be compressed with 7-Zip is the one named "My Quest Mod 1_0" Note that this is where the version number is placed along with in the file description in the .esp and in the readme. It is very important to give mods version numbers. There is always one more bug somewhere. It is only a matter of time until it is found. Conscientious modders will fix these bugs and release new versions. | ||
A gamers may say, "Yur mod sux! it brkn an it dusnt wurk! plz hlp me!!!" | |||
The modder can calmly ask which version number the gamer is using, and upon receiving the answer, can say, "That problem was fixed in version 1_4, but you are using version 1_2. All you need to do is download the new version and your problem will go away." | The modder can calmly ask which version number the gamer is using, and upon receiving the answer, can say, "That problem was fixed in version 1_4, but you are using version 1_2. All you need to do is download the new version and your problem will go away." | ||
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[[File Menu#Create Archive|Create Archive]] | [[File Menu#Create Archive|Create Archive]] | ||
[[Category:Tutorials]] | |||