Difference between revisions of "Category:Getting Started"

243 bytes added ,  03:59, 14 March 2012
→‎Creating Your First Plugin: added clarification about why you're loading Skyrim.esm, did some general copy editing; page needs 'how to edit your mod' steps, so will try to come back
imported>Catwheezle
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imported>Chevenga
(→‎Creating Your First Plugin: added clarification about why you're loading Skyrim.esm, did some general copy editing; page needs 'how to edit your mod' steps, so will try to come back)
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=Creating Your First Plugin=
=Creating Your First Plugin=
When the editor starts up for the first time, there will be no data loaded. To get started, navigate to '''Files>Data''' from the main toolbar. You should see a similar dialog to that picture in Fig 1, below. Double-click to select Skyrim.esm for load - indicated by an "X" in the box on the left - and select "OK". Skyrim.esm will take some time to load. Be patient, as this process can take a minute or two, depending on your hardware.
When the editor starts up for the first time, there will be no data loaded. You'll probably want to use the Skyrim.esm file as your plugin's master file, so you should load it first. (The plugin that you're creating will '''not''' overwrite the master file.) To get started, navigate to '''Files>Data''' from the main toolbar. You should see a dialog box similar to Fig. 1, shown below. Double-click the Skyrim.esm master file for loading, so that it has an "X" in the box on its left. Then click '''OK'''. Skyrim.esm will take some time to load. Be patient, as this process can take a minute or two, depending on your hardware.


Note that some warnings will appear when loading Skyrim.esm. These are normal and can be ignored - just hit "Yes to All" or escape to dismiss them.
Note that some warnings will appear when loading Skyrim.esm. These are normal and can be ignored. Just select '''Yes to All''' or press Escape to dismiss them.


Once loading is complete, the very first thing we want to do is create a "plugin", which is the mod file where your work will be saved. To do this, simply navigate to '''"File>Save"''' from the [[Main Toolbar]].  Since you have no active file specified, the Creation Kit will prompt you to create a new one. For this series of tutorials, save a file called ''testquest.esp.''
Once loading is complete, the very first thing to do is create a "plugin", which is the mod file where your work will be saved. To do this, simply navigate to '''"File>Save"''' from the [[Main Toolbar]].  Since you have no active plugin (.esp) file specified, the Creation Kit will prompt you to create a new one. For this series of tutorials, save a file called ''testquest.esp.''


{{ProTip|If you are '''not''' prompted to create a new plugin when saving, you probably already have an active file set. Re-open File>Data to ensure you have no active file selected when loading Skyrim.esm. The Creation Kit has no "save as" feature, and all saves will re-write the active plugin.}}
{{WarningBox|If you are '''not''' prompted to create a new plugin when saving, you probably already have an active file set, which will be overwritten if you leave it open. Reopen '''File>Data''' to ensure you have no active file selected when loading Skyrim.esm. The Creation Kit has no "save as" feature, and all saves will re-write the active plugin.}}


{{InDepth|IF you wish to make a backup of your plugin file, or install one from another source, you will find them located in the "data" subfolder of wherever Skyrim is installed on your hard drive.<br>
{{InDepth|If you wish to make a backup of your plugin file or install one from another source, you will find the plugins in the Data subfolder of wherever Skyrim is installed on your hard drive.<br>
For Steam installations, this will be somewhere like: <code>C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\</code><br>
For Steam installations, this will be somewhere like: <code>C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim\Data\</code><br>
For DVD installs, this will be somewhere like: <code>C:\Program Files\Bethesda\Skyrim\Data\</code>
For DVD installs, this will be somewhere like: <code>C:\Program Files\Bethesda\Skyrim\Data\</code>
}}
}}


<gallery widths="270px" heights="160px" perrow="2">
<gallery widths="270px" heights="160px" perrow="3">
image:DataFilesDialog01.jpg|<b>Fig. 1</b>: Choosing and Loading Data Files. Note that ''testquest.esp'' is our active plugin, and the file to which all changes will be saved.
image:DataFilesDialog01.jpg|<b>Fig. 1</b>: Choosing and loading data files. This is what you'll see after you create ''testquest.esp'' when you load both Skyrim.esm and your new plugin. Note that ''testquest.esp'' is labeled "Active File", which means that it's the file to which all changes will be saved.
Image:UsingLauncherToLoadPlugin.jpg|<b>Fig. 2</b>: The Skyrim Launcher. Plugins can be loaded/unloaded from the '''Data Files''' menu option.
</gallery>
</gallery>


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