Creating Custom Master Files

Overview

For large scale projects it may become necessary to make use of custom Master File (.esm format) for user-created plugins to refer to. This is particularly useful for projects involving new world spaces or circumstances that require multiple people developing simultaneously. This tutorial will present a method for doing just that.

Creating the Master File

In order to create a Master File, you must convert an existing Plugin. The following is a step-by-step procedure detailing this process:

1. Simply rename the ".esp" extension of the Plugin file, that you want to convert to a Master File, to ".esm"
   • I ended up using an FTP program known as FileZilla for this, but you can do so through a variety of other means such as Command Prompt.
   • To use Windows Explorer to do this, go to Organize > Folder and Search Options > View > Hide extensions for known file types. Uncheck the box. For more details and for pictures, follow this link: http://www.mediacollege.com/microsoft/windows/extension-change.html
2. Open the Creation Kit and load the ".esm" data file you have just created and then save it.
   • This in order to have the Creation Kit recognize it as a true Master File.

Referencing the Master File

If you expect to have a Plugin reference the Master File: open both the Master File and Plugin (as active) and simply re-save Plugin. It is strongly recommended you back your original Plugin back in the event you did not want to reference a particular Master File.