Difference between revisions of "Bethesda Tutorial Creation Kit Interface"

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{{Tutorial Index
{{Tutorial Index
|Prev=:Category:Getting_Started
|Prev=:Category:Getting_Started
|Next=Bethesda_Tutorial_Layout_Part_1
|Next=Bethesda Tutorial Layout Part 1
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|series=Basics
|chapter=2
|chapter=2
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The Main Toolbar is where the majority of Creation Kit features can be launched from, either via menus or the various buttons.  They are too numerous and complex to get into here, and various features will be explained as they are needed.  Those interested can read detailed descriptions of the various menus and buttons in the [[Main Toolbar]] article.
The Main Toolbar is where the majority of Creation Kit features can be launched from, either via menus or the various buttons.  They are too numerous and complex to get into here, and various features will be explained as they are needed.  Those interested can read detailed descriptions of the various menus and buttons in the [[Main Toolbar]] article.


Before you can start, you first have to load the data. From the 'File' menu, choose 'Data...', then select 'skyrim.esm' and set it as the active file. (You can also double click skyrim.esm, at which point an 'x' will appear next to it to show it's the active file.)
Before you can start, you first have to load the data. From the 'File' menu, choose 'Data...', then double click 'skyrim.esm'. When you do this, the checkbox next to it will become checked, which indicates that it will be loaded.


==[[Render Window]]==
==[[Render Window]]==
The Render Window is the main way we'll be interfacing with the game for this tutorial.  Right now it is an empty pane, but once we load a cell, this is where the 3D visuals of the space will appear and can be worked with.
The Render Window is the main way we'll be interfacing with the game for this tutorial.  Right now it is an empty pane, but once we load a cell, this is where the 3D visuals of the space will appear and can be worked with.
::{|style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000; padding: 0"
{{InDepth|"Cells" are physical areas of the game that the Creation Kit can load. They can be interior cells separated by load doors, which we'll be working with in this tutorial, or exterior cells, which stream in seamlessly during gameplay.}}
|-
|style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0"|[[Image:InDepth.jpg|48px]]
|style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0"|"Cells" are physical areas of the game that the Creation Kit can load. They can be interior cells separated by load doors, which we'll be working with in this tutorial, or exterior cells, which stream in seamlessly during gameplay.  
|}
==[[Cell View]]==
==[[Cell View]]==
The cell view has five major components to be aware of.
The cell view has five major components to be aware of.
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The Object Window allows us to browse the various base objects that we can work with to create the game.  There are many categories and types of objects, and we'll refer to these as needed throughout the tutorial.
The Object Window allows us to browse the various base objects that we can work with to create the game.  There are many categories and types of objects, and we'll refer to these as needed throughout the tutorial.
*'''Filter''' Much like the Cell View, the Object Window has a filtering field we can use to narrow down what appears in the list below.
*'''Filter''' Much like the Cell View, the Object Window has a filtering field we can use to narrow down what appears in the list below.
*'''Category List''' Below the filter are the many categories of base objects. Advanced users may wish to use the "All" Category and filter to more quickly access items, but for this tutorial we'll manually specify the locations of objects needed.
*'''Category List''' Below the filter are the many categories of base objects. Advanced users may wish to select the "*All" category at the bottom of the list, to show everything, and then use the name filter to more quickly access items, but for this tutorial we'll manually specify the locations of objects needed.
*'''Based Object List''' On the right of the window are the various base objects you can browse, edit and (usually) place in the Render Window.
*'''Based Object List''' On the right of the window are the various base objects you can browse, edit and (usually) place in the Render Window.
::{|style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #000; padding: 0"
{{NewFeature|The Creation Kit now features the option to open multiple Object Windows, which can be handy for advanced users. Simply right-click on the Object Window and "Create New Object Window"}}
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|style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0"|[[Image:NewFeature.jpg|48px]]
|style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0"|The Creation Kit now features the option to open multiple Object Windows, which can be handy for advanced users. Simply right-click on the Object Window and "Create New Object Window"
|}
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{{InDepth|'''Base Object vs Reference''' It's important for users to understand the difference between a base object and a reference.  Whenever you place an object in the world, you are creating an instance - or reference - to that base object. For example, if we drag a "TrollFrost" into the world and modify that reference, or "ref", our changes will only affect this specific Troll.  If we make changes directly to the TrollFrost base object, however, all Trolls will be affected, including those already created. For this reason, modders will usually want to avoid modifying pre-existing base objects that other mods may rely upon.}}
|-
|style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0"|[[Image:InDepth.jpg|48px]]
|style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0"| '''Base Object vs Reference''' It's important for users to understand the difference between a base object and a reference.  Whenever you place an object in the world, you are creating an instance - or reference - to that base object. For example, if we drag a "TrollFrost" into the world and modify that reference, or "ref", our changes will only affect this specific Troll.  If we make changes directly to the TrollFrost base object, however, all Trolls will be affected, including those already created. For this reason, modders will usually want to avoid modifying pre-existing base objects that other mods may rely upon.
|}


=Navigating the Render Window=
=Navigating the Render Window=
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Your initial view should be centered on a yellow marker, as seen in Figure 2. ''(If not, try pressing '''"M"''' to make sure markers are viewable.  Otherwise, your camera may just be focused elsewhere.  That's fine: just select any object and follow along)''  
Your initial view should be centered on a yellow marker, as seen in Figure 2. ''(If not, try pressing '''"M"''' to make sure markers are viewable.  Otherwise, your camera may just be focused elsewhere.  That's fine: just select any object and follow along)''  


Single-click this to select it. You should notice a thin outline of green, red and blue lines.  This is the ''"bounding box"'', and for now we just care that it lets us know what's selected.  Try scrolling your mouse wheel slowly back and forth.  Notice that this zooms the camera. (If not, you may need to "click into" the Render window.)
Single-click this to select it. You should notice a thin outline of green, red and blue lines.  This is the ''"bounding box"'', and for now we just care that it lets us know what's selected.  Try scrolling your mouse wheel slowly back and forth.  Notice that this zooms the camera.


Next, try panning the camera.  This is accomplished by holding down the middle mouse button and moving the mouse in any direction.
{{WarningBox|If you are trying to do something in Render Window, eg. move the camera, press the M button to toggle Markers on/off, use other key shortcuts or perform any other tasks, but nothing happens, then make sure the Render Window is active - you may need to "click into" the Render window to make it active.}}
 
Next, try panning the camera.  This is accomplished by holding down the middle mouse button or spacebar and moving the mouse in any direction.


By now it's possible you've lost sight of your selected object.  Let's re-focus the camera.  There are a few ways to do this:
By now it's possible you've lost sight of your selected object.  Let's re-focus the camera.  There are a few ways to do this:
* Press '''Shift+F'''. This focuses the camera on the currently selected object(s).  It does not affect camera angle, and resets the camera pivot if no objects are selected.
* Press '''Shift+F'''. This focuses the camera on the currently selected object(s).  It does not affect camera angle, and resets the camera pivot if no objects are selected.
* Press '''"T"'''.  This forces a top-down view.  If anything is selected, it will zoom the camera to the extents of that selection.  With nothing selected, it simply rotates the camera down (which can sometimes disorient you if there's nothing to look at directly below the camera!)
* Press '''"T"'''.  This forces a top-down view.  If anything is selected, it will zoom the camera to the extents of that selection.  With nothing selected, it simply rotates the camera down (which can sometimes disorient you if there's nothing to look at directly below the camera!)
* Press '''"C"'''.  This cycles through a few pre-set camera angles, and otherwise works exactly like "T"
* Press '''"Y"'''.  This cycles through a few pre-set camera angles, and otherwise works exactly like "T". Easy to remember because they're right next to each other (assuming a QWERTY keyboard). Convenient!
* Use the mouse wheel to zoom the camera in or out.


Now we'll try orbiting the camera.  With any object(s) selected hold '''"Shift"''' while moving the mouse to rotate the camera around the object in any direction.  The selection will always remain in the center of your view.  With nothing selected, the camera will rotate around itself.  This can be useful for advanced users, but will probably be disorienting to beginners, and is not usually needed.
Now we'll try orbiting the camera.  With any object(s) selected hold '''"Shift"''' while moving the mouse to rotate the camera around the object in any direction.  The selection will always remain in the center of your view.  With nothing selected, the camera will rotate around itself.  This can be useful for advanced users, but will probably be disorienting to beginners, and is not usually needed.


It's very important to become comfortable using these controls, so spend some time loading up various cells and looking around them.  You'll probably be clumsy at first, but before long it will become second nature.
It's very important to become comfortable using these controls, so spend some time loading up various cells and looking around them.  You'll probably be clumsy at first, but before long it will become second nature.
==Concealing Objects==
If you zoom out so that you can see the whole area of AnisesCabin01 (a single room in this case), and click on the yellow marker you originally selected... you may find that you are unable to select it. Instead, you select a large pink box that surrounds the room, which in the Cell View window, appears to be called "<code>defaultSetStageTRIG</code>".
Stuff getting in the way is a common and basic problem, but one that has an easy and powerful solution. With <code>defaultSetStageTRIG</code>, press the number '''1''', twice. The <code>defaultSetStageTRIG</code> will disappear. Press '''1''' again, and it will reappear.
What is happening here is that the first time you press "1", the selected object (or objects) are made so they ignore the mouse, and you can click through them. If they aren't already transparent, they are also made transparent (doesn't make a noticeable difference to <code>defaultSetStageTRIG</code>, which is already transparent), and the name of the item in the Cell View is changed from black to light blue, to show that it has been hidden (probably also not visible to you, since the item's selected, so it's not black!)
The second time you press 1, the item is hidden completely, rather than just "ghosted".
The third time, it is returned to normal: fully visible, clickable, and with a black name in the Cell View once again.
So, press "1" again until <code>defaultSetStageTRIG</code> disappears, then try selecting, hiding and ghosting other items, such as walls and furniture, until you are happy with the process.
If you have unselected an item while it is ghosted or invisible, you can no longer select it in the Render Window. Instead, select it in the Cell View (it will be one of the blue-named objects), click the titlebar of the Render window, and press 1 until your object cycles back to full visibility.
{{ProTip|For many Render Window keys, the window must be active (its title bar is not greyed out). If another window, like Cell View, is selected instead, then the key will do nothing. So if you select an item in the cell view, you then have to click on the titlebar of the Render Window - clicking within the Render Window would change your selection! Then, your keypress should work.}}
If you feel you have completely messed up which items are ghosted and which are not, you can press '''"F5"''' to return all items to their normal visible, clickable state.


==Manipulating Objects==
==Manipulating Objects==
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You may notice that the object jumps around rather than moving smoothly - this is because grid snapping is on.  You can toggle this with the '''"Q"''' hotkey or the [[image:buttongridsnapping.jpg]] button in the [[Main Toolbar]].  We'll talk more about grid snapping in the [[Bethesda_Tutorial_Layout_Part_1|layout chapter.]]   
You may notice that the object jumps around rather than moving smoothly - this is because grid snapping is on.  You can toggle this with the '''"Q"''' hotkey or the [[image:buttongridsnapping.jpg]] button in the [[Main Toolbar]].  We'll talk more about grid snapping in the [[Bethesda_Tutorial_Layout_Part_1|layout chapter.]]   


Also note that you're only moving the object on the horizontal plane, or the "X/Y axis" of the world.  You can move the object up/down by holding '''"Z"''' while dragging it.  Likewise, you can hold '''"X"''' or '''"Y"''' to constrain movement to those axes, too.
Also note that you're only moving the object on the horizontal plane, or the "X/Y axis" of the world.  You can move the object up/down by holding '''"Z"''' while dragging it.  Likewise, you can hold '''"X"''' to constrain movement to X axis, or '''"C"''' to constrain movement to the Y axis. It's '''"C"''' (and not Y) because '''"Z"''' '''"X"''' and '''"C"''' are right next to each other. Convenient!


Rotation is accomplished by simply selecting an object and holding the '''right mouse button''' while moving the mouse.  Rotation is also affected by grid snapping, and also can be axis constrained by holding X,Y or Z while rotating.  You should also note that objects rotate around their '''pivot point''', indicated by a small, yellow '''"+"'''.  Being aware of pivot points will become important for users who expect to be working with the Render Window frequently.
Rotation is accomplished by simply selecting an object and holding the '''right mouse button''' while moving the mouse.  Rotation is affected by angle snapping (Snap to Angle button [[image:Jbrowne IconSnapAngle.jpeg]] or CTRL-Q in Render Window), and also can be axis constrained by holding X, Y or C while rotating.  You should also note that objects rotate around their '''pivot point''', indicated by a small, yellow '''"+"'''.  Being aware of pivot points will become important for users who expect to be working with the Render Window frequently.


Objects can be scaled as well.  Scale by holding '''"S"''' while dragging with the left mouse button.  Scaled art will look out of place, however, so it's best to avoid using this tool unless it's absolutely required.
Objects can be scaled as well.  Scale by holding '''"S"''' while dragging with the left mouse button.  Heavily scaled art will look out of place, however, so it's best to avoid using this tool unless it's absolutely required.
 
== Undoing your changes ==
 
If you do something bad by accident, never fear! Just about any action you perform in the render window can be undone by clicking the "Undo" button [[image:Jbrowne IconUndo.jpeg]] on the Main Toolbar, or hitting '''"Ctrl-Z"'''. Holding down Ctrl-Z will rapidly undo many actions. You can test it, by undoing everything you have done up to this point.
 
If you undo too many steps, the Redo button [[image:Jbrowne IconRedo.jpeg]] is your friend, at least until you perform another action in the render window: at that point, any undone actions that you have not redone are lost.


==Gizmos==
==Gizmos==
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Or, if you're more interested in quests and characters, you can start with the [[Bethesda Tutorial Planning the Quest|quest design fundamentals]] tutorial series.
Or, if you're more interested in quests and characters, you can start with the [[Bethesda Tutorial Planning the Quest|quest design fundamentals]] tutorial series.


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