By midgard9. How can I temporarily disable ALL tintsmask directories (CK problem)

[wolverine2710]

Originally Nexus user midgard9 posted this in the Nexus MO forum. So that this discussion will not get buried on the nexus forums I created the question here and will respond to it here.

Hi folks,

got a question and didn't find the specific answer here or in the step forum.

 

Creation Kit tintmasks issue:

I'd like to export facetextures and makeup via CK and CTRL+F4, unfortunately I've got the red forehead bug.

Before using MO I've renamed/moved the (textures/actors/character/character assets/)tintmasks folder to avoid the bug and restored the folder afterwards.

That's the only working way I know to avoid this problem.

 

Well, (how) can I do the same with MO and without corrupting anything?

Thanks ahead

Thanks for taking the time trying to find the answer. Can't recall having seen this issue before. If I have interpreted your question correctly its easily solvable.

 

My interpretation: Before starting the Creation Kit (CK):

• Move directory tintmask in directory /data/textures/actors/character/character assets/ to directory X
• Start the CK and edit stuff.
• Quit the CK
•  Move the directory tintmask back from direcoctory X to /data/textures/actors/character/character assets/

Mod Organizer (MO) uses a virtual filing system. See "Q: Why is my Skyrim Data Folder [ …\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Skyrim\Data\ ] empty? Where are my Mods?" in the FAQ tab of the MO wiki and "The virtual filing system" in the Advanced tab of the MO wiki. Basically a mod is a directory in the /mods directory. Its possible that multiple mods have a textures/actors/character/character assets/tintmask directory.

Use windows search or an alternative file search program like "File locator lite" "search everything" (please google) and search for  tintmask directory in the /mods directory. Quit MO. Example: you have found two mods, Mod_1 and Mod_2 which have a tintmask directory. This the case on my system (mod RaceMenu and mod Xenius Character Enhancement). Create a

 

Note you could have created one /tintmask directory with the correct structure and then move all tintmask directories to it but then you have a change that files are overwritten. You can find out upfront by looking at the data tab in the right pane, navigate to the tintmask direcotry and see if files are overwritten. Indicated by red text.

 

Start MO and enable the created mods. If no mods are overwritten (see conflict flags in left pane) the priority in the left pane does not matter but you can put them for example after the mods they were moved from, ie mod_1 and mod_2. Start playing skyrim.

 

Before starting the CK (from MO)

• Disable tintmask mods.
• Start the CK and edit stuff.
• Quit the CK
• Enable tintmask mods.

This should work under the assumption that you have a pristine /data were no mods (with tintmask files) were installed manually or for example using Nexus Mod Manager. If they exist you create a skyrim_tintmask directory for it and move files to it. You will have problems when starting Skyrim outside of MO. Also I'm assuming no tintmask files exist inside a BSA. Note: with MO you can unpack BSA files.

[midgard9]

Thank you for the detailed information, it worked.

Been following the steps 1-4 and done additional steps (edit: hope it's done the right way, cause I'm a new user).

• A backup of the load order could be helpful (eg CustomRaces has two esps).
• After finished with the CK I've copied the new data from

  ..\ModOrganizer\overwrite\meshes\actors\character\FaceGenData\FaceGeom\Modname.esp\xxx.NIF and

  ..\ModOrganizer\mods\Modname to a new rar/7zip archive on my desktop to

• install the mod again with the new archive again and
• deleted the now useless files from the overwrite folder to keep it clean.

[wolverine2710]

Thank you for the detailed information, it worked.

Been following the steps 1-4 and done additional steps (edit: hope it's done the right way, cause I'm a new user).

• A backup of the load order could be helpful (eg CustomRaces has two esps).
• After finished with the CK I've copied the new data from

  ..\ModOrganizer\overwrite\meshes\actors\character\FaceGenData\FaceGeom\Modname.esp\xxx.NIF and

  ..\ModOrganizer\mods\Modname to a new rar/7zip archive on my desktop to

• install the mod again with the new archive again and
• deleted the now useless files from the overwrite folder to keep it clean.

Could you please elaborate on the following.

 

(1) I really can't figure out what you mean. How does adding 'mods' to the /mod directory affect the load order. Those mods are also placed with the highest priority in the left pane (the install order).

 

(2) Apparently the CK (started by MO) does NOT only write to the overwrite directory but also to the original ModName directory. Do you know when what is written where. I only see one filename.

 

This would be VERY useful information when updating the overwrite article on the MO wiki. YES having an empty overwrite directory essential. MO can't link a file in overwrite back to the mod it belongs to. Overwrite also has the highest priority which could lead to 'interesting' things.

 

Perhaps you are using it already but a brilliant tool to find what is going on in directories (created, deleted, accessed) is Directory Monitor 2. Makes for example finding newly created files a snap.

[midgard9]

I hope I'll get your text right, read mine again and noticed that I've written CustomRaces, but ment RaceMenu.

 

to (1)

Maybe it was only a twist of words on my side again, language is a barrier.

Uninstalling a mod that includes esps and installing it again does affect your load order.

RaceMenu added 4 *.dds files in the tintmask folder - I had to uninstall it. Unfortunately RaceMenu got esp files as well.

When I installed it again, RaceMenu's esp files are now at the bottom of my LoadOrder.

That's why I say: "Whatever you do, have an eye on your load order."

 

If things aren't clear, here's the exact way I did:

 

My goal was an empty tintmask folder.

To get an empty one, I had a look in MOs' right panel, then the Data-tab to see which mods (in general "mods" means for me: every installed packet of files; a texture packet, something with an esp, even scripts-only if it's labeled with a name like "wolferine's script packet") have placed a file in the tintmask folder.

In the tintmask folder were a lot of texture-mods and the RaceMenu.bsa (4 dds files in italic letters).

So in the left installation panel I've deactivated (should I say "uninstalled" then?) the texture-mods and RaceMenu mod. But by deactivating/uninstalling RaceMenu I'm automatically deactivating/uninstalling every file from the mod, even RaceMenu.esp and RaceMenuPlugin.esp.

Tintmask folder is empty, I'm starting the CK via MO, been working at a follower, exported my FaceGen data with CTRL+F4, saved the esp file and closed the CK.

Then I'm activating the mods in the left installation panel again. Switching to my LoadOrder (right panel, "plugins" tab) to see that the RaceMenu.esp and RaceMenuPlugins.esp are at the bottom of the files. They were at priority ~60, now they are at 230. I've put them back to 60.

 

 

 

to (2)

Yes, the CK does write to the overwrite directory and the original ModName. That's why I've mentioned the overwrite folder and ModName folder:

..\ModOrganizer\overwrite\...

..\ModOrganizer\mods\Modname

First I didn't clearly see when what is written where.

But I opened E:\Skyrim Tools\ModOrganizer\ with the windows explored, used it's search function in the upper right: By clicking on the magnifier symbol I can set an "alteration date", hope it's called so (eg only today). After that I'll sort by "last edited".

In my example, I've exported/saved my CK results at 18:40 (6:30 pm) and saw each file saved at the time.

 

 

 

I've already read about "Directory Monitor 2" in one of your answers for other users a few hours ago. But after my HDD died and running a marathon of about 50-60 hours "HDD+skyrim+newModOrganizer+SkyrimTools+over300mods" installation with some eating and sleeping breaks (that's why I couldn't think clearly) I simply had to visit the pub :)

[Exoclyps]

So I was trying to work this out myself, googling around and found this page as the most helpful one. The basic idea came out right, but just a bit to much hassle to achieve the goal. What I ended up doing was that I created a new mod in MO that contained all the vanila tintmaps and just had that one overwrite everything else while in creation kit.

 

Seems to have solved most of the issues.

 

Ps. Sorry about necroing this topic, it's just that there wasn't really many ansvers to the issue out there so thought I'd share it. Ds.

[Ovonikmun]

So I was trying to work this out myself, googling around and found this page as the most helpful one. The basic idea came out right, but just a bit to much hassle to achieve the goal. What I ended up doing was that I created a new mod in MO that contained all the vanila tintmaps and just had that one overwrite everything else while in creation kit.

 

Seems to have solved most of the issues.

 

Ps. Sorry about necroing this topic, it's just that there wasn't really many ansvers to the issue out there so thought I'd share it. Ds.

I am pretty new to Skyrim and even newer to MO (But I love the way it works and keeps things tidy and flexible) I saw that this reply is only a few days old and I am struggling with the red forehead in CK.

 

How would create a new mod that contains the vanilla tintmaps? I have no idea to go about it. I tried creating a mod with the overwrite, but that went wrong pretty fast! (For instance my mod in creation is located in there)

[Exoclyps]

1) Go to "The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim\Mod Organizer\mods" then create a new folder. I called mine "Vanilla Tints".

 

2) Go to the "Archives" tab and export "Skyrim - Textures.bsa". I export it to a folder I created on my Desktop.

 

3) Copy the "tintmasks" folder from where you exported the bsa. Make sure it keeps the proper map structure "textures\actors\character\character assets\tintmasks".

 

4) Activate this mod (left window) whenever you want to create an NPC in Creation Kit.

[Ovonikmun]

Exoclyps : THANKS for responding, I stopped checking after a few days, and searching. But this is perfect timing, I can work on it this weekend. Superclear explanation. Slowly I am learning more and more. E.g. I think I can checkmark "Navmeshing 101" off my list. ;-)

 

So thanks heaps for taking the time to respond.

[Kelmych]

The 3 DLC BSAs also include tintmask folders, so if any of the DLC are used you might want these DLC folders.

[Skambalag]

Originally Nexus user midgard9 posted this in the Nexus MO forum. So that this discussion will not get buried on the nexus forums I created the question here and will respond to it here.

 

Thanks for taking the time trying to find the answer. Can't recall having seen this issue before. If I have interpreted your question correctly its easily solvable.

 

My interpretation: Before starting the Creation Kit (CK):

• Move directory tintmask in directory /data/textures/actors/character/character assets/ to directory X
• Start the CK and edit stuff.
• Quit the CK
•  Move the directory tintmask back from direcoctory X to /data/textures/actors/character/character assets/

Mod Organizer (MO) uses a virtual filing system. See "Q: Why is my Skyrim Data Folder [ …\Steam\SteamApps\Common\Skyrim\Data\ ] empty? Where are my Mods?" in the FAQ tab of the MO wiki and "The virtual filing system" in the Advanced tab of the MO wiki. Basically a mod is a directory in the /mods directory. Its possible that multiple mods have a textures/actors/character/character assets/tintmask directory.

Use windows search or an alternative file search program like "File locator lite" "search everything" (please google) and search for  tintmask directory in the /mods directory. Quit MO. Example: you have found two mods, Mod_1 and Mod_2 which have a tintmask directory. This the case on my system (mod RaceMenu and mod Xenius Character Enhancement). Create a

Note you could have created one /tintmask directory with the correct structure and then move all tintmask directories to it but then you have a change that files are overwritten. You can find out upfront by looking at the data tab in the right pane, navigate to the tintmask direcotry and see if files are overwritten. Indicated by red text.

 

Start MO and enable the created mods. If no mods are overwritten (see conflict flags in left pane) the priority in the left pane does not matter but you can put them for example after the mods they were moved from, ie mod_1 and mod_2. Start playing skyrim.

 

Before starting the CK (from MO)

• Disable tintmask mods.
• Start the CK and edit stuff.
• Quit the CK
• Enable tintmask mods.

This should work under the assumption that you have a pristine /data were no mods (with tintmask files) were installed manually or for example using Nexus Mod Manager. If they exist you create a skyrim_tintmask directory for it and move files to it. You will have problems when starting Skyrim outside of MO. Also I'm assuming no tintmask files exist inside a BSA. Note: with MO you can unpack BSA files.

 

GREAT!!!