windows
Chapter 4 - Windows
In this chapter I will discuss all the main windows the CS uses to function (i.e. Object,
Render, Cell View), plus I will go into depth on quite a few others that in the last chapter
I only provided small pieces information on (i.e. Dialog, Scripting, Quests, etc.). I will
provide, as much information as I can, along with any tips and tricks I have come across,
but that doesn’t mean this is a complete guide. There is no doubt much I do not know, or
have not discovered, in the CS. There are far more savvy people out there who can tell
you much more than I about any single function of the CS. I merely have tried to get it in
one place, for basic instructional use by those unfamiliar with the CS, and as a reference
for the rest of us.
Note: (In this note I will use the races window as an example) In almost all, if not all, the
windows there is a list to the left, this has the IDs of the Races. To create a new, edit or
rename a race simply R-Click on the list and press new, rename or delete.
The Object Window:
Most objects in the game that can be considered an ‘item’ are listed within the Objects
Window, grouped in a dropdown menu, though many are not (Path nodes, scripts,
Birthsigns, etc can be considered objects in some ways, and are things that have to be
created or put into the game, but not from the Object Window). Some items are passive;
others are active. Passive meaning you cannot ‘use’ the item (like a wall). Some items
can be changed from active to passive in nature. Scripting could possibly be used to make
a passive item operate in an active role, though that takes some original and creative
thinking.
The object window contains all the objects, characters, items you can add to the game.
You can also add items into the game by going to the correct place and right clicking then
selecting new. The navigation in the Object Window is intimidating at first but becomes
simple after a while. The object window is separated into 5 categories:
• Actors – All the creatures & NPC’s in the game.
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• Items – Contains all the items the player can interact with and use. (Armor,
Weapons, Books, etc.)
• Magic – Contains the spells, potions and enchantments.
• Miscellaneous – Contains the sounds, effects, combat styles, and animations.
• World Objects – Contains the things the player can’t pick up or use. (Houses,
doors, furniture, beds, and activators.)
Things you should know about the Object Window:
Creating New Objects:
Don’t create a new object unless you need to, use what the game provides if you
can. But if you need to change an object please do create a new one. Just rename
the ID of an object and when a prompt comes up asking if you wish to create a
new object, click ‘Yes’. If you click ‘No’, the old object effectively no longer
exists, and all references of that object take on the new name you gave it. Most
likely this will cause problems; not only that, but you can’t just rename the object
back to it’s old name. This creates a dirty mod.
Naming New Objects:
When you name a new object ID use a unique name that no one else will likely
use. Use your initials somewhere in the name to identify them as an object you
created. If you use a name for an object in your mod that someone else also uses
in his or her mod, and someone loads both to play, they will conflict, probably
screw up their game, and maybe cause a CTD.
Deleting Objects:
Don’t delete objects! It’s ok to delete a reference, assuming it isn’t important to a
quest or the game in general (and you better be sure about it), but there is no
reason to delete an object based in the
.esm
. If you want to delete an object you
created, go right ahead. You can delete objects from an
.esp
; at worst it will
screw up a plug-in.
Stat Window for Objects:
To bring up the statistics window for any object you can D-Click that object, or
R-Click on it. This will bring up a menu with several options on it; New, Edit,
Delete, etc. You do not get this stat window if you click on a reference, which
will bring up a Stat Window.
Object Meshes and Textures:
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Where are they? They are located in the .bsa files. You need to unpack them with
a BSA utility.
Adding an object:
To add an object to the world simply click and drag it to the Render Window
where a reference will be created of it. If you need to add several objects,
highlight those you wish to add and then click and drag the group of objects. (Of
course now you have to sort and place said objects in the Render Window).
Activator:
These are objects that activate something, usually by script, though some
things are hard coded to operate a certain way. Often these are static like
objects. Signpost, barriers, beds, etc. are all considered activators. You can
attach scripts to activators. (Activators are located in WorldObjects-
>Activator)
Mesh:
The top button is for the mesh of the activator. The meshes are found in
the .bsa file called meshes.
Looping Sound:
This is the sound played when the object is activated. You don’t need to
have a sound though.
Dangerous check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Quest Item check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Ammo:
The ammo window lets you edit or create new arrows in the game.
(Ammo is located in Items->Ammo)
Enchanting:
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Click this drop down menu to see a list of all enchantments from the
Enchantments tab, choose one to add to an arrow.
Enchantment:
This is the maximum potential magicka pool an arrow can have.
Ignores Normal Weapon Resistance check box:
If checked, this weapon can hit any NPC or creature with the Resist
Normal Weapons spell effect active, either as a spell or an ability.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Damage:
This is the attack power of the arrow; be sure to make it balanced.
Speed:
This is the speed that the arrow travels through the air.
Apparatus:
These are the objects are used to create potions in game. You can attach
scripts to them. (Apparatus is located in Items->Apparatus)
Type:
This drop down menu lets you select what type of apparatus it is, there is
either Alembic, Calcinator, Mortar/Pestle or Retort.
Weight:
This is the weight of the object; this is how much it will take up in the PCs
inventory.
Value:
This is the monetary value of the item if bought or sold. Keep in mind you
will pay more than this if buying, and will get less than this if selling.
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Quality:
This is how 'good' the apparatus piece of equipment is:
Novice = 10
Apprentice = 25
Journeyman 50
Expert = 75
Master = 100
Mesh:
The top button is for the mesh. The meshes are found in the .bsa file called
meshes.
Icon:
The bottom button assigns the icon for the inventory. Found in the .bsa
named textures.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Armor:
You must understand how armor is rendered in the game to grasp how to
modify or create new armor. When the PC or an NPC wears armor (or
clothing), the armor is not placed over the body part it is assigned to, it
replaces that body part. The game is not rendering a body part ‘under’ the
armor, only the armor. What this means is you must assign parts of armor
under the Biped Object section (even if only one part). This may be
confusing, but if you look at a few pieces of armor already listed, it will
make sense. Double clicking on an armor object opens a window to define
stat values for the armor for use in the game. The easiest way to create
new armor types is to simply open up a piece of armor, change the object
name of it (as explained in a bullet at the beginning of this chapter), and
click ‘Yes’ when asked if you want a new object. If you want a full suit,
make sure you do this for each piece of armor (i.e. a new type of steel
armor? Make sure to create a new set of gauntlets, boots, greaves, a
cuirass, helmet, and shield). (Armor is located in Items->Armor)
Script:
You can attach a script to the armor here.
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Weight:
This is the weight of armor. Here is a table showing, as best I can
determine, the weight classifications. Armor types are listed on the left;
the maximum weight that can be assigned to that armor type and still be
considered of a weight class is listed across the top.
Table 4.0 Armor Type Weight Allocations
Light Maximum
Weight
Medium Maximum
Weight
Heavy Minimum
Weight
Boots
12
18
Above 18
Cuirass
18
27
Above 27
Gauntlets
3
4.5
Above 4.5
Greaves
9
13.5
Above 13.5
Helm
3
4.5
Above 4.5
Shield
9
13.5
Above 13.5
Heavy/Light:
In this drop down menu you select if you want the armor heavy or light.
Health:
This is the ‘hit points’ of the armor. The Armorer skill and a repair
hammer are used to restore these points. If a piece of armor is reduced to
zero, the armor will become unequipped and useless.
AR:
This is the value of the protection the armor gives. This number is set
upon a skill level base of 30. This means that if the appropriate armor skill
is 30, and the AR of a piece of armor is set to base 50, the armor has an in
game current value of 50. If the skill is lower than 30, then the value of the
AR will also proportionally be lower. If the skill is above 30, then the AR
value will also be proportionally higher. Try to assign values that are
balanced.
Value:
This is the monetary value of the item if bought or sold. Keep in mind you
will pay more than this if buying, and will get less than this if selling.
Enchanting:
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This drop down menu lists enchantments from the ‘Enchantment’ section.
Choose one to add to your armor to make them magical.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Playable check box:
This is whether or not the armor is playable in game; if it is not playable
the PC will not be able to pick up the armor.
Hide Amulet/Rings check boxes:
If these are checked then the armor will make any amulets and rings the
PC or NPC are wearing disappear; although they will still be equipped
Biped Object:
These drop down menus are used to assign the parts that this armor covers.
Note that some armor covers more than one body part (ie. boots cover
both the left and right foot, and also the left and right ankle). Look at other
armor types if unsure what to include.
Male section:
This section contains the following buttons; I will explain each as well as I
can (These apply for the female section as well):
Biped Model button:
This is the mesh seen in game when equipped on the PC or NPC.
World Model button
This is the mesh seen when the armor is dropped on the ground/
Icon image button:
The lower button is used to assign the icon for the inventory.
Books:
Books are easiest to modify or create by just renaming one and inserting
your own text. They can do a couple of other specific things. A ‘book’ can
actually be a scroll or a book. Scrolls can also cast a spell (one time). You
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can attach a script to a book (or scroll). (Books are located in Items-
>Book)
Weight:
This is the weight of the book.
Value:
This is the value of the book.
Teaches:
You can click this drop down menu and choose a skill from this list. The
first time a copy of this book is read by a PC they will receive a one-point
increase in that skill.
Mesh:
The upper button is used to assign this file. Found in the
.bsa file
named meshes.
Icon:
The lower button is used to assign this file. Found in the
.bsa file
named textures.
Scroll check box:
Click this box if the object is a scroll. Make sure to use the correct mesh.
Can’t Be Taken check box:
If this box is checked then the book/scroll cannot be picked up or stolen.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Clothing:
The Clothing Window works exactly the same as the Armor Window
(detailed above) works. The difference is what body parts are covered by
types of clothing. (Clothing is located in Items->Clothing)
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Shirt
Upper Body.
Skirt
Lower Body.
Pants
Lower Body.
Shoes
Foot.
Robe
Upper Body, Lower Body.
Ring
LeftRing or RightRing.
Amulet
Amulet
Container:
These objects are barrels, chests, boxes, etc. Containers cannot be picked
up or moved. You can remove and place items in containers. You can add
a script to a container. (Containers are located in WorldObjects-
>Container)
Quest Item check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Respawns:
If this is checked, objects inside the container will respawn about every 4
months or so.
Weight:
The total weight of all objects within a container cannot exceed the weight
value listed here. To the right is listed the encumbrance so you don’t
exceed this value.
Inventory List box:
Here is where you put items to be found in the container. Just open
another tab on the Object Window and drag and drop an object into the
list. L-Click once to highlight, and then L-Click again (not a D-Click)
over the Count column to adjust the number of objects found in the
container. If you enter a negative number the container will respawn stated
amount of that item (which means they will always have that many, no
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matter how many times you remove the objects). Infinite items respawn
after 24 hours.
Creatures:
The Creature Window is used to modify and create the beasties that annoy
and chew on our PC during the game (Ain’t they cute when they do that).
You can also attach a script to a creature. If you want to modify and/or
create new creatures I suggest you write down the information for that
creature first. Get it the way you want it. Once satisfied, then open up this
tab, R-Click to open a creature or create a new one, and fill in the data.
Try to keep the balance of the game and your creature in mind. (Creatures
are located in Actors->Creature)
Type:
Decide if the creature is a Creature, Daedra, Giant, Horse, Humanoid, or
Undead.
Weapon & Shield:
If you check this box, and you indicate they can use the Biped animations
for movement, the creature will use the best weapon and shield you
include in their inventory (if you give them any).
Level:
This is the level of the creature. This is 1 by default; the CS does not
compute this for you. If you forget to change this, the creature will stay
level 1.
PC Level Offset check box:
If this is checked then the Creature will always be around the same level
of the player.
Combat Style:
This is the Combat Style used by the Creature; you should just keep this
on default.
Death Item:
This is an Item that appears on the Creature’s corpse when they are dead,
it will only be found there when the Creature is dead.
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Movement:
Flies check box:
Check this if the creature flies… in the air of course.
Biped check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Walks check box:
Check this if the creature walks.
Swims check box:
Check this if the creature swims.
None check box:
Check this if the creature does nothing… it just ‘lays’ there.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the creature’s corpse will not disappear, it will stay
there forever.
Essential check box:
If checked the creature will be tagged essential; this means that it cannot
die, if you attack it in game and their health reaches 0 they will only
become ‘unconscious’ and then get up off the ground.
Respawn check box:
If checked then the creature will respawn after they have been killed. It
takes 7 in game days before the creature will respawn. (The creature will
respawn at his/her original position)
No Head/Left Arm/Right Arm check boxes:
Check these if the creature doesn’t have a head or left or right arms. This
is only used on zombies in game. This doesn’t actually remove the
creature’s arms or head, this only applies for the biped, but you should
check this if your creature doesn’t have arms or a head.
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No Low Level Processing check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
No Combat In Water check box:
If this is checked then the creature will not be able to attack while in
water.
Can Corpse check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
No Shadow check box:
Check this if you don’t want the creature to cast a shadow.
Dialog button:
Creatures do not have any dialog by default. If you choose to add it click
this button to open the Dialog Window, filtered to this creature.
AI button:
This is where you add AI Packages to the creature; you can also change
their Aggression, Confidence, Energy Level, Responsibility and more.
Refer to the AI Window for more information on this.
Stats Tab:
Attributes:
These are the stats for this creature. You can set these as low as 1, or as
high as 255. Most creatures should have a stat value between 1-100.
Soul:
This is the value of their soul for charging a soul gem.
Skills:
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The creature only has three skills, Combat, Magic, and Stealth. This is the
skill level used for any skill from one of those categories. You can set
these manually. Maximum skill level is 255.
Attack Damage:
This is the creatures attack damage; be sure not to set it to high or to low,
keep the game balanced.
Attack Reach:
This is the reach of the attack from the creature.
Factions Tab:
This is where you can drag a faction from the faction window and place it
here to assign the creature to a faction. Refer to the Factions Window for
more information.
Inventory Tab:
This is where you can drag an object from the object window and place it
here to put it in the creature’s inventory.
SpellList Tab:
This is where you can drag a spell from the Spellmaking Window and
place it here; the creature will cast this spell if he/she has high enough
stats and attributes.
Animation Tab:
This is where you can preview animations on the NPC. Make sure you
check the full check box to the right; just D-Click on the animation to
view it.
Model Tab:
This is where you can assign meshes to the creature; in the list you can D-
Click any of the meshes to activate or deactivate it.
Blood Tab:
This is where you choose what blood the creature has; choose a mesh and
texture with the two buttons there.
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Sounds Tab:
These are the sounds that the creature makes when it walks, fights etc.
Doors:
Doors are just that, doors. You can attach a script to them. When you
place them remember you need a doorframe for them to fit into. (Doors
are located in WorldObjects->Door)
Open:
Click on the middle button to assign a sound for when the door is opening.
Close:
Click on the bottom button to assign a sound for when the door is closing.
Quest Item check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Hidden check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Oblivion Gate check box:
Check this if the door is an Oblivion gate.
Minimal Use check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Automatic Door check box:
Check this if the door opens and doesn’t teleport the PC or NPC
somewhere; this makes the door an animation.
Randomly Teleports to these Interiors/World Spaces only:
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If you put interiors in here the door will teleport you to any one of these; it
chooses randomly which on. Just drag and drop the interior or world space
into here.
Enchanting:
The enchanting window is used to make enchantments for objects.
(Enchantments are located in Magic->Enchantment)
Type:
In this drop down menu you choose what the enchantment is for; you can
choose Apparel, Scroll, Staff or Weapon. (Apparel is clothing and armor)
Effects List:
To the right of the window is the effects list, R-Click here and press new
to bring up the Effect Item window. Here is some information on the
Effect Item Window:
Effect:
This drop down menu controls what the effect is. There are quite a few of
these; some are very interesting.
Range:
This changes depending on what the Type of enchantment is, they are as
follows:
Apparel = Self
Scroll = Self
Staff = Target
Weapon = Touch
Area:
This is the area that the attack affects; if this is very high and you cast a
lightning bolt at an enemy it will hit enemies all around that enemy, be
sure not to make this to high!
Duration:
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This is how long the enchantment lasts; for Apparel it lasts forever.
Magnitude:
This is the power of the enchantment, if you have a fortify skill ‘Blade’
enchantment that has a magnitude of 10, it will set the PC or NPCs Blade
skill +10.
ActorVal:
This drop down menu only appears when the effect is a Fortify/Drain Skill
or Attribute. This controls what skill or attribute you wish to affect for the
chosen effect.
Script Effect Info:
The Script Effect Window only becomes visible when the Effect for the
enchantment is set to Script Effect.
Script:
This is the script you wish to be assigned to the enchantment.
Effect Name:
This is the in game name of the effect.
School:
This is what school (Skill) the effect is dependent on.
Visuals Effects:
This controls what visual effect is cast by the effect; this would usually be
none.
Effect is Hostile check box:
If this box is checked this effect is classed as hostile; if you cast it on
somebody you will get in trouble with the guards.
Ingredients:
These objects are able to instill a limited spell effects if eaten or used, or
mixed with other ingredients to create potions. You cannot determine the
amount of an effect; this is determined by the PC’s Alchemy skill. You
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can also attach a script to an ingredient. (Ingredients are located in Items-
>Ingredient)
Weight:
This is the weight of the Ingredient.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Food Item check box:
If this is checked then the PC or an NPC can eat the ingredient.
Results:
Up to four spell effects may be assigned to an ingredient, one for each
drop down menu. Only the first one listed will have any effect if eaten.
Leveled Creatures:
This list acts as a reference in the game world. When the cell loads the
PC’s level is checked against this list. If a creature is on the list that meets
the parameters as set on this list for the PC, that creature is added to the
world at the reference’s grid. If no creatures on the list meet the parameter,
no creature appears. (Leveled Creatures are located in Actors-
>LeveledCreature)
Marker Script:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Creature Template:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
List box:
This is the listing of creatures. Drag and drop creatures (or an NPC) into
this box. They will load top to bottom, and cannot be shifted about in the
list. Each creature listed must be set to a level equal to or higher than the
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creature above it. You can add another leveled creature list in this box (no
kidding, you can, it is considered a creature. Just give it a level, and if
chosen, that list picks randomly from any creature within it, regardless of
level associations).
Calculate From All Levels<=PC’s Level check box:
If this box is not checked, only creatures that are equal to the level of the
PC will be placed at that location. If checked, any creature equal to or
lower in level to the PC will be placed at that location. (If more than one
creature meets these parameters, one is chosen at random).
Chance None:
This is the percent chance that no creature will be chosen when the cell
loads.
Object:
This is the spell that is selected in the list.
Level:
This is the PC’s level at which you want this creature to appear. This must
be equal to or higher than the creature above it. This defaults to 1, but can
be adjusted manually. To do so l-click once and highlight a creature, then
l-click again on the list and enter a level you wish.
Count:
This is how many spells of that type are in the barter menu.
Leveled Items:
This works similar to the leveled creature list. The leveled item list is
placed within a container or on a creature/NPC. When the host object is
activated, or opened, the game checks the PC’s level and places an item,
or items, accordingly. If no item meets the parameters, no item is placed.
(Leveled Items are located in Items->LeveledItem)
Calculate From All Levels<=PC’s Level check box:
If this box is not checked, only items that are equal to the level of the PC
will be placed at that location. If checked, any item equal to or lower in
level to the PC will be placed at that location. (If more than one item
meets these parameters, all items will be placed).
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Calculate For Each Item In Count:
If unchecked, each time the container (or creature/NPC) is opened, the
same items will be placed that meet parameters. If this is checked, a
random choice and number of items that meet the parameters will be
placed.
Chance None:
This is the percent chance that no creature will be chosen when the cell
loads.
List box:
This is the listing of creatures. Drag and drop items into this box. They
will load top to bottom, and cannot be shifted about in the list. Each item
listed must be set to a level equal to or higher than the item above it. You
can add another leveled item list in this box (just like leveled creature lists
above).
Object:
This is the spell that is selected in the list.
Level:
This is the PC’s level at which you want this item to appear. This must be
equal to or higher than the item above it. This defaults to 1, but can be
manually adjusted. To do so l-click once and highlight an item, then l-
click again on the list and enter a level you wish.
Count:
This is how many spells of that type are in the barter menu.
Leveled Spells:
The leveled spell list is placed on an NPC. When the player goes to the
spell barter menu the game checks the PC’s level and places the correct
spells accordingly. If no spell meets the parameters, no spell is placed.
(Leveled Spells are located in Magic->LeveledSpell)
Chance None:
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This is the percent chance that the spell will be chosen when the player
activates the spell barter menu.
List box:
This is the listing of spells. Drag and drop spells into this box form the
Spellmaking Window. They will load top to bottom, and cannot be shifted
about in the list. Each spell listed must be set to a level equal to or higher
than the item above it. You can add another leveled spell list in this box
(just like leveled spell lists above).
Calculate From All Levels<=PC’s Level check box:
If this box is not checked, only spells that are equal to the level of the PC
will be in the barter menu. If checked, any spell equal to or lower in level
to the PC will be placed in the barter menu. (If more than one spell meets
these parameters, all spells will be placed).
Calculate For Each Item In Count:
If unchecked, each time the barter menu is opened, the same spells will be
placed that meet parameters. If this is checked, a random choice and
number of spells that meet the parameters will be placed.
Use all Spells:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Object:
This is the spell that is selected in the list.
Level:
This is the PC’s level at which you want this spell to appear. This must be
equal to or higher than the spell above it. This defaults to 1, but can be
adjusted manually. To do so L-Click once and highlight a spell, then L-
Click again on the list and enter a level you wish.
Count:
This is how many spells of that type are in the barter menu.
Loading Screens:
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The loading screen window allows you to create loading screens for any
cells in the game. (Loading Screens are located in Miscellaneous-
>LoadScreen)
Displays only when these forms load list:
This lists all the cells that the load screen is displayed on. To add cells,
open up the Cell View Window, then drag and drop a cell into the list.
Loading Screen Image:
This is the image displayed on the loading screen.
Loading Screen Text:
This is the text displayed at the bottom of the loading screen.
Lights:
The light does not have to be a physically seen item; it can just be a source
of light. It can also be an item that can be picked up and carried. You can
attach scripts to lights. (Lights are located in WorldObjects->Light)
FOV:
This is the Field of View; this controls how far the light shines.
Falloff Exponent:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Radius:
This is the radius in units the light shines on objects. Thus highlights and
shadows will only be created for objects that fall within this radius.
Color:
This is a standard color palette. Choose the color you want the light to be.
Flicker Effect:
Chose one of these if you wish the light object to vary its brightness. They
are as follows:
Flicker:
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For a varied flickering effect such as that given off by a torch or campfire.
Flicker Slow:
The flickering effect is slowed down.
Pulse:
For a constant altering change in the light intensity.
Pulse Slow:
For a slower constant altering change in the light intensity.
This light can be carried:
Can Carry check box:
Check this box if the object can be picked up and carried. Make sure an
icon is assigned.
Off By Default check box:
This box is normally grayed out. If you check the Can Carry box, this box
becomes available. If this box is checked for an object that can be carried,
when the PC puts the object down (drop) the item will not ‘light up’. If
this box is not checked, and an inventory Light object is dropped, that
object will begin emitting light (if you put a candle down it will start to
burn). If checked, the item must be equipped to begin emitting light.
Name:
This is the name of the light; this only becomes visible when the Can
Carry box is checked.
Time:
Number of seconds the light will burn when equipped by the PC, and only
the PC. Grayed out if the object can’t be carried.
Negative check box:
If checked, the light does not emit light, but removes it. Example: you
create a white source of light and check this box. When the light is lit,
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instead of a white color of light emitted in the defined radius, all white
light is removed from within the defined radius.
Dynamic check box:
If checked, the game will apply lighting affects to moving objects.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Spot Light check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Spot Shadow check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Misc. Items:
These are objects that don’t necessarily fit under any other tab. You can
add a script to these objects. (Misc Items are located in Items->MiscItem)
NPCs:
NPCs can be just as robust and detailed a character as the PC. Scripts can
be added to an NPC. A great deal of information needs to be assigned for
an NPC. For an average Joe it may not require much work, but for an NPC
that is a focal point of a quest you may need to do quite a bit of thinking
before you actually sit down and modify or create them in this window. I
recommend you sit down and detail all information pertaining to an NPC
on paper to get it the way you want it, before doing any typing on the
keyboard. (NPCs are located in Actors->NPC)
Class:
Click this drop down menu and choose from any class. If you want a
customized class you must first create it.
Summonable check box:
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This is whether or not the NPC is summonable by a spell used by the
player or another NPC.
Level:
This is the NPCs level. To the right of it is a check box saying ‘PC Level
Offset’. If this is checked then the NPC will always be around the same
level of the player.
Race:
Click the drop down box and choose which race your NPC will be. Unlike
the PC, an NPC can be any race that has been created.
Female:
If this box is checked then the NPC will be female.
Combat Style:
This is the Combat Style used by the NPC; you should probably just keep
this on default.
Death Item:
This is an Item that appears on the NPCs corpse when they are dead, it
will only be found there when the NPC is dead.
Quest Item Checkbox:
If this is checked then the NPCs corpse will not disappear after a certain
amount of time, it will stay there forever.
Essential Checkbox:
If checked the NPC will be tagged essential; this means that the NPC
cannot die, if you attack this NPC in game and their health reaches 0 they
will only become ‘unconscious’ and then get up off the ground.
Respawn Checkbox:
If checked then the NPC will respawn after they have been killed. It takes
7 in game days before the NPC respawns. (The NPC will respawn at
his/her original position)
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Can Corpse Check Checkbox:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
No Persuasion Checkbox:
If checked this will disable the persuasion menu for this NPC, this means
you cannot ‘tell jokes’, bribe etc.
No Rumors Checkbox:
If checked the NPC wont display the Rumors topic in game.
No Low Level Processing Checkbox:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Dialog Button:
This brings up the dialog editor for the selected NPC. Refer to the Quest
Window for more information.
AI Button:
This is where you add AI Packages to the NPC; you can also change their
Aggression, Confidence, Energy Level, Responsibility and more. Refer to
the AI Window for more information on this.
Stats Tab:
Auto-Calculate Stats check box:
Check this and the CS will calculate stats based upon race, class, and
level. They will be then grayed out. Uncheck to modify them manually
again.
Attributes:
These are the stats for this NPC. NPCs should have a stat value between 1-
100. Maximum is 255.
Health:
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Defaults to (STR + END/2) + (Level * END/10). You can change this
manually. If you set the Health to zero, the NPC will be set as a corpse
when the cell loads. Maximum Health is 65535.
Fatigue:
Defaults to (STR + END + AGL + WIL). You can change this manually.
Maximum Fatigue is 65535.
Base Spell Points:
Defaults to (INT * ability multiplier). You can change this manually.
When these are gone the NPC will only use physical attacks. Maximum
Spell Points is 65535.
Personality:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Hair:
This drop down menu lets you select the hairstyle for the NPC.
Eyes:
This drop down menu lets you select the color of the NPCs eyes.
Preview:
Full check box:
When checked this displays the full body of the NPC to the right of
the window; this is useful when you want to see how the NPC
looks with armor on.
Head check box:
When checked this displays the NPCs head.
Factions Tab:
This is where you can drag a faction from the faction window and place it
in here to assign the NPC to this faction. Refer to the Factions Window for
more information.
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Inventory Tab:
This is where you can drag an object from the object window and place it
in here to put it in the NPCs inventory.
SpellList Tab:
This is where you can drag a spell from the Spellmaking Window and
place it here; the NPC will cast this spell if he/she has high enough stats
and attributes.
Animation Tab:
This is where you can preview animations on the NPC. Make sure you
check the full check box to the right; just D-Click on the animation to
view it.
Face Tab:
This is where you can change the look of your NPC, you can change the
their age, complexion, hair length and hair color. Here is a rundown of the
sliders:
Age Slider:
This changes the age of the NPC, the older the NPC the more wrinkles
he/she has.
Complexion Slider:
This makes the NPC more ‘tanned’ and old; not real old though.
Hair Length Slider:
This adjusts the length of the NPCs hair. If you make it to long, it might
go through their armor or clothes; depends on what hairstyle you have for
them.
Hair Color:
This brings up a standard color selection palette for you to pick a color of
the NPCs hair.
Face Advanced:
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This is a more advanced face-editing feature; this allows you to edit the
face geometry. To change the geometry of the face, choose what you wish
to change in the list to the right and then move the slider on the left up or
down to change the geometry. This is quite powerful, have a mess around
with it and see what you can come up with.
Potion:
Potions can have different effects applied to them; they can fortify skills or
even drain attributes. The effects window works the same as the
Spellmaking Window. (Potions are located in Magic->Potion)
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Poison yes/no:
If yes is written next to this then the potion is classified as poison;
although, the only way to make it say yes is to have damage or decrease
attribute etc effect at the top of the effects list.
Food Item:
If checked then the potion is classified as food; this is only checked for
beer, mead etc.
Sigil Stones:
If you don’t know what Sigil Stones are; they are the sphere stones you get
from destroying an Oblivion Gate. Once you have them you can use them
to enchant your weapons, they hold many different enchantments; the
enchantments work the same as the Spellmaking Window so I will not be
explaining how to add effects. (Sigil Stones are located in Items-
>SigilStone)
Weight:
This is the weight of the Sigil Stones, all of the stones in game weigh 1, I
don’t recommend going over 1; try to keep it balanced.
Value:
This is the value of the Sigil Stones; all of the stones in game are 0.
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Uses:
Once a Sigil Stone has been applied to a weapon, the Sigil Stone
disappears out of the PCs inventory. When you hover over the weapon
that you applied the Sigil Stone to you will see how many uses it has. The
uses are how many times the weapon can have its magical abilities
repaired; once it expires the weapon returns to its original form.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Spellmaking:
These objects are spells, curses, diseases, and spell like abilities that exist
in the game. Spells and such are composed of spell effects. Spell effects
cannot be directly used in the game to create magic, a spell is created and
the spell effects are added to it to define what the spell does. You cannot
add a script to a spell. To create a spell you must decide what spell effects
to include in the spell (what it does), the parameters of those effects (how
it does it), cost (in magicka), and the result. (Spellmaking is located in
Magic->Spell)
Type:
This is what form the spell takes. This affects how it is applied to the
object cast upon. The types are:
Ability:
An Ability is usually given to a race or creature from the Race or
Creature window. An Ability is a constant affect set to the
parameters you give any spell effects listed. An Ability cannot be
sold, is not cast (it’s always on), and does not need to be learned. It
usually reflects a natural ability or knowledge inherent to a race.
Disease:
Common diseases, A PC can usually cast cure common disease
spell effects.
Lesser Power:
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At the moment I do not know what this is. If you do, please email
me so I can place it into this manual.
Poison:
This doesn’t seem to be used by any spell in Oblivion, I do not
know what this is. If you do, please email me so I can place it into
this manual.
Power:
A power is a spell that a PC, NPC, or creature may cast once per
day. They usually don’t cost magicka, but a cost can be assigned.
These always succeed in being cast.
Spell:
Spells have a cost to cast, and may fail depending upon the skill
level of the PC. The PC may create new spells, and NPCs can sell
them.
School:
This changes depending on what spell effects you add in the list to he left.
Disallow Spell Absorb/Reflect check box:
If this box is checked then the spell cannot absorb or reflect another spell.
Script Effect Always Applies check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Area Effect Ignores LOS check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Immune to Silence check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
PC Start Spell check box:
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If checked then the PC will start with this spell at the beginning of the
game while in the prison.
Touch Spell Explodes w/ no Target check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Auto-Calculate check box:
Check this box and the CS will calculate the cost of a spell automatically.
Effects List:
To the right of the window there is a list; this is where you add all the spell
effects for the spell. To add spell effects, R-Click in the list and press new.
You can add a maximum of eight spell effects to a spell. They can be any
effect, each with it’s own defining parameters, within one spell. A few
spell effects can be further defined.
Effect:
This is the selected effect for the spell.
Range:
Click to pick Self, Target, or Area. Self is whoever casts the spell.
Target is whomever the spell is cast at, other than the one who
casts the spell, as long as they are in line of sight. Touch is like
well…. Touching someone.
Area:
This will be grayed out unless you choose ‘Touch’ or ‘Target’ for
Range. The number entered represents radius distance in feet (i.e. a
value of 5 = 5 foot radius).
Duration:
This is how long in seconds a spell effect will last. Duration of
zero means instantaneously. Some spells can only be
instantaneous.
Magnitude:
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This is the degree to which the effect impacts the target. For some
effects it impacts numerically in Health, an Attribute, Fatigue, etc.
Others it represents distance, as in sEffectDetectEnchantment
(number = feet). Others it is the level of a creature affected, as in
sEffectCommandCreatures. These are described in the (very) small
manual included originally with Oblivion under spells.
ActorVal:
This drop down menu only appears when the effect is a
Fortify/Drain Skill or Attribute. This controls what skill or attribute
you wish to affect for the chosen effect.
Script Effect Info:
The Script Effect Window only becomes visible when the Effect
for the enchantment is set to Script Effect.
Script:
This is the script you wish to be assigned to the enchantment.
Effect Name:
This is the in game name of the effect.
School:
This is what school (Skill) the effect is dependent on.
Visuals Effects:
This controls what visual effect is cast by the effect; this would
usually be none.
Effect is Hostile check box:
If this box is checked this effect is classed as hostile; if you cast it
on somebody you will get in trouble with the guards.
Static:
These objects are usually things like rock, trees, walls, etc. You cannot
attach a script to these objects. (Static Objects are located in
WorldObjects->Static)
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Quest Item check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me
so I can place it into this manual.
Mesh:
The top button will assign a mesh/texture. There is no icon, as they cannot
be put in the PC’s inventory.
Subspace:
I am not exactly sure what subspaces are used for; they may be used to
detect whether the player enters the area of the subspace, I’m not exactly
sure. (Subspaces are located in Miscellaneous->Subspaces)
X, Y, Z:
These are the values of how big you wish the subspace to be, there are
already quite a few subspaces so you probably wont have to make your
own.
Weapons:
These are objects that are weapons. You can add a script to a weapon.
(Weapons are located in Items->Weapon)
Type:
Click the drop down menu to choose the type of weapon.
Enchanting:
Click this drop down menu to see a list of all enchantments from the
Enchantments tab, choose one to add to a weapon.
Enchantment:
This is the maximum potential magicka pool a weapon can have.
Ignores Normal Weapon Resistance check box:
If checked, this weapon can hit any NPC or creature with the Resist
Normal Weapons spell effect active, either as a spell or an ability.
Health:
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This is the ‘hit points’ of a weapon. Armorer skill and a Repair Object are
used to restore these points. When the health reaches zero the weapon will
become unequipped and useless until fixed.
Reach:
This is how far away from the PC the weapon reaches to strike something.
Defaults to 1.00 (normal for a Longsword). This rating is not used for
Ranged Weapons (arrows, darts, etc).
Damage:
This is the attack power of the weapon; be sure to make it balanced.
Quest Item check box:
If this is checked then the item cannot be dropped or sold in game; the
player is forced to keep it.
Speed:
This is how fast the weapon is swung. Default is 1.00, thus a value of 2.00
would be twice as fast, while 0.5 would be half a fast.
The Animation Manager Window:
The Animations Manager is what tells the characters in game what
animations to perform. Depending on the conditions set, whenever a
person or creature reaches the conditions set for the animation. He, she or
it will perform the animation accordingly.
Animation Group Section:
This is the body part that the animation effect uses.
Must return a file:
Must play an animation even if it isn’t appropriate If the animation
manager can’t find an appropriate animation to play, it will play the next
one which may not be a good idea in some cases.
Conditions:
This is what must be met before the animation will play.
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The Heightmap Window:
The Heightmap Window and associated functions will be included in a future update.
The Weather Window:
The Weather Window and associated functions will be included in a future update.
The Climates Window:
The Climates Window and associated functions will be included in a future update.
The Regions Window:
The Regions Window and associated functions will be included in a future update.
The World Space Window:
The world space window is where you can make your own town or land. As you open the
World Space window you will notice the list to the left that contains all the towns,
oblivion gates and even Tamriel itself. You can edit these world spaces or make your
own by R-Clicking in the list and pressing new. But before you can make your own you
should know what things do on this window.
Name:
This is the name of the world space.
Parent World Space:
This drop down box determines what the parent world space is to the selected
world space, if you are creating a new town in Tamriel this would be set to
Tamriel or a custom land.
Music:
This is what kind of music is played in the World Space. Default is exploring
music; the music playing while you are walking around the Tamriel World Space,
Dungeon is the music played when the player is in a dungeon and public is the
music played in a town.
Sharable Data:
Climate:
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This is the climate for the selected World Space. Refer to the Climate
Window for more information on Climates.
Water:
This is what sort of water is in the World Space, if it is an Oblivion Realm
it should be set to a lava setting.
Map Data:
I do not know anything about the map settings for Oblivion; I will try and add this
as soon as possible, if you know what these settings do please email me.
Roads:
I do not know anything about these road settings; I will try and add this as soon as
possible, if you know what these settings do please email me.
Cant Fast Travel From Here check box:
If checked this disables fast travel from this World Space. This is mostly used for
interiors such as dungeons or houses.
Can’t Wait check box:
If this is checked the player cannot wait in this World Space.
No LOD Water check box:
If checked this doesn’t display the water outside of the current cell.
Oblivion World Space check box:
Check this if your World Space is an Oblivion Plane.
Small World check box:
This determines if the World Space is a town or not. If it’s an island, it is not a
small world. If it’s a town; it is a Small World.
Output Cell Ref Counts:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me so I can
place it into this manual.
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The Render Window:
The Render Window shows the game world while modifying, adding, deleting, or just
plain looking at it. Moving about the ‘scene’ in the window can take some getting used
to, learn to use the keys on your keyboard with the mouse to move about and rotate what
you are viewing. The main function of the Render Window is to view the world as seen
in the game, add/move/delete objects in the world (references), and/or to modify the
landscape. There is not a whole lot to say about the Render Window, but here are some
tips to keep in mind when working in it:
When viewing:
The Render Window is for viewing cells and references placed in it, use the Preview
Window to view objects from the Object Window.
Movement may take some getting used to. Check out the Shortkeys to help you
understand movement about the Render Window.
Use Bright Light if the screen is dark, but don’t forget to add lighting if you do. I have a
tendency to use brightness and forget that the cell I was working on was still dark in
game.
When landscaping, try doing it in Wireframe mode. I found it easier on my eyes once I
got used to it, and my system rendered changes quicker. I don’t suggest vertex painting or
texturing in wireframe mode (though you can).
Don’t forget that if your movement about the window seems slow, you can adjust the
speed or amount of movement under Preferences.
You can place an object so that only part of it is visible (sinking a boulder into the ground
so that only a part is visible creates a small rock). This is fine and useful. However, the
game will continue to render the entire boulder, even the part that will never be seen.
Keep this in mind as you build. Just because it doesn’t seem like much is in a cell, unseen
polygons could be causing a huge drop in FPS.
Objects:
Selected objects appear to have a ‘box’ of red and green lines around it.
Not sure which way is North? Select an object and hit ‘t’. You will move to a top down
view over that object and the Render Window will orient so that north is now ‘up’ in the
window. When in an interior cell always place a Northmarker (suggest you make it your
first object placed). This will help keep you oriented and the game wants it.
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Northmarkers always point north. When you place one, place it so that it points the
direction you want to be north, not what you think is north.
When you place a reference (of an object) you can make it bigger/smaller, or rotate and
move it about, but do not changes the stats of the object. If you do, you are changing the
stats of that reference’s object. This changes EVERY reference of that object in the game.
If you need to change the stats, make a new object first in the Object Window (by
renaming it), and use that new object. Refer to The Object Window.
If you are having trouble placing an object exactly where you wanted it, try using Angle
Snap and/or Grid Snap for big statics. For smaller items you should keep these off.
If placing several references of the same object in a window, it may be easier to place a
reference and then duplicate it. You can then place the duplicates (which stack upon the
original reference) where you want.
When you place your first reference in an interior, it may not be visible in the Render
Window (an oddity of the Render Window). To find it, just go to the Cell View Window
and double click the reference you just added. This will select the reference and you will
be centered on it in the Render Window. D-click it to bring up the reference stats
window. Change the ‘x’, ‘y’, and ‘z’ locations to 0, 0, 0.
To move a reference L-Click while you hold down the ‘x’ or ‘y’ keys when making small
movements. R-click and hold, then move your mouse to rotate the reference. When doing
this, or if just moving it without holding these keys, the reference will not move up and
down, only horizontally. To move on the z-axis (up and down) hold down the ‘z’ key.
To resize a reference, hold down the ‘s’ key, click on it, and drag up or down with the
mouse, or you can manually do this from the reference’s stat window.
Even though many objects are intended for use in an exterior or interior cell, almost any
object can be placed in either, regardless of the original intent. Nice huh.
If you plan on adding a script to an object, make a new object and add the script to it.
This will help keep your plug-in simple to work with, and compatible with other mods.
Building:
When building interior cells and putting buildings together in exteriors, use Angle Snap
and Grid Snap when placing a reference. Make adjustments for the amount of ‘snap’ that
work for you. This will make building much easier and quicker than trying to line objects
up seamless manually, especially when you first learn to do this.
When building, remember the building blocks (walls, corners, etc) are references of
objects too. Treat them as such.
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The Preview Window:
The Preview Window by default is not active, the Render Window is. To open it simply
click on the View Menu and then Preview Window. This window is used to view objects.
It is not for landscape, references of objects, or to view anything in the game ‘world’ If
an object has animation associated with it the object viewed will be shown animated
(usually). If it has sounds, you’ll hear them. Viewing can be awkward, if you have this
window small you may not be able to view or find an object selected. Simply expand the
window, click a different object (so it refreshes), and use the arrow keys (or page up and
page down) to find an object. The arrow keys will move an object by rotating it within
the window to get it to a position so that you can view it. This can be tricky for some
objects. The functions listed below the grayed out Current Cell Only under the View
Menu have no function in the Preview Window. This window has little other use or
function.
The Cell View Window:
The Cell View Window is comprised of two parts: The left side that lists cells and the
right side that lists contents of those cells.
Single click once in the Cell List (left side) on a cell to see all references (of objects)
within it listed in the Reference List (right side). D-clicking a cell in the Cell List will
load the cell in the Render Window along with all references in the Reference List.
A single click will highlight a reference in the Reference List (right side). A D-Click will
load the cell that reference belongs to in the Render Window, and center your viewpoint
upon that selected reference.
You can click upon the top of any column to change the listing under it to be listed
alphabetically, or numerically, ascending or descending.
D-Clicking upon a reference in the Reference List will not bring up that reference’s Stat
Window, merely load the cell and center you upon that reference. You can then d-click
the reference in the Render Window and bring up the Reference Stat Window.
The Hair Window:
This brings up a window, which lets you edit, create, or delete a hair in the game. This
does not create or edit a hair mesh (3D Model) for a race. Here I will explain what
everything does:
Name:
This is the name of the hair. (Tonsure, Topknot etc.)
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Playable Check box:
This makes the hair playable. Some of the hairs that came with the game are not
playable but you can easily make them so like this. If you do, do not bother
releasing it to the public, there are already lots of these!
Fixed Color Check box:
At the moment I do not know what this does. If you do, please email me so I can
place it into this manual.
Can Be Male/Female Check box:
These control if a male or female can use the hair in game.
The Eyes Window:
The eyes window lets you create, edit or delete eyes for in the game. Here you cannot
create eye textures.
Playable Check box:
This makes the eyes playable. Some of the eyes that came with the game are not
playable but you can easily make them so like this. If you do, do not bother
releasing it to the public, there are already lots of these!
The Race Window:
This brings up a window within which you can edit, create, or delete a race. This does not
create, edit, or delete a body for a race; this only defines the data about a race. Let’s look
at each box of data.
Note: Do not make changes to the provided races without some forethought. A race
should be treated just like an object, you change one thing about a race in this window
and you change every reference of that race in the game. This could have unforeseen
consequences.
Editor ID (To the left):
This list displays the ID for a race. The game treats a race as an object, so the object
naming conventions still apply. The ID name does not show up in the game, it is the
name by which the game identifies a race.
General Data Tab:
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Base Attributes:
These are the starting attributes of Strength, Intelligence, Willpower, Agility,
Speed, Endurance, Personality, and Luck. You must assign a value to both males
and females (male on the left, female on the right). You can assign a starting
value of up to 255 for a race. The ‘normal’ starting value is 30-40. I suggest a
starting total of all attributes to equal 310, as to keep the game balanced.
Skill Bonus:
These are the skills a race receives a bonus to in the game. There is seven drop
down menus, with a small box to the right of each. You can assign up to seven
skills for a race. Click on a box to see all the skills. Pick one and it appears in the
box. Now choose a number for the bonus for that skill in the box immediately to
the right. This can be any number up to ten digits, but will ignore the number if it
goes above ten digits (not sure how the game would handle a big number).
Specials:
Here you can add or delete spells, powers, and abilities to a race, or change the
ones they have. To add, open the Object Window (do not close the Race
Window). Click on Magic->Spells, then choose a spell from the list or make a
new magical spell. To add a spell to a race click and drag the spell from the object
window to the Specials box in the race window. It should then appear in the box.
You can highlight more than one spell and drag all as a group. To edit a spell, you
do not click on the magical abilities box in the Race Window; this only displays
abilities for that race. Instead edit the spell itself in the Spellmaking Window. To
delete a spell ability from a race, merely highlight that spell in the spell abilities
box, and then hit your ‘delete’ key.
Body Data Tab:
Male Bodies/Female Bodies:
These sections of the window control the height, weight and textures of the race.
(Their bodies)
Eye Colors:
This is where you can add eyes for the race; to add eyes, simply open the Eyes
Window (Keep the Race Window open) and drag the eyes from the eyes window to
the Eye Colors box in the race window.
Hair Styles:
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This is where you can add hairs for the race; to add the hairs, simply open the Hairs
Window (Keep the Race Window open) and drag the hair from the Hair Window to
the Hair Styles box in the race window.
Face Data Tab:
The face data tab contains all the ‘face data’ for the race. It contains all the races face
textures and meshes. The left row of buttons is meshes and the right row is textures.
FaceGen Data Tab:
In this section you can change how the default races face looks; I am pretty sure it is used
for something else as well; if you know what it does, please email me so I can place it
into this manual.
Text Data Tab:
Here is where you can change the in game name of the race and the description (Which
you see right at the beginning of the game when you are choosing your race). There is
also a check box here; Playable, check this if you want the race playable.
Reactions Tab:
This tab has the races disposition towards another race. To add dispositions here, R-Click
on the grid, and press new. Then to the right of the widow select the race you want and
the amount of disposition.
The Skill Window:
This brings up quite a big window that shows a list to the left showing all the skills. In the
center is what actions they affect in the game, a numerical value associated with an action
to increase that skill, and an attribute associated with that skill. The only changes you can
make to skills are the attributes associated with that skill, and the value to determine the
increase of a skill.
Governing Attribute:
This box shows the currently selected attribute associated with a skill. You can
change this.
Actions:
You cannot add or delete these, however to the right of each action is a box
showing the value added when using this action to increase this skill. In general
terms, a value of 1.00 can be thought of as ‘normal’. Increase this number and you
progress faster in that skill when using that action. Lower this number, and you
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progress slower. I do not suggest you make any changes to these values without
some caution and much needed prior thinking. Most of the skills are pretty well
balanced as is (hey, I said most, not all. I know a few could use some minor
tweaking… that’s up to you).
Specialization:
This is what the skill specializes in, either combat, stealth or magic. I do not
recommend changing these.
Skill Perks Text:
This is where you can change what the game says when the PC reaches the
required skill level for the perks. There is really no point in changing this.
The Class Window:
This window is used to create all classes within the game. All NPCs and the PC must
have a class assigned to them, even if they are the only one with that class.
Editor ID (To the left):
This is the unique name ID of the class used by the game.
Full Name:
This is the name of the class that is used in game and seen by the PC.
Primary Attributes:
These are the two Attributes considered to be primary for the class by the game.
Specialization:
The class specializes in Combat, Magic, or Stealth skills.
Major Skills:
Click each drop down menu and choose a skill that will be a major skill for the class.
Playable Check box:
Check this box if you want the class available at the start of the game for the PC.
Description:
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Enter a description of the class in this text box. This will appear in game.
Auto-Calc Buys/Sells:
On the NPC window, if the auto-calc box is checked, the NPC will Buy/Sell
according to boxes checked in this section for their class.
Auto-Calc Other:
As per Auto-calc Buys/Sells, but for Training, Spellmaking, Enchanting, and
Repair.
The Birthsign Window:
This window allows you to modify Birthsigns. Birthsigns give spells, powers, and
abilities to a PC. If you wish to modify or create new image files for a birthsign, you
should be able to use almost any decent graphics program. Most commonly used and/or
mentioned in forums I’ve seen are Paint Shop Pro and Adobe Photoshop (and no, you
cannot just download these free somewhere, although GIMP is for free, check Chapter 6
for links.).
Editor ID:
This is the name ID, but it is not displayed in game.
Full Name:
This is the name by which the birthsign is known and will be displayed in game.
‘Constellation Image’ button:
Click on it and you can alter the picture file associated with the birthsign. This is the
picture shown in the Birthsign Menu where you choose your birthsign.
Spells:
Here you may drag and drop any spell from the Spellmaking tab in the Object
Window to associate it with a birthsign. Highlight a spell and push the ‘delete’ key to
remove a spell.
Description:
Here you may enter text to describe a birthsign.
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The Landscaping Edit Window:
Editing of landscape can be a major undertaking. It also will use most of your system
resources to do (it shuts off many functions within the CS also). Once you’ve gotten the
hang of it, it usually takes no time at all to create or modify minor areas, something
within one cell. If changing the landscape over multiple cells it might take a little longer
(or maybe a lot). I have also noticed that making changes to the landscape increases the
size of your plug-in quite a bit. Keep in mind that there are a lot of tutorials out there on
the Internet; I’m not going to tell you how to create anything specific, just on how to
accomplish changes with the Landscape Editor. First, some general information to know
about the landscape within Oblivion.
First and foremost, landscaping will add a lot of size to your mod. Creating one
single new cell listed prior as wilderness will add almost 80kb to your plug-in.
Start adding textures, plants, trees, actors, and other objects, and your plug-in’s
size will grow phenomenally. It’s not the amount of change to the landscape done;
it’s the fact that change is present.
A cell is composed of 8192 x 8192 “units”. Each unit is 0.56 inches or 1.42 cm.
Thus a cell is 4620 inches (385 feet) long and wide, or 11,633 cm (116.33 meters)
long and wide.
In wireframe mode the little triangles you see are the polygons that make up the
landscape mesh. Each side of a polygon is referred to as a vertex. Each vertex is
128 units.
You cannot modify the landscape horizontally, only vertically (up and down).
This vertical plane is referred to as the z-axis.
Water is set to a coordinate of zero (0) on the z-axis, you cannot change this fact
(I know it sucks, just learn to deal with it). You cannot create waterfalls or place
water above this. There are waterfall objects you can use with cells, but you
cannot start water at one level and have it ‘flow’ to another lower level, period.
The lowest point in the landscape is -2000 for a default cell. You can lower this
quite a bit but not sure what the lowest point possible is. Similarly, not sure what
the highest possible point is.
Buffer Cells:
The CS will by default display or create two buffer cells around any cell you are working
on in the Render Window. If you zoom outward so that multiple cells are visible you can
see this (push the ‘b’ key to toggle cell borders). If you uncheck the Allow Render
Window Cell Loads box in the Preferences window the CS will load any cell you click
on in the Cell View Window, and render those around it, but you will only be able to
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modify the cell you clicked on, nor will you be able to scroll to adjacent cells. You will
have to click on them in the Cell View Window to load them. If you click on a cell or
scroll to a cell that does not have a cell adjacent to it, the CS will create cells named
‘Wilderness’ automatically.
Movement within the Render Window:
You can use the Mouse to move about within the Render Window, or you can use the
arrow keys for quick movement. Remember you can adjust the amount of the movement
values by adjusting them within the Preferences window.
Remember to assign a Region:
If you create new landscaped cells you must create and/or assign the cells to a Region.
You most likely will also have to modify or add Weather, sleep options, and Sounds.
Mess with the Landscape Editor in a wilderness cell for a while before you decide to do
some serious work with it if you haven’t used it before (just don’t save it). This will give
you some experience and save some frustration when working on your plug-in. Let’s look
at the options within the Landscape Editor:
Edit Radius:
This number is the size of the radius that modifies the landscape. This is displayed as
a red circle in the Render window. For large modifications use a number as big as 15
(largest possible) to produce deep bowl like depressions, or large rounded hilltops.
Use a number as small as 1 for single simple modifications. Small numbers produce a
more conical effect when the landscape is stretched up or down.
Edit Falloff %:
This number is how sheer or steep the sides are of landscape you modify. The lower
the number the less steep of the edges of the land you modify.
Flatten Vertices:
Checking this box causes all land you click on to flatten to the same height within the
Edit Radius. If you click and drag with this box checked you can effectively flatten
mountains or level a large area of land quickly.
Soften Vertices:
Checking this box causes all land you click on to become less steep. With each click
all points of each vertex will adjust to a common average level on the z-axis, or
simply put the landscape will attempt to become more flat. But this is a slower
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adjustment than Flatten Vertices. You can click and drag the mouse to soften a large
area just like with Flatten Vertices.
Show Edit Radius:
Checking this box shows displays a red circle showing the landscape vertices you are
able to modify. It’s on by default.
Texture:
Textures are what you use to ‘paint’ the landscape. It is not entirely the color of the
land, but also what exists on that vertex; grass, mud, ash, swamp scum, etc (though
since this does add color you can think of it as ‘coloring’ the landscape). You can
only paint one ‘square’ at a time. To paint a larger area, R-Click and drag the mouse
over a larger area, then release. This paints a large area, however, if you click on undo
only one square will be undone. That’s a lot of potential undo clicking. It’s usually
safer to paint single squares or smaller areas. The landscape editor radius has no
bearing on painting textures.
Vertex Color:
This allows you to paint colors on the landscape, usually to add shadows and/or
highlight (but usually for shadows). You must check the box ‘Edit Colors’ to paint
with vertex colors; otherwise you will be modifying the landscape height. You can
paint with two colors at once; L-Click on one color and R-Click on another color.
You can now paint a different color with each button. There are two Select Color
buttons, one for the left and right mouse buttons. To the left of this button are the R,
G, and B boxes; you can define a color by entering numerical values if you know
them. If you click the Add Color button it brings up a standard color selection palette
for you to pick a color. Above the button is a display box to show you the color
chosen. At the bottom of this section are sixteen boxes to store a color in for repeated
use so you can switch colors. Just click on one of these and store that color in the
respective left or right mouse button.
Turn Off Landscape Editing:
This button will turn off the landscape-editing engine.
The Faction Window:
This window can be confusing at first, but doesn’t take long to learn. A faction can be a
guild, a clan, a tribe, a culture, or a religion. You can even make a faction that isn’t a
faction (of sorts). Use your imagination. I personally feel this to be a very powerful
aspect of the game that isn’t used to it’s full potential by most modders out there
(excepting a very few, and bless them for it). Keep in mind this window only lists the
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defining data for factions; the promotion, inclusion, or exclusion, of the PC is done with
Dialog and/or Scripting.
Name:
This is the name by which the faction is known in game.
Hidden From PC Check box:
If checked, the faction will not be displayed or known to the PC in game (not by
the game at least, you can have a topic of the same name though).
Rank Data:
Ranks must appear in the columned box in ascending order. This means the
topmost listed rank is at the bottom of the list.
Rank name:
The name of each rank can be changed or entered by L-Clicking on a rack so
that it is highlighted, typing the female or male rank names in the boxes to the
right.
Interfaction Relations:
This is where you list all other factions that you want a reaction bonus/penalty to
anyone of that faction when they interact with the PC. The left column shows a
faction, and the right column shows the reaction bonus/penalty. To change the
faction name L-Click to highlight the name, and then go to the drop down menu
to the right and click on it. Now choose the faction you want in that spot. Enter
the reaction value (either positive or negative) in the box below the drop menu. If
you wish to add or delete a faction, R-Click over a faction name or a blank row in
the first column, choose New or Delete. If you pick new, the current faction Name
will appear, ignore this and just choose a name from the drop down menu to the
right, and then enter a reaction value.
The AI Window:
The AI window controls quite a bit of the NPC, it controls their AI Packages
(Schedules), aggression etc. I will give you a rundown of the window:
AI Button:
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This window displays the AI screen for that creature or NPC. It contains a number
of flags, boxes and tabs. Along the top are four boxes that are used to set NPC
character behaviours.
Aggression:
This value controls whether or not a NPC enters combat. If the NPC's disposition
toward another actor (or PC) falls below this level, it will initiate combat. So the
higher this value is set the more likely the NPC is to fight.
A setting of 5 or below means it will not initiate combat under any circumstance,
but will enter combat if directly attacked