How to install mods with unofficial patch?

[cannibalisticskittles]

I've read through what feels like a dozen forum posts on this subject, but no matter what I try, it doesn't work. Currently, trying to add the files to the unofficial patch folder results in no changes with one mod, and a pink and black checkered character with another. I've followed the most repeated advice I've found, but nothing has been successful.
All the mod needs to do, according to the READMEs, is move files into the appropriate models and/or materials folders, in this case, unofficial_patch/materials/models/character/pc/female/toreador. What's a girl gotta do to get some results?
https://legacy.planetvampire.com/modules/files/view.php?id=620 is one of the mods I'm trying that results in a checkered protagonist in the character creator.

[Vepar]

There's a mod manager type program for VTMB. Use that instead of moving everything manually.

I don't know what its called or where to download it cause i don't use mods beyond the UP+ but i've seen people here talk about it. I'd google it but it's late and i'm on mobile and meh. I'm sure you can find it.

If not, maybe someoje else will provide more specific info.

[cannibalisticskittles]

Originally posted by Vepar:

I'm sure you can find it.

Oh, if only I had that confidence.
Every supposed-link to the mod loader I've come across has been dead, but I'll keep looking. Thanks!

[R.I.P]

The mod that you linked works for me.

After you extract the mod archive, open the Tremere pack folder, and copy the materials folder, then paste the materials folder into the Unofficial_Patch folder and "allow overwrite" if asked.

This mod uses vanilla models, so if you already have any other models installed for Tremere female (in Unofficial_Patch\models\character\pc\female\tremere), you need to remove those.

If you don't see any change, make sure that you're actually running the Unofficial Patch (Check the Options Gameplay menu, if the patch is running you should see "unofficial patch" written there).

It must be launched from the desktop short-cut that it created, or from modified launch options (which has been explained elsewhere). Check the Options Gameplay menu, if the patch is running you should see "unofficial patch" written there.

Checkered character is usually caused by textures, not being installed where the models are looking for them.

As you may have noticed there is a Materials/models path for textures, and a Models path for models.

[cannibalisticskittles]

There are no other mods running for Tremeres, just this one. Such is also the case for the Toreador skin mod I’m attempting to install.

The patch is definitely running; I start the game from the desktop short-cut, I can see it in options, and when creating a character, I have the option to choose a history.

I actually uninstalled and reinstalled both the game and the patch to be sure I had a clean slate (and both run fine with no additional modding), but when moving the folder from the Tremere pack into the patch folder, nothing changes. Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female now has a Tremere folder, but when the game is started and a Tremere is selected in character creation, it looks exactly the same as before.

It’s not checkered, at least.

[R.I.P]

"Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female now has a Tremere folder"

And this tremere folder contains four "armor" folders (0-3)?

armor0 containing 54 files mostly from 2009?

Hopefully windows isn't blocking the mod files.

You're still seeing the vanilla glasses and hair bow?

[Wesp5]

Originally posted by R.I.P:

"Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female now has a Tremere folder"

And this tremere folder contains four "armor" folders (0-3)?

This is correct...

armor0 containing 54 files mostly from 2009?

... but this seems a very high number of files to me!

[R.I.P]

Yeah, that's the exact number of files that I have in my folder from when I extracted all the .vpk files. It's mostly pieces that were later combined, like foot bottom, torso back, torso front, hand top, hand bottom, etc.

[cannibalisticskittles]

Originally posted by R.I.P:

"Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female now has a Tremere folder"

And this tremere folder contains four "armor" folders (0-3)?

armor0 containing 54 files mostly from 2009?

Hopefully windows isn't blocking the mod files.

You're still seeing the vanilla glasses and hair bow?

Huh. First thing I did this morning was check my files see if this was the case, and yep, everything was in place and there were 54 files inin armor0, so I opened up the game and... it was working.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2af691c4c72cf8e710b34ed7963b90e/tumblr_inline_pj2iy0Z4wJ1r3fbcs_540.png

Glasses-less tremere, ready to go. Not sure if restarting helped, or if I just did something wrong last night while tired, but it works. As does another mod!

https://66.media.tumblr.com/e2af691c4c72cf8e710b34ed7963b90e/tumblr_inline_pj2iy0Z4wJ1r3fbcs_540.png
https://forums.planetvampire.com/bloodlines-modding/vesuvius-mod/ (The reskin for Ventrue and Lasombra, switched a bit to use it as a Toreador)

It switches to the default Ventrue model when I try to start out with a higher armor (look, not class; starting out with the look of armor 1 instead of 0), probably because I’m mucking up somewhere along the line and I’m not changing the right names/in the right places, but it shows up fine when I undo that, which is way more successful than before. Thanks again!

[R.I.P]

Swapping models usually requires a re-start of the game, with texures, going back to the menu or reloading a save should be enough.

I suppose that you've already seen this thread? https://steamcommunity.com/app/2600/discussions/0/1733217528130882758/

I still have the file installed, let me see if I can successfully bump the armor down....

[edit]

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Unofficial_Patch\models\character\pc\female\toreador\armor0

I created a "new folder" in armor0 and dragged the existing armor0 files into it (or you can remove them).

Copied the files from armor1, and pasted them into armor0, renaming them as such:

toreador_female_armor_0.dx7_2bone.vtx
toreador_female_armor_0.dx80.vtx
toreador_female_armor_0.mdl
toreador_female_armor_0.phy

Just change the numbers, to match the number of the folder that they have moved to.

[cannibalisticskittles]

That… half-works for me. Body is definitely wearing the next armor, but the head is checkered.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/48dee9d0cd86444ae46f983f0ee5d5e5/tumblr_inline_pj2qorjpB61r3fbcs_540.png

I moved files from Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female\toreador (armor 3 to armor 2, armor 2 to armor 1, etc) to see if that would help and it had… the opposite effect. Non-checkered head, checkered body.
https://66.media.tumblr.com/a1777924c33771cda810dc040929eada/tumblr_inline_pj2r0c0qGg1r3fbcs_540.png

[Edit]
Nope, I must have screwed up somewhere. I put back the Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female\toreador files from my back-up folder and now nothing is checkered and I can see the other armor, so I’ll assume that I moved or changed something I shouldn’t have and, in testing it, failed to accurately restore the back-up. Sorry for the trouble.

[R.I.P]

Vampire The Masquerade - Bloodlines\Unofficial_Patch\materials\models\character\pc\female\ventrue

This is where the texures for this skin mod reside. The texture paths are listed in the model file itself, so when changing the mod for use with another clan, you install the textures from the skin to the originally intended location (in this case ventrue).

Moving toreador texture files should not affect this skin mod.

Try reinstalling skins for this mod by copying the extracted "materials" folder from the mod, and paste into Unofficial_patch and allow overwrite. (Re-)launch the game.

More info on clan swapping: https://www.nexusmods.com/vampirebloodlines/mods/1/?tab=posts&jump_to_comment=65326411

[cannibalisticskittles]

Awesome, thank you so much!

[R.I.P]

You did an exemplary of job providing most of the relevant information in a concise manner.

Alot of people write replies such as "it won't let me" or "it didn't work", forcing the helper to then try to clarify by asking further questions.

For future readers: There are a few skin mods available (one or two on each site) that DO have, bogus folder paths/names. You should look at folder structure included with the mod before installing, if you suspect an incorrect folder path, look at the comments on the mod page. That will usually reveal any blatant issue.