TTS mod backup question

[Slowhand]

Started backing up some mods with Nexus mod backup.

If Mod Backup informs me that some files are missing when I try to backup ... does that mean the mod is necessarily broken or might there be an issue with Nexus mod backup?

Mod backup shows me missing files with mods that work fine in TTS ... I do not really understand :D

[Arcturus Asriv]

If you're referring to the numbers, for example (135/24), the 24 are items not downloaded.
If you're opened the game and it plays fine, then those 24 items are one (or more) of the following:

1. Something in a bag that's in a bag. Take everything out so they can all spawn.
2. Something with multiple states. Find any items that have multiple states, such as the old rulebooks from before pdf and miniatures that have two or more states. Spawn them and go through each state allowing them all to load.
3. Decks of cards that are in bags sometimes. Make sure you empty all bags, so each item can load.

A tip to help find the elusive items:
In the Mod Backup, right click one of the non-downloaded items and select 'open remote'. It'll launch it in your browser and you can get an idea of what it is and where it may be at in the mod.

[Slowhand]

Thanks so far ... I am new to mod backup still :)

I am not referring to numbers, it is rather that there is message that some files are missing and if I really want to continue the backup. The message pops up in mod backup not in TTS!

I do not understand the other hints though ...

If I understood correctely Mod backup is used to backup or store a mod locally on my HDD in case the mod will ever vanish from the workshop.

How should pulling things out of infinite bags to let them spawn in TTS help?

I am not backing up a save game but rather try to store the mod, right?

[emerson]

That can happen if you deleted or moved a file and forgot.Or saved it in another folder.Image files get me all the time.

[Arcturus Asriv]

Originally posted by Slowhand:

Thanks so far ... I am new to mod backup still :)

I am not referring to numbers, it is rather that there is message that some files are missing and if I really want to continue the backup. The message pops up in mod backup not in TTS!

I do not understand the other hints though ...

If I understood correctely Mod backup is used to backup or store a mod locally on my HDD in case the mod will ever vanish from the workshop.

How should pulling things out of infinite bags to let them spawn in TTS help?

I am not backing up a save game but rather try to store the mod, right?

When you access a mod, your computer only stores the items you've loaded in the game.
If there's items in bags you haven't pulled out so they can load, or items with different 'states' that you haven't cycled through, those assets aren't loaded and saved to your computer.

The TTS Backup takes the locally saved (on your computer) files and uses those to create a backup.

But the game has overall info that TTS Backup reads to know how many assets are in the game.
If the number of items on your computer are less than the number of items in the mod's info, you'll get an error trying to back it up.

On the left side of the screen, under Mods, find the mod.
If it's highlighted in orange, the assets on your computer are not complete. And it's entirely possible the mod still runs, and that you've played it. Most often, it's just stuff you didn't pull out because you didn't need it.
Look at the name of the mod, it will be followed by two numbers, separated by a slash.
The first number is the total number of assets used in the mod.
The second number is the number of assets used in the game that are not downloaded locally.
You can't back up a mod until that second number is a zero.

To do this first click on the mod on the left.
Then on the right pane, you'll see a list of items, some highlighted in green and some in orange.
The green items are the ones TTS Backup found locally.
The orange ones are the ones you're currently missing.

If you right click a green one, you'll see the options of both 'open local' and 'open remote'.
If you right click an orange one, you'll see only 'open remote', because there isn't a local copy.

Now what you need to do is find out what these items are.

The first thing you want to do is go to TTS and open the mod.
Then, in the game, find every bag in the mod and just start pulling stuff out. Pull everything out.
If there's more bags in the bags, do the same thing to them.

If there are any rulebooks and they use the old style (which is very likely as pdf is a new thing on TTS), turn pages in each book and let them load before turning the page again.

Look for models or tiles with different states, like a figure with a standing and lying down pose. Cycle through those, as well.

Once done, go back to TTS Backup and refresh it. I find closing it and reopening it works best.
Find the mod and see if it's now at zero on the second number.

If you're still missing assets, click on it to pull it up in the right pane again.
Find the assets in orange, right click one and select 'open remote' to possibly view it in your browser and get an idea of where in the game it can be found.

As for infinite bags, you only need to pull out one item. But that's just for infinite bags where they only spawn one item. Regular bags need everything pulled out.

And, yes, this is to save the mod, but it can be used to save a saved game, also. These are separated on the left pane under two tabs.
The 'Mods' tab are the mods themselves, and the 'Saves' tab are the Saved Games.
You can save a Saved Game, and it would do the same as saving the Mod, with only the difference that it would also save any changes you had made to the mod.

[darkeggo]

Thank you Arcturus Asriv for the detailed explanation.

However, when I fully download a mod (i.e. contained URLs are all green) and click on "Backup", I assumed that would save the entire mod and all downloaded pieces.

But when I delete the mod from the list and click on "Import Backup", it goes back to having a bunch of orange missing items again.

Example:
https://imgur.com/iB7ONto

I'm just trying to save the mod/assets so that I'll be able to play them without relying on other hosting services in the future.

Thanks!

[infecticide]

I see this issue of imports not restoring all files as well. I've also discovered that even though the tool says all the assets are downloaded, they are not.

I have subscribed to the following TTS mod:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=841979405

I was able to pull down (after a few hours of retrying due to Google Drive throttling) all the files according to TTS Mod Backup and make a backup. On the destination machine, the restore resulted in hundreds of files missing.

On the source machine, I started opening bags (which are sometimes nested 3 - 4 deep) and found errors and lots of files that were not downloaded.

It seems the app doesn't crawl the entire JSON file to find all the assets contained and seems to stop at some level.

[SteveHL]

First off, this seems like a great app. Something that really should be in TTS itself since missing images seems to be a perennial problem in TTS.
Second, it would be REALLY NICE if there were some kind of user manual for it. I've looked everywhere I could think of and I can't find one.
Finally, my "mods" section seems to work OK, but all the "Saves" show up with blank names on the left. They actually seem to be there because as I move up and down on the list the assets on the right change and if I back one up it works.