<title edit> how do i re-package extracted .ba2 files?>

[1stReaper]

ok re-edited the title and question
with some help from crimson and kordulus
i found out that i need to use the archieve extractor if i want to add retextures

------
now the question i need help with is how do i repackage the .ba2 files ?

ok i'd like to replace dogmeats eyes with the "old eyes" from the mod
http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/220/?tab=2&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Ffallout4%2Fajax%2Fmodfiles%2F%3Fid%3D220&pUp=1

i managed to find and extract the location where it would "normally go"

--- what i need help with now is ---
how do i repackage the textures i just changed....

because i've tried (and followed to the letter)
"tutorials" that show me how to extractor the textures... but none show how to repackage... or at the very least how to get the retextures to work....

i've tried doing the normal dragging and dropping into the folder
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data\Textures\Actors\Dogmeat"
(what i used to do for retextures...that i wanted streight into the game, without using one of the counts toward the mod limit.. similiar to skyrims 255 mod limit... if fallout 4 has one)

dispite being told thats all i need to do... it "doesn't" seem to be "all it takes =<"
(and trust me.... i've spent 3 hours trying to figure out how to do it,,,,,,)

i've tried

1.streight dropping "\actors\dogmeat" into the data folder = didn't work
2. i've tried extracting every .ba2 file and overwriting the texture = didn't work

3. i've tried using B.A.E to locate and change the texture = managed to get this done... halfway

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when i tried extracting all the files, overwriting and deleting the .ba2 files.. i just ended up making my FO4 not work....

--- so could someone help me work out how to "ACTUALLY" get the retextures to work.....

[1stReaper]

anyone know where i can find the textures or how to get to them?
(as much as i love the german shep dogmeat, i'd like to make him the original dogmeat... with a red eye... :P)

[Crimsomrider]

You need to extract them from the Fallout 4 - texture.esm files, using the Fallout 4 - Bethesda Archive Extractor [www.nexusmods.com]

[1stReaper]

ah excellent thanks crimson
how hard is it to use ?
(would i beable to get away with simply drag and drops to retexture ?)
(without having to resort to the geck to do the retextures i'd like to do)

altho... if its got a mod limit like skyrim has hopefully i can get away with retextures going streight into the textures folder and just basically revamp the looks

[Crimsomrider]

Originally posted by 1stReaper:

ah excellent thanks crimson
how hard is it to use ?
(would i beable to get away with simply drag and drops to retexture ?)
(without having to resort to the geck to do the retextures i'd like to do)

altho... if its got a mod limit like skyrim has hopefully i can get away with retextures going streight into the textures folder and just basically revamp the looks

It's a 3 click process. Choose folder > Mark textures > Extract.

[1stReaper]

awesome :D
thank god

...hopefully ;)
i wouldn't put it past me <cough>

ill let you know if i have any issues <fingers crossed>

[1stReaper]

might need another hand crimson,

just downloaded the extractor
not sure how to use it

now ofcourse i guess i gotta use file, look for the right file
the .ba2 ?

if i was looking for army fatigues and dogmeats textures
which file would i most likely need to open
or just i just open one at a time till i find the one im after? <shugs>

nevermind, i found dogmeats folder,,,
now mmm... how do i put them back ?

[1stReaper]

ok, so i've extracted dogmeats folder, into a folder i have on the desktop,
(just incase i f**k up) changed the original brown eyes to the battle damage eyes from
http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/220/?tab=2&navtag=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nexusmods.com%2Ffallout4%2Fajax%2Fmodfiles%2F%3Fid%3D220&pUp=1

do i need to readd them / how do i readd the extracted files ? (overwrite?) <shugs>

tried looking up tutorials on youtube..
but it only shows how to extract them,
doesn't tell me what i need to do after :<

[Crimsomrider]

When you're done, you put them into Fallout 4 > Data folder as with any retexture mod.

[1stReaper]

will that work ?
do i not need to readd the extracted files back where i extracted them from ?

as there is no data folder in the fallout 4 folder now
its just folders called strings, video
and a load of files with .csg and .ba2. cdx and sooooo on

in the past i would just open the folder i would need to get into and just drag and drop
but i guess things have changed since i last changed dogmeat or played fallout

<update>
just draged the folder
Textures\Actors\Dogmeat
with the newly changed eyes and other .dds's
into the fallout4 folder
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data

and dogmeats eyes are still brown :<

[1stReaper]

ill extract all the files into fo4's data folder
and search thought all the texture folders for dogmeats things and just overwrite them....
lets see if that works =/ as i cant see to get the retexture back into the correct "Fallout4 - Textures(x) .bs2 file :<

(x) being the correct number dogmeats thing is in as it only shows "texture" in the B.A.E =/
why couldn't beth have left the folders as they was :<.... having it this way (just 2 folders called strings and video, and the rest in random .(whatever) files just turns things into a load of faffing around =/

<extracting the whole files is going to take a while... =/...>
if it still doesn't change the textures, could we set up a teamviewer or something and you show me what to do :<

(sorry if im giving you a headache too =/.... i cant mod for s**t)
ofc. it goes without saying, i wouldn't expect you to do it for free, we'd sort something out after)

[Democracy Officer 0311]

i just 7-zip the files then transfer them to my data folder. Most if not al mods require you to drop the files into your data folder for them to work. it includes all the scripts,nifs,meshes.textures and ESP/ESM's for the game. You take the data folder out. things stop working all together.

If you don't have a data folder. You can make one yourself in the fallout directory main folder or when you download a mod they will usually have a data folder themselves you can just drop in the main directory.

[1stReaper]

Originally posted by kordulus:

i just 7-zip the files then transfer them to my data folder. Most if not al mods require you to drop the files into your data folder for them to work. it includes all the scripts,nifs,meshes.textures and ESP/ESM's for the game. You take the data folder out. things stop working all together.

If you don't have a data folder. You can make one yourself in the fallout directory main folder or when you download a mod they will usually have a data folder themselves you can just drop in the main directory.

yh i used to be able to just drop them into the data folder (unless i was using NMM, in that case i used it to install the bigger mods and it sorted everything out for me)

but now that the data folder is no longer there its a pain in the backside trying to manually tweak stuff =/ (well for me at least, as this isn't my strong point :<)

will winrar work with putting the retextures back into the extracted file ?
as for the data folder i've got one
(C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data)
its just not got the same stuff as before
texture folder and all the rest of it =/

i know that esp and esm's are the main mod files that are used to make them work in game,
but considering the retextures are dds or whatever (none esp/esm files), i would have had to manually find the correct folder

[Democracy Officer 0311]

Originally posted by 1stReaper:

Originally posted by kordulus:

i just 7-zip the files then transfer them to my data folder. Most if not al mods require you to drop the files into your data folder for them to work. it includes all the scripts,nifs,meshes.textures and ESP/ESM's for the game. You take the data folder out. things stop working all together.

If you don't have a data folder. You can make one yourself in the fallout directory main folder or when you download a mod they will usually have a data folder themselves you can just drop in the main directory.

yh i used to be able to just drop them into the data folder (unless i was using NMM, in that case it sorted everything out for me)

but now that the data folder is no longer there its a pain in the backside trying to manually tweak stuff =/ (well for me at least, as this isn't my strong point :<)

will winrar work with putting the retextures back into the extracted file ?
as for the data folder i've got one
(C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data)
its just not got the same stuff as before
texture folder and all the rest of it =/

i know that esp and esm's are the main mod files that are used to make them work in game,
but considering the retextures are dds or whatever (none esp/esm files), i would have had to manually find the correct folder

Well actually for retextures all you need to do is drop them in the data folder. Like the mod that makes the world greener. I downloaded that one and just extraced the textures to the data folder and it works fine. As far as repacking goes i have no idea. but just remember if no data folder, just make a new one and add everything to that. it'll override new textures.

[1stReaper]

mmm...
draging "actors\dogmeat - dogmeat_eyes_d"
into "Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4\Data"
still isn't making his eye blue =/..........

ill just extract the whole lot of the .bs2's and other "packages?", wait for it to finish,
manually overwrite the files that are extracted

one by one, ill just overwite over every one of dogmeats "eyes" files i find (ofcourse of the correct .dds type =/....

if it doesn't work this time im going to throw my controller againest my wall =/
(why couldn't beth leave the file and folder sorting alone =/.....)

this ♥♥♥♥♥ made a 5 min job turn into ... it'll be 3 hours in 12 mins >.<
(all because i dont know how to extract "one freaking file" change it then readd it )

...and heres me wanting to try out the geck to see what kinda stuff i could make....
HA!!!! ill prob just request someone to make it and pay then if i have to >,<


oh wait sorry "donate" ... f**k paywall mods =/

(also)
sorry for the swearing and getting annoyed,,, im just getting frustated with this taking so long just to do minor bloody jobs =/

.........finding and extracting what im after is easy enough...
its putting it back / getting it to work thats the problem =/
(all because tutorial videos dont't show what to do next after changing textures =/

[Democracy Officer 0311]

well if you extract the actors\dogmeat - dogmeat_eyes_ into the data folder itself yeah that won't work. When you download the mod it'll be in a data folder. you take that data folder and merge it with the one i nthe fallout directory. should be all you need. The modder prob made meshes and texture folders with his mod so those will be added when you merge the data folders. But the game won't read the actors\dogmeat - dogmeat_eyes_ file by itself without it being in the proper location. as for the last bit of your problem. Putting the files back, i'm green on that move. haven't done that in years back when i first started modding and messing my games up horribly. lol.