Creation Kit not seeing nif files

[wolverine72]

Been playing with the CK by following some tutorials. When they selected edit in model data to choose a nif they had a whole list of default ones. When I do this there was nothing except three folders related to mods.

I do have to grant the CK admin access each time because Win11 but I tested it with the UAC off with the same results. Just in case this matters.

[Chaosium]

They probably extracted the meshes folder from the ba2 archive so that everything is available as loose files in the Data folder

Still, this isn't necessary; you can point at a model even if it's not existing as a loose file, just type the file path in the bar at the bottom, like Weapons\Iron\LongSword.nif, it will fetch it from the ba2 even if you didn't extract it (that's a mesh in Skyrim lols, but it's for the sake of the example)

You don't need to specify Data\meshes\ if you're looking for a model because it will search in the meshes folder by default, but you need to know the file path in any case

[wolverine72]

Okay. I wondered about that but also thought maybe the CK could reach inside the BA2 file and grab what it needed. I'll play with it some more and see which method works for me.

If I extract the meshes and link to one of the nif's will it be embedded in the object or does maintain that link?

[Chaosium]

I'm unsure what you mean, but the nif won't move anywhere and your object will display regardless (if they are contained in a ba2 somewhere, that is)

[wolverine72]

I think you answered my question anyway. I was asking if the selected nif was embedded in the item I am creating or if it maintains an external link to where the nif file is located.