Merging Plugins

[smr1957]

WARNING! Merging plugins requires experience - a LOT of it! If you are unsure of something - DON'T DO IT. And if you lack experience, then keep things small.

Thanks to cfs111 for his post regarding this, as well!

Recently, I have noticed a large number of people asking abouty merging mods. I had put this together in answer to a previous question in another thread, and think it worth posting on its own.

Merging mods is just about the last step in the learning process of handling mods and requires advanced planning of exactly how you are going to be constructing your build. The reason for this is that one of the prime requirements for merging mods is that you have a completely stable, nonconflicting game. Every mod that you are going to merge together should be known to work with not only the mods you are merging with it, but also with every other mod in your load order. In addition, your load order should be finalized to the point that you will not be removing mods from it - every mod in your load order should be pretty much set before you begin merging mods. You may want to add more in, but you should not be taking any out (and any that you may add, should be tested on a clean, test save to ensure that they will work with all the others).

Another thing (at least for myself), mods should be edited for compatibility - especially ones that you wish to merge - prior to the merging process, and this is pretty much the most advanced thing you can do with TES5Edit (in fact, I don't recommend it at all for anyone who is not totally experienced and comfortable using TES5Edit).

The safest mods to merge are patches that effect one mod so that it can work well with others - and these are usually the most numerous mods in an individual's load.

Finally, when merging plugins, it is important to note that all the plugins need to be adjacent in the load order, so after you have edited for compatibility, move the mods together so that they are all adjacent, and recheck for compatibility - if due to a compatibility issue, some mods come before a particular non-merge mod and others after that particular non-merge mod, that would be a case of making two merged plugins - one to be placed before that particular mod, and one after.

As to where the final merged plugin goes in your load order, it depends upon what files have been merged together - if the files are all from an early part of the order, the merged patch should be placed early (in a place that corresponds as closely as possible to the location of the original files); if files were towards the bottom, than the bottom (again in a location closely corresponding to position of the parent files).


To put it all together:
1. Ensure that your load order and all the mods are stable and do not cause any problems.
2. Finalize your load to the point that you will not be removing any mods.
3. Ensure that everything is compatible and all or any patches necessary are present in your load.
4. Test the game. If it runs with no problems, make a hard (manual) save and keep it as a backup, just in case you have to roll back.
5. Select the mods you wish to merge - and keep it simple.
6. Merge - and once merged, reload merged file in xEdit and check for any errors.
7. Install and place the Merged file in the proper place in your load order.
8. Test to ensure that everything functions as it should with the merged file installed.
9. Play and enjoy

To help with things, I found these vids
https://youtu.be/2F19Do8HAl4
https://youtu.be/0S6cpCwTezE
https://youtu.be/PCB0oJG9yQQ

Also see:
Merging Plugins by cfs111
https://steamcommunity.com/app/72850/discussions/0/2263565850578451380/#c2263565850578452663

FAQ:

"When I start condensing, and fixing conflicts, in xEdit, couple questions:
Best practice, use WryeBash first to let it combine what it can in a bashed patch, then go to xEdit to get comfortably under the 255 limit?"

If you are merging mods, only use Wrye Bash to merge Leveled Lists - do NOT use it for the purpose of merging plugins - that should only be done using xEdit or the standalone Merge Plugins tool. However, should you find yourself merging with Wrye Bash, do it first and also be aware there is a major caveat: make sure that the mods that get merged into the Bashed Patch do not undo any changes another mod makes due to Bashed Patch being placed last. Perfect example is Tiwa Minidresses. They can be merged into the Bashed patch, but if you are using Modest Elderly, doing so will undo the changes that Mosdest elderly makes.


"If I have multiple texture mods, each one modifying a different item, I should merge those together since there won't be conflicts, and it reduces the mod load?"

A) The first thing you should merge are multiple patches for a mod (e.g.- a mod has 5 patches to make it compatible with others, merge those 5 patches)
B) merge all the little tiny bug fixes or small stuff whose position in the load order is irrelevant (as determined by no conflicts in xEdit), and which is unlikely to be updated.
C) despite what people say, it is totally irrelevant what mods you place together when merging (though some should not be merged - Arthmoor warns against merging his town mods, so don't)
D) Although any mods may be merged, I do tend to merge mods which are alike - but strictly for personal housekeeping purpose and to make it easier to locate particular individual mods.

And, the most important for last. Make sure that the entire load order is compatible BEFORE merging! This cannot be emphasized enough! If you are not that familiar with a mod and are unsure of it, don't merge it. Also, if it is likely that a mod will be updated, again, don't merge it (unless you don't care what the update does).


SOME THOUGHTS

A note about the Bashed Patch and an xEdit Merged:
While WB does a fairly decent job of handling leveled lists, it does make mistakes and leave things out that should be carried forward into the patch (an example of this is the meat pie - used to wonder why it was never in the game - Bashed Patch always left it out). So, even once you have made a Bashed Patch, you'll still want to check in xEdit to make should that your leveled list are being cvomplete carried forward - if they are not, just drag the items over to the Bashed Patch or use copy record and copy it into the Bashed Patch.

As to an xEdit Merged file. If you are already editing records in xEdit yourself, I would strongly advise not use this. When I made one just out of curiosity as to what it would do (this was on my small mod load - the 760+ one), the xEdit merged file carried over all the things I did not want. xEdit merged should be used if you are not editing records yourself - technically it does a good job, but like all programs, it cannot think.

And one final, BIG caveat: All these things require experience. If you are unsure of something - DON'T DO IT. And if you lack experience, then keep things small.

HOW TO MERGE
This is taken from page for Merge Plugins xEdit Script by matortheeternal - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37981/? , which is what I use (there is a newer merge mod out that replaces this one: Merge Plugins by Mator - http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69905/? )

Begin quote:

Merging Plugins with Mod Organizer:
1. Set up the plugins you plan on merging so they're all in adjacent load order slots. Test to
make sure the plugins create the desired behavior in the game before merging.
2. Run xEdit through Mod Organizer and load the mods you want to merge.
3. Use "Check For errors" on files to be merged and fix any errors xEdit finds. See the FAQ
for more information on errors and how to fix them.
4. Hold control and click on each of the mods you want to merge so they're highlighted.
5. Right-click on one of the mods and click "Apply Script".
6. Choose "Merge Plugins v1.8" from the drop-down menu and click OK.
7. If it's your first time running Merge Plugins v1.9 you will be taken to the Advanced Options window.
When here, check the "I'm using Mod Organizer" checkbox and set Mod Organizer's directory (you can use the Detect button to have the script try to find it for you). Check "Copy General Assets", and
set the Asset destination directory to Mod Organizer's overwrite folder, then click "Save".
8. Verify the mods you want to merge are checked, and that no other mods are checked, then click OK.
9. Choose -- CREATE NEW FILE -- and click OK.
10. Enter the filename you wish to use for the merged plugin.
11. Wait for merging to complete. If an error occurs (highly unlikely) the script will stop, display the
log, and alert you that an error occurred. Post this log on Nexus Mods to receive assistance.
12. Once merging is completed, close xEdit saving ONLY the new merged plugin you just created.
13. Right click on the Overwrite mod in Mod Organizer and click "Create Mod...". Name the mod,
activate it, and then deactivate the mods you merged.
14. Start the game and test to see if the merged plugin is working as intended.


Merging Plugins with Nexus Mod Manager:
1. Set up the plugins you plan on merging so they're all in adjacent load order slots. Test to
make sure the plugins create the desired behavior in the game before merging.
2. Run xEdit and load the mods you want to merge.
3. Use "Check For errors" on files to be merged and fix any errors xEdit finds. See the FAQ
for more information on errors and how to fix them.
4. Hold control and click on each of the mods you want to merge so they're highlighted.
5. Right-click on one of the mods and click "Apply Script".
6. Choose "Merge Plugins v1.9" from the drop-down menu and click OK.
7. If it's your first time running Merge Plugins v1.9 you will be taken to the Advanced Options window.
When here, check "Extract BSAs", and set the Asset destination directory to a folder on your desktop (or somewhere else) for the Merged Plugin you're making.
8. Verify the mods you want to merge are checked, and that no other mods are checked, then click OK.
9. Choose -- CREATE NEW FILE -- and click OK.
10. Enter the filename you wish to use for the merged plugin.
11. Wait for merging to complete. If an error occurs (highly unlikely) the script will stop, display the
log, and alert you that an error occurred. Post this log on Nexus Mods to receive assistance.
12. Once merging is completed, close xEdit saving ONLY the new merged plugin you just created.
13. Open your Skyrim data directory and move the Merged Plugin ESP file from it to the folder on
your desktop. Add the folder on your desktop to a .zip, .rar, or .7z archive, then install it in
Nexus Mod Manager. Activate it and deactivate the plugins of the mods you merged from your
load order.
14. Start the game and test to see if the merged plugin is working as intended.


Verifying your Merged ESP:
You should also re-open the merged ESP in xEdit after merging and use Check For Errors to make
sure everything is functional.


Removing Plugins from a Merged Plugin:
As of v1.7, you can remove plugins from a merged plugin. This will only work on plugins made with
Merge Plugins v1.7 or newer. Note: this is an experimental feature and results may vary.

1. Load your merged plugin in TES5Edit.
2. Right click on the merged plugin, and click "Apply Script".
3. Choose "Merged Plugin Manager v1.2" from the drop-down menu and click OK.
4. Check the plugins you want to remove, then click "Remove".
5. Close the Merged Plugin Manager and then exit TES5Edit, saving the merged plugin.

End quote.

[smr1957]

Merging Plugins by cfs111

So what happens when we merge plugins? First we should look at the record structure of the mods. I will be using my mod Player Home Quickexit as an example as I released it as a seperate mod for each vanilla or as a single plugin with all the homes, I used mergeplugins to create the all in one so it is a good example. I will be referencing records by form id so if you want to download the mods and follow along in xedit here is the link... https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/14795

So, when you run mergeplugins to merge plugins it takes the mods apart record by record. Then reassembles them into a single mod. If in xedit we expand the Quickexit - Breezehome.esp > Cell > Block 0 > Sub-Block 6 > 0001658a > Persistant header we will see a record xx005905 which places a trap door inside of breezehome. Expand to the same record in Quickexit - Merged.esp and mergeplugins has redone the form id to be xx00aa91. This is to insure that it will have a unique id. Merge plugins will do this for all records within the mods being merged. Another way of looking at it is mergeplugins does change any conflicting records, it only melds all records together into a single esp. Mods being merged in this way can not have conflicting records within the mods being merged.

Before we look deeper into what this type of merge includes a quick explanation of references within the records may be helpful. When the game reads aa record that record may have references to other records. For example, the iron sword record will reference the record for the sound when you draw the sword. If this reference is not a vanilla reference but comes from one of the mods being merged then the game will have an invalid reference and will ctd (this is why undeleting and disabling references is so important when cleaning mods). So another mergeplugins does for us is to look for these references and make sure they point to the correct reference by changing the reference id to the new form id created during the merge. So to see this in action pull up record Quickexit - Breezehome.esp > Worldspace > 0000003c > Block 0,-1 > Sub-Block 0,-1 > 0000961a > Temporary > xx005905 then in right pane under the FormID header you will see
[REFR:05005905] (places TreePineShrub01 [TREE:0009DAA3] in GRUP Cell Temporary Children of WhiterunExterior02 [CELL:0000961A] (in Tamriel "Skyrim" [WRLD:0000003C] at 5,-3)).
Now if you expand the same record in Quickexit - Merged.esp you will the FormID header has change to
[REFR:0900AA8D] (places TreePineShrub01 [TREE:0009DAA3] in GRUP Cell Temporary Children of WhiterunExterior02 [CELL:0000961A] (in Tamriel "Skyrim" [WRLD:0000003C] at 5,-3))
So we see the reference have been changed to match the new form id of the reference in question.

There are other things that get adjusted during the merge, but beyond changing references from within a record, mergeplugins does not change any records themselves for conflict resolution, that is Wrye Smash or your job. So, to recap, mergeplugins takes the mods you tell to and makes a new esp out of the multiple ones changing any information that needs changing to insure the records can find the other records they need. For the average mod user mergeplugins is really not needed, it is really for when you begin to reach the plugin limit or you have a lot of small mods that it may be easier to handle them if they were a single mod. As well it can be useful for merging patches into a single mod, only downside to this is if one of the mods or patches updates the merge will need to be redone. In my opinion, leave this form of merging alone unless you are reaching the 255 limit.

More to follow eventually, maybe later tonight or tomorrow. I think tackling the bash patch next may be best. I am trying to do this in the order of use, i.e. mergeplugins then wrye bash then wrye smash then manually built patch.



So now let's move on to Wrye Bash and see how it handles records. The bashed patch does two kinds of merging, the first is the same as what merge plugins does,the second is conflict resolution of the leveled list. Wrye Bash can also make tweaks to game variables, i.e. arrow speed, I will not cover that here as it is pretty self explanatory.

When WB merges mods into itself it simply adds the records from the mods into itself in whole, renumbering form ids as needed and repointing any non-vanilla references to the correct record. This one is pretty simple. Usually there are no issues merging mods into the patch, but there are instances where merging the mod in can break parts of it, this is fairly rare and can be bypassed by not allowing WB to merge the mod in question.

Now on to the most important part of what WB does -- merging leveled lists. Mator Smash also does this. I see a lot of folks ask "What is a leveled list?" In the CK there are a full set of objects called dummy markers. There are ones for potions, weapons, armor, etc. When these dummy markers are placed in game an actual item must be attached to them, LItemPotionRestoreHMS, which when you enter the area the game will check your level and choose the item to give you from the leveled lists of that item type. So, why is a bash patch needed, well thanks to the game's Rule of One the last mod to change a leveled list will win and show up in game.

To this rule of one further, When the game loads it first loads all the records that Skyrim.esm has, then the game loads update.esm, any records that are also in skyrim.esm will be overwritten. The game will now move on down the load order adding new records and overwriting any records already loaded. So, only the last loaded record record will "win" and have only it's changes to that record show up in game.

Wrye Bash fixes this by looking at your mods that change the leveled list and will merge the lists together ending up with a single leveld list record containing the changes made by all mods. Now, we have moved from simple merging to conflict resolution (I will cover this in more detail on the mator smash explanation).

If anything needs further explanation, or ya'll would like me to expand on anything just ask. Next we will cover the type of conflict resolution that mator smash and manual patching takes care of. Again, may be awhile before it ready to post.



Last section, we are finally to the most important type of merging, conflict resolution. When a single record is altered by multiple mods the rule of one kicks in and last mod loaded wins. Mator Smash attempts to take all mods that alter the record and merge thier changes
into a single record. We will look at a single record to see what happens, if you wish to follow along the mods are;

USSEP Nexus id 266
Cutting Room Floor 276
ELFX (main file and enhancer) 2424
Open Cities Skyrim 281
Smashed patch
and my Master patch

The record we will look at is 00071ffe. First mod in the load order is USSEP, it actually makes no changes to the record from vanilla. Since this is a top cell record USSEP must change something on a subrecord of this one, in skyrim when you design a cell the cell is empty and it's record contains things like lighting, ambient sounds, etc. When you place, say the ground in the ck in this cell the record for the ground you used will be a subrecord of the main cell. If a mod changes something in the ground subrecord then the mod will also have a copy of the main cell record which will be identical to original record. Even this record is identical to the master it is considered an ITM for cleaning. An ITM for cleaning would be single record with no changes and no subrecords, for most mods this ITM is a mistake and can cause issues later when a mod that does have the same record with a change and the other mod changes it back to vanilla.

Now, back to the record we are looking at... Cutting Room Floor changes afew things within this record, DATA - Flags, XLCN - Location and Ownership. Next mod ELFX, changes nothing and is identical to master (but not an ITM). Next ELFX - Enhancer changes the XCLL - Lighting, but undoes the changes added by CRF, which was already overwritten by ELFX anyway. Next, Open Cities is an itm and undoes ELFX - Enhancer. So, without a smash patch CRF and ELFX changes will not be in game, for ELFX it is not a big deal just no lighting effects for that cell. CRF on the other hand has some keywords removed which could cause issues later.

So we run smash patch and let it do it's conflict resolution, it has left the Data - Flags vanilla, left the lighting vanilla and moved forward CRF changes from XLCN - Location and Ownership. If we were to leave it as is CRF should work correctly (I say should because Data - Flags did not get carried forward. I manually moved the missing things smash patch did not, the Flags and Lighting.

So to recap, Merge Plugins moves plugins in whole into a single plugin creating a larger mod. Wrye Bash moves some mods in whole into itself as well as merging leveled list records. Wrye Smash merges all records as needed, but not plugins, and will need to be checked behind as it is not perfect. My advice, merge plugins only if needed. Run Wrye Bash to merge in plugins and make any tweaks (do not use it's leveled list merge). Run Mator Smash and smash all automate conflict resolution. Finally, manually check behind the smash patch and resolve any conflicts it may have missed. This can be done directly into the smashed patch or into an esp of your making.

Now, is all this necessary for a stable game...no. But, in order for all aspects of all your mods to make thier way into the game and bypass the rule of one is through patching the records by either using the tools provided or manually doing so. The tools are to the point that using them is recommended then checking behind them and adjusting as needed.

As always, if any further explanation is needed just ask. Glad to expound further on this subject or any other that I know the answer to.

[smr1957]

Just some information that I left out. Personally, I use the script, NOT the standalone program - and I strongly recommend using the script for anyone who intends to seriously merge plugins. See:
Merge Plugins xEdit Script - https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37981

Also, use xEdit to merge - NOT zEdit. There are many who state you should use zEdit, but none of them have my experience or knowledge of the subject of merging. When it comes to merging plugins, I am the final authority regarding it. That may sound egotistical, but it is just a plain statement of fact.

[smr1957]

Reserved

[RyD]

So, my merge plugins just WILL NOT detect my MO2. I don't know why,I have MO2 setup as portable.

[RyD]

Even after setting it up so that it can detect MO2.

[smr1957]

Originally posted by rndunham:

So, my merge plugins just WILL NOT detect my MO2. I don't know why,I have MO2 setup as portable.

Did you try using the script version as opposed to the standalone tool? https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/37981
There is this, on the description page (was written for MO not MO 2 but I would presume that it still generally applies):
"Mod Organizer options:
If you're using Mod Organizer, you need to the check the "I'm using Mod Organizer" checkbox
and then make sure the script knows where Mod Organizer is installed. If you click the Detect
button the script will attempt to find Mod Organizer by searching standard installation
directories. You can also enter the path manually or click on the folder icon to browse for it.
The path here should be a full path to the directory holding ModOrganizer.exe. E.g.
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mod Organizer\"

There is a new option here called Copy general assets. This option only works with Mod
Organizer, and has the script copy assets from the "Mod Organizer\mods\*\" folders
corresponding to the ESPs you're merging. I highly recommend you use this option if you're
using Mod Organizer."

[smr1957]

If it still does not detect it, I would guess that there is a pathing issue and the path has not been properly set - though, as stated, since I do not use MO2 I am leery of giving advice about it.

[RyD]

Originally posted by smr1957:

If it still does not detect it, I would guess that there is a pathing issue and the path has not been properly set - though, as stated, since I do not use MO2 I am leery of giving advice about it.

Well, I managed to make a merged and bash patch, but I can't use seem the merge plugins script either. TES5Edit is saying the path is not set.

[smr1957]

You really should NOT use Wrye Bash to merge and absolutely not a merged patch (as distinct from a merged plugin). In fact, a merged patch should not be used at all as a lot of the wrong info is carried forward, and in some case, left out.

[cfs111]

***Subscribed

[RyD]

Well, what can I do? I'm stuck in figurative quicksand. I'm at a loss of what to do in regards to pathing.

[alexander_dougherty]

The only guides I can find on Xedit are outdated, the ones steve has posted in the OP are much more upto date.... You could always google it, see if you can find something helpful to you specifically, but it's going to be a needle in a haystack.

[RyD]

So, I made my first proper merge plugin. It didn't really take away that many load order spots, but it took away some, so I guess I'm making progress.

[smr1957]

Originally posted by rndunham:

So, I made my first proper merge plugin. It didn't really take away that many load order spots, but it took away some, so I guess I'm making progress.

That's how you start. My very first merges were just for simple things - and progressed from there. And, in a large load order, even the saving of just one slot is something to be looked for - even if the only reason to merge is to consolidate 2 or 3 .esps that do not need to be separate. Once you become proficient at it though, you will find that it won't matter much, because you will be merging so many mods together that you will never be in danger of going over the plugin limit - but that is down the road a ways. Keep up the good work!

[RyD]

Originally posted by smr1957:

Originally posted by rndunham:

So, I made my first proper merge plugin. It didn't really take away that many load order spots, but it took away some, so I guess I'm making progress.

That's how you start. My very first merges were just for simple things - and progressed from there. And, in a large load order, even the saving of just one slot is something to be looked for - even if the only reason to merge is to consolidate 2 or 3 .esps that do not need to be separate. Once you become proficient at it though, you will find that it won't matter much, because you will be merging so many mods together that you will never be in danger of going over the plugin limit - but that is down the road a ways. Keep up the good work!

Thank you! ;)