System setup

Game and tools installation

System setup and modding tools

Follow the system setup guide. The system setup guide ensures that all game files are fresh and prompts you to create a basic modding folder structure to install tools into. This guide uses the folder structure from the system setup guide in its instructions. Users that deviates from the system setup guide needs to be aware of this and adjust the instructions accordingly to their installation and modding paths.

Folder structure

c:\
└── Modding\
    │
    └── Tools\
    
...Steam\
    │
    └──steamapps\
        │
        └──common\
            │
            └──Skyrim Special Edition\
                │
                └──Data\

Common folders referred to in this guide

  • Tools folder: c:\Modding\Tools\
  • Main game folder: …\Steam\Steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition
  • Data folder: …\Steam\Steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\Data

After following the system setup guide you will have a clean installation of Skyrim and the following tools installed and configured:

  • BethINI
  • DynDOLOD
  • LOOT
  • Mod Organizer
  • xEdit (also xrefered to as TES5Edit or SSEEdit)
  • xLODGen (also refered to as TES5LODGen or SSELODGen)

When you install DynDOLOD, choose DynDOLOD 3.00. None of the main files are needed at this point.

Additional tools installations and setups

Complete the system setup by installing the following tools:

Creation Kit

Download

The Creation Kit is needed to convert plugins made for Skyrim to work with Skyrim Special Edition. The conversion is very simple and basically just means to open a plugin in the creation kit and re-save it. The link above goes to the Bethesda Launcher install file. Installation of the Creation Kit will be done using the Bethesda Launcher.

  1. Download and install the Bethesda.net Launcher
  2. Run the Launcher and sign in (create an account if you don’t have one).
  3. Users should see the grey “Creation” icon on the left. Click on it and install.
  4. Users should now launch the CK, choose no to extracting the scripts, and close the program.

Create a new text file in the main game folder and name it CreationKitCustom.ini. Paste the following into the file:

[Audio]
bEnableAudio=1

[Grass]
bAllowCreateGrass=1
bAllowLoadGrass=0

[General]
bAllowMultipleMasterFiles=1
bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1

[MESSAGES]
bBlockMessageBoxes=1

[Archive]
SResourceArchiveList2=Skyrim - Voices_en0.bsa, Skyrim - Textures0.bsa, Skyrim - Textures1.bsa, Skyrim - Textures2.bsa, Skyrim - Textures3.bsa, Skyrim - Textures4.bsa, Skyrim - Textures5.bsa, Skyrim - Textures6.bsa, Skyrim - Textures7.bsa, Skyrim - Textures8.bsa, Skyrim - Patch.bsa, Dawnguard.bsa, Hearthfires.bsa, Dragonborn.bsa

SSE CreationKit Fixes

Download

Download and extract the contents to the main game folder.

Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable

Download

Install vc_redist.x86.exe and vc_redist.x64.exe.

Unlimited Bookshelves Patch Generator

Download

This is a script for SSEEdit. Unzip the archive and place the content in the SSEEdit script folder (i.e. ..Modding/Tools/xEdit/Scripts/).

Create mod listings for output data

To prevent output files generated by tools ending up in Mod Organizer’s overwrite folder, thus mixing with other files you might want to keep track of, it is advised to create empty mod listings in Mod Organizer for these types of files.

Create a separator to keep things tidy:

  1. Right click in the mods section of Mod Organizer 2.
  2. Select All Mods/Create Separator.
  3. Name the separator Output Data.

Create the output data folders:

  1. Right click in the mods section of Mod Organizer 2.
  2. Select All Mods/Create empty mod.
  3. Name the mod.

Repeat the steps, creating the following mod listings:

  • SSEEdit Cache
  • SSEEdit Backups
  • BodySlide _Output
  • Nemesis_Output
  • Unlimited_Bookshelves_Patch_Generator_Output
  • xLODGen_Output
  • TextGen_Output
  • DynDOLOD_Output
  • Occlusion_Data

Some tools can be set to output data to these mod listings while other tools output data will have to be manually moved after each run. The tools that can output data directly into the output folders will be configured to do so in the next section.

Adding executables

All tools except BethINI should be launched through Mod Organizer. Mod Organizer may have auto-detected some tools but you need to confirm this and manually add the rest of the tools.

Instructions to add tools as executables

  1. Click the Executables button at the top of the main Mod Organizer window.
  2. In the Title field type name of the tool.
  3. In the Binary field either type the path to the tools executable file or browse for it by selecting the … button (i.e. ..Modding\Tools[tool-folder][tool].exe).
  4. Input arguments in the Argument field. Arguments should be separated by spaces.
  5. Check the Use Application’s Icon for shortcuts box.
  6. Click the Apply button.

Repeat the steps for the executables listed below, filling in the appropriate data. The titles are suggestions. Users that deviate from the recommended install paths need to adjust the arguments accordingly.

Tools

  • DynDOLOD SE
    • Title: DynDOLOD SE
    • Executable: DynDOLOD64.exe
    • Arguments:
      • -SSE
      • -o:c:\Modding\Tools\DynDOLOD_Output
  • LOOT
    • Title: LOOT
    • Executable: LOOT.exe
    • Arguments: –game=“Skyrim Special Edition”
  • SSEEdit
    • Title: SSEEdit
    • Executable: SSEEdit.exe
    • Arguments:
      • -IKnowWhatImDoing
      • -B:“c:\Modding\Tools\Mod Organizer 2\mods\SSEEdit Backups”
      • -C:“c:\Modding\Tools\Mod Organizer 2\mods\SSEEdit Cache”
  • xLODGen
    • Title: xLODGen
    • Executable: xLODGen64.exe
    • Arguments:
      • -sse
      • -o:“c:\Modding\xLODGen\xLODGen_Output"
  • SSEEdit Quick Auto Clean (installed with SSEEdit)
    • Title: SSEEdit Quick Auto Clean
    • Executable: SSEEditQuickAutoClean.exe
    • Arguments:
  • TexGen SE (installed with DynDOLOD)
    • Title: TexGen SE
    • Executable: TexGen64.exe
    • Arguments:
      • -SSE
      • -o:c:\Modding\Tools\TextGen_Output

Note that you need to check that the paths in the given arguments are valid for your install paths.

BethINI Setup

BethINI needs to be run for the current profile in Mord Organizer and ran to establish the INI’s before beginning the mod installations.

Initialization

  1. Close Mod Organizer and run BethINI.
  2. Select Skyrim Special Edition from the game selection box.
  3. Allow BethINI to handle custom INIs, if prompted.
  4. Go to the Setup tab
  • Ensure the Game Path is correct (e.g., ..\Modding\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition).
  • Ensure the Mod Organizer path is correct (e.g., ..\Modding\Tools\Mod Organizer 2).
  • If the Mod Organizer path is correct, the INI Path menu will find the user’s profiles in MO2. Select the profile you use in Mod Organizer.
  • If BethINI does not automatically find the profiles, browse to MO2’s Profile folder.
  • For Instance users the profile will be stored in the user’s AppData folder (i.e. C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\ModOrganizer\SkyrimSE\profiles)
  1. At this time BethINI should restart to grab the correct INI’s. Continue to customization.

Customization

Close Mod Organizer and run BethINI if it isn’t open already.

Use the following settings:

Basic tab

In the presets section:

  1. Click Default button.
  2. Click High button.
  3. Click BethINI Presets selector.
  4. Make sure Recommended Tweaks is checked.

Use the following settings:

  • Resolution: set your system resolution
  • Anti-Aliasing: TAA
  • Windowed Mode: On
  • Borderless: On
  • FXAA: Off
  • VSync: On
  • Lock Frame Rate: Off

View Distance tab

  • Object Fade: 25.0
  • Actor Fade: 12.0
  • Item Fade: 4.5
  • Grass Fade: 18000
  • Light Fade: 50000

Custom Tab

  • Section: Decals
    • Setting: uMaxSkinDecalPerActor
      • Change to 100.

On the Basic tab, click the Save and Exit button.