Skyrim Modding: Plug-ins & Software

Even without the Creation Kit, Skyrim's community has already amassed a huge number of modifications. Using a few nifty tools and plug-ins, you too can jump into the mix. When it comes to changing the color of a weapon's texture, the workflow is easy. If you plan on working with any of the 3d models, however, things get more complicated. For now, I'll be introducing the tools you'll need to get the job done. Soon, I'll be posting more detailed tutorials and breakdowns of a variety of processes. Re-texturing, replacing a weapon, you name it.

Before I get into any of that, you'll need to unpack a few things you'll want to play around with from your Skyrim's install directory (most likely "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim"). Bethesda Softworks stores all of the game's content, from textures to sound clips, in an archive format called .BSA. To 'unzip' this, you can use the same tools that were used for the .BSAs included with Fallout 3. The FO3 Archive Utility is definitely the most straightforward method.


File > Open. Select the appropriate BSA file from your Skyrim directory. Browse, select your file(s), then Action > Extract for great justice.

With the desired files in hand, you're ready to get situated with the plug-ins and software you'll need to do your dirty work.

Nvidia's Texture Tools
We only need one tool out of this bag, but don't let that outshine the usefulness of the rest. Nvidia's Photoshop plug-in features a quick and dirty normal map generator in addition to allowing you to open and save those .DDS textures included with the game. Don't worry if you're not running something with an Nvidia product. It'll still work! :D

3ds Max NIF Plug-in
If you're interested in playing around with any of the game's 3d models, here you go. This allows you to import/export files of the .NIF variety. Everything is in the early stages still, so the workflow is much more complex than it will be in the future. More on that in future posts.

NifSkope
Straight from the site, NifSkope is "A graphical program that allows you to open NIF files, view their contents, edit them, and write them back out again. You can use it to quickly make changes to specific properties of a NIF file such as changing the texture, adding translucency, and more. A 3D view of the contents of the NIF file allows you to preview your changes instantly. You can even create texture templates, and import & export OBJ files". This is absolutely necessary for replacing models at the moment. With the Max plug-in as it is right now, a few things need to be taken care of in NifSkope before anything you modify or replace functions properly.

Stay tuned.