Would like to verify my thinking on a crash log

[Jotasran]

I have nothing modifying random NPCs.  My graphics mods are SMIM and Skyland AIO.  I'm thinking this is texture causing CTD?  Plan is to get rid of SMIM.  If it happens again then Skyland.  If I'm going down the wrong track, I'd appreciate your input.

 

 

crash-2023-01-09-05-01-49.log

[traison]

Not a texture I'd say, but a mesh: Landscape\Roads\RoadStraight01.nif

Something to do with havok physics, and whatever "IW Barb 05 L" is.

 

Find which mod provides that file and then make your decision.

1. Shove the nif into a nif optimizer and see what comes out the other side. You can even try converting it to a Skyrim LE mesh, if that is an option provided by the optimizer.
2. Delete the file in question, and use the vanilla asset instead.
3. Delete the mod.

[Jotasran]

OK, so this is not like a normal overwrite as in an esp.  How do I determine what mod that nif is coming from?

 

NM:  I found it though this weird windows 11 function called "search"

 

I've optimized and replaced the NIF, so we'll see what happens.  Thanks for the help.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Jotasran

[traison]

You'll have to query your mod manager for that. In MO2 it's the Data tab on the right side.

[Jotasran]

Just to verify my guess and make sure I'm not making a mistake, the vanilla meshes are in Data/Skyrim- Meshes0.bsa and Meshes1.bsa.   Then these are overwritten the meshes in Data/Meshes/etc....

 

So to replace the mesh, I'm simply copying over the RoadStraight01.nif file in Data/Meshes/Landscape etc.  ?

 

 

[traison]

Don't assume just because it is in the meshes bsa that only the files in meshes\* overwrite them. Think of the bsa file as another data directory with lower priority. With archive invalidation enabled any file in the actual data directory will override any file with the same path in any bsa file. MO2 adds another layer on top of that with its vfs but I'm not going to go into that here.

 

So, to switch from a modded roadstraight01.nif (found in the meshes directory) you would simply delete the file, and skyrim will fall back to using the one in the bsa files. However, NMM/Vortex probably won't like this. As far as I know, this mod manager uses symbolic links when installing mods. Meaning the file you see in the meshes directory is just a link to the actual file. It may return at any point, if it is deleted or moved. You'd probably have to locate the mod in NMM/Vortex that installed this file and delete it from there, then "apply" your changes to have the mod manager remove the symbolic link.

 

Edit: Actually the vortex links may be hardlinks and not symlinks. Still though, wouldn't recommend deleting/moving/copying.

Edited January 10, 2023 by traison

[Jotasran]

Hmm. OK.. Thanks.  I'll look into that.  I need to open the BSA with a exe that does that, then replace the nif... then repack as a bsa?

[traison]

9 minutes ago, Jotasran said:

open the BSA with a exe that does that, then replace the nif

 

No, never do that with vanilla bsa files.

[Jotasran]

I meant the Skyland file.  I see now it's not a BSA but rather just a folder in the Vortex mods folder.