[SOLVED][xEdit] - What does "MODS - Alternate Textures" record do?

[belegost]

Having changed my load order yet again after getting rid of LOTD, I am now in the process of cleaning my merged patch of any leftovers. I also want to get rid of as many redundant records as possible in order to keep the patch as small in size as possible.

 

Below is an example of one such record:

 

As you can see, I could just completely remove "Horker and Yam stew" from the patch and leave RND as the conflict winner. However RND get rid of MODS record, which all the previous plugins have.  Since there are more items which look like that, I would like to ask: what does this specific record do and is it necessary for something?

Edited September 1, 2023 by belegost

[Grey Cloud]

Don't know the actual answer but I'd make a copy of the esp, delete the entries and roll with RND. Any problems, put the back the unedited esp.

[belegost]

19 minutes ago, Grey Cloud said:

Don't know the actual answer but I'd make a copy of the esp, delete the entries and roll with RND. Any problems, put the back the unedited esp.

 

Sure I could, but I don't want to. I want to do it once and be done with it, and not come back to slugging through that file for the next year or so. And I still want to know what does this record do. For future reference.

[Pamatronic]

Usually the texture for any given nif is defined within the nif itself. It is however possible to define an different texture set for an object within the esp. This is for used for objects which exist in multiple color variations. (woodbeams, stockade sets, pretty much everything in zap, ...). This way one doesn't need a separate nif file for every object. If you delete this entry in the esp, the object will revert to its default texture.

[Varithina]

In this case it does not really matter, the model is the one you see in your inventory, the first three mods are using the default dragon born one which uses the textures shown, realistic needs is defining it own model, which uses its own internal textures, use whichever ones you want, if you want to use the model realistic defines use that or use the dragon born one, you can look at both of them by checking the item in your inventory as the merge currently stands, then exit the game and drag the model and textures bit over from realistic re enter the game and look at the model again.

[belegost]

44 minutes ago, Pamatronic said:

This is for used for objects which exist in multiple color variations

 

35 minutes ago, Varithina said:

In this case it does not really matter, the model is the one you see in your inventory

 

Thank you both, that was very helpful information. That actually means I can go over the whole patch again and trim it down even more for other records, now that I know what it is responsible for. Nice!

[Varithina]

1 hour ago, belegost said:

 

 

Thank you both, that was very helpful information. That actually means I can go over the whole patch again and trim it down even more for other records, now that I know what it is responsible for. Nice!

 

Just to note it might also be the world model as well, but it still does not really matter, just use the one you prefer. 

 

It matters more when looking at other things, weapons/armour things like that, in that case you would really want to know just what each one looks like, though chances are the load order would tell you which one to use, basically the last one in most cases.