Can Upload Plugin and Archive to Bethesda.net?

Guide:Archive2

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WIP

This page is incomplete but all info is relevant!

Introduction [edit]

Archive2 is the official tool from Bethesda used to pack athenaeum files for Fallout iv, known as .ba2

It is part of the toolpack that come with the Fallout4'southward Cosmos Kit.

For stop-users, it is useful to re-pack files under .ba2, especially textures.

Installation [edit]

The creation kit and its toolpack have to exist installed through the Bethesda.net launcher.

You tin can download the installer past clicking here

Once the download is complete, run BethesdaNetLauncher_Setup.exe to install it to the location of your choice.

Then, showtime the launcher (either from the shortcut if you chose to create one during the installation, or by launching BethesdaNetLauncher.exe ). You will be presented with this page:

If yous don't already have a Bethesda.net account, you will need to create a i past clicking on CREATE ACCOUNT. If you already take one, simply enter your credentials to gain access to the launcher:

Merely select Creation Kit: Fallout 4 in the left panel, and click INSTALL on the bottom-left corner of the launcher. Accept the EULA, and exit the install options at default (except for shortcuts if you lot want/don't want them).

Expect for the download/installation to consummate (less than 1 minute).

Congratulation ! You know have access the the FO4'southward creation kit and all of its toolset.

Utilization [edit]

Packing a unmarried annal from scratch [edit]

You will find Archive2.exe in <gamefolder>/Tools/Archive2

Simply double-click on information technology to have launch the application:

To add together files to your annal, click on Archive -> Add Files... or Archive -> Add Binder..., scan your figurer and add the relavant files with the proper folder architecture.

Once all the files y'all desire into your .ba2 have been added, yous tin pack the .ba2 by clicking on File -> Save.

You will have to enter a name and cull the location of your archive. Your archive will then exist generated according to your settings.

Creating a new annal [edit]

Instead of the above method, it is possible to first create the archive, then add files into information technology. This is pretty much the same, except that you're first prompted to enter the archive's settings when you create it.

To create a new annal, Click on Files -> New...

You will be prompted to enter the archive's settings. See Settings Configuration

Settings Configuration [edit]

To configure the settings of your annal, click on Annal -> Settings... to bring upward this dialogue:

Annal Settings [edit]

Those settings bear on the annal itself.

Format [edit]

Default: General

Options:

• General - Pack the archive as a regular .ba2
• DDS - Pack the annal optimized for textures
• XBoxDDS - Pack an archive optimized for textures and XBox
• GNF - Unknown, should allow for texture-storage optimization as well

Maximum Archive Size [edit]

Default: 17592186044415

Mutually exclusive with Archive Count. Set the size limits of an archive, 4095 MB maximum for the engine to properly load the archive.

Annal Count [edit]

Default: 0

Mutually exclusive with Maximum Archive Size. Believed to be usable to create multiple indexed archives (come across FO4'southward textures .ba2 files).

Relieve Cord Tabular array [edit]

Not 100% sure about this withal (well, this certain is to save a string table of the archived files somewhere, the question is where, and to which purpose).

File Settings [edit]

Those settings affect individual files stored in the annal. Only files added to the annal will accept those settings taken into consideration, files already nowadays volition retain their previous pinch level.

Pinch [edit]

Default: Default

Options:

• None - No pinch
• Default - Standard compression
• XBox - Xbox-specific pinch

The compression of the file.

Max Clamper Count [edit]

Default: 4

Seems to be the maximal number of chunks earlier mipmaps are indexed individually.
The exact incidence of this setting is currently unknown.

Single Mip Chunk Surface area [edit]

Default : 512 x 512

Annotation that despite those default values, it'd seems that vanilla .ba2 are using 256x256 (to be confirmed).
The verbal incidence of this settings is currently unknown.

Browsing and editing an archive [edit]

To scan the content of an archive, use File -> Open up... and select a pre-existing .ba2 file.

The list of tiles is displayed on the main table. You can filter information technology with the text field at the meridian to just display specific files, either by sub-string match ("Normal" radio-button), or by regular expression ("Regex" radio-button).

From here, you tin can:

• Add new files to the archive, using Archive -> Add together Files/Folder/Source Files...
• Remove files: Select them and press suppr or use Archive -> Remove Files
• Extract all the content of the annal to a specified location with Archive -> Extract All To...
• Excerpt specific files: Select them and use Archive -> Excerpt Selected To...
• Change the settings of the archive (continue in mind that only archive settings will take furnishings. File settings will affect only newly added files, not those already nowadays).

Why and how re-packing texture packs [edit]

Texture-optimized archives improve the way textures are handled by the game, optimizing performances and VRAM usage.

Technicalities are... technical. Hither are two quotes from ianpatt (f4se, originally dumped .ba2 for bsaextractor), and Jon (Nifskope, B.A.E.):

The Texture BA2s are an optimized format. They exercise not hold consummate DDS files merely instead are optimized for streaming certain miplevels into the game.

— Jon

In that location are ii types of ba2 archives: full general, and texture. Full general athenaeum can incorporate anything, while texture archives are optimized for storing textures. There is no meaning size reward when comparing the ii, but texture archives shop textures in a more intelligent way that is friendlier to the runtime texture streamer. When reading a DDS file, finding the lower resolution textures requires seeking to, and therefore decompressing most of the file. This is inefficient, because in most cases you volition care well-nigh the lower resolution mips start, when the object is off in the altitude. Texture archives store whatever mips higher than 256x256 in their own split up blocks, while the 256x256 and below are all in their own block.

— ianpatt

Textures pack are often distributed as loose files, because they don't need any plugin. However, re-packing them equally .ba2 can improve performance over loose files.

To repack a mod every bit a .ba2:

• Extract the mod'due south texture binder in a temporary location.
• Start Archive2.exe, select File -> New...
• In the settings, make certain that:
  • Format is set to DDS
  • Pinch is set to default
• Add the modernistic'south texture folder using Archive -> Add Binder...
• Salvage as a .ba2 using File -> Save As...

There is ii ways to have a .ba2 loaded into the game :

Plugin's name match:

• Create a dummy plugin past simple opening the CK and saving. (In this example, PluginName.esp)
• Package your archive with the texture pack, and name it PluginName - Textures.ba2
• Make sure both are present in the Data/ folder, and that PluginName.esp is activated.

INI force feed:

• Package your annal with the texture pack. Name it whatsoever you want, such as MyTexturePack.ba2
• Add MyTexturePack.ba2 at the finish of the list (separated by comma) of the sResourceIndexFileList setting in Fallout4.ini

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Source: https://stepmodifications.org/wiki/Guide:Archive2