Despite a lot of patience from Maegfaer, I am struggling to get version control to do merge esp to master. I can get the esp to show up, get version control to work, it creates the files where they are supposed to be in the merging/data folder but for some obscure reason it cannot find the master file to merge into on the network.

Your not even telling us which VCS you are using .

Besides that, I use Mercurial, but I haven't tried to merge esp's - binary data.
I wouldn't expect that to work, especially not with a self referencing binary format.

So, I just use it for scripts, for anything else I'd wager we need the full CK and Perforce, or am I missing something?

No idea what perforce is, I always get a, not runiung perforce kind of error on starting up but vc works without it anyway. (i think)

SkyrimEditor.ini;

[General]bUseVersionControl=1

This activates what remains of Bethesda's version control features allowing the developers to add their work into Skyrim.esm.

The problem is that we a) have no documentation of the features and b ) don't know if they still marginally work in our version of the CK.

JOB
Ah I see, that's certainly interesting!

Although I have never worked with the http://www.perforce.com/ VCS.
To get the VC integration in the CK working, we probably need Perforce or find out how it integrates, fake that, and then fake whatever API there is, and use another - free - VCS in its place.
All which might not be legal?

Best not done then. Back to the drawing board.

I've already merged 8 ESP plugins into our ESM files just fine, Version Control works perfectly once you figured it out. Perforce is not necessary to have. Thekarithian gets an error that it can't find the ESM file on the network, despite it being in the correct location and having set up the INI settings correctly. He has everything set up correctly, if he can make the CK see his network master he's ready to go.

Perhaps someone could make a (more or less) idiotproof wiki page on this. Version control seems to be the source of most of the so called bugs in this CK. I think Joel Burgess confirmed that.

I think my issue may be to do with network etc. Perhaps security settings and so forth, though I am guessing. I need to replicate what someone else has done step by step in setting it up to work.

1. Load CK
2. Check mesogea.esm and skyrim.esm
3. Load both
4. Locate worldspace Mesogea and go to location 0,0
5. Open landscape editor and press to paint area some random ground texture to make something for a plugin
6. window opens:

(01A70FDF) was checked out by Family on 12/0/2011 but is not in the active plugin. DO you want to alter this object?

Click no and cant use the landscape editor
Click yes and the painted texture appears

7. Save plugin "test1"

8. Open version control and without touching anything, nothing is blue (selected etc) I go direct to "check out" and get this result:

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5875/test1yr.jpg

Can you make a screenshot of your network folder where the master file is located?


Rather the lack of Version Control is a source of bugs. For Bethesda everything works fine with Version Control enabled, the fact that it's disabled by default in our CK causes bugs. For example I noticed that the heightmap editor actually is tied into Version Control, if you save heightfield quads with VC enabled it uses VC to save the LAND data straight into the network master. Without it, it tries to save locally into a ESP and that can bug out.

Its inside Merging/data is that correct? One minute, i'll do one.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/2452/folderdz.jpg

skyrimeditor.ini relevant bit

[General]
bUseVersionControl=1
SNetwork Path=\\FAMILY-PCMerging\
SNewVersionBackupPath=\\FAMILY-PC\Merging\VersionBackup\
SNetworkMasterPath=\\FAMILY-PC\Merging\Data\
bAllowMultipleMasterLoads=1


bUseMyGamesDirectory=0
SLocalSavePath=Saves\
SLocalMasterPath=Data\
SLocalBackupPath=Data\CheckInBackup


skyrimeditorprefs.ini relevant bit

[WhoCanMerge]
Family=1


Set up in network options, (click on little telly screen bottom right of desktop) open network and sharing centre

FAMILY-PC
----- Ntetwork name is "home" --------
(This computer)

home is under home network , status is joined in homegroup and local area connection



Under control panel users

current user Family (administrator)

----------------------------------

All right or wrong, beats me.

Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say, thanks.

I am probably doing something simple and obvious thats wrong, but cant see it. Ive messed with security settings and all kinds of things, but no joy still. Once I figure it (if ever) I will gladly do a walk-through video.

Is Kaspersky causing issues?

Add Skyrim.esm to the Merging/Data folder. Also keep ESP files out of it, they should be located only in your regular Data directory. Not sure if it helps, but you can try.

Ok a step forward, it not longer gives the error.
Do I select all three entries with ctrl and left click? or not.

I select all three and click check out, then all three and click check in, then it comes up with a choice of masters,.

I select mesogea.esm and it says it will become dependent on skyrim.esm I click yes and it says, "correct answer is No, until we're working on DLC etc etc"

Hilfe, help

Screen with items I presume I select and check out, then reselect and check in: http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3752/checkout1.jpg

It then waits a bit and shows me a box with the skyrim.esm and mesogea.esm

I select mesogea.esm and it says do I want it to become dependent on skyrim.esm, I get this:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7170/futile.jpg

If I click "no" it stops at that point

if I click yes I get

"Sorry until we're working on DLC the correct answer is no."

As far as I can get this time.

Help

Yes I had that too, you need to make it dependant on Skyrim.esm manually. You can do this with TesVSnip, as long as you do the following to enable compression:


If you can't figure it out, upload Mesogea.esm for me and I'll make it dependant on Skyrim.esm and send it back. After this Version Control will work.

Will it work if I make it dependent with wyrebash? I'll use tesvsnip and give it a go. Might as well, as Im on a roll

Oh yes, Wrye Bash will work as well. Forgot about that one for a moment.

Great, I used it previously so will try it again. If I can get this sorted and get merges working, then I am well forward. The only difficulty I hit is knowing what to do on the version control screen. Just let me know if this is how to do it:

Open version control, this contains three items, I think they are WRLD, CELL and LAND. I keep altered checked on the bottom right corner. I then select the three items as shown on the screen: http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3752/checkout1.jpg.

I select all three by ctrl and mouse click. Then click Check Out. I then select all three again, ctrl and mouse, then click "Check In" the blue selection bars disappear but then the master file selection pops up. (which hopefully wyre will sort out - though the path of my life is strewn with the cowpats of the devils own satanic herd, to coin a BlackAdder line, so no doubt I will struggle again somewhere further along)

You're doing it right. An easier way of selection is using Shift + Click though, if you have many forms (which you will, later). The 4 buttons (Altered, My Owned, All, All Checked Out) are just display filters. Altered shows the forms that your current active ESP has edited, My Owned shows all forms that you checked out. All Checked Out I think shows all forms that are checked out by other users (who don't exist, so this button is useless) and All simply shows all forms of all loaded ESM/ESP files.

I usually select all forms that I want to merge in Altered using Shift + Click, then Check Out, then switch to My Owned where all my Check Out forms are displayed. There I simply click the Select All button, and then choose Check In. I select my ESM of choice, and then choose No when it asks if I want to use a Check In Data file (This is practically only used when you check in the contents of a ESP in multiple sessions, you can and should usually avoid doing so), and then it merges. Restart the CK, it will say your local ESM is outdated, press Yes to make it copy the updated Network ESM, and there you are.

So far so good, now to try playing and saving etc. Do you sometimes get the message about a file having been checked in etc when making a change, or somesuch similar thing? I

And finally works like a dream. Absolutely fantastic, no idea yet if I can save and go back in though, thats to be tested as soon as my son stops making silly villages in Oblivion and filling them with twenty foot goblins You think I am kidding... I aint.

If all goes well and the saves work etc, I am going to start a scratch to finish tutorial to go right from L3dt, tes Annwyn, Oscape, version control and to date as I think I have hit every possible snag in every program available.

Oops, spoke too soon.

I went to try a save game etc. I decided to do a clean game from the point where some bloke gets his head chopped off at the start of the game. Loaded mesogea.esm (cant choose anything else in the new load screen) so presume skyrim.esm and update.esm are both loaded auto.

Dragon attack, leg it through the underground caverns etc, out I come and then wait until quest is over, unbound etc.

Ok, cow mesogea 0,0 I can find the location and the couple of trees etc I merged to master. Merge works fine.

Save, back out and go around Skyrim for a bit. Load the save game and end up back in Giants whatever Inn, not mesogea.

It might be wyre-bash that isnt doing something when it links mesogea.esm to skyrim.esm.

I will try tesvsnip. Meanwhile I will uploade mesogea.esm and if you wouldnt mind sticking it through the wash please Maegfaer.
This isnt the finished esm as I still have stuff to do in l3dt, but its intended for me to get a proofworked esm into the game.