tools-setup.md

Setup Tools

{% hint style="warning" %} If you're running OpenMW, you can skip all sections labelled with 📃 {% endhint %}

This section contains tweaks to the morrowind ini and how to set up the modding tools properly in MO2.

Adjusting Morrowind.ini

One of the patches we installed with the Morrowind Code Patch, Rain/snow collision, requires a few .ini edits to work properly.

In MO2:

• Click the Tools button, and click INI Editor. morrowind.ini will now open.
• Use CTRL+F to input the section names and edit the respective entries to use these values. Note that Weather Snow may be found much further down below than the others, just below the Archives section.

[Weather Rain]
Rain Diameter=1200
Max Raindrops=1500

[Weather Thunderstorm]
Rain Diameter=1200
Max Raindrops=3000

[Weather Snow]
Snow Diameter=1600
Max Snowflakes=1500

• Click Save and close the window.

📃 Morrowind Code Patch setup

• Execute Morrowind Code Patch.exe, found in your Root folder.
• The Morrowind Code Patch will prompt you to install your patches of choice.
• Click Apply chosen patches when you are finished. Close the application.

{% hint style="info" %} Necro has a very detailed explanation of all the MCP options here.) {% endhint %}

Apply all patches except (optional, please read through the descriptions and decide for yourself):

• Beta/Doppler Audio Fix
• Game Mechanics/Followers defend immediately
• Game Mechanics/Slow Fall overhaul
• Game Mechanics/Spellmaking matches editor
• Visuals/Over-the-shoulder third person camera
• Mod Specific/Weapon resistance change
• Mod Specific/NPC AI casts zero cost powers
• Interface/Spell select by name
• International -> select as you wish/need

Registering tools in Mod Organizer 2

For our modding tools to work in Mod Organizer 2, we need to register and configure them.

• Click the Modify Executables button.

MLOX

{% hint style="warning" %} Make sure you have mlox installed properly as described here {% endhint %}

• Click the Add an executable button and select Add from file....
• Navigate to your Morrowind Root folder (C:\Games\Morrowind) and double click mlox.exe.
• Click Apply.

Wrye Mash

• Click the Add an executable button and select Add from file....
• Navigate to C:\Games\Morrowind\Mopy and double click mash64.exe.
• Click Apply and then OK.

TES3Merge

• Click the Add an executable button and select Add from file....
• Navigate to the C:\Games\MorrowindPlusPlus\Tools\TES3Merge\TES3Merge.exe file.
• In the Start In field, select your Morrowind Root folder (C:\Games\Morrowind).
• In the Arguments field, type -i.
• Click Apply, and repeat the process for the remaining tools.

Exlusion rules:

• Navigate to C:\Games\MorrowindPlusPlus\Tools\TES3Merge\ and open TES3Merge.ini with some text editor.
• Find the section [FileFilters] and add the following:

[FileFilters]
BCOM_pathgrid_reset.ESP = false
BCOM_Izi_Hlaalu_plaza.ESP = false
The_magic_rock_of_Maar_Gan.ESP = false
BCOM_Suran Expansion.ESP = false
BCOM_White_Suran.ESP = false
Interior exterior flag reset.ESP = false
BCOM_OpenMW_plazas.ESP = false
F&F_no_city_exterior.ESP = false
F&F_No_Sitters.ESP = false
VFWE_merged_objects_fix.ESP = false

📃 MGE XE

• Click the Add an executable button and select Add from file....
• Navigate to your Morrowind Root folder (C:\Games\Morrowind) and double click MGEXEgui.exe.
• Click Apply.

📃 Configuring MGE XE in Mod Organizer 2

• In Mod Organizer 2, click on the executables dropdown menu to the left of the Run button, and select MGE XE.
• Click Run to run the executable.

{% hint style="info" %}

MGE XE Settings are often a subjective matter, these are some great existing guides and you should read through them:

• Necro's settings
• Sigourn's settings

Below are screenshots that I use (they are similar to Sigourn's guide):

{% endhint %}

Graphics tab

Distant Land tab

This tab lets you generate distant land, which in other words means you will see beyond the vanilla Morrowind fog. Tweaking these settings to achieve the optimal look can be difficult, and it boils down to personal taste.

{% hint style="info" %} All options minus Use Distant Land and Distant land generator wizard are disabled when you get to this tab. We need to generate distant land for these options to become available. {% endhint %}

• Click Distant land generator wizard.
• On the Distant Land Setup Wizard, click Select all. The checked plugins will be used for distant land generation.
• Click Continue. This will open the Distant Land Generation window.
• In the Land Textures tab, simply click Create Land Textures. By default, the options you should see are 2048 and 1024 texture and normalmap resolution, respectively.

• In the Land Meshes tab, select Ultra High from the World mesh detail dropdown menu. Click Create Land Meshes.

• In the Statics tab:
  • Set Minimum Static Size to 50.
  • Check Include reflective water in interiors.
  • Check Use lists of statics overriding parameters set above.
  • Click Create Statics.
• Once the statics have been created, click Finish.

{% hint style="info" %} A rule of thumb is to regenerate your distant land any time you install or uninstall mods. Most importantly, the process will be much easier as you only need to click on Run above steps using saved / default settings the next time you are on the Distant Land Generation window. On your first distant land generation, MGE XE defaults to Distant Land configuration setup.... {% endhint %}

Now that you are back on the Distant Land tab you will see all previously unavailable options are now enabled.

In-game tab

Config tab

• Click the Report max AA and AF under Information to get your graphics card's max antialiasing and anisotropic filtering levels.