Mod files (also called plugin files) for the TES3 Construction Set are essentially collections of records which are further divided into fields. Records generally correspond to objects in the Construction Set (e.g., a creature, a game setting, a dialogue entry), with the fine details of the object (e.g., health of a creature, a dialog entry text) being handled by the fields of the record.
A plugin file uses the following format:
- A single TES3 record (plugin information).
- A collection of records of varying types, as detailed below.
Note that the information on these pages is intended for mod files and may or may not apply to saved game files, which use a slightly different structure. In particular, saved game files include record types not documented here (e.g., CNTC, CREC, and NPCC, which record changes to containers, creatures, and NPCs). Also, saved games sometimes emit fields in a different order or include fields not present in plugins at all.
Internally, the readers in both the game and the Construction Set take the approach of looping through all fields and then taking action based on the field name found. This means that fields can appear in almost any order, and unrecognized fields will be ignored. The Construction Set writes files in a specific order, though, which is described on the individual record pages. If your application is writing a mod file, it is suggested that you follow this preferred format if possible.
In addition to the fields listed on each record's page, all records support a DELE
tag, indicating that a mod is deleting a record from one of its master files. This is always a uint32. It usually has a 0 value, but SSCR and CELL records can have other values; these values are unused and appear to be vestigial.
Type/Size |
Info |
---|
char[4] |
Record type |
uint32 |
Size of data field. (Must be at least 1) |
uint32 |
Appears to be completely unused. May have been intended for additional flags. |
uint32 |
Flags
- 0x0020 = Deleted (used internally, usually flagged in files by DELE field instead)
- 0x0400 = Persistent reference
- 0x0800 = Initially disabled (only used internally, but see CELL)
- 0x2000 = Blocked
|
uint8[dataSize] |
Data (see Fields, below) |