The Creation Kit is the primary tool for creating and editing Data Files. Here you can find information about all the windows and dialogs you may encounter while using the toolset.

File Menu

A menu bar that displays commands and options from a drop-down menu. The file menu is located in the upper left hand corner of the Creation Kit and is used for managing loaded data files (.ESMs and .ESPs), importing/exporting of data, checking data validity and managing Archive Files.

File

This menu has options for loading and saving your plugin, as well as exporting and importing data. It also contains the preferences link.

• Data...: Opens the Data Window.
• Save: Saves any changes you've made to the current Active file. If you haven't specified an Active file in the Data Window, you will be prompted for a new filename to save your changes to. All changes will be saved to a plugin file (FILENAME.esp) based on the current master file.
  • Note: Plugin files cannot contain any reserved characters, such as "(" or ")", or when attempting to select them the loader will not recognize them as valid plugins. To remove this error, simply rename the plugin to not contain reserved characters.
• Save and Push Plugin to PC:
• Import/Export: Allows you to export data into tab delimited text files. Used for localization during development.
• Preferences: Allows you to set Preferences for various aspects of the editor. These preferences mainly having to do with the Render Window.
• Validate Loaded Data: Validate Loaded Data runs a check through the loaded plugin and master files to check for errors in how the data is set up. This check is also run automatically when the Creation Kit finishes loading the data selected; this is just a way to run that check without having to reload the data.
• Create Archive: Opens up the Archive Browser window. The Creation Kit includes a rudimentary tool for gathering Game Files and bundling them into an Archive Files.
• Upload Plugin and Archive to Bethesda.net: Uploads the mod to Bethesda.net for the selected platform.
  • PC: Selects the PC platform for upload.
  • XB1: Selects the Xbox platform for upload.
  • PS4: Selects the Playstation platform for upload.
• Compact Active File Form IDs: Compacts all form IDs in the Active file. This will invalidate any saves made off this file.
• Convert Active File to Light Master: Converts the Active file to a light master file. This will only work for small files.
• Login to Bethesda.net...: Opens the Bethesda Login Window.
• Logout: Logs the editor out of any logged in Bethesda.net accounts.
• Exit: Closes the editor. If you have made any changes since your last save, you will be prompted to save before exiting.

Edit

Undo/Redo, Copy/Paste and other essential functions live here, which we will mostly access via Creation Kit Interface Cheat Sheet.

• Undo: Negates the last action taken in the Render Window. For example, an object that had just been moved will be returned to its prior location.
• Redo: Re-applies an action undone with the #Undo action.
• Cut Render: Removes any selected references from the Render Window.
• Copy Render: Copies any currently selected references in the Render Window. Note that relative position and orientation will be maintained.
• Paste Render: Pastes any previously copied reference, or multiple references, into the Render Window at the cursor's current position. All references copied into the window will be selected.
• Paste in Place: Pastes in any selected reference(s) at the position of the initial location copied from.
• Duplicate: Create a new version of any currently selected references in the same location as the original. The newly created reference is immediately selected.
• Search & Replace...: Opens the Search & Replace window.
• Find Text: Opens the Text Search window.
• Render Window Hotkeys: Shows a listing of all Render Window commands and their associated hotkeys.
• Render Window Picking Preferences: Allows the user to select what types of objects can be picked in the Render Window.

View

Options here largely control how the Render Window behaves, and will be useful during more complex tasks.

• Toolbar: Toggles the Toolbar at the top of the screen.
• Statusbar: Toggles the Statusbar at the bottom of the screen.
• Object Window: Toggles the Object Window.
• Cell View Window: Toggles the Cell View Window.
• Scene Info Window: Toggles the Scene Info Window.
• Open Windows...: Displays the Open Windows dialog which is a list of all opened windows in the Creation Kit.
• Preview Window: Displays a window to preview objects selected in tree.
• Show/Hide Window: Displays a set of checkboxes to toggle elements in the Render Window.
• Reference Batch Action Window: Enables data changes to a collection of References.
• Layers...:
• Material Palette:
• Object Window Layouts:
• Current Cell Only: Displays only the navmesh of the Cell in focus. Only functions when editing Navmesh.
• Markers: Toggles markers in the Render Window.
• Light Markers: Toggles the markers used for Light sources (typically a light bulb) in the Render Window.
• Sound Markers: Toggles the markers used for Sound sources in the Render Window.
• Light Radius: Toggles display of Light radius in the Render Window.
• Wireframe: Toggles between Wireframe and normal rendered view in the Render Window.
• Bright Light: Toggles Bright Light view in Render Window.
• Sky: Toggles the sky in the Render Window.
• Grass: Toggles grass on and off in the editor.
• Fog: Toggles fog on and off in the editor.
• Collision Geometry: Toggles Collision Geometry display in the Render Window.
• Leaves: Toggles leaves on or off in the Render Window.
• Trees: Toggles trees on or off in the Render Window.
• Occlusion Planes: Toggles display of occlusion surfaces.
• Isometric: Rotates through three perspective views (top, front, and left) of the selected object in the Render Window.
• Top: Moves the camera to a top view of the selected object in the Render Window.
• Depth Biasing: Forces the depth biasing to function as it would in game. This is a great way to see which objects will Z-Fight in the game, even if they aren't in the editor.
• Refresh Render Window: Refreshes the Render window, this will make all hidden objects visible again as well as update anything that has been changed from outside of the editor, like a new .nif.
• Warnings: Opens the Warnings window.
• Properties: Opens the Properties window.

World

This menu collects many tools for manipulating aspects of the game world.

• World Spaces...:
• Regions:
• Cells:
• World LOD...:
• World Testing And Reports:
  • Test Models:
  • Test Icons/Textures:
  • Test All Cells:
  • Test Interior Cells:
  • Output Model Size List:
  • Update Distant LOD Data:
  • Update Model Bounds:
  • Update Model Texture Lists:
  • Update Object Visibility Data:
  • Update Obstacle Cover Data:
  • Analyze Archive Data:
  • Recalc Land Normals:
  • Find equipment with 100% condition rating:
  • View all locks:
  • View leveled actors by encounter zone:
  • Validate water geometry:
  • Output MapMarker Data:
  • Global Loot Preview:
• View Render Test Failures...:
• View BetaComment Data...:
• Run Havok Sim:
• Update Lighting and Effects:
• Landscape Editing:
• Landscape Editing:
• Object Palette Editing:
• Heightmap Autopaint:
• Heightmap Import:
• Create Local Maps:
• Validate room/portal alignment:
• Align tangent space ay NIF intersection:
• Generate LOS:
• Generate Max Height Data For Current Cell:
• Generate Max Height Data For World:
• Generate Max Height Data For ALL Worlds:
• Generate HiRes Heightfield For Cells:
• PreCombine Geometry for Current Cell:
• PreCombine Geometry for Loaded Area:
• PreCombine Geometry For World:
• PreCombine Geometry For Interior Cells:
• Export All Landscape:
• Force Weather:

NavMesh

Users familiar with Fallout 3's GECK will remember navmesh, our central tool for AI navigation through an environment. This menu holds our various tools for creating and manipulating this valuable functionality.

• Generation:
  • Havok-Based Generation:
  • Recast-Based Generation:
  • Advanced:
• Auto Generate WorldSpace:
• Check NavMeshes:
• Finalize Cell NavMeshes:
• Find Cover Edges:
• Precut All Scrappables:
• Link All Scrappables:
• Create Precuts for Selection:
• Link Precuts for Selection:
• Clear Precuts from Selection:
• Clear All PRecut Links:
• Move Selection To Separate NavMesh:
• Navmesh Draw Mode:
• Draw Cover:
• Draw Tunnels:
• Draw Waypoints:
• Clear Generated Cover:
• Clear Cover:
• Remove Cell NavMeshes:
• Check Worldspace Cells for Finalize:
• Finalize Loaded Area:
• Finalize WorldSpace:
• Force Finalize Full WorldSpace:
• Finalize All Interiors:
• Force Finalize All Spaces:
• Generate Cover For All Spaces:
• Remove All AutoGen Islands:
• Generate Cell Waypoints:
• Set Cell Auto Generated:
• Clear Cell Auto Generated:
• Audit Navmesh Report:
• Normal Pathing Test:
• Cover Test:
• Dodge Test:
• Flee Test:
• Hide Test:
• LOS Test:
• ClosePoint Test:
• Safe Straight Line Test:
• Navmesh Test Mode:
  • Draw Path Only:
  • Draw Cost:
  • Draw Heuristic:
  • Draw Fitness:
  • Draw PathSmoother Bounds:
• Update Obstacle Manager:
• Select Triangle By Index:
• Export Navmesh as OBJ:

Visibility

• Generate Visibility for Current Cell:
• Generate Visibility for All Loaded Cells:
• Generate Precombined Visibility for Current Cell:
• Generate Precombined Visibility for All Loaded Cells:

Character

These tools are mostly for the manipulation of character behavior and beyond the scope of this initial tutorial.

• Filtered Dialogue...:
• Export Relationship Data:
• Export Dialogue:
• Export Dialogue for Specific Voices:
• List Neutral Emotion Dialogue:
• Quest Voice Asset Totals:
• Update NPC Body Tint Colors:
• Update FaceBones Model Availability:
• Edit Player Dialogue:
• Quest Aliases:
• Generate Player Address Lip Files:

Gameplay

These advanced settings can have game-wide effects and are also beyond the scope of this tutorial.

• Settings:
• Papyrus Script Manager: Opens the Papyrus Manager Window.
• Compile Papyrus Scripts...:
• Migrate Papyrus Property Data...:
• Animations:
• Facial Animation...:
• Animation Sound Tag Overrides...:
• Camera Paths:
• Default Objects...:
• Validate Forms:

Help

Simple version information and a link to this wiki!

• Contents:
• About:

Toolbar

The main toolbar includes a set of buttons as shortcuts for commonly used functions from the menus.

• Load Master/Plugin Files:
• Save Plugin:
• Save Plugin, then hot-load it into game on PC:
• Go to Selection on PC:
• Preferences:
• Open Material Editor:
• Undo:
• Redo:
• Snap to Grid:
• Snap to Angle:
• Snap to Connect Points:
• Toggle Local/Global Translation:
• World (Heightmap) Editing:
• Landscape Editing:
• Run Havok Sim:
• Animate Lights and Effects:
• Toggle Lights:
• Toggle Sky:
• Toggle Grass:
• Force render window weather:
• Open Filtered Dialogue Window: