Testing in Editor (Mesh / Anim Preview)

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Pros

• almost instant
• can make changes on-the-fly </aside>

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Cons

• envs lighting presets are hard to control, most are hard to see in, preset customization is not available
• some materials require loaded world lights to show (pbr_voal) </aside>

Testing in Editor (World)

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Pros

• takes about 30 seconds to launch game in and out
• can make changes almost on-the-fly </aside>

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Cons

• takes about 5-10 minutes of initial prep
• editor keeps all data loaded in your PC’s memory even while you pause the play mode
• some changes require hard reload
• smaller resolution and lower graphical settings of editor view make it hard to see small details
• can’t test for compatibility with other mods
• can’t run mods that rely on other mods to run </aside>

Testing in Game

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Pros

• can go through actual user experience of the mod
• can see your edits on fully setup entities and encounters with various lightning, weather conditions, with animations and within quests
• modding utils make it easier to go through NPC appearances
• can test it for performance on *modded game
• can test for compatibility with other mods </aside>

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Cons

• testing loop is very slow - a testing run takes 5-15 minutes
  • run game → wait → load a save → wait → test → exit game → question your sanity
• making any changes will require you to re-pack, re-install your mod, and then test again
• other mods may cause you troubles </aside>

Suggested visual mods testing pipeline:

• find a location in-game with a good, clean lighting
• enter SBUI, find and pose your asset
• in SBUI, place camera somewhere convenient to you
• exit SBUI and save your game
• now, when you load that save, you can re-enter SBUI and the scene would be all set

Useful Links:

• External tools: