openmw.org

Hello! The title of the post has my question, but here it is again:

Do I need to add a mod's data directory to `openmw.cfg` if the mod only has meshes?


It is unclear to me if openmw will pull in those meshes if there is no .esm or .esp file.

For an example of this scenario, I'm currently installing the "Morrowind Optimization Patch" mod, which only has a "meshes" folder.

I'm aware I can install this mod by just moving the meshes to the data file of my Morrowind installation, but if openmw will pull them in without the .esm or .esp, then that'd be convenient.

Edit: This question could probably be better worded as "...if the mod doesn't have .esm or .esp files?"

Looks like I can still use the format to pull in data files with no .esp/.esm

As far as game data is concerned, adding a mod folder to OpenMW.cfg with a 'data=' line is effectively equivalent to installing the mod in the main data directory, but with the added benefits that having it in a separate folder brings. If the vanilla engine works with a mod being put in the main data directory, OpenMW will work with it being added as a 'data=' line.

You not only could, you should.

Some meshes don't work well with OpenMW for whatever reason, so you want to be modular about installing every mesh improvement. I remember finding a problem in "Mesh Improvements Optimized" - a very popular and many would say mandatory mod for improving MW's graphics and performance - during my massive mod install (I forget what the specific problem was, but it was something with one particular mesh in that mod) and I wouldn't have been able to solve it without the modular and separate mesh installs OpenMW's folders allow.