First post here, so first of all - hi!
And now, noob question incoming, so sorry if it was answered milion times but I am new to NWN modding and couldn’t find a concrete answer to this. Whenever I add custom placeables packs (using haks) they override some of the default ones. Sometimes I loose other placeables, sometimes NPCs, but always it seems to be an exchange - I get something new, but at the same time I lose the old stuff. Is it to be expected and normal? Is there a way to prevent that and have all default placeables, well, in place + new ones on top? I’ll be very grateful for clarification. Cheers!
Hakpack and 2da Merging (Tutorial) | The Neverwinter Vault
Perhaps this will get you started.
It could be better explained with a concrete example.
Thx. Does it mean that without merging haks one can’t just use additional placeables, along with the default ones? Sorry if it’s something obvious, but I get the impression that what you showed me is a bit more advanced than what I want to do.
Hey. Ok, so for example, let’s take more big rocks pack (More Rocks | The Neverwinter Vault). I add it to my module, and for instance Cliff - Endcap 1 or Bush - Large are missing. I guess what I was missing was manually running Check for conflicts - > Report Resources and Conflicts as now I see that all placeable haks I try to import result in some Overriden Standard Resources. So, again, is it always like that? Is there any other way (than merging) to make hak placeables occupy different places in the overall placeables list, so they don’t override with default ones?
It’s really worth understanding how to merge 2da files, as it’s a fundamental skill when adding all sorts of content (not just placeables). It’s not rocket science once you learn the basics.
Even adding one hak might require that skill if its 2da file is out of date.
As for overriding content, there are two different issues.
Firstly, the hak may override a 2da file, meaning that some content may no longer be visible in the toolset until you do the merge.
Secondly, the model names in the hak may be the same as the official ones (or some lower priority hak). In that case those models will override, regardless of 2da issues. That can be addressed by renaming the models - a slightly advanced topic, because internal references need text editing.
The simplest solution for beginners is to use a ready-made compilation e.g. CEP 2.x which has essentially addressed these issues for you.
However, at some point you will want to add content that CEP 2.x doesn’t have, or address other shortcomings. That’s when learning 2da editing is a must.
In the early days you can simply avoid haks with overriding models names (unless you want the override, of course). Once you’ve mastered the 2da issue, though, learning about model renaming will take you to the next level.
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What sort of benefits are we talking about Proleric? What happens when one has mastered model renaming?
To Proleric listen. I can’t say it better.
He will not die as stupid as he was before. 
That skill allows you to use models that were designed to override as non-overriding options. In other words, you can choose the old or new appearance in the toolset for specific instances, rather than force everything into the new appearance.
This comes up more often than you might imagine when adding custom content, especially those mods that are designed to change the OC rather than give the builder a content library.
Sometimes, it also happens that two different haks use the same model names and / or texture names. Understanding how to edit the model internals is key to both of those situations, too.
Cheers mate. It’s not that I am against gaining this knowledge, quite the opposite, just wanted to make sure if I’m not missing something obvious and trivial. Anyway, gonna test merging this weekend and see how it goes from there.
Ahh, we have a joker here.