Root Builder – Installation and Usage
An infernalryan Skyrim Modding Guide
Overview
This guide will provide instructions on how to properly install the Root Builder plugin for Mod Organizer 2, how to use it, as well as how to configure most popular plugins.Guide Contents:- Preface of what Root Builder is and why it is used
- Installation and usage including examples of proper vs improper folder setup
- Popular plugins with detailed instructions on how to set these up using Root Builder
- Further reading for links to other helpful information
Please consider ENDORSING if you found this guide helpful!
1 Preface
Root Builder is a plugin for Mod Organizer 2 that allows users to manage files in the base Skyrim game folder. By default, MO2 can only manage files in the Skyrim /Data folder. This means that popular plugins such as SKSE, which typically require manual installation of files into the Skyrim game folder, cannot be managed by MO2. Root Builder changes this, allowing you to manage these types of plugins just like any other mod, leaving your Skyrim game folder in "pristine, vanilla condition!".2 Installation and usage
This section details installation and usage of the Root Builder plugin.2.1 Install Root Builder
Installation and setup of Root Builder is quite simple. Follow the instructions below.- Download the latest version from the main mod page 'FILES' tab – ensure you click the 'MANUAL DOWNLOAD' link (this will not install with your Mod Manager).
- When completed, open this file from your web browser downloads folder (it is a .zip file).
- Extract the contents of the file into the /plugins folder of your MO2 folder. For example, if you installed MO2 into 'C:\Modding\MO2', extract this to 'C:\Modding\MO2\plugins'.
- If done correctly, you should now have a 'rootbuilder' folder inside of /plugins (example: 'C:\Modding\MO2\plugins\rootbuilder').
- Close MO2 if it is open.
- (Re-)open MO2.
- Verify this is installed correctly by navigating to the 'Tools > Tool Plugins' menu of the main menu bar. You should now see a 'Root Builder' entry.
- You are done!
2.2 Root Builder tools and menu
Once installed, there is nothing more you should need to do outside of knowing how to set up your folder structure so that mods are properly recognized (outlined in section 2.3). That said, at some point in the future you may need to perform some manual actions from the tools menu, or change some of the plugin settings to suit your specific needs, which are outlined in detail on the official webpage. You can skip this for now.2.3 Usage
Usage is simple – just set up your folders correctly so that any files that need to be present in your root game folder get placed there. Section 3 provides specific examples on folder setup for popular mods, but the below information will teach you how to (and how NOT to) set up folders for any mod.2.3.1 Folder rules
There are only 2 rules for folder setup, listed below.- Root Builder scans for any /root folder inside /data when building its list of files to copy (or otherwise add) to the game folder.
- For example, 'data/root/skse64_loader.exe'.
- You CANNOT put a folder named /data inside the /root folder. While this seems "correct" from a folder hierarchy standpoint, if Root Builder detects that you have a /data folder inside the /root folder, the mod will be ignored entirely.
- For example, 'data/root/data/some_mod.esp'.
2.3.2 MO2 Examples
The folder rules above are best represented by MO2 examples, so we'll use SKSE for this purpose. I have added both installation examples as well as filetree examples for this mod.2.3.2.1 Installation- CORRECT – The 'root' folder is placed INSIDE the 'Data' folder, with files and folders that would normally be required to be copied into the root game folder located in the 'root' folder as well.
- INCORRECT – The 'Data' folder is placed inside the 'root' folder along with files and folders that would normally be required to be copied into the root game folder. Since the 'Data' folder is inside the 'root' folder, this mod will be ignored and won't load.
2.3.2.2 Filetree- CORRECT – The 'root' folder is visible alongside other files which would normally be inside the 'Data' folder.
- INCORRECT – The 'Data' folder is visible inside the 'root' folder. Again, this will invalidate the mod and it will not load.
3 Popular plugins
Below are proper install folder configurations for many popular mods, along with any additional instructions, if applicable.3.1 Tutorial popup
While performing these steps, you will likely encounter a tutorial window if you've never seen it before. If it pops up, feel free to read through this if this is your first time or just exit by clicking the 'Exit Tutorial' box.3.2 Plugin configuration
Expand the 'spoiler' tag(s) below for all applicable plugins you'd like configuration steps for.3.2.1 SKSE
The Skyrim Script Extender, or SKSE for short, is a modder's resource that expands the scripting capabilities of Skyrim. It is essentially mandatory if looking to install mods which take advantage of functionality not available to the base game.Spoiler:
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3.2.1.1 Installation
- Download SKSE for your specific version of Skyrim in the FILES tab of the main mod page using the 'MOD MANAGER DOWNLOAD' link.
- Once downloaded, double-click the file in the 'Downloads' tab in MO2 to install – When installing, you will be informed that 'The content of <data> does not look valid.'.
- In the 'Install Mods' dialog, expand both the 'skse64_x_xx_xx' and 'Data' folders, then right-click the 'Data' folder and select 'Create directory…'.
- Name the directory 'root'
- Drag the 'skse64_x_x_xx.dll', 'skse64_loader.exe', and 'skse64_steam_loader.dll' files into the 'root' folder you just created. You can skip the .txt files and /src folder. Note - the 'skse64_steam_loader.dll' file is only present in older STEAM SKSE versions (not GOG), so skip it if you don't see it.
- Next, right-click the 'Data' folder and select 'Set as <data> directory'.
- Your 'Install Mods' window should now look something like this (with 'root' expanded) – Again, the 'skse64_steam_loader.dll' file is only found in older STEAM (not GOG) versions so don't worry if you don't see it and are running a version of 1.6.
- Click the 'OK' button.
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- If you have previously had SKSE installed with files manually copied to the root Skyrim game folder, delete the following files and folders:
- skse64_x_x_xx.dll (there may be more than 1 file with this name)
- skse64_loader.exe
- skse64_steam_loader.dll
- skse64_readme.txt
- skse64_whatsnew.txt
- /src folder
3.2.1.2 Executable configuration
- Click the executables dropdown (next to the 'Run' button), which by default should either say 'Skyrim Special Edition' or 'Skyrim VR' (depending on game), and select '<Edit...>' (Skyrim Special Edition depicted in image below).
- On the dialog that opens, if this list on the left already contains an entry for 'SKSE' (or similar, which it may by default), you should already be setup (since all we've done is removed the direct files in the root Skyrim game folder), but review the next steps anyway.
- If the entry does not exist, click the '+' icon on the left and select 'Add empty…' (we have to do this because the SKSE loader file does not exist in your game folder, instead it is managed by Root Builder).
- For 'Title', give this a name like 'Play Game (SKSE)'.
- Click the '...' button in the 'Start in' row and select your root <Skyrim game folder>.
- In the 'Binary' field, use this same path followed by '\skse64_loader.exe', for example, 'C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\skse64_loader.exe' (if you are using SSE and this is your path).
- Select both the 'Force load libraries (*)' and 'Use application's icon for desktop shortcuts' checkboxes.
- Optionally, click the green 'up' arrow in the left list to bring this entry to the top.
- Your screen should look something like this (with your actual paths, again, Skyrim Special Edition depicted in the image below).
- Click 'OK'.
- SPECIAL NOTE – Remember to launch the game with this executable from within MO2 if you want the mods to be active!
ENBSeries (also simply referred to as 'ENB') is a 3D graphic modification plugin for many games. ENB is capable of rendering extremely beautiful next gen graphical effects, but at a heavy frame cost. Despite this, it is still wildly popular even when compared to the enhancements provided by the more performance-friendly Community Shaders mod, which, at the time of writing this guide, is not far behind (there are still some effects which CS does not yet provide).Spoiler:
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3.2.2.1 ENB binaries
These are the binary files required for ENB to run within Skyrim.
- Download the latest ENB binary files – Skyrim SSE | Skyrim VR – Click the version link at the very bottom of the page (on the left). On the following page, scroll all the way to the bottom and click the pixelated 'Download' button (
). This is not a Mod Manager download, so will download into your web browser downloads folder. - Open your web browser downloads folder.
- Extract the downloaded .zip file (e.g., 'enbseries_skyrimse_vXXXX.zip') into a separate folder.
- Inside this new folder, open the 'WrapperVersion' directory.
- Move this folder aside for a moment.
- From the MO2 'list options' menu (the "wrench" icon at the top right of the mod list window within MO2), select 'Create empty mod'.
- Enter a name (e.g., 'ENB Binaries - SSE - v0.499') and press 'OK'.
- Right-click your mod (it is at the very bottom of the mod list), and select 'Open in Explorer' (alternatively, you can hold CTRL and double-click the mod in the list to open the explorer window).
- When the explorer window opens, add a new folder called 'root', then open it.
- From the 'WrapperVersion' folder you should still have open from earlier, copy the following files into this new ENB binaries /root folder you created:
- d3d11.dll
- d3dcompiler_46e.dll
- If you do NOT plan to use a separate ENB preset (e.g., Rudy ENB, PI-CHO, Cabbage, etc..), copy all remaining files from the 'WrapperVersion' folder into your new /root folder, otherwise, you can skip them as those presets will contain all other necessary files.
- Close all open explorer windows from this section.
- When finished, select MO2 to ensure it is the active window and hit the 'F5' button on your keyboard. This will refresh the application and now reflect the files we changed outside of MO2.
- Right-click your ENB Binaries mod in the mod list and select 'Ignore missing data' – Since we are using Root Builder, and the 'Data' folder doesn't look right to MO2, it will complain about this, even though it is configured properly. Performing this step will fix that.
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- If the steps above have been performed correctly, your mod's filetree tab should look like this (this is if only the .dll files are copied over):
- Feel free to move this mod higher in the list to better organize it with your other mods.
3.2.2.2 ENB presets
These are community made ENB preset files. Unfortunately, every ENB preset has its own set of instructions which vary between one another, so it is impossible to create a single set of instructions to cover them all. Regardless, these are all manageable within MO2 with root builder. There are just some considerations that need to be followed. See below for some tips on setting these up.
- Many ENB presets have required mod files (that go in /Data) in addition to the ENB preset configuration files themselves (which go in the root Skyrim game folder). These should be kept as separate 'mods' in your MO2 instance so that you can maintain the Nexusmods metadata for the main mod file(s), if applicable (allowing you to check for updates, endorse from within MO2, visit the mod page, etc.).
- For the root game folder files, similar to the ENB Binaries section above, I recommend creating an "empty" mod specifically for this preset (e.g., 'Cabbage ENB - Preset files'), creating a 'root' folder inside it, copying all applicable files, and then refreshing MO2 so these appear in your list (don't forget to 'Ignore missing data' as well).
- In most cases, your root game folder files will just contain the following files and folders:
- /enbseries (this is a folder with a lot of files in it)
- enblocal.ini
- enbseries.ini
- Always follow the ENB preset's specific readme/instructions. There is more to setting up the preset than just moving files, etc.. Many ENBs have very specific prerequisites and mod requirements, etc..
- Ensure you only have one ENB preset enabled at a time within MO2. Applying each as their own "mod" allows you to toggle between them, but you cannot load more than one at a time and switch between them in-game.
ReShade is a generic post-processing injector for many games. It can run alongside both ENB orCommunity Shaders to improve their effects at a minimal-to-moderate frame cost.Spoiler:
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3.2.3.1 ReShade Binaries
These are the binary files required for ReShade to run within Skyrim.
- Download ReShade from the official website. If you are using a mod which indicates it may need a specific version of ReShade (and is not compatible with a later version), you may need to find that version on this page.
- Run the installer.
- Select your Skyrim executable from the list, and click 'Next'.
- Keep DirectX 10/11/12 selected, click 'Next'.
- On the presets installation screen, click 'Skip'.
- On the Effect Packages installation screen, click 'Uncheck All', then 'Check All', and then 'Next'. This will download all standard effects. NOTE – You don't technically need to select anything here, but some presets do not include their respective effect packages, which would require you to re-run the ReShade installer to grab them, which is a giant pain.
- Click 'Finish'.
- From the MO2 'list options' menu (the "wrench" icon at the top right of the mod list window within MO2), select 'Create empty mod'.
- Enter a name (e.g., 'Reshade 5.9.2') and press 'OK'.
- Right-click your mod (it is at the very bottom of the mod list), and select 'Open in Explorer' (alternatively, you can hold CTRL and double-click the mod in the list to open the explorer window).
- When the explorer window opens, add a new folder called 'root', then open it.
- Move this folder aside for a moment.
- From the 'Open folders' menu (the "folder" icon at the top right of the mod list window within MO2 next to the "wrench" icon), select 'Open Game folder'. This will open your root Skyrim game folder.
- MOVE the following files from the root Skyrim game folder to the new ReShade binaries /root folder you created:
- dxgi.dll
- ReShade.ini
- ReShade.log
- ReShadePreset.ini
- /reshade-shaders (this folder contains many files if you copied effects over)
- Once moved, open the 'ReShade.ini' file.
- Under the [GENERAL] section, you will want to ensure the following lines are present. If they are, and don't match, overwrite them with the values below. Adding these paths ensures that any standard effects used in presets will be found in their default locations.
- EffectSearchPaths=.\,.\reshade-shaders\Shaders\
- TextureSearchPaths=.\,.\reshade-shaders\Textures\
- Close all open explorer windows from this section.
- When finished, select MO2 to ensure it is the active window and hit the 'F5' button on your keyboard. This will refresh the application and now reflect the files we changed outside of MO2.
- Right-click your ReShade mod in the mod list and select 'Ignore missing data' – Since we are using Root Builder, and the 'Data' folder doesn't look right to MO2, it will complain about this, even though it is configured properly. Performing this step will fix that.
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- If the steps above have been performed correctly, your mod's 'Filetree' tab should look like this:
- Feel free to move this mod higher in the list to better organize it with your other mods.
3.2.3.2 ReShade Presets
These are community made ReShade preset files. Unfortunately, most ReShade presets have their own set of instructions which vary between one another, so it is impossible to create a single set of instructions to cover them all. Regardless, these are all manageable within MO2 with root builder. There are just some considerations that need to be followed. See below for some tips on setting these up.
- Many ReShade presets are simply .ini files which use standard effects. These may or may not include the specific effects in their download, which is why during the installation in section 3.2.3.1, I recommend grabbing all standard effects. In these cases, simply create a new "mod" in MO2 (by creating an empty mod or a new folder in the mods folder), create a /root folder inside of it, and copy the .ini file into it. Be sure to also enable the mod and 'ignore missing data'.
- There are some ReShade presets which now come with a 'MOD MANAGER DOWNLOAD' link, which already contain the proper /root folder setup for root builder users. In these cases, you should just be able to install them directly into MO2. Be sure to also enable the mod and 'ignore missing data'.
- Some ReShade presets require additional effect packages that are not included in the ReShade installer. These should be noted in the description pages. These will typically link to a github repository for download. You'll need to follow the specific preset's instructions to download the additional effects, and you should either include them in your "mod" managed by MO2, or create a separate "mod" specifically for these additional effects.
- Unlike ENB, you can have multiple presets enabled at a time within MO2. While in-game, hit the 'HOME' button (by default) to open up the ReShade overlay. You can toggle between presets via the main dropdown box at the top of the 'Home' tab.
- Presets should be lower in your mod list than the ReShade binary files (so they win any file conflicts), however, I advise that you DO NOT let a preset overwrite your dxgi.dll file. While not common, some ReShade presets (such as Glamur, a popular VR preset), contain this file so you don't actually have to download and install ReShade manually. This will likely be an older version and/or may not contain addon support, so some mods (such as ReShade Effect Toggler) may not work at all. If this file exists in your preset, open the 'Filetree' tab of the mod 'Information…' dialog, right-click the file, and select 'Hide'.
SKSE64 plugins which fixes various issues with the Skyrim Special Edition and Skyrim VR engines, respectively. Follow only one of the two options based on your game (open their respective 'Spoiler' tag).3.2.4.1 SSE Engine FixesSpoiler:
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- Download (Part 1) for your specific version of Skyrim in the FILES tab of the main mod page using the 'MOD MANAGER DOWNLOAD' link. There are 2 versions: One for 1.5.39 - 1.5.97, and one for 1.6.629 and newer.
- Install this part normally within MO2.
- Once done, download (Part 2) in the FILES tab of the main mod page using the 'MANUAL DOWNLOAD' link. This is not a Mod Manager download, so will download into your web browser downloads folder.
- Open your web browser downloads folder.
- Drag the '(Part 2) Engine Fixes - skse64 Preloader and TBB Lib-xxxxx.7z' file into the 'Downloads' tab of MO2, which is on the right side of the main MO2 window.
- Double-click the Part 2 file in the 'Downloads' tab in MO2 to install – When installing, you will be informed that 'The content of <data> does not look valid.'.
- Right-click the '<data>' folder and select 'Create Directory…'.
- Name the directory 'root'.
- Drag the 'd3dx9_42.dll', 'tbb.dll', and 'tbbmalloc.dll' files into the 'root' folder you just created.
- Your 'Install Mods' window should now look something like this (with 'root' expanded).
- Click the 'OK' button.
- Click the 'Ignore' button on the prompt that comes up (don't worry, this will work).
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- Finally, right-click the mod name in the mod list and select 'Ignore missing data' – Since we are using Root Builder, and no 'Data' folder was set during install, MO2 will complain about this, even though it is configured properly. Performing this step will fix that.
Spoiler:
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- Download the latest version of Part 1 from the main mod page 'FILES' tab using the 'MOD MANAGER DOWNLOAD' button. This should be the very first file on the page if it does not explicitly say 'Part 1'. Be sure to press any 'DOWNLOAD' buttons on the following page if the mod does not start downloading automatically.
- Double-click the file in the 'Downloads' tab in MO2 to install.
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the MO2 window.
- Download the latest version of Part 2 from the main mod page 'FILES' tab using the 'MOD MANAGER DOWNLOAD' button as well. Be sure to press any 'DOWNLOAD' buttons on the following page if the mod does not start downloading automatically.
- Double-click the file in the 'Downloads' tab in MO2 to install – When installing, you will be informed that 'The content of <data> does not look valid.'.
- Right-click the '<data>' folder and select 'Create Directory…'.
- Name the directory 'root'.
- Drag the 'd3dx9_42.dll', 'tbb12.dll', and 'tbbmalloc.dll' files into the 'root' folder you just created.
- Your 'Install Mods' window should now look something like this (with 'root' expanded).
- Click the 'OK' button.
- Click the 'Ignore' button on the prompt that comes up (don't worry, this will work).
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- Finally, right-click the mod name in the mod list and select 'Ignore missing data' – Since we are using Root Builder, and no 'Data' folder was set during install, MO2 will complain about this, even though it is configured properly. Performing this step will fix that.
This plugin is used for a few mods, notably .NET Script Framework (if SSE Engine Fixes is not installed) and SSE Fixes (this is different from SSE Engine Fixes). The steps below cover both versions 1.5.97 and 1.6.x.Spoiler:
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- Download from the FILES tab of the main mod page using the 'MANUAL DOWNLOAD' link. This is not a Mod Manager download, so will download into your web browser downloads folder.
- Open your web browser downloads folder.
- Drag the 'DLL Plugin Loader vX-XXXXX-X.zip' file into the 'Downloads' tab of MO2, which is on the right side of the main MO2 window.
- Double-click this file in the 'Downloads' tab in MO2 to install – When installing, you will be informed that 'The content of <data> does not look valid.'.
- Right-click the '<data>' folder and select 'Create Directory…'.
- Name the directory 'root'.
- Drag the 'binkw64.dll' file into the 'root' folder you just created.
- Uncheck the 'dll_plugin_loader_readme.txt' file.
- Your 'Install Mods' window should now look something like this (with 'root' expanded).
- Click the 'OK' button.
- Click the 'Ignore' button on the prompt that comes up (don't worry, this will work).
- Right-click the mod (it should be at the very bottom of the mod list), and select 'Open in Explorer' (alternatively, you can hold CTRL and double-click the mod in the list to open the explorer window).
- Move this window aside for a moment (do NOT yet open the /root folder inside).
- From the 'Open folders' menu (the "folder" icon at the top right of the mod list window within MO2 next to the "wrench" icon), select 'Open Game folder'. This will open your root Skyrim game folder.
- Copy either 'binkw64.dll' (version 1.5.97) or 'bink2w64.dll' (version 1.6.x) to your mod folder you set aside in the previous step.
- Close your root Skyrim game folder.
- Inside the mod folder, rename this file you copied over to 'binkw64_.dll'.
- Move this renamed file into the /root folder in the same window.
- Next, open this /root folder.
- If you are running version 1.6.x of Skyrim, rename the 'binkw64.dll' file to 'bink2w64.dll'.
- Create a new file inside this folder called 'binkw64.log' (make sure it says .log and NOT .txt)
- Your /root folder should now contain the following files:
- binkw64.dll (only if using Skyrim v1.5.97)
- bink2w64.dll (only if using Skyrim 1.6.x)
- binkw64_.dll
- binkw64.log
- Close all open explorer windows from this section.
- When finished, select MO2 to ensure it is the active window and hit the 'F5' button on your keyboard. This will refresh the application and now reflect the files we changed outside of MO2.
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- Finally, right-click the mod name in the mod list and select 'Ignore missing data' – Since we are using Root Builder, and no 'Data' folder was set during install, MO2 will complain about this, even though it is configured properly. Performing this step will fix that.
This plugin is used for a few mods, notably Achievement Mods Enabler if you do NOT use SKSE, but there are other very niche plugins as well.Spoiler:
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- Download from the FILES tab of the main mod page using the 'MANUAL DOWNLOAD' link. This is not a Mod Manager download, so will download into your web browser downloads folder.
- Open your web browser downloads folder.
- Drag the 'DllLoader-XXXX-X-X-X-X.zip' file into the 'Downloads' tab of MO2, which is on the right side of the main MO2 window.
- Double-click this file in the 'Downloads' tab in MO2 to install – When installing, you will be informed that 'The content of <data> does not look valid.'.
- Right-click the 'Data' folder and select 'Create Directory…'.
- Name the directory 'root'.
- Drag the 'DINPUT8.dll' file into the 'root' folder you just created.
- Next, right-click the 'Data' folder and select 'Set as <data> directory'.
- Your 'Install Mods' window should now look something like this (with 'root' expanded).
- Click the 'OK' button.
- Click the 'Ignore' button on the prompt that comes up (don't worry, this will work).
- Enable the mod by clicking the checkbox to the left of the mod name in the mod list on the left side of the main MO2 window.
- Finally, right-click the mod name in the mod list and select 'Ignore missing data' – Since we are using Root Builder, and no 'Data' folder was set during install, MO2 will complain about this, even though it is configured properly. Performing this step will fix that.
4 Further reading
See below for links to other helpful information.4.1 Other Guides
See my guides page on Nexus for other helpful Skyrim modding guides.4.2 Changelog
See below for changes made to this document.- Version 1.6.10 (04/05/2024)
- Version 1.6.1 (04/02/2024)
- Added SKSE executable configuration
- Added Engine Fixes VR section
- Separated 'Popular plugins' section into subsections with spoiler tags
- Added descriptions to each plugin in section 3 for consistency
Please leave a comment with any issues or suggestions!
