Saturday, July 13, 2013

General Post: How to install PCC file mods

This is the manual way, if you only have loose PCC files.
If there is a .mod (dotmod) file, you can install automatically with ME3Explorer.

You will need:
A mod.
ME3Explorer.  Download it here.

By default files are located in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\BIOGame\CookedPCConsole

Back up the PCC files you are replacing.

Replace your default PCC files with the modded ones.

Open ME3Explorer and run TOCBinUpdater.



Click File and Check PCConsoleTOC.bin


Your PCConsoleTOC.bin should be located in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 3\BIOGame

It should find updates to the changes you've made.  Hit yes and a 'done' window should pop up.  Close ME3Explorer.


To Uninstall:
Replace your modded PCC files with your original backups.
Run TOCBinUpdater again.

Troubleshooting:
Common Issues:
Infinite loading is a sign of a TOCBin update error.
Sometimes the TOCBin goes wacky and won't work despite being updated with ME3Explorer.  Try  throwing away your PCConsoleTOC.bin manually, then running "repair install" through Origin to replace it - this will completely revert your game.  Then try to install the mod again as normal.

If you can load un-modded saves but modded saves crash to desktop it's likely a Gibbed save error.  Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the codes you have changed.

If you've really broken your game beyond repair, go into Origin and right click Mass Effect 3 for the "repair install" option. This should revert your game to its original state.

Any additional technical problems with ME3Explorer should be directed to the official forums: http://me3explorer.freeforums.org/

35 comments:

  1. you can use this to make .mod files and save even more time^^

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My_4l833rPc

    greetz WV

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    Replies
    1. Thanks WV! This is the route I will be going. I will re-pack my old ones time allowing.

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  2. I have a problem remplaze pcc file the sims hair and in the end I went and remplaze the original file cookedpcconsole and when I want to load a game does not load step that I have to do

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  3. please i need help i realy love the mass effect 3

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    Replies
    1. Revert your game to default by "repair install" in Origin. If your save still doesn't load, there's something wrong with your save file.

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  4. finish mass effect 2 and when I pass the land when you have to go to Mars and load after load and load there

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  5. Download the mod look of the sims 3 and compie pcc mod file and Replace it when I went to see if it worked did not work so compie ta the original file and nothing happened but when I import the character in mass effect 2 and came to the normandy and going to mars that happens

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  6. if you could please explain step by step I have to do really serious tremendous help

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Is it necessary to have a license to use this program or pirate version also would be enough?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you asking about Mass Effect 3 or ME3Explorer?
      I have zero experience with pirated games.
      ME3Explorer is a free tool.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. oh, sorry) yeah, i mean ME3. Because someone said me, that ME3Explorer doesn`t work on downloaded game

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    4. I have a physical copy of ME3 that I load through Origin.

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. So I am trying to add the Sims #4 hair mod - New 100% at this - and everything above here ^ I don't have. Says there is nothing for the TOC.bin. So does that mean I can't Mod? O_o

    C:Program files(x86)/origin games : nothing in there..
    but I go to -> C:Program files(x86)/EA/ME3/Biogame/CookedPCCOnsole - nothing there either..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AH HA! Nevermind! I am a dork and had a awesome friend help me! :D

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  12. I see there's a lot of hair styles, but each of them comes with their own pcc file.

    How can I make it so all of them show up as choices?

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  13. I guess I can't use this editor for xbox? :(

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  15. hey new here at modding ME3 but i have all the tools needed i downloaded the intro puffy shirt mod for FemShep that uses the BIOG_HMF_ARM_CTH.pcc and i also downloaded the helen outfit mod that also uses the same .pcc now can i use both at the same time? like for e.g. install the puffy intro shirt save and then install helen outfit or are all these .pcc files one at a time like the hair ones

    p.s for the intro puffy outfit whats the name in the ME3Exploer when you load the .pcc i cant find it

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  16. Common Issues:
    Infinite loading is a sign of a TOCBin update error.

    I always get this error, when I update my ME3 through origin and get new PCConsoleTOC.bin
    ME3 explorer won't find new .pcc files anymore. So this whole thing is good for one thing and that is constantly wasting of time !

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  17. I have an Origin copy of the game, and for some reason any PCC files will not run correctly, at all. The brooks file makes my game crash immediately, any clothing meshes (puffy vest) show up with the texture messed up. I've been following all the steps correctly, loading the textures through texmod, have an automatic workaround file in place to get past origins, etc. I can always fix my game, but it's so frustrating to see all these awesome mods and not be able to do anything with my shepard outside of changing the hair. Any advanced tutorials that I'm not seeing? Will the mods just not work with an origin digital copy? Help me please!

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  18. Hello guys! i followed these instructions to install one of these hairs http://elemods.blogspot.com/2013/07/mass-effect-legacy-hairstyles.html i trying to mod my femshep with the default me 1 and 2 femshep hairstyle, the hair includes two archives... one is a .ppc and the other one is a .tpf don't know what to do with the .tpf archive seems like i did the installation rigth with .ppc thanks to the the instructions. Please help! and thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. .tpf files are used with Texmod. should be able to ignore it if not using texmod and you install worked fine. If the install did not work, me3explorer can open .tpf file with the tool TOOL --> TPF Tools/Installer. From there you can even convert some .tpf files into .mod files, even extract the files inside if you wish to pick and choose your favorites.

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  19. Kinda having a problem . Everytime I change the BIOG_HMF_HIR_PRO . I don't get any updates in Me3Explorer thus unable to update my bin :/

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  20. So my problem would be that when i replace the pcc and then run the updater it doesn't find an update... I've tried so many different mods and haven't gotten any to work besides the standard texmod for face textures. So frustrating since I just got a new computer that can take heavy moding. Any idea what is going on or what I'm doing wrong? When I run the game I end up with the incomplete jessica hair. When I'm using a clothing mod its either a mess of textures or nothing...

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  21. there is no Toc Bin updater, what do I do?

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  22. Okay, so complete dummy. I can't get it to load properly using the updated me3explorer so i have a splotched up look for Shepard. I thought I would try it this way, but I don't know which files need to be replaced to use the Kasumi dress. What am I looking for (I am in the cooked pcconsole file)

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