Question Spotlight not included in layout WSFW imports

[GavMan]

While making city plans I have noticed that the spotlights (both turret and wall mount versions) that I had in my build exports were not then appearing in the final city plan.
They weren't being captured in layouts either.
Tested it and looks like to me the web creator or import process is dealing with spot lights incorrectly - I can see a spotlight entry in the log file, but that's about the limit of my understanding.

Test Procedure: Brand new game starting at the mirror, with FO4SE, and the only mods/plugins enabled being HUDFramework, and WSFW. (and the DLC and my CC content which is pipboy/PA/Armor paints)

• Got to Sanctuary, (save NTNMBench.fos) used workbench for first time and then (using tgm) built a spotlight turret, a small generator, and connected them with a wire.
• Used workbench to Export the settlement, (save NTNMExport.fos producing GavMan_SanSpotlight_Layout.log).
• Exited the game, went to the Layout web creator to create a new layout (GavMan_SanctuarySpotlightTest_Layout.esl)
• Put the Layout esl in the data folder and enabled it
• Started the game and loaded the NTNMBench save, used the workbench again for the first time then exited build mode
• Next, used the workbench to import the Sanctuary Spotlight test layout
• Observed the the layout failed to import the turret spotlight (save NTNMResult.fos)

(if you are wondering, NTNM = Next To No Mods)

 

[CodeNamed1]

Same, I have heard for a long time that the mounted DLC one does this but now after I made my first city Plan it never imports the turret Spotlight neither. This is a great shame as I really Want to use the spotlights in many of my Plans as I think the shooting turrets make the settlement seem very heavily OP fortified if used too much which I try to avoid in my designs.

Guess I’ll just have to put a Disclaimer on my nexus pages that users need to place the spotlights manually.

I have not tested this any further except that it just does not import them have No knowledge on how to see if there actually is somehow those spotlight on the plugin but it just does not show them or that they just simply wont Be Logged there at all but I think @GavMan has explained the issue very thoroughly anyhow. And this is a very known issue in the city planners Discord and community.

 

[OPTWood]

Spotlights are built as NPCs, so when you import , you need to include NPCs in the import options from the MCM.

 

[CodeNamed1]

Really? Huh. What does that option exactly mean? If a mod has specific named NPC like let’s say Tales of the Commonwealth NPC in the settlement will it set that mod to be required as a master and that settler would then appear in the settlement when a user uses my plan? Or what does it actually do?

 

[OPTWood]

I don't really know what NPCs are included in the export. The option in MCM -> Workshop Framework -> Framework Controls says that "Spawn NPCs" option includes settlers, brahmin, etc. However when exporting a settlement the option to exclude animals exists. From trying it, I note that standard settlers who were in a settlement before being owned are not exported or imported. I am not sure what will happen if a mod adds a settler and an export is done. Then when importing what will happen.
I try to avoid the issue by creating the settlement with no new settlers or animals. I then export it while excluding animals.
When I imported a settlement, I saw that spotlights were not imported, so I used FO4Edit to see if something was wrong. There I noticed that the recipe to create a spotlight (22B18E) created an NPC. The same with the wall mounted spotlight (01002659). So then I tried importing the settlement with the "Spawn NPCs" option turned on, and it worked.
If you do a test with Tales of the Commonwealth NPC, can you please post your results here?

 

[msalaba]

While making city plans I have noticed that the spotlights (both turret and wall mount versions) that I had in my build exports were not then appearing in the final city plan.
They weren't being captured in layouts either.

I looked through WSFW layout scripts. I do not see an error in the logic. The spotlight objects should have the ActorTypeTurret keyword applied by the race record. The layout placement code checks if the object to place has ActorTypeTurret keyword and if true, it is placed. With a minimal LO the spotlight should have the keyword.

Either way, I brought it to Kinggath's attention.