How to install UI mods on New Vegas - May 2022 tutorial

This guide explains how to easily install user interface mods on Fallout New Vegas with the User Interface Organizer (UIO). It’s based on my experience from developing and supporting a popular interface mod, and assumes an understanding of these terms:

• “UI extensions” which modify the game’s menu files via scripting. Examples include the Mod Configuration Menu, yUI, Stewie’s Tweaks, Book Menu and Project Nevada.

• “Base UI mods” which include modified versions of the game’s standard menu files. VUI+, Darnified UI, the HUD Editor and old paperdoll mods are well known examples.

The guide also assumes that you’re using a mod manager and your best options are Mod Organizer 2 and NMM from Github. I personally find NMM easier but if you are going to use a lot of mods, go with MO2.

Installation Steps

Before you start, make sure that your mod manager’s Archive Invalidation option is enabled and that you have installed the latest version of UIO. Then apply the following steps in order:

1. Install the Yukichigai Unofficial Patch. This one always goes first as it’s designed to be overwritten by other mods.
   
   
2. Install any UI extension, overwriting any files. Make sure the Mod Configuration Menu is overwritten by its own bugfix.
   
   
3. Install your base UI overhaul (VUI+ or Darnified UI), overwriting files from the previous steps. This is the key part of this guide.
   
   
4. Install any other base UI mod you like, but only if it’s compatible with your UI overhaul. A good example is the HUD Editor which is compatible with both VUI+ and DUI. Compatibility sometimes requires patches. If two base mods are instructing you to overwrite each other, follow the most recently updated.
   

When you run the game, UIO will automatically link your extensions without affecting your installed files. This means you can safely uninstall UI mods at any time, but remember to also uninstall any dependencies, e.g. if you uninstall VUI+, also uninstall anything that requires VUI+.

You can also check out this video which will explain some fine details on how to use MO2 to manually install files:

The video continues on the important subject of file conflict management:

Example 1: VUI+, HUD Editor, Project Nevada, MCM and Pitt Gal

The YUP patch will also be installed but requires no mention because it’s essential for a stable New Vegas game. By checking out the “Currently supported mods” list for UIO as well as the descriptions of our mods we figure out that:

• Project Nevada, and the MCM are extensions. Project Nevada contains old versions of the MCM’s files which means it must be overwritten by the MCM.
• VUI+ and Pitt Gal are base mods, and should be allowed to overwrite any extensions.
• VUI+ provides an addon for Pitt Gal which states that VUI+ should overwrite Pitt Gal.
• The HUD Editor is a base mod but it’s specified as compatible with VUI+. The author states that if you should let his mod overwrite everything but he obviously refers to compatible mods only.

So, we’re now ready to start installing according to our Installation Steps:

1. Install the YUP.
2. Install PN, let it overwrite any file.
3. Install the MCM, let it overwrite any file.
4. Install the MCM bugfix, let it overwrite any file.
5. Install Pitt Gal, let it overwrite any file.
6. Install VUI+ , let it overwrite any file.
7. Install the VUI+ patch for Pitt Gal, let it overwrite any file.
8. Install the HUD Editor.

That was easy since VUI+ is designed for maximum compatibility.

Example 2: DUI, PN, MCM and Pitt Gal

Darnified UI is an old and highly respected interface overhaul. It has its own unique style, based on smaller fonts which are especially appealing to players who want to use additional HUD infographics. Although it was left in alpha stage, it’s fully functional and the majority of UI mods work fine with it.

• Like most extensions, MCM and PN are compatible with DUI.
• After a bit of searching we find the Pitt Gal Stats for Darnified UI NV patch
• After more searching we find another patch: Pitt Gal Stats NV - HUD FIX - DarnUI

We’re now ready to start installing, keeping in mind that patches should always be overwriting their parent mods:

1. Install the YUP.
2. Install PN, let it overwrite any file.
3. Install the MCM, let it overwrite any file.
4. Install the MCM bugfix, let it overwrite any file.
5. Install Pitt Gal, let it overwrite any file.
6. Install DUI, let it overwrite any file.
7. Install Pitt Gal Stats for Darnified UI, let it overwrite any file.
8. Install Pitt Gal Stats NV - HUD FIX - DarnUI.

The HUD Editor was not included in this example because it’s a base mod and it’s not specified to be compatible with DUI. Base mods should always be considered incompatible by default; overwriting them by each other without reading instructions will often result in malfunction.

Restoring font edits on your Fallout.INI

Some mods suggest that you should edit your Fallout.INI or FalloutCustom.INI files to enable their fonts. This is not a good practice, and if you uninstall such a mod and forget about those edits your game will break.

To fix this problem you must open your Fallout.INI or FalloutCustom.INI files in Notepad and restore the [Fonts] section to the following:

sFontFile_1=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Monofonto_Large.fnt
sFontFile_2=Textures\Fonts\Monofonto_Large.fnt
sFontFile_3=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Monofonto_Medium.fnt
sFontFile_4=Textures\Fonts\Monofonto_VeryLarge02_Dialogs2.fnt
sFontFile_5=Textures\Fonts\Fixedsys_Comp_uniform_width.fnt
sFontFile_6=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Monofonto_VL_dialogs.fnt
sFontFile_7=Textures\Fonts\Baked-in_Monofonto_Large.fnt
sFontFile_8=Textures\Fonts\Glow_Futura_Caps_Large.fnt

Non-recommended mod managers

I have tested and rejected FOMM, Vortex, ModDrop, and Wrye Bash for this guide.

FOMM cannot be recommended because it cannot install NVSE plugins. ModDrop and Wrye Bash do not support C# scripting used in some popular New Vegas mods. As for Vortex,

My dude, since Vortex is the official manager from Nexus and 80% of all the mods come from the Nexus, why not simply make the guide vortex-compatible?

For years, mod authors have been posting load order suggestions in the following form:

1. YUP Patch
2. MCM
3. Vanilla UI Plus
4. VUI+ Remastered Patch

This is really easy to do in both MO2 and NMM from Github. In the former you just drag mods according to your load order, as seen in the videos above. In the latter, you install mods in order and select “Overwrite” as you go.

In Vortex however, this is what you have to deal with:

The mod manager’s job is to make things simple. This is not simple and it’s not something I’m willing to support. That’s why I can’t recommend Vortex.