The first time I made a book, I simply went to the books/scrolls tab, chose a book that had the look I wanted and then proceeded to change the Unique ID and relevant data fields with new data. I did not touch the data for the art file path and inventory appearance path.

This time around, I wanted to start from scratch. In the CS, I went to the book/scroll tab and clicked so as to have the option for "new". The window to enter values and text for a new book opened up without problem. I can enter the data for all but two fields - those for the file location for the cover art file and for the inventory appearance file. I was able to save the new .esp

The problem I'm having is that the path does not exist on my HD. I checked folders where I have the CS and my original install of the game. I'm assuming that the path ultimately leads to the .bsa, but what's the trick to get the CS to accept the file path when I'm creating a new item? I was using the file paths associated with the vanilla book "The Affiar of Wizards".

Certainly, I can do what I did originally - find an item of the class of object I want to make and use it for the base, but I'd really like to understand why and/or how to get the CS to recognize a file path I want to enter manually.

Sorry for asking about something that shouldn't even need explanation, but atm I can't get it to accept my manually entering the file path (for a new item) and the file explorer window of course can't find a path to the file because afaict it's not installed on my HD, I'm guessing it's only in the game's .bsa. I do not have this problem if I use one of the existing items.

Is this a problem modders regularly have when you're making a new item?

The only way I know of to do this is to use the CS disc... if you're using the Steam or GOG version of the game, then I am not sure how it works.

Everything is packed in the BSAs.
You would have to unpack the file from there if you want the CS to find the file. (You can just pull out individual files.)

But most of the time, you can just rename the ID of an existing object, without having to find the file yourself.

I seriously think I've got a corrupted registry problem. When I originally installed MW, I installed it under C:\Games and then copied the MW game folder to my F: drive, making three folders - one for day-to-day gaming, one for playtesting mods other people release before I load it in my regular game and a third folder I use to make mods when/if the mood moves me. Until yesterday I used it without problem. Today it did a CTD when I tried to save a new mod, though I couldn't make heads or tails of the windows explanation re: the problem. So next I checked out the Preferences option to see if that section had file path details. It doesn't, but I got the error message that it couldn't find the CD disc and would use the local folders instead. That would seem to explain some of my problem. FWIW, the CD was in place ready for use.

I cranked up the CS file located in the playtesting folder and that one worked. I haven't checked to see what happens with the CS that is in my day-to-day gaming folder.

So I'm going to preoccupied for awhile seeing if I can figure out if I have a corrupt registry file. Worst case will simply be to delete the modmaking folder and create a new one to replace it.