Difference between revisions of "Radish Trial 1 Installation Step By Step Guide"

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[[File:Shortcut.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:Shortcut.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
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== Uncooking ==
 
== Uncooking ==
  
Now that we have a clean install of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt we can proceed to a step called uncooking the game.<br/> This uncooking decodes the game files and makes them editable/usable for our own mods. There are 2 ways of uncooking the games files, a short one and a longer one.
+
Now that we have a clean install of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. we can proceed to what's called&nbsp;"uncooking" the game files. This decodes the game files and makes them usable for modding purposes. There are 2 ways of uncooking the games files, a short one and a longer one.
 
 
<span style="color:#c0392b">Tip: Do both! For some people one way work, for some the other one. Some people even had to do both.<br/> Save yourself some pain and troubleshooting&nbsp;and go both ways in the first place.</span>
 
 
 
For some (mostly bigger) mods it can be necessary to uncook some additional files (e.g. shadow meshes).&nbsp;<br/> It will be covered in this guide, but is fully optional for basic quests.
 
  
&nbsp;
+
<span style="color:#c0392b">Tip: Doing both is advised. People have been known to have problems because neither method is exclusively reliable. Save yourself&nbsp;some troubleshooting later on and use&nbsp;both methods from the get-go.</span>
  
=== Tools needed ===
+
For some mods (usually relatively bigger ones), it can be necessary to uncook some additional files (e.g. shadow meshes).&nbsp;It will be covered in this guide for completion purposes, but is fully optional for basic quests.
  
Too uncook the games files You'll need several tools, including&nbsp;wcc_lite, radish tools and Quick_BMS.&nbsp;
+
=== The modus operandi ===
  
&nbsp;
+
Several tools are needed to uncook the game files, including&nbsp;wcc_lite, Radish and QuickBMS.&nbsp;
  
==== The Witcher 3 Modkit (wcc_lite) ====
+
==== The Official Witcher 3 ModKit (wcc_lite) ====
  
First tool We are going to have a closer look at is the official witcher modkit.
+
It can be found here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3173?tab=files&file_id=21542 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3173?tab=files&file_id=21542]
  
You can find it here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3173?tab=files&file_id=21542 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3173?tab=files&file_id=21542]
+
After downloading, extract&nbsp;setup.exe and execute it. It will automatically install into&nbsp;''C:\Program Files (x86)\Witcher 3 Mod Tools''. That's not necessarily the directory we want it in. To have all the tools together, move the folder&nbsp;''Witcher 3 Mod Tools'' into your ''<''''External tools>''&nbsp;folder (see table above for my absolute path).
 
 
After downloading unzip the setup.exe into any folder of choice and execute it.<br/> It will automatically install into&nbsp;''C:\Program Files (x86)\Witcher 3 Mod Tools''. That is not necessarily the path, where We want it.<br/> To have all Our tools together, move the folder&nbsp;''Witcher 3 Mod Tools'' into&nbsp;Your [''External Tools''] (see table above for my absolute path) folder.
 
  
 
My ''_modTools\Witcher 3 Mod Tools''&nbsp;folder:
 
My ''_modTools\Witcher 3 Mod Tools''&nbsp;folder:
Line 89: Line 84:
 
[[File:ModTools.3.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:ModTools.3.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
Now that we have the Modkit installed, we are going to patch it. This step is not necessary, but highly recommended to enhance performance!
+
Now that the modkit installed, it needs to be patched. By default&nbsp;the application is absurdly slow, but this can thankfully be worked around.
  
The Patch can be found here:&nbsp;[https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/patched-wcc_lite-for-faster-startup.6883680/ https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/patched-wcc_lite-for-faster-startup.6883680/]
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The patch can be found here:&nbsp;[https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/patched-wcc_lite-for-faster-startup.6883680/ https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/patched-wcc_lite-for-faster-startup.6883680/].&nbsp;Download the file and overwrite wcc_lite.exe, which&nbsp;is located in&nbsp;''<''''External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\bin\x64\.
  
Download the file and overwrite the wcc_lite.exe, which&nbsp;is located in&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\bin\x64\wcc_lite.exe.<br/> Now Your wcc_lite is succesfully patched!
+
Next,&nbsp;download the wcc_lite GUI for easier use, as the CLI of wcc_lite can be daunting, to say the least.
 
 
Next step is to download the wcc_lite UI for easier use, because wcc_lite is basically just a command line programm.
 
  
 
The UI can be found here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3332?tab=files&file_id=22973 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3332?tab=files&file_id=22973]
 
The UI can be found here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3332?tab=files&file_id=22973 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3332?tab=files&file_id=22973]
  
Download it and paste it in your&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools folder.
+
Download it and place&nbsp;it in your&nbsp;''<''''External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools folder.
  
After starting it up the first time, You will be asked to locate Your wcc_lite.<br/> Just follow the above mentioned path and select it.
+
Upon the first start-up, you will be prompted to locate your installation of&nbsp;wcc_lite.<br/> Just follow the above-mentioned path and select it.
  
Now Your wcc_lite should be fully functional and usable!
+
==== QuickBMS ====
  
&nbsp;
+
The second way of uncooking your game requires QuickBMS together with a preset from the Radish tools Nexus page.
  
==== Quick_BMS ====
+
The program can be acquired from here:&nbsp;[https://aluigi.altervista.org/quickbms.htm https://aluigi.altervista.org/quickbms.htm]
  
The second way of uncooking your game requires Quick_BMS together with a preset from the Radish Tools Nexus page.
+
Create a new folder named QuickBMS in&nbsp;your ''<''''External tools>''&nbsp;path and&nbsp;extract all the files from the downloaded archive here.
  
Quick_BMS can be downloaded here:&nbsp;[https://aluigi.altervista.org/quickbms.htm https://aluigi.altervista.org/quickbms.htm]
+
Next, download the Radish QuickBMS uncook script. It can be found here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25205 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25205].
  
Create a new Folder into your [''External Tools''] path. I will for instance call it Quick BMS.<br/> Extract all the files from the downloaded zip into this newly created folder.
+
Extract all the files to your QuickBMS folder, as well.
  
Next step is to download the Radish Quick_BMS Uncook Script.
+
To&nbsp;set up QuickBMS, open up the&nbsp;.bat file called radish.uncook and adjust the two paths in accordance with&nbsp;your specific directories. The first path&nbsp;''SET W3_DIR = D:\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt&nbsp;''becomes&nbsp;''SET W3_DIR = H:\Witcher 3\_game''.
  
It can be found here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25205 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25205]
+
The uncooked files will be copied to the second path. This is just a temporary directory, so it's not important&nbsp;what it's set to. If&nbsp;you intend to keep the uncooked data,&nbsp;a new folder path must be created:
  
Extract all the files to your Quick_BMS folder, as well.
+
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 600px"
 
 
Too set up Quick_BMS, open the copied .bat file called radish.uncook and adjust the two paths according to your installation/preference.<br/> The first path&nbsp;''SET W3_DIR=d:\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt&nbsp;''becomes&nbsp;''SET W3_DIR=H:\Witcher 3\_game''.
 
 
 
The second path the uncooked files will be copied to. Because this is just a temporary path, you can choose it, how you want.<br/> In my case (I want to keep the uncooked data) I'm going to create a new folder path:
 
 
 
{| style="width: 600px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''Uncooked Game Files''
 
| ''Uncooked Game Files''
Line 133: Line 120:
 
This folder will contain all uncooked game files from all sources.
 
This folder will contain all uncooked game files from all sources.
  
<span style="color:#c0392b">Tip: All the uncooked game data can take up to > 100 GB of disk space, so if you're low on available space, you don't need to keep your uncooked game data permanentely.</span>
+
<span style="color:#c0392b">Tip: The complete uncooked game data can take up to >100 GB of disk space, so if&nbsp;storage is an issue, keeping the uncooked game data permanently isn't necessary.</span>
 
 
The second path&nbsp;''SET OUTPUT_DIR=d:\tmp\qbms.all'' thus becomes&nbsp;''SET OUTPUT_DIR=H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked\Quick BMS''.
 
 
 
My radish.uncook.bat:
 
 
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
  
Now your Quick_BMS should also be good to go!
+
The second path&nbsp;''SET OUTPUT_DIR = D:\tmp\qbms.all'' thus becomes&nbsp;''SET OUTPUT_DIR=H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked\QuickBMS''.
 
 
&nbsp;
 
  
 
==== The Radish Tools ====
 
==== The Radish Tools ====
  
Next Step is to download the external (non-ingame) part of the Radish Tools, including all the encoders.
+
The&nbsp;next step is to download the external (non-ingame) part of the Radish suite, including all the encoders.
  
 
Download:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31085 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31085]
 
Download:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31085 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31085]
  
Extract the ''radish-tools&nbsp;''folder into your [''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools. This is path is not necessary for the tools to work, but is more of personal taste.
+
Extract the ''radish-tools&nbsp;''folder into your ''<External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools. This path more for personal taste than for functionality.
  
My&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools (_modTools\Witcher 3 Mod Tools) now:
+
My&nbsp;''<External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools folder (_modTools\Witcher 3 Mod Tools&nbsp;now):
  
 
[[File:ModTools.4.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:ModTools.4.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
That's all You need to install for uncooking the games files!<br/> You're almost through 20%&nbsp;;-)
+
=== The uncooking process itself ===
  
&nbsp;
+
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': As mentioned above, uncooking all the files requires a minimum disk space of 100 GB. Ensure there is enough.</span>
 
 
&nbsp;
 
 
 
=== The Uncooking itself ===
 
 
 
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': As mentioned above, uncooking all the files requires a minimum disk space of 100 GB so please make sure to have enough left!</span>
 
 
 
&nbsp;
 
  
 
==== wcc_lite ====
 
==== wcc_lite ====
  
To uncook the game files via wcc_lite (the long way) open up the wcc_lite UI.<br/> On the left hand side You will find a command called ''uncook''.<br/> After checking it You should see the following picture:
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To uncook the game files via wcc_lite (the long way), open up the GUI.<br/> On the left hand side is&nbsp;found&nbsp;a command called ''uncook''.<br/> After ticking it,&nbsp;the following image should be seen:
  
 
[[File:WccLite.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:WccLite.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
On the right side You can find a lot of parameters. Most of them aren't important as for now.<br/> We want to focus on the parameters ''indir ''and ''outdir''.
+
A lot of parameters can be found on the right. Most of them aren't important.<br/> The parameters ''indir ''and ''outdir&nbsp;''are what matter here. These must be filled in&nbsp;as below:
 
 
We are going to fill it as the following:
 
  
{| style="width: 800px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
+
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 800px"
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''indir''
 
| ''indir''
| ''[Game Installation]\content''
+
| ''<Game installation>\content''
 
| ''H:\Witcher 3\_game\content''
 
| ''H:\Witcher 3\_game\content''
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ''outdir''
 
| ''outdir''
| ''[Uncooked Game Files]\Wcc''
+
| ''<Uncooked game files>\Wcc''
 
| ''H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked\Wcc''
 
| ''H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked\Wcc''
 
|}
 
|}
  
After filling in the parameters hit ''Run Command&nbsp;''in the upper right corner.
+
After filling in the params, hit ''Run Command&nbsp;''in the upper right corner.
  
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': This will take up to a few hours so get yourself some coffee or some hours of sleep&nbsp;:-)</span>
+
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': This process is slow: it takes a few&nbsp;hours even on modern NVMe&nbsp;SSDs, so be prepared to leave it running.</span>
  
Your wcc UI should now look like this:
+
The wcc GUI should now look like this:
  
 
[[File:WccLite.2.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:WccLite.2.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
Your&nbsp;''[Uncooked Data]\Wcc&nbsp;''should now look like this:
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Your&nbsp;''<Uncooked data>Wcc&nbsp;''should now look like this:
  
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.2.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.2.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
As you might have noticed the folder structure of this path looks similar to Your [''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data.<br/> When the uncooking is finished, We want to copy all the files from our&nbsp;''[Uncooked Game Files]\''Wcc''into this folder.''
+
As you might have noticed, the folder structure of this path looks similar to&nbsp;''<External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data.<br/> When the uncooking is finished, We want to copy all the files from our&nbsp;''[Uncooked Game Files]\''Wcc''into this folder.''
 
 
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': Do '''not '''override any files in&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data, when asked to! They contain additional information.</span>
 
 
 
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': This copying can also take some time, so get yourself another cup&nbsp;of coffee&nbsp;:-)</span>
 
  
&nbsp;
+
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': Do '''not '''override any files in&nbsp;''<''''External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data, when asked to,&nbsp;as they contain additional information. This process can also take some time, especially on HDDs, so be prepared for that.</span>
  
==== Quick_BMS ====
+
==== QuickBMS ====
  
Uncooking via Quick_BMS is a bit more simple, as We already set up the paths correctly, before.<br/> To uncook the files just run the edited ''radish.uncook.bat''.
+
Uncooking via QuickBMS is&nbsp;more straightforward, as the paths have already been&nbsp;set up in advance.<br/> To uncook the files, simply&nbsp;run the edited ''radish.uncook.bat''.
  
When the command line tool is finished, it should look like this:
+
When the&nbsp;tool is finished, the CMD window should look like this:
  
 
[[File:QuickBMS.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:QuickBMS.1.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
Executing this tool won't take as much time as wcc, but it will still run for a few minutes.<br/> After the completion locate your&nbsp;''[Uncooked Game Files]\''Quick BMS''&nbsp;''folder and copy all the data to your&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data, as well.
+
Executing this tool won't take nearly as much time as wcc, but will still take a few minutes.<br/> Upon completion, locate your&nbsp;''<Uncooked game files>\''QuickBMS''&nbsp;''folder and copy all the data to your&nbsp;''<External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data directory&nbsp;as well.
 
 
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': Do '''not '''override any files in&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data, when asked to! They contain additional information.</span>
 
  
&nbsp;
+
<span style="color:#e74c3c">'''Warning''': Again, do '''not '''override any files in&nbsp;''<''''External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data&nbsp;when prompted, as&nbsp;they contain additional necessary data.</span>
  
==== Some additional Files ====
+
==== Some additional files ====
  
Besides the uncooked games files Radish Tools do some other files, as well.
+
Besides the uncooked game&nbsp;files, the Radish suite&nbsp;uses&nbsp;some other files&nbsp;as well.
  
These can be downloaded here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25206 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25206]
+
These can be found here:&nbsp;[https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25206 https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25206]
  
 
After downloading, extract the ''scripts'' folder to your r4data folder.
 
After downloading, extract the ''scripts'' folder to your r4data folder.
  
To summarize: We've uncooked the game files via wcc_lite '''and&nbsp;'''Quick_BMS, copied them into&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data and added the ''scripts'' folder provided by the Radish Nexus site, either.
+
To summarize: The game files have been uncooked via wcc_lite '''and&nbsp;'''QuickBMS, copied into&nbsp;''<External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data and the additional&nbsp;''scripts'' folder provided by the Radish Nexus page&nbsp;has been installed.
 
 
&nbsp;
 
 
 
&nbsp;
 
  
 
==== Uncooking additional meshes (optional) (example: shadowmeshes) ====
 
==== Uncooking additional meshes (optional) (example: shadowmeshes) ====
  
For bigger projects with a lot of custom meshes (e.g in a new hub), it can be necessary to extract further files.<br/> In this particular case I will show, how to uncook shadwomeshes for correct display of shadows in custom environments.
+
For bigger projects with a lot of custom meshes (e.g&nbsp;a new hub), it may&nbsp;be necessary to extract further files;&nbsp;for example, uncooking shadwomeshes for shadows in custom environments to be displayed correctly.
 
 
First, we need to navigate into&nbsp;[''External Tools'']\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\radish-tools\repo.shadowmeshes.<br/> If the tools are installed correctly, there should exist an ''uncook.meshes.bat'' file.<br/> Edit the file with a text-editor of your choice. Here we need to set the paths to our game directory, the modkit and the radish tools.
 
  
''DIR_MODKIT ''is the main directory of the Official W3 Modkit<br/> ''DIR_ENCODER ''is the directory, where all the radish encoders can be found.
+
Navigate to&nbsp;''<External tools>''\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\radish-tools\repo.shadowmeshes. If the tools are installed correctly, there should exist an ''uncook.meshes.bat'' file. Open it up in&nbsp;a text editor and&nbsp;set the appropriate paths to our game directory, the modkit and the Radish suite.&nbsp;''DIR_MODKIT ''is the main directory of the Official TW3 ModKit and&nbsp;''DIR_ENCODER ''is the directory&nbsp;where all Radish encoders can be found.
  
 
My&nbsp;''uncook.meshes.bat'' file:
 
My&nbsp;''uncook.meshes.bat'' file:
Line 250: Line 207:
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.3.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.3.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
<span style="color:#c0392b">Tip: If you chose a path with paranthesis () in it, you have to escape them with a ^ (see comment in file)!</span>
+
<span style="color:#c0392b">Tip: If a path with parentheses () in it is used, you have to offset/reformat them with a ^ (see comment in file).</span>
  
It is&nbsp;possible that the following error occurs:
+
The following error may occur:
  
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.4.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
 
[[File:Radish.Uncook.4.PNG|RTENOTITLE]]
  
If that happens, at least one shadowmesh hasen't been patched successfully. This can lead to errors in your mod, but there's currently now easy way around it.
+
If that happens, at least one shadowmesh hasn't been patched successfully. This can lead to errors in your mod, but there's currently no&nbsp;easy workaround.
 
 
&nbsp;
 
 
 
&nbsp;
 
  
 
== Installing the Radish Tools ==
 
== Installing the Radish Tools ==

Revision as of 20:57, 22 December 2020

 


Folder Structure

Downloading and installing all the tools as well as their dependencies can create a mess if they're left lying around haphazardly, therefore it's strongly recommend to draw up a well-structured folder hierarchy beforehand.

Tip: Place your root folder for modding as close to the base directory of your disk as possible (C:\, H:\, G:\ etc.) and avoid any special characters.
Both special characters and directory names above 256 chars can and will cause serious errors when trying to run the tools.

In the tutorial, the following basic structure will be referred to (the paths need to be adjusted to your specific folder structure accordingly):

Root H:\Witcher 3  
Game installation H:\Witcher 3\_game  shared for all your mod projects
External tools    H:\Witcher 3\_modTools shared for all your mod projects
Mod projects H:\Witcher 3\_projects  
Download H:\Witcher 3\downloads for convenience's sake

RTENOTITLE

Note that (sub)folders may need to be added to this structure later on in this guide. This is simply the basic structure.


About the Game

Tip: Always use a completely fresh install for modding. For this guide, we'll be starting from scratch and start with installing the game.

Install the game into your chosen directory (easy enough).

Tip: If you want to play the game while modding it concurrently, using two separate builds is advisable. As the game is DRM-free, one can simply copy everything to a different directory.

Tip: An English game installation is required. The Radish suite does not natively support other languages. Attempting it will lead to broken quest names/descriptions etc.

GOG will install your game to <Game installation>\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt GOTY by default. This subdivision is not to my liking, so I am going to move the files one directory up, to my game installation folder. This step is optional, but keep it in mind for the future paths, should you not follow.

My _game folder looks like this right now:

RTENOTITLE

For many of the tools used, it's necessary to enable debugging scripts for in-game data to be dumped for further use.
To achieve this, the -debugscripts launch argument needs to be added to the shortcut.

Right click on the shortcut, select Properties, and add the command as shown below:

RTENOTITLE


Uncooking

Now that we have a clean install of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. we can proceed to what's called "uncooking" the game files. This decodes the game files and makes them usable for modding purposes. There are 2 ways of uncooking the games files, a short one and a longer one.

Tip: Doing both is advised. People have been known to have problems because neither method is exclusively reliable. Save yourself some troubleshooting later on and use both methods from the get-go.

For some mods (usually relatively bigger ones), it can be necessary to uncook some additional files (e.g. shadow meshes). It will be covered in this guide for completion purposes, but is fully optional for basic quests.

The modus operandi

Several tools are needed to uncook the game files, including wcc_lite, Radish and QuickBMS. 

The Official Witcher 3 ModKit (wcc_lite)

It can be found here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3173?tab=files&file_id=21542

After downloading, extract setup.exe and execute it. It will automatically install into C:\Program Files (x86)\Witcher 3 Mod Tools. That's not necessarily the directory we want it in. To have all the tools together, move the folder Witcher 3 Mod Tools into your <'External tools> folder (see table above for my absolute path).

My _modTools\Witcher 3 Mod Tools folder:

RTENOTITLE

Now that the modkit installed, it needs to be patched. By default the application is absurdly slow, but this can thankfully be worked around.

The patch can be found here: https://forums.cdprojektred.com/index.php?threads/patched-wcc_lite-for-faster-startup.6883680/. Download the file and overwrite wcc_lite.exe, which is located in <'External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\bin\x64\.

Next, download the wcc_lite GUI for easier use, as the CLI of wcc_lite can be daunting, to say the least.

The UI can be found here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3332?tab=files&file_id=22973

Download it and place it in your <'External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools folder.

Upon the first start-up, you will be prompted to locate your installation of wcc_lite.
Just follow the above-mentioned path and select it.

QuickBMS

The second way of uncooking your game requires QuickBMS together with a preset from the Radish tools Nexus page.

The program can be acquired from here: https://aluigi.altervista.org/quickbms.htm

Create a new folder named QuickBMS in your <'External tools> path and extract all the files from the downloaded archive here.

Next, download the Radish QuickBMS uncook script. It can be found here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25205.

Extract all the files to your QuickBMS folder, as well.

To set up QuickBMS, open up the .bat file called radish.uncook and adjust the two paths in accordance with your specific directories. The first path SET W3_DIR = D:\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt becomes SET W3_DIR = H:\Witcher 3\_game.

The uncooked files will be copied to the second path. This is just a temporary directory, so it's not important what it's set to. If you intend to keep the uncooked data, a new folder path must be created:

Uncooked Game Files H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked

This folder will contain all uncooked game files from all sources.

Tip: The complete uncooked game data can take up to >100 GB of disk space, so if storage is an issue, keeping the uncooked game data permanently isn't necessary.

The second path SET OUTPUT_DIR = D:\tmp\qbms.all thus becomes SET OUTPUT_DIR=H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked\QuickBMS.

The Radish Tools

The next step is to download the external (non-ingame) part of the Radish suite, including all the encoders.

Download: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31085

Extract the radish-tools folder into your <External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools. This path more for personal taste than for functionality.

My <External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools folder (_modTools\Witcher 3 Mod Tools now):

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The uncooking process itself

Warning: As mentioned above, uncooking all the files requires a minimum disk space of 100 GB. Ensure there is enough.

wcc_lite

To uncook the game files via wcc_lite (the long way), open up the GUI.
On the left hand side is found a command called uncook.
After ticking it, the following image should be seen:

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A lot of parameters can be found on the right. Most of them aren't important.
The parameters indir and outdir are what matter here. These must be filled in as below:

indir <Game installation>\content H:\Witcher 3\_game\content
outdir <Uncooked game files>\Wcc H:\Witcher 3\_uncooked\Wcc

After filling in the params, hit Run Command in the upper right corner.

Warning: This process is slow: it takes a few hours even on modern NVMe SSDs, so be prepared to leave it running.

The wcc GUI should now look like this:

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Your <Uncooked data>Wcc should now look like this:

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As you might have noticed, the folder structure of this path looks similar to <External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data.
When the uncooking is finished, We want to copy all the files from our [Uncooked Game Files]\Wccinto this folder.

Warning: Do not override any files in <'External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data, when asked to, as they contain additional information. This process can also take some time, especially on HDDs, so be prepared for that.

QuickBMS

Uncooking via QuickBMS is more straightforward, as the paths have already been set up in advance.
To uncook the files, simply run the edited radish.uncook.bat.

When the tool is finished, the CMD window should look like this:

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Executing this tool won't take nearly as much time as wcc, but will still take a few minutes.
Upon completion, locate your <Uncooked game files>\QuickBMS folder and copy all the data to your <External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data directory as well.

Warning: Again, do not override any files in <'External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data when prompted, as they contain additional necessary data.

Some additional files

Besides the uncooked game files, the Radish suite uses some other files as well.

These can be found here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=25206

After downloading, extract the scripts folder to your r4data folder.

To summarize: The game files have been uncooked via wcc_lite and QuickBMS, copied into <External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\r4data and the additional scripts folder provided by the Radish Nexus page has been installed.

Uncooking additional meshes (optional) (example: shadowmeshes)

For bigger projects with a lot of custom meshes (e.g a new hub), it may be necessary to extract further files; for example, uncooking shadwomeshes for shadows in custom environments to be displayed correctly.

Navigate to <External tools>\Witcher 3 Mod Tools\radish-tools\repo.shadowmeshes. If the tools are installed correctly, there should exist an uncook.meshes.bat file. Open it up in a text editor and set the appropriate paths to our game directory, the modkit and the Radish suite. DIR_MODKIT is the main directory of the Official TW3 ModKit and DIR_ENCODER is the directory where all Radish encoders can be found.

My uncook.meshes.bat file:

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Tip: If a path with parentheses () in it is used, you have to offset/reformat them with a ^ (see comment in file).

The following error may occur:

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If that happens, at least one shadowmesh hasn't been patched successfully. This can lead to errors in your mod, but there's currently no easy workaround.

Installing the Radish Tools

Requirements

After all the necessary game files are uncooked, we can start to install all the latest in-game mods, as well as its requirements.

The first mod we are going to install is the Community Patch - Base Mod.

You can find it here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3652?tab=files&file_id=24139

After downloading the archive, extract the folders mods and content into your [Game Installation] directory and overwrite if prompted.. Done!

Next mod we are going to need is Community Patch - Bootstrap and Utilities Mod.
The installation here is a bit more complicated.

First we are going to choose a base version of the mod. There are 2 different files to choose from:

1) You have no custom map changing mods installed (recommended for modding the game): https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/2109?tab=files&file_id=23947
2) You have a custom map mod (e.g. All Quest Objectives On Map or Colored Map Markers): https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/2109?tab=files&file_id=24145

After downloading either the first or the second archive, extract the dlc and mods folder into your  [Game Installation] directory.

Warning: Make sure you only install one of the two versions!

Next step is to download the bootstrap registry.

It can be found here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/2109?tab=files&file_id=23946

In this archive you will only find a mods folder; copy it into your [Game Installation] directory... Done! ... Almost ;-)

To make this mod usable, we will also need to add the content of [Game Installation]\mods\modBootstrap\modBootstrap.input.settings to our Witcher 3 input settings.
We achive that by locating our W3 input file (commonly: C:\Users\[Your User]\Documents\The Witcher 3\input.settings) and pasting the content to the bottom of the file.

After pasting the content, my input.settings looks like this:

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Now the Community Patch - Bootstrap and Utilities Mod should finally be installed correctly.

Next we need Community Patch - Shared Imports.

Just download the archive here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/2110?tab=files&file_id=27873

and (again -.-) extract the mods folder to your [Game Installation] directory.

 

 

The Radish Bundle

Our next step is to download the Radish Ingame Bundle. 

You can get it here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31079

Extract both the dlc and the mods folder into your [Game Installation] directory and overwrite any files, when prompted.

Next you need to paste the content of all the *.input.settings files from the archive into your W3 input (see above).

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We're coming closer now! :-)

Next we are going to register our mods, so that we can load them in-game.
Therefor, we need to locate our mods_registry.ws. The file is located at [Game Installation]\mods\modBootstrap-registry\content\scripts\local\mods_registry.ws.
You can edit it with any text editor of your choice. Now we are going to add: 

add(modCreate_EnvUiMod());
add(modCreate_RadishUi());

somewhere in the function createMods().

My mods_registry.ws looks like this:

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The template project

Now, that all the necessary tools (including their requirements) are installed, we're going to have a closer look at the template project.

You can download it here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3620?tab=files&file_id=31076

Extract it and copy it into your [Projects] folder.

The most important file for now is the _settings_.bat located in [Projects]\modHubTest.
Edit it with a text editor of choice.

First of all we need to change paths again.
The paths are exactly the same, as when uncooking the shadow meshes:

1) Game Installation
2) The official Modkit
3) Path where the Radish Encoders are located

My _settings_.bat file:

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After adjusting the paths correctly, we further have to remove SET RELEASE_VERSION=YES (Line 21) by making it a comment.

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This setting will hinder any source information of this mod to be seen in-game. That's not what we want.

After editing the _settings_.bat file, we need to create junction links.
Fortunately, this is made pretty easy. We just need to start the _createLinks_.bat once and confirm by typing (yes: english), j (ja: german), etc...

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Tip: Both errors at the top can be ignored.

Now the template-project should be launchable.
You can build the test mod by starting full.rebuild.bat.