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  Rape Tattoos – QoL Extension User Manual
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This update changes how tattoo configuration files are loaded and managed.
You do not need to use the MCM for the system to work under the hood. Loading the config pages is only
required if you want to edit groups manually etc.

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1. FOLDER LAYOUT
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There are two places the mod looks for config files.


  A) Data location (higher priority, recommended as it keeps the mod files in one place with mod managers)

     Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/
       settings.json          ← optional base file (instead of in documents you can have the settings.json here to keep it all together)
       MyPack.json            ← any extra .json presets
       01_AnotherPack.json
	   Whatever.json
       ...

  B) Documents / JCUser location (the default rape tats location, always available used as fallback)

     Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition/JCUser/rTats/
       settings.json          ← base file
       colorConfig.json       ← color settings (unchanged yet didn't decide to move this as well)
       presets/               ← extra preset files go here
         settings1.json
         01_MyPack.json
		 Whatever.json
         ...


Notes:
- If you already had numbered files (settings1.json, settings2.json, …) they still work.
  Just put them in one of the preset locations above.
- colorConfig.json stays in the JCUser/rTats/ folder only.


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2. LOAD ORDER / PRIORITY
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Base layer (settings.json):
  1. Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/settings.json   (if it exists)
  2. Otherwise JCUser/rTats/settings.json
  3. Otherwise the built-in template nobody ever uses as its empty and does nothing

Additional presets are then merged on top:
  1. Everything in JCUser/rTats/presets/
  2. Everything in Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/   (except settings.json itself)

Files from the Data folder win when the same tattoo appears in my documents and data folder.

Within each folder, files are sorted like this:
  - Files WITHOUT a number prefix   → alphabetical, loaded first
  - Files WITH a number prefix      → sorted by that number, loaded afterwards

  Examples of number prefixes:  01_MyPack.json  5_Test.json  10_Final.json

  Because numbered files load later, they overwrite earlier ones on purpose.
  Use a prefix when you want a pack to take priority.
  
E.g. if there are jsons that contain the same entries:
Settings.json base
Alpia.json merged first because starts with "A"
Zaki.json merged second because starts with "Z"
You can change priority by adding a number but this is really only relevant if two files contain the same entries so probably never.
01_Zaki.json
02_Alpia.json

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3. MCM – MAINTENANCE SECTION
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On the General page you will find a new “Maintenance” header with three options:

  Test / Reload configs
  ---------------------
  Builds the full config map used under the hood and prints a detailed report to the Papyrus log.
  (and to the in-game console if ConsoleUtil is installed).

  Use this to check that your preset files are found and merged correctly so you can feel safe seeing it reads the files.
  It does not write any files.


  Merge all into settings.json
  ----------------------------
  Builds the full config map and writes the combined result into the active
  settings.json (Data location if a settings.json exists there, otherwise
  the JCUser one), so you dont have to use the load config pages.

  After a successful merge you can delete the individual preset files if you
  prefer a single-file setup or you just keep em.


  Enable detailed Papyrus logging
  -------------------------------
  When enabled, the mod writes detailed load information to the Papyrus log
  during normal gameplay (e.g. when tattoos are applied).

  Off by default
  The Test and Merge buttons always log in detail, regardless of this toggle.

e.g.  
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Attempting to read base settings from "Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/settings.json"
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Base settings loaded - 2 tattoo mappings found
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Directory scan found 3 .json file(s) in C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents/My Games/Skyrim Special Edition/JCUser/rTats/presets/
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] found pack: 01_Testsettings2 - Copy.json
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] found pack: settings1.json
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] found pack: settings2.json
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Loading additional tattoo config: settings1.json
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Merged settings1.json - 4 mappings
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Loading additional tattoo config: settings2.json
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Merged settings2.json - 5 mappings
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:06PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Loading additional tattoo config: 01_Testsettings2
...
[08/15/2026 - 07:14:07PM] [ Rape Tattoos ] Combined tattoo library contains 9 tattoo mappings

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4. WRITING / SAVING
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When you change tattoo groups in the MCM and close the menu, or when you use
“Merge all into settings.json”, the result is written to:

  - Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/settings.json
      if that file already exists
  - otherwise default rtats JCUser/rTats/settings.json

This keeps load and save on the same file so your mcm edits are not discarded.

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5. MIGRATION FROM THE OLD SYSTEM
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Old system used:
  JCUser/rTats/settings.json
  JCUser/rTats/settings1.json
  JCUser/rTats/settings2.json
  … up to settings99.json

What to do:
  1. Keep your main settings.json where it is (or move it to the Data folder
     if you want that location to be primary).
  2. Move settings1.json, settings2.json, etc. into:
        JCUser/rTats/presets/
     or into:
        Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/
  3. Optional: rename them to something you prefer as explained in "2. LOAD ORDER / PRIORITY"
  4. Open the MCM → Maintenance → “Test / Reload configs” and check the log/console if you want to feel safe.


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6. OPTIONAL – CONSOLE OUTPUT
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For the detailed Test/Merge messages to also appear in the in-game console (~),
install ConsoleUtil SSE. This is optional. Without it, messages still go to the
Papyrus log as usual.


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7. QUICK REFERENCE
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  Goal                              What to do
  --------------------------------  ------------------------------------------
  Just use the mod                  Nothing. It loads configs automatically.

  Add a new tattoo pack             Drop a .json into
                                    Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/
                                    or JCUser/rTats/presets/

  Give a pack higher priority       Name it e.g. 10_MyPack.json (only relevant if you dont merge it into one settings.json anyway)

  Check that files are loaded       MCM → Maintenance → Test / Reload configs

  Bake everything into one file     MCM → Maintenance → Merge all into
                                    settings.json  then remove the presets

  Edit groups in the MCM            Load tattoo config pages as before.
                                    Changes are saved on MCM close.


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  The end, congrats you are probably the 1% that reads a manual.
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New:
You can also store the color config in the skse path to really have everything in one place, it'll choose by priority like with the rest.
If present in SKSE path use that, if not fallback to default location in documents.

Data/SKSE/Plugins/RapeTattoos/
  settings.json
  …preset jsons…
  ColorConfig/
    colorConfig.json          ← optional Data override

JCUser/rTats/
  settings.json
  colorConfig.json            ← classic location
  presets/