How do Smithing Improvements work?

[KicklerOfButts]

While working on a mod of mine that hasn't been released yet, I ran into an issue that raised a question which I realize I can't seem to find an answer to.

How/where/when does the Skyrim engine handle smithing improvements?

 

The unresolved issue I ran into:

When re-equipping an armor with the EquipItem() command, it will always equip an improved armor of the same armor type if such an armor is available in your inventory.

So, what differentiates an improved armor from an unimproved armor in the game engine's logic? Also, why does the EquipItem() command seem to prioritize an improved armor over an unimproved copy of it?

 

Mysteriously, it also seems like if you equip an improved armor, the unimproved versions in your inventory also gain the same armor rating buff until you remove the improved armor from your inventory. I think this implies that the improvement effect is somehow tied to the base armor and not a specific instance of it.

 

Through testing, I've managed to deduce the following:

-The effect which applies the armor rating bonus is either not a magical effect, or if it is, it's hidden from the console.

 

-The effect which applies the improvement is not visible through the console, and viewing the improved armor through it does not show any differences from an unimproved armor besides the IDs.

Thus, the effect seems to either not be attached to the item specifically or it's hidden from the console.

 

-If you have multiple sets of the same armor in your inventory and one of them is improved, the EquipItem() command to equip one such armor will equip the improved armor instead of the unimproved ones.

This was tested like this:

Event OnObjectEquipped (Form akBaseObject, ObjectReference akReference)

        akArmor = akBaseObject as Armor

EndEvent

 

Event Whatever

        UnEquipArmor(akBaseObject, false, true)

        EquipArmor(akBaseObject, false, true)

EndEvent

 

So, has anyone else here managed to track down how/where/when the Skyrim engine calculates/derives and applies an improved armor's effect?