Purpose of the FOMODs Tab

The FOMODs tab provides a centralized view of all mods with FOMOD installers across your loaded collections. It allows you to:

Key Benefit: Collection authors save their FOMOD choices when creating collections. This tab lets you apply those choices automatically, or customize them to your preference.

What is a FOMOD?

FOMOD (Fallout Mod Archive) is an installer format that lets mod authors provide options during installation. Common examples include:

When you install a FOMOD manually, you click through installer pages making selections. With Collections Manager, these choices can be saved and applied automatically.

Table Columns

ColumnDescription
No.Row number in the current view
StatusIcon showing current state (see Status Icons below)
Mod NameThe mod's display name
ChoicesNumber of saved installer choices (e.g., "5 choices")
SkipCheckbox to skip this mod during batch operations
CollectionWhich collection(s) this FOMOD belongs to
ActionInstall or Download button depending on state

Status Icons

IconStatusMeaning
✔InstalledMod is installed in your MO2 mods folder
✔Installed (Session)Installed during this session
⬇DownloadedArchive downloaded, ready to install
▶Not InstalledNot installed, archive status unknown
⚠Archive MissingNot installed and archive not found in downloads
✖SkippedUser chose to skip this mod

Filtering & Sorting

Search Box

Type in the search box to filter mods by name. The filter applies instantly as you type.

Filter Dropdown

Sort Options

Click any column header to sort by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order.

Installing FOMODs

Single Install

  1. Find the mod in the table
  2. Click the Install button in the Action column
  3. If saved choices exist, they're applied automatically
  4. The mod installs without any installer dialogs

Batch Install (Reinstall All)

  1. Filter to show the mods you want (e.g., "Installed" filter)
  2. Check the Silent install checkbox for unattended operation
  3. Click Reinstall All
  4. All visible, non-skipped FOMODs will be reinstalled in order
Note: Reinstalling a mod will replace its current installation. Make sure you want to overwrite any manual changes you've made.

Reinstalling FOMODs

Reinstalling is useful when:

How to Reinstall

  1. Select the mod(s) in the table
  2. Click Install for single mod, or Reinstall All for batch
  3. The existing mod folder is replaced with a fresh install

Skipping Mods

Use the Skip checkbox to exclude mods from batch operations:

Context Menu Options

Right-click selected mods for:

Downloading Archives

If a FOMOD shows "Archive Missing" status, you need to download it first:

  1. Find the mod with the warning icon
  2. Click the Download button in the Action column
  3. Wait for the download to complete
  4. The button changes to Install when ready
Premium users: Downloads happen automatically via the Nexus API.
Free users: A browser tab opens to the download page. Click download there.

Viewing Saved Choices

Select any FOMOD in the table to see its saved installer choices in the preview panel below.

Choices Display

The preview shows:

Example:

Page: Main Installation
  - Core Files
  - High Resolution Textures

Page: Compatibility
  - Patch for Other Mod

Editing Saved Choices

You can customize the FOMOD choices to match your preferences:

Method 1: Manual Install with Capture

  1. Install the mod manually through MO2's Downloads tab
  2. Make your selections in the FOMOD installer
  3. Your choices are automatically captured and saved
  4. Future installs will use your custom choices

Method 2: Edit the Choices File

  1. Find the archive in your downloads folder
  2. Look for a .collectionsmanager.fomod.json file nearby
  3. Edit the JSON to change selections
  4. Reinstall the mod to apply changes
Advanced: Editing JSON files directly requires understanding the FOMOD structure. The manual install method is easier for most users.

Saving Your Own Choices

Collections Manager automatically saves your FOMOD choices when you:

Choice Priority

When installing, choices are looked up in this order:

  1. Your saved choices - From manual installs you've done
  2. Collection choices - From the collection author
  3. No choices - Opens the installer normally
Tip: If you don't like the collection author's choices, just install the mod manually once. Your choices will override theirs for future installs.

Best Practices

When to Use This Tab