Purpose of the Options Tab
The Options tab lets you configure Collections Manager's behavior. Settings include:
- API key for Nexus Mods downloads
- Automation preferences (auto-install, auto-activate)
- Timing and performance tuning
- 7-zip configuration for bundle extraction
- Developer/debug options
Startup Tab
Choose which tab opens when you launch Collections Manager:
- Mods - The main mod list (default for active collections)
- FOMODs - FOMOD installer management
- Sort - Mod list sorting tool
- Tools - Utility tools
- Collections - Saved collections list
- Options - This settings tab
- Help - Instructions and documentation
API Key
Your Nexus Mods API key is required for downloading mods. To get your key:
- Click the "Get my API key" link
- Log in to Nexus Mods if prompted
- Scroll to the bottom of the API keys page
- Copy your PERSONAL API KEY (not the SSO key)
- Paste it into the API Key field
Premium vs Free
- Premium members: Downloads happen automatically through the API
- Free members: Browser tabs open for manual download clicks
Auto-install
When enabled, mods are automatically installed after downloading:
- Download completes → Install starts immediately
- No need to click "Install" for each mod
- Works with the download queue for hands-free installation
Auto-activate
When enabled, mods are automatically activated (enabled) after installation:
- Mod installs → Mod is enabled in MO2
- No need to manually check the mod in MO2's left pane
Silent Install
Automatically advances through installer dialogs:
- FOMOD installers use saved choices or defaults
- Confirmation dialogs are auto-accepted
- Minimizes user interaction during batch installs
Detect Root-install Mods
Scans for mods that need manual installation to the game folder:
- Detects mods containing only exe/dll files (SKSE, ENB, etc.)
- Moves detected mods to top of list
- Disables them automatically (they won't work through MO2's VFS)
- Flags them for manual installation via the Root Install tool
Maintenance on Load
Automatically runs maintenance before loading a collection:
- Cleans up orphaned index entries
- Ensures mod status detection is accurate
- Prevents stale data from causing issues
Developer Options
Click Show next to "Developer Options" to reveal advanced settings. These are for troubleshooting and fine-tuning.
Show Dev Tab
Enables a hidden "Dev" tab with experimental features:
- Debug logging controls
- Testing utilities
- Diagnostic information
Only enable if you need to troubleshoot issues or test new features.
Timing Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck timeout | Seconds before a download is considered stuck | 60 sec |
| Timeout scale | Multiplier for all timeouts (0.5x-4x) | 1.0x |
| Install delay | Wait time between install operations | 1.0 sec |
| FOMOD delay | Extra wait time for FOMOD installers | 0.5 sec |
| Timer speed | Speed of dialog detection timers | 1.0x |
When to Adjust Timing
- Slow system: Increase timeout scale (1.5x-2x)
- Fast system: Decrease for quicker installs (0.75x)
- Frequent stuck errors: Increase stuck timeout
- FOMOD issues: Increase FOMOD delay
Advanced Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Background download | Download next mod while current one installs |
| Skip mod renaming | Don't rename mods to match collection names (helps with 2000+ mod lists) |
| UI chunk size | Rows processed per UI update (affects table performance) |
| Tip rotation | How often tips rotate in the Mods tab (seconds) |
| UI Version | Custom version label override |
Save to Code
The Save to Code button saves current developer settings as new defaults in the source code. This is for plugin developers to persist optimized values.
7-zip Configuration
7-zip is required for extracting collection bundles (.7z files). The plugin auto-detects common installation locations.
If Not Detected
- Click Browse... to manually locate 7z.exe
- Or click Re-detect after installing 7-zip
Common Locations
C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exeC:\Program Files (x86)\7-Zip\7z.exe
Maintenance Buttons
Clear Python Cache
Deletes cached .pyc files to force Python to reload plugin code:
- Use after updating the plugin
- Requires MO2 restart to take effect
- Fixes issues caused by stale compiled code
Reset to Defaults
Resets all settings to their default values:
- Does NOT affect your API key
- Resets timing, automation, and developer options
- Useful if settings become corrupted or misconfigured
Recommended Settings
For Most Users
- Auto-install: Enabled
- Auto-activate: Enabled
- Silent install: Enabled
- Detect root-install: Enabled
- Maintenance on load: Enabled
- Developer options: Hidden (default)
For Slow Systems
- Increase Timeout scale to 1.5x or 2x
- Increase Install delay to 2-3 seconds
- Decrease UI chunk size to 50 rows
For Large Collections (2000+ mods)
- Enable Skip mod renaming
- Increase UI chunk size to 200-500 rows
- Disable Maintenance on load (run manually instead)