# Overriding Autonotes styles without touching data/json/

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/overriding-autonotes-styles-without-touching-data-json/24524>\
**Category:** The Drawing Board\
**Created:** [August 21, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/overriding-autonotes-styles-without-touching-data-json/24524 "2020-08-21T20:33:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![int\_ua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/int_ua/32/4402_2.png) [@int\_ua](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/int_ua)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/overriding-autonotes-styles-without-touching-data-json/24524/1 "2020-08-21T20:33:08Z")

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By the time autonotes were created anyone developed their own style of overmap notes. And autonotes is a really useful feature but I disagree with imposing one style on everyone. I’d like my descriptions to be _much_ more concise and it’s just never going to be merged.

Is there a way to make a mod or somehow override the default descriptions? Hopefully in a way that does not require syncing with upstream changes, just containing overridden known values, not the whole file redefined.

Related discussion: [https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/38648](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/issues/38648)

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**Author:** ![Valase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valase/32/6972_2.png) [@Valase](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valase)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2020, 8:50pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/overriding-autonotes-styles-without-touching-data-json/24524/2 "2020-08-21T20:50:57Z")

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Yes. Start with downloading Cheat Engine, learn Assembly and write a trainer for Cataclysm - it’s that easy 😁 !

Ah, you want to do it with a mod…? Well…  
As far as I can tell, you probably can mod it like any item.  
Check the `data/json/overmap/map_extras.json` for the `id` and `type`, use the `copy-from` entry and just redefine the `description`, `sym` or `color` as you like.

I can’t test this right now, but I will as soon as I get a chance to do it…

Finally found the time to test this - and the answer is yes, it can be modded.  
Here’s my example modinfo.json (you also could split this up into an extra file…):

```auto
[
  {
    "type": "MOD_INFO",
    "id": "autonotes_mix",
    "name": "Nicer notes",
    "authors": ["Valase"],
    "description": "Makes some changes to auto-notes.",
    "category": "misc_additions",
    "dependencies": ["dda"]
  },
  {
    "id": "mx_point_burned_ground",
    "type": "map_extra",
    "copy-from": "mx_point_burned_ground",
    "description": "Oh my god! Someone burned down all those plants!",
    "sym": "#",
    "color": "dark_gray"
  },
  {
    "id": "mx_casings",
    "type": "map_extra",
    "copy-from": "mx_casings",
    "autonote": false
  },
  {
    "id": "mx_fallen_shed",
    "type": "map_extra",
    "copy-from": "mx_fallen_shed",
    "sym": "=",
    "color": "brown",
    "autonote": true
  }
]

```

 ![Flames are hot, this is not...](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/cataclysmdda/original/2X/c/c4fc463a7781dad8059d5cd6473c3ab975ad822f.png)

Some things to keep in mind:

- Changing `"autonote"` to `false` (or `true`) and adding this mod into a existing world does not deactivate (or activate) these autonotes. Those need to be set in the `Autonotes manager`.
- Adding this into an existing world does not change/replace already placed autonotes (but it will use the new description/symbol for the next one you’ll find).
- Setting the `"autonote"` to `true` is not enough. You will need to define a `sym`bol and a `color`.  
Otherwise it will just place a normal “N” note (it still works, it’s just ugly).
- Don’t be as stupid as me and use the `#` symbol for anything, it’s weird seeing an “unexplored” tile in the middle of your map.
- This is just an example. There’s much more one could and can do. Experiment!

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**Author:** ![int\_ua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/int_ua/32/4402_2.png) [@int\_ua](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/int_ua)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 3:45am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/overriding-autonotes-styles-without-touching-data-json/24524/3 "2020-08-27T03:45:56Z")

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Thank you! I will 🙂  
Can’t mark the thread as solved for some reason.