diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 58b435f..d4df7e2 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -116,26 +116,43 @@ version = "0.6.27"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "a3f87b73ce11b1619a3c6332f45341e0047173771e8b8b73f87bfeefb7b56244"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ryu"
+version = "1.0.18"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f3cb5ba0dc43242ce17de99c180e96db90b235b8a9fdc9543c96d2209116bd9f"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "serde"
-version = "1.0.197"
+version = "1.0.201"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "3fb1c873e1b9b056a4dc4c0c198b24c3ffa059243875552b2bd0933b1aee4ce2"
+checksum = "780f1cebed1629e4753a1a38a3c72d30b97ec044f0aef68cb26650a3c5cf363c"
 dependencies = [
  "serde_derive",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "serde_derive"
-version = "1.0.197"
+version = "1.0.201"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "7eb0b34b42edc17f6b7cac84a52a1c5f0e1bb2227e997ca9011ea3dd34e8610b"
+checksum = "c5e405930b9796f1c00bee880d03fc7e0bb4b9a11afc776885ffe84320da2865"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
  "syn",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_json"
+version = "1.0.117"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "455182ea6142b14f93f4bc5320a2b31c1f266b66a4a5c858b013302a5d8cbfc3"
+dependencies = [
+ "itoa",
+ "ryu",
+ "serde",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "simplelog"
 version = "0.12.1"
@@ -206,6 +223,8 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "Inflector",
  "log",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
  "simplelog",
 ]
 
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 43d4ad4..2c5ed3b 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@ edition = "2021"
 [dependencies]
 Inflector = "*"
 log = "0.4.20"
+serde = { version = "1.0.201", features = ["derive"] }
+serde_json = "1.0.117"
 simplelog = "0.12.1"
diff --git a/build.py b/build.py
index 0c98114..b021fcf 100644
--- a/build.py
+++ b/build.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def findWorkingExecutablePath(executable_paths, flags):
 }
 
 class BuildVariant:
-    def __init__(self, short_description, chapter, unity, system, target_crc32=None, translation_default=False):
+    def __init__(self, short_description, chapter, unity, system, target_crc32=None, translation_default=False, path_id_overrides=None):
         self.chapter = chapter
         self.unity = unity
         self.system = system
@@ -63,14 +63,21 @@ def __init__(self, short_description, chapter, unity, system, target_crc32=None,
         self.data_dir = f"HigurashiEp{self.chapter_number:02}_Data"
         self.translation_default = translation_default
         self.short_description = short_description
-
-    def get_build_command(self) -> str:
-        args = [self.chapter, self.unity, self.system]
-
-        if self.target_crc32 is not None:
-            args.append(self.target_crc32)
-
-        return " ".join(args)
+        self.path_id_overrides = []
+        if path_id_overrides is not None:
+            self.path_id_overrides = path_id_overrides
+
+    def get_build_settings(self) -> dict[str, object]:
+        return {
+            "chapter": self.chapter,
+            "unity": self.unity,
+            "system": self.system,
+            "crc32": self.target_crc32,
+            "path_id_overrides": self.path_id_overrides,
+        }
+
+    def get_build_settings_json(self) -> str:
+        return json.dumps(self.get_build_settings())
 
     def get_translation_sharedassets_name(self) -> str:
         operatingSystem = None
@@ -356,7 +363,7 @@ def save(self):
 
 # Get a list of build variants (like 'onikakushi 5.2.2f1 win') depending on commmand line arguments
 build_variants = get_build_variants(chapter_name)
-build_variants_list = "\n - ".join([b.get_build_command() for b in build_variants])
+build_variants_list = "\n - ".join([b.get_build_settings_json() for b in build_variants])
 print(f"-------- Build Started --------")
 print(f"Chapter: [{chapter_name}] | Translation Archive Output: [{('Enabled' if translation else 'Disabled')}]")
 print(f"Variants:")
@@ -440,11 +447,29 @@ def save(self):
 
 # Build all the requested variants
 for build_variant in build_variants:
-    print(f"Building .assets for {build_variant.get_build_command()}...")
+    print(f"Building .assets for {build_variant.get_build_settings_json()}...")
+
+    # Delete any old .json settings to make sure we don't reuse it accidentally
+    settings_path = 'rust_script_settings.json'
+    if os.path.exists(settings_path):
+        os.remove(settings_path)
+
+    # Write json settings file for rust to use
+    json_settings = build_variant.get_build_settings_json()
+    print(f"Calling rust script with settings: {json_settings}")
+    with open(settings_path, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+        f.write(json_settings)
+
+    # Build command line arguments
+    command = []
     if working_cargo:
-        call(f"cargo run {build_variant.get_build_command()}")
+        command += ["cargo", "run"]
     else:
-        call(f"ui-compiler.exe {build_variant.get_build_command()}")
+        command += ["ui-compiler.exe"]
+    command += [settings_path]
+
+    # Call the rust script
+    call(command)
 
     if translation:
         source_sharedassets = os.path.join("output", build_variant.data_dir, "sharedassets0.assets")
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index fdad2f1..13884ee 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,65 @@ use std::process;
 use inflector::Inflector;
 use log::*;
 use simplelog::{TermLogger, TerminalMode, ColorChoice,Config};
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+// The settings this program takes from the .json file
+// The .json file should be structured matching this struct
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
+struct Settings {
+    chapter: String,
+    unity: String,
+    system: String,
+    checksum: Option<String>,
+    path_id_overrides: Vec<(String, usize)>
+}
+
+// Force a particular file to use a Unity .assets PathID by renaming the file, typically in the 'output/assets' folder
+fn force_path_id(directory_assets: &str, original_name: &str, path_id_override: usize) -> std::io::Result<()>
+{
+    let new_name = format!("{} {}", path_id_override, original_name);
+    let original_path = format!("{}/{}", directory_assets, original_name);
+    let new_path = format!("{}/{}", directory_assets, new_name);
+
+    println!("Forcing path id {}: {} -> {}", path_id_override, original_path, new_path);
+    fs::rename(original_path, new_path)
+}
+
+// Previously settings were read from cmd line, but now we load from .json
+// When loading from .json, the first argument should be the path to the .json file.
+fn read_settings_from_args_or_json() -> Settings
+{
+    let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
+
+    if args[1].ends_with(".json")
+    {
+        let json_path = args[1].to_string();
+        println!("Loading settings from json file {}", json_path);
+        let json_str = fs::read_to_string(json_path).expect("Unable to read json config file");
+        serde_json::from_str(json_str.as_str()).expect("Unable to parse json file")
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        let chapter = args[1].to_string();
+        let unity = args[2].to_string();
+        let system = args[3].to_string();
+        let checksum = if args.len() > 4 {
+            Some(args[4].to_string())
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
+        Settings {
+            chapter,
+            unity,
+            system,
+            checksum,
+            path_id_overrides: Vec::new()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
 
 fn main() -> ExitCode {
     TermLogger::init(
@@ -17,15 +76,12 @@ fn main() -> ExitCode {
     )
     .expect("Failed to init logger");
 
-    let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
-    let chapter = &args[1];
-    let unity = &args[2];
-    let system = &args[3];
-    let checksum = if args.len() > 4 {
-        Some(&args[4])
-    } else {
-        None
-    };
+    let settings = read_settings_from_args_or_json();
+    let chapter = &settings.chapter;
+    let unity = &settings.unity;
+    let system = &settings.system;
+    let checksum = settings.checksum.as_ref();
+    println!("Rust Settings: {:?}", settings);
 
     // Check if python is correctly installed
     println!("Running 'python --version' to check if python is correctly installed...");
@@ -207,6 +263,14 @@ fn main() -> ExitCode {
 
     println!();
 
+    // 4a. Force certain assets to have specific PathIDs
+    if settings.path_id_overrides.len() > 0 {
+        println!("------ Forcing PathIDs ------");
+    }
+    for (original_name, path_id_override) in settings.path_id_overrides {
+        force_path_id(&directory_assets, &original_name, path_id_override).expect("Failed to force ID");
+    }
+
     // 5. generate emip
     let status = Command::new("python")
         .env("PYTHONIOENCODING", "utf-8")