nvm figured it out lol?

document.go

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ type Document struct {
 	model           *Model          `bson:"-"`
 	exists          bool            `bson:"-"`
 	self            any             `bson:"-"`
+	raw             any             `bson:"-"`
 	populatedFields map[string]bool `bson:"-"`
 }
 
@@ -68,6 +69,8 @@ type IDocument interface {
 	markPopulated(field string)
 	markDepopulated(field string)
 	newPopulationMap()
+	getRaw() any
+	setRaw(raw any)
 }
 
 type SaveOptions struct {

document_internals.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/v2/mongo"
 	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/v2/mongo/options"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -79,9 +80,11 @@ func serializeIDs(input interface{}, isJson bool, populated map[string]bool, par
 				}
 				var ip bool
 				for k1, v1 := range populated {
-					if k1 == parent {
+					if k1 == descent || k1 == parent {
 						ip = v1
 						break
+					} else if strings.HasPrefix(k1, descent) {
+						ip = v1
 					}
 				}
 				if terr == nil {
@@ -93,7 +96,9 @@ func serializeIDs(input interface{}, isJson bool, populated map[string]bool, par
 								rarr = append(rarr, getID(fv.Index(j).Interface()))
 							} else {
 								if ip {
-									ret0[bbson.Name] = serializeIDs(fv.Index(j).Interface(), isJson, populated, descent)
+									rarr = append(rarr, serializeIDs(fv.Index(j).Interface(), isJson, populated, descent))
+								} else {
+									rarr = append(rarr, getID(fv.Index(j).Interface()))
 								}
 							}
 						}
@@ -101,15 +106,15 @@ func serializeIDs(input interface{}, isJson bool, populated map[string]bool, par
 					} else if !ok {
 						panic(fmt.Sprintf("referenced model slice at '%s.%s' does not implement HasID", nameOf(input), ft.Name))
 					} else {
-						if reflect.ValueOf(ifc).IsNil() {
+						if reflect.ValueOf(ifc).IsNil() || reflect.ValueOf(ifc.Id()).IsZero() {
 							ret0[bbson.Name] = nil
 						} else {
 							if !isJson {
 								ret0[bbson.Name] = ifc.Id()
 							} else {
-								if ip {
+								if ip && bbson.Name != "-" {
 									ret0[bbson.Name] = serializeIDs(fv.Interface(), isJson, populated, descent)
-								} else {
+								} else if bbson.Name != "-" {
 									ret0[bbson.Name] = ifc.Id()
 								}
 							}
@@ -313,3 +318,11 @@ func (d *Document) newPopulationMap() {
 		d.populatedFields = make(map[string]bool)
 	}
 }
+
+func (d *Document) setRaw(raw any) {
+	d.raw = raw
+}
+
+func (d *Document) getRaw() any {
+	return d.raw
+}

model.go

@@ -132,8 +132,9 @@ func (m *Model) Find(query interface{}, opts *options.FindOptionsBuilder) (*Quer
 			qq.reOrganize()
 			err = nil
 		}
-		for _, doc := range idoc {
+		for i, doc := range idoc {
 			doc.setModel(*m)
+			doc.setRaw(rawRes[i])
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ func (m *Model) FindOne(query interface{}, options *options.FindOneOptionsBuilde
 	}
 	qqn := ModelRegistry.new_(m.typeName)
 	idoc, ok := qqn.(IDocument)
+	idoc.setRaw(raw)
 
 	qq := &Query{
 		collection: m.getColl(),

query.go

@@ -159,7 +159,9 @@ func populate(r Reference, rcoll string, rawDoc interface{}, d string, src inter
 		q := bson.M{"_id": rawDoc}
 		reso := DB.Collection(rcoll).FindOne(context.TODO(), q)
 		if !errors.Is(reso.Err(), mongo.ErrNoDocuments) {
-			reso.Decode(t)
+			var anotherMap bson.M
+			reso.Decode(&anotherMap)
+			reflect.ValueOf(t).Elem().Set(reflect.ValueOf(rerere(anotherMap, tto)).Elem())
 		}
 		hatred := rv
 		if hatred.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
@@ -227,6 +229,49 @@ func (q *Query) LoadFile(fields ...string) *Query {
 	return q
 }
 
+func readFields(field string, m *Model) (Reference, string) {
+	var r Reference
+	var keptKey string
+	if m == nil {
+		return r, keptKey
+	}
+	for k2, v := range m.references {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(k2, field) {
+			r = v
+			keptKey = k2
+			break
+		} else if _, ok := m.references[field]; !ok {
+			splitSegs := strings.Split(field, ".")
+			for ii := 0; ii < len(splitSegs)-1; ii++ {
+				mr, ok2 := m.references[splitSegs[ii]]
+				if ok2 {
+					_, sec, _ := ModelRegistry.HasByName(mr.Model)
+					if sec != nil {
+						refff, ok3 := sec.references[splitSegs[ii+1]]
+						if ok3 {
+							r = refff
+							keptKey = k2
+							break
+						} else {
+							joined := strings.Join(splitSegs[ii+1:], ".")
+							inner1, innerKey := readFields(joined, sec)
+							if inner1.exists {
+								r = inner1
+								keptKey = innerKey
+							}
+							break
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if keptKey != "" {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return r, keptKey
+}
+
 // Populate populates document references via reflection
 func (q *Query) Populate(fields ...string) *Query {
 	_, cm, _ := ModelRegistry.HasByName(q.model.typeName)
@@ -236,14 +281,7 @@ func (q *Query) Populate(fields ...string) *Query {
 		for _, field := range fields {
 			// 0 = fieldname, 1 = typename, 2 = bson name
 
-			var r Reference
+			r, keptKey := readFields(field, cm)
-
-			for k2, v := range cm.references {
-				if strings.HasPrefix(k2, field) {
-					r = v
-					break
-				}
-			}
 
 			if r.exists {
 				// get self
@@ -275,6 +313,11 @@ func (q *Query) Populate(fields ...string) *Query {
 						}
 						src := ref.Index(i).Interface()
 						inter := populate(r, refColl.collection, val2, field, src)
+						aid, docOk := inter.(IDocument)
+						if docOk {
+							aid.markPopulated(keptKey)
+							aid.markPopulated(field)
+						}
 						if reflect.ValueOf(inter).Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 							slic.Elem().Set(reflect.Append(slic.Elem(), reflect.ValueOf(inter)))
 						} else {
@@ -347,7 +390,14 @@ func rerere(input interface{}, resType reflect.Type) interface{} {
 	if resType.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 		resType = resType.Elem()
 	}
-	resV := reflect.New(resType)
+	var resV reflect.Value
+	newInstance := ModelRegistry.newForType(resType)
+	if newInstance == nil {
+		resV = reflect.New(resType)
+	} else {
+		resV = reflect.ValueOf(newInstance)
+	}
+
 	var rve = resV
 	if rve.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 		rve = resV.Elem()

registry.go

@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ func parseTags(t reflect.Type, v reflect.Value, lastParsed string, eqCount int)
 					break
 				}
 				if refTag, ok := tags.Get("ref"); ok == nil {
-					sname := sft.Name + "@" + refTag.Name
+					sname := sft.Name
 					refs[sname] = makeRef(i, refTag.Name, sft.Name, sft.Type)
 				}
 				if gtag, ok := tags.Get("gridfs"); ok == nil {
@@ -244,6 +244,10 @@ func (r TModelRegistry) new_(n string) interface{} {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (r TModelRegistry) newForType(rt reflect.Type) interface{} {
+	return r.new_(rt.Name())
+}
+
 func (r TModelRegistry) Get(name string) *Model {
 	model, ok := r[name]
 	if !ok {