I have some semi-general Wrye Bash questions hopefully someone can help me with:

I've got the basics of using BAIN (aka Bash Installers) semi down, but I don't understand how to load ordering works. There's an ordering to the installers in the installers tab, and then again another load ordering in the mods tab. How do they relate? The installed BAINs show up in the mod tab right? If I change the loading order in the mods tab does it update the load order in the installers tab? (and vice versa?)

If I have a load order set up in OBMM, how does that play with the ordering set up in Wrye Bash's mods & installers tab? I ask because while I'd rather forget OBMM exists, (I don't need to use two programs that can do the same thing!) some big mods I want to use have OBMM packages setup, but are buku trouble if I want to try to make a BAIN package for.

How about when I make a bashed patch - once I make a bashed patch comprised of mods x, y & z, is there any reason I need to keep x.esp, y.esp & z.esp around in the data folder or should I just then pull them out of there? Will Wrye Bash tag any esp's that have been merged into a bashed patch as such, so I know I can junk them?

Installation order affects the physical files. So if you install a bunch of texture overhauls, the order that you install them in will affect which texture you see in-game if several mods overwrite the same texture file. Same thing with mods that modify the menus. The menu you see will be from the mod that you installed last.

Load order affects the dynamic rendering, AI and scripts in-game. So if you have two mods that modify the same cell, the mod that loads last "wins". You can install mods with OBMM, but you should use BOSS to adjust your load order. You can run BOSS right from inside Wyre Bash and WB will update to show the new load order. You have to sort your load order before building your Bashed patch.

The Bashed Patch works by taking certain elements from mods and combining them into one mod, or patch. No, you can't delete the source mods because the Bashed Patch only takes bits and pieces. Just like any other patch, you can't remove the source mods. You can merge some mods into your Bashed Patch and that will free up slots in your load order, but I think you have to leave the original mod in your data folder. I say I think because I don't merge mods all that often. I have lots of slots available, so I don't bother.