Creating Presets of Property Settings
Each time you edit properties in a property editor, you have the option of saving your settings as a preset. Presets are simply data files with a .preset file extension that contain property information.
Presets let you work more efficiently because you can save the modified properties and reuse them as needed. As well, presets serve the important function of allowing you to transport information between scenes.
In the DSPresets folder in a project, there are subfolders, each of which contain the existing default presets for objects, shaders, and operators.
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For quick access, you can also place presets on a toolbar. For example, you could create three buttons that each apply different surface materials to an object. For more information on commands in toolbars, refer to Custom Toolbars in the Customization guide. |
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Presets do not contain any animation. When you save a preset, only the current parameter values are stored. |
Although you can save preset files anywhere, it is recommended that you use a standard location. This makes it easier to keep track of your presets. The default location is the Data\DSPresets subdirectory of your user path.
The Paths button in the Open and Save Script File browsers lets you quickly choose between various base locations, including:
• Installation (Factory) is the location where the XSI program files are installed. Presets saved here are available to any user on the local machine. You will need to copy these presets if you install XSI to a new location.
• Workgroup lets you share scripts, presets, and other data with members of your team. For more information about workgroups, see Setting a Workgroup in the Customization guide.
• User is your user path, for example, C:\users\username\Softimage\XSI_4.0. Presets saved in this location are available to you whenever you are logged in as the same user on that installation of XSI.
• Sample Project is a project with sample scenes included with XSI.
It is NOT recommended to save your presets here.
• Current Project is the project that contains the open scene. You could use this folder if your preset is specific to that project.
• Factory Add-ons is the Addons\ subdirectory of the location where the XSI program files are installed. For more information about add-ons, see Sharing and Managing Customizations in the Customization guide.
• User Add-ons is the Addons\ subdirectory of your user path.
• Other projects in your Projects List are listed under Projects.
Once you have modified properties in a property editor, you can save them as a preset for later use.
To save a preset
1. In the property editor, click the Save preset button.
2. In the Save Preset browser, select the folder in which you wish to save the preset. It is recommended that you do not save your presets in the DSPresets folder.
3. In the File Name text box, enter the name you wish to give the preset, then click OK.
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The saved preset contains values for only the parameter set currently selected on the property set tabs at the top of the property editor. In the case of materials and shaders, it also contains parameter settings for any connected shaders. |
You load or open presets from property editors that define existing objects, shaders, or operators. If, for example, you wish to load a camera preset, you must first open an existing camera property editor. Presets for constraints are loaded from constraint property editors, and so on.
To load a preset
1. Open an object, shader, or operator property editor from the toolbar, explorer, or render tree.
2. In the property editor, click the Load preset button.
3. In the Load Preset browser, select the preset you wish to load and click OK.
The list of files is filtered to show only presets of the same family. For example, if you are browsing for a shader preset, presets of custom parameters are not listed.
All parameter values stored in the preset are loaded into the current property. In the case of custom properties, where the number and names of parameters might not be the same, only parameters with the same name as those in the current property are loaded from the preset.
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You may need to press F5 to refresh the browser display in order to see recently saved presets. |
SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.6.01