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 there are subfolders, each of which contain the existing default presets for objects, shaders, and operators.
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 Softimage 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 Softimage to a new location.
Workgroup lets you share scripts, presets, and other data with members of your team. For more information about workgroups, see Workgroups.
User is your user path, for example, C:\users\username\Autodesk\Softimage_2012.SAP. Presets saved in this location are available to you whenever you are logged in as the same user on that installation of Softimage.
Sample Project is a project with sample scenes included with Softimage.
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 Softimage program files are installed.
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.
If you want the preset to have a thumbnail image that can be displayed in Softimage browsers and on toolbars, draw a render region (see Previewing Interactively with the Render Region [Rendering]), and make sure that Use Render Region as Thumbnail is checked in step 3.
Alternatively, you can associate a preset with a thumbnail image later using the setthumb standalone (see Creating and Extracting Thumbnail Images for Presets [Standalones]).
In the property editor, click the folder icon and choose Save Preset.
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 of the factory location.
In the File Name text box, enter the name you wish to give the preset, then click OK.
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.
Open an object, shader, or operator property editor from the toolbar, explorer, or render tree.
In the property editor, click the folder icon and choose Load Preset.
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.
