Simplify "portable"

[braddo]

New user here...

I like to keep my slicer profiles/configurations in a central place (dropbox) so I can get consistent results slicing from the machine next to the printer, the server in the office and the laptop.

First, I assume there are some sort of configuration/ini files which contain the processes and that these are stored somewhere readable (probably editable manually as well?)

Is there a UI in the product that allows pointing to store these files in a particular directory? (I know I can export and import them but that's not what I mean, want to just see common settings regardless of where launch from)
If there's not a UI, what is the location of the file so I could make a simlink or equivalent?

Thanks!

[JoeJ]

When you export the profiles, you can just choose your Dropbox folder so that the profiles will sync between your computers. That's the best you can do right now.

[jefish]

That's a surprising answer. Is there not a central location in which a user's settings are stored? Syncing these settings would be invaluable to me as well.

[jeand]

That's a surprising answer. Is there not a central location in which a user's settings are stored? Syncing these settings would be invaluable to me as well.

I agree.
Profiles must be "licence centric", not installation centric.
Under Windows, 3.0 stores profiles in registry as XML file. Not sure it's the best place to do this. Think about backup and restore of you entire computer.
Of course, one says we can export profiles to network disk or cloud space storage but sync is not automatic because you need to re-import profiles each starting time to be sure you have last updated profiles. Not very useful. More, when export profile, should be great if profile name is proposed as export name.
Simply add an option so user can choose the location of profiles.

[Trax]

The default profiles are already stored on on servers,
for no user benefit just as anti piracy measure.

So why not turn that into something useful,
Allow users to upload/sync local profiles on a button press to server and download/sync them from server as well on a button press.
That would be a useful feature.

[jeand]

<snip>
Allow users to upload/sync local profiles on a button press to server and download/sync them from server as well on a button press.
That would be a useful feature.

Good idea.
And for the one who don't have internet access on their work/print station (there are a few on this forum), why not add an option to locate the place of profiles so they can save them on their NAS, SAN or network shared disk.

[Wisar]

The change to profile management that came about in the upgrade irritates me to no end. Here is a thread on that topic: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2883

On the MAC they have hidden where they store customized profiles so when you "save" your changes they go somewhere that you can't access. Then if their software crashes, or if you have to do a full reset, both of which can happen or are needed, you lose what you have "saved".

Yes, I know I can export my profiles, after I have "saved" them but why is this necessary? Why change from what worked in version 2? Further, if you have an export feature how about making it easier to use? Like having an EXPORT ALL feature? Or at least remembering the name of the profile you are exporting and using it as the save file name? Simplify3D is good software that could be great if it were not so bug ridden and filled with sloppy user interface practices like it's handling of the export function.

I have yet to hear from someone at Simplify3D on either the above post or from the support messages that I have left. Maybe the profiles that I "save" are available somewhere on OS/X and I am missing them? Maybe they have heard me and are implementing some improvements to the export process? Who knows.

[dsegel]

On the MAC they have hidden where they store customized profiles so when you "save" your changes they go somewhere that you can't access.

There is nowhere on a Mac that you "cant' access". The S3D settings (at least for v3) and stored in ~/Library/Preferences/com.simplify3d.S3D-Software.plist

You can use the plutil command to convert it to xml format if you want to look at it. You could try moving that file to Dropbox and then setting up a symlink back to the Preferences directory. That might work, as long as you don't open both copies of S3D at the same time.

[jefish]

Simplify overwrites the symlink alias with a new copy of an actual plist file when launched. I really thought this might work ...

[jimc]

i have said this before but i will once again. the whole problem here is simply what they name the buttons. save = export. if you want to save your profile you export it. unless you do that you have not "saved" anything. the files stored within the software should be considered temporary. if s3d would rename the export profile to "save profile" they would eliminate so much headache and confusion for the user its not even funny. on top of that to make the whole thing easier they should simply stop saving it in the software totally and you should just designate a folder for your fff library like what you do with your itunes library. the software should just read and write to that folder. i think that would make everyone happy and be very easy. with that said i also have no issue with how it is now. i understand the save/export thing and i export my profile to a folder every time i make a change that i want to keep.