LConfig

LConfig is not a plugin, but an executable file intended to run at startup.

Its intent is to allow individual users to modify standard config files in a studio environment.

At darkside, I set up a standard set of configuration files which were stored on the main server. When each PC is booted, it copies these centralised config files to the local LightWave setup. This ensures that each machine always has the latest plugins, etc.

However, people (Lucy!) invariably complain that some favoured setting wasn't the way they'd like it. For example, we had a split between those who preferred Auto Key on or off.

LConfig solves this problem, by adjusting individual lines within your config files.

LConfig has the following commands:

• Reconfigure [filename]
• Reconfigure End
• ReplaceLine
• DeleteLine
• DeleteRecursive

Firstly, you need to add (if you don't already have it) a file called LWUSER.cfg to your LightWave configs folder.

Then add lines as in the following example:

Reconfigure is followed by the name of the config file to modify, in this case LW8.cfg.*

ReplaceLine indicates that there is a line replacement to follow. The next two lines are: the line to be replaced, and the line to replace it with.

In our example, ParentInPlace 0 is to be replaced with ParentInPlace 1.

Another instance of ReplaceLine is followed by lines that replace AutoKey Off with AutoKey On.

DeleteLine removes the line following it.

Here we use it to remove the Bone Rest shortcut from the key "r".

DeleteRecursive can be used to delete multiple lines which have a similar form.

In combination with the wildcard function, this can be a powerful tool. In this instance, we're asking it to remove records that would appear in the Recent Scenes menu.

Reconfigure End tells LConfig that we're done modifying this file.

After that, we move on to modify LWM8.cfg, changing Modeler's settings.

Here we're using the wildcard function to change the Alert Level from ANYTHING to Intermediate.

LConfig doesn't do a great deal of error checking. It skips over any lines it doesn't understand. It does, however, create backups of any files it modifies.

Installing and Running LConfig

I'd suggest you place the lconfig.exe file in C:\Windows\System32\ where Windows can easily find it.

We have a file called updatelw.bat in the windows Startup folder:

Start Menu > Programs > Startup then right-click and select Open All Users.

A simple example for updatelw.bat:

N.B. The first line deletes the backup files created the last time LConfig ran...

Change History:

Further Development

I'm going to extend LConfig to allow you to add (or remove) multiple line sections to files. This would allow you, for example, to add personalised tabs to the interface, i.e. you could individually configure the User Tab in Layout.

The expanded version should be ready soon after LightWave 9 is released, sometime in August 2006.

Download

Click the link to download: LConfig.zip

*Other config types are listed below.