I am finding myself spending a lot of time re-configuring Zen Dock and Zen Sets addons and would like to automate this process with some sort of preferences.py or .json file. I can’t seem to find a way to import or export these settings, is this possible? Thanks
Hi, I will add it to feature list.
P.S. There is an option for Zen Dock to import-export list of buttons
Thanks that’s actually helpful, I’ve not noticed that before. If it is possible to have all of the settings load automatically by placing some .json or settings.py file within the addon folder (or portable\settings\..) that would be amazing.
Yes, I will do for all settings
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I made a free addon where you can import-export settings of any addon
Wow this seems super cool! Are there any limitations with shortcuts or how other addons register things? For example if someone tries to backup Pie Menu Editor, would it also save all of the menus?
I am looking forward to try this with the Zen addons. Thanks a lot!
This addon imports-exports addon preferences section but shortcuts are stored in the main Blender preferences. So, unfortunately shortcuts will not be handled during export. In any case you can make some experiments to import-export with other addons, like PME, etc. If there are any problems, feel free to give a feedback here
To make sure I am understanding this correctly: If I export the settings for zen dock and zen sets using this addon, any modified shortcuts for these addons will not be exported. Is this correct?
It’s great that most of the settings can be exported/imported. However, the shortcuts are also part of the settings and can take a long time to customise. It would be best if Zen addons grabbed all settings including shortcuts from the json file and register those at runtime. This way people would copy over the settings file inside the addon folder and everything could happen seemlessly.
I think that the most correct way is to use native Blender import-export keymaps feature. And to store all keymaps in 1 general preset
I understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately, that method is problematic. I use it too, but it always creates a mess of multiple entries with different values eventually. There have been reported bugs with that for years too. I believe it’s only effective at saving changed hotkeys for a clean blender install (before addons). For example, if one imports a hotkey config and then installs the addons, there will be duplicate entries and the default addon keymaps will still take preference at times. It’s a huge mess. This is why for some addons I modify the defaults within the addon scripts themselves. I appreciate your work here and any time the addon will save. The hotkeys for Zen sets is a long list (48?) so it is not something I am going to go through inside the python scripts. I have to get creative with my hotkeys as most are already taken. There is a “Restore Keymap” button inside of the Zen sets preferences, maybe some day it will be possible to use a backup Zen sets keymaps or something similar.
Either way, thank you for your support and for creating this great new addon!
Here is an example, when if user deleted some addon keymaps, the only way to restore it is to restore all keymaps category. So I am trying to say that there is no clear way in Python API, to handle only with the addon keymaps
Ah thanks for explaining that. So the addons that have an import/export settings feature that restore keymaps must be doing some kind of trickery in the background e.g. removing specific registered keymaps individually and re-registering the exported ones line by line somehow. It seems that the whole keymaps pain isn’t going away anywhere in Blender. Hopefully Blender org will fix the bugs in their own keymaps importer/exporter.
Yes, in some cases the only way would be save all category, then restore it to default, then restore user keymaps there. It is possible but may be too buggy, so it is better to wait while Blender devs will fix the native tools