4.1. User Preferences
sIBL_GUI preferences are stored per user in their home directory:
- C:\Users\$USER\AppData\Roaming\HDRLabs\sIBL_GUI on Windows 7
- C:\Documents and Settings\$USER\Application Data\HDRLabs\sIBL_GUI on Windows XP
- /Users/$USER/Library/Preferences/HDRLabs/sIBL_GUI on Mac Os X
- /home/$USER/.HDRLabs/sIBL_GUI on Linux
The typical sIBL_GUI preferences directory structure is the following:
Structure Description:
- $MAJOR_VERSION.$MINOR_VERSION: Current sIBL_GUI version.
- components: Directory storing user Components.
- database: Directory storing the SQLite database.
- backup: Directory used by the Database Component when it backups the database.
- migrations: Directory used by the Database migration mechanism responsible to migrate the database.
- versions: Directory used by to store the various migrations scripts.
- io: Directory used for sIBL_GUI input / output operations.
- loaderScripts: Directory used as output directory by the Loader Script Component.
- remote: Directory used by the Online Updater Component when it downloads online files.
- scriptEditor: Directory containing the default scripts used by the Script Editor Component.
- logging: Directory storing sIBL_GUI logging file.
- patches: Directory storing sIBL_GUI patches file.
- settings: Directory storing sIBL_GUI settings file.
- templates: Directory storing Templates settings.
- templates: Directory storing user Templates (This directory is scanned by sIBL_GUI when importing default Templates).
4.2. Command Line Parameters
sIBL_GUI accepts various command line parameters:
- -h, —help: Display the command line parameters help message and exit. (Mac Os X and Linux only)
- -a, —about: Display application About message. (Mac Os X and Linux only)
- -v VERBOSITYLEVEL, —verbose=VERBOSITYLEVEL: Application verbosity levels: 0 = Critical | 1 = Error | 2 = Warning | 3 = Info | 4 = Debug.
- -f LOGGINGFORMATER, —loggingFormatter=LOGGINGFORMATER: Application Logging Formatter: ‘Default, Extended, Standard’.
- -u USERAPPLICATIONDATASDIRECTORY, —userApplicationDataDirectory=USERAPPLICATIONDATASDIRECTORY: User application data directory (Preferences directory).
- -s, —hideSplashScreen: The SplashScreen is not displayed during application startup.
- -w, —deactivateWorkerThreads: The Worker Threads are deactivated.
- -x STARTUPSCRIPT, –startupScript=STARTUPSCRIPT: Execute given startup script.
- -t TRACEMODULES, –traceModules=TRACEMODULES: Trace given modules.
- -d DATABASEDIRECTORY, —databaseDirectory=DATABASEDIRECTORY: Database directory.
- -r, —databaseReadOnly: Database is read only, database write access methods are not exposed into the interface.
- -o LOADERSCRIPTSOUTPUTDIRECTORY, —loaderScriptsOutputDirectory=LOADERSCRIPTSOUTPUTDIRECTORY: Loader scripts output directory.
Note: On Mac Os X, sIBL_GUI is launched from command line doing the following:
cd sIBL_GUI.app
./Contents/MacOS/sIBL_GUI
4.3. Shared Database Configuration
If you want to share the same Database between multiple installed versions of sIBL_GUI there are 2 solutions:
Dirty Method
Copy the Database file sIBL_Database.sqlite on every machine that have sIBL_GUI installed.
The file is located in one of those directory depending your OS:
- C:\Users\$USER\AppData\Roaming\HDRLabs\sIBL_GUI\$MAJOR_VERSION.$MINOR_VERSION\database\ on Windows 7
- C:\Documents and Settings\$USER\Application Data\HDRLabs\sIBL_GUI\$MAJOR_VERSION.$MINOR_VERSION\database\ on Windows XP
- /Users/$USER/Library/Preferences/HDRLabs/sIBL_GUI/$MAJOR_VERSION.$MINOR_VERSION/database/ on Mac Os X
- /home/$USER/.HDRLabs/sIBL_GUI/$MAJOR_VERSION.$MINOR_VERSION/database/ on Linux
Recommended Method
It’s possible to share one Database file between multiple sIBL_GUI install. In order to do that you need to start sIBL_GUI with some command line parameters:
- -d DATABASEDIRECTORY, —databaseDirectory=DATABASEDIRECTORY: This one is mandatory for what you want to do, it will tell sIBL_GUI to store / use the database on the provided path.
- -r, —databaseReadOnly: This one is optional, but HIGHLY recommended: It will hide / unexpose from the UI all methods that can write to the Database. That’s something important because the last thing you want is someone screwing the whole database by doing a mistake.
Example Command Line:
C:\\HDRLabs\\sIBL_GUI\\sIBL_GUI.exe -d “Z:/sIBL_Database/” -r
When the Database is read only, the automatic scanner adding new IBL Sets is deactivated meaning that newly IBL Sets dropped into your library directory won’t be added automatically.
It’s a good idea to put the Database with a real file system write lock in case someone launch a sIBL_GUI instance without the command line arguments.
That way you can have artists using the Database a supervisor has defined, and even using different Databases depending on their current production.
4.4. IBL Sets Wizard
The first time sIBL_GUI is started a wizard asks to add IBL Sets into the database:
Choose a directory where are stored some IBL Sets and they will be added to the Default Ibl Sets Collection.
4.5. Interface
sIBL_GUI Interface is customizable and comes with 3 main layouts directly available from the main toolbar:
4.5.1. Toolbar
Interactions:
Right clic: raises a context menu with the Ui Widgets list:
Central Widget icon: Shows / Hides the Ibl Sets Outliner Component widget Ui.
Layouts icon: Raises a context menu where the user can store / restore up to 5 custom layouts and recall them whenever needed:
Miscellaneous icon: Raises a context menu with some links and miscellaneous functionalities:
4.5.2. Library Layout
The Library layout is where most of the IBL Sets management is done.
This layout is built around 4 Components:
4.5.3. Inspect Layout
The Inspect layout is where Ibl Set inspection is done.
This layout is built around 3 Components:
4.5.4. Export Layout
The Export layout is where the bridge between sIBL_GUI and the 3d packages is created.
This layout is built around 4 Components:
An additional but extremely powerful export related Component is available by right clicking the main toolbar:
4.5.5. Edit Layout
The Edit layout is where Ibl Set are edited.
This layout is built around 2 Component:
4.5.6. Preferences Layout
The Preferences layout is where sIBL_GUI behavior is configured.
This layout is built around 2 Components: