Reviewing the Custom Channel Preset File Format

1.   Read through the following information about the required format of a Mari custom presets file.
2.   Study the example default presets file.

Note:  To know more about the channel presets, see About Custom Channel Presets.

XML File: Header, Details, Closing Blocks

Channel preset files are XML files with an .mtd extension. Each file can hold as many channels as you want, divided into categories. The files can have any name you want, as long as they have the extension .mtd. Mari picks up the settings from all .mtd files present, so you can use multiple files. For example, you could use one local .mtd file for a single artist's specific channel presets and one on a network drive for multiple artists' presets.

Each file must have a header block, one details block per channel, and a closing block. Below are examples of each type of block, with values you need to change bolded and explained in a table below.

Header Block

This must be the first thing in the file.

<!DOCTYPE MariML>

<Mari Version="2" >

<MriSerializableObject Type="MriSerializableObject" >

<objectName Type="QString" ></objectName>

<selected Type="bool" >false</selected>

<m_Channels Size="1" Type="MriChannelInfo" ContainerType="QVector">

You must set the following values:

Setting

Meaning

Example value

m_Channels Size

Number of channels in this preset file.

1

Details Blocks

You need one details block for each channel. Separate the blocks with a blank line.

<MriChannelInfo Type="MriChannelInfo" >

<objectName Type="QString" ></objectName>

<selected Type="bool" >false</selected>

<channelName Type="QString" >My Custom Channel</channelName>

<fileFormat Type="QString" ></fileFormat>

<path Type="QString" ></path>

<scalar Type="bool" >false</scalar>

<width Type="int" >4096</width>

<height Type="int" >4096</height>

<channels Type="QString" >RGB</channels>

<depth Type="QString" >Byte</depth>

<color Type="MriColor" >(0.5,0.5,0.5,1)</color>

<category Type="QString" >Custom</category>

</MriChannelInfo>

You must set the following values:

Setting

Meaning

Example value

selected

When set to true, indicates that the Create checkbox, in the New Project dialog, should be enabled by default.

true

channelName

Name for the channel to create.

My Custom Channel

scalar

Whether the channel is color or scalar. This is a Boolean; true means a scalar channel, false means color.

false

width

Width of patches in the channel. This must match the heightType.

Tip:  If the width and height are greater than a project's maximum resolution, Mari creates the channel at the project's maximum resolution.

4096

height

Height of patches in the channel. This must match the widthType.

Tip:  If the width and height are greater than a project's maximum resolution, Mari creates the channel at the project's maximum resolution.

4096

channels

The color channels for the new channel. Must be one of:

• RGBA

• RGB

• 1

• 2

RGB

depth

Color depth for the channel. Must be one of:

• Byte

• Half

• Float

Byte

color

Default color for the new channel. This is the color that Mari fills the channel with when created.

This must be entered as a floating value, with values from 0 to 1 for the Red, Green, Blue and Alpha.

0.5,0.5,0.5,1

category

The category for the channel. When the artist selects this category in the Channel Presets dialog, this channel appears in the list.

Custom

fileSpace

Allows you to set whether the channel or image should be exported as a Normal file (in the way Mari stores them), as a Vector file (-1.0 to +1.0 range), or as a Vector (flipped Y) file, which is the same as the Vector file in terms of range, but inverts the vectors in the Y direction.

Vector

colorSpaceConfig

Specifies the default advanced colorspace options, including the Automatic values for each parameter.

See colorSpaceConfig Parameter

Closing Block

This must be the last thing in the file.

</m_Channels>

</MriSerializableObject>

</Mari>