The Icon of the VEPro plugin activates the Decouple state (Decouple is on if icon is orange.
(this works also in connection with the Preserved icon (that looks like a lock), see below):
Here the official video that explains many aspects:
An here my attempt to explaining it 
:
Possible instance/plugin status scenarios:
- Coupled if icon is gray: the DAW (Dorico) saves, embedded in its project file, all informations, assignments, etc. between DAW and VEPro server. You don’t need a template in VEPro server, because every time you open your project in the DAW (Dorico in this case), the DAW will send to VEPro server (that must be running, with nothing loaded) all the informations, and the instances will be magically recreated and connected.
PRO: you don’t need to maintain a template in VEPro server
CONTRA: bigger file size, and saving times in the DAW:
- Decoupled if icon is orange: the DAW doesn’t saves informations, assignments, etc. : you need to have VEPro running and you have to load a previously saved project (.vep64 file format) as sort of template with all the needed instances loaded, before you open your project in the DAW
PRO: smaller file size and saving time in the DAW
CONTRA: you need to save and maintain a template in VEPro with all your needed instances, channels, settings, and load it before you open your DAW Project
- clicking on the three vertical dots in the plugin Decouples all instances (and turns red): all instances are Decoupled
PRO: even smaller file size and saving time in the DAW
CONTRA: as before
The preserve/unpreserve Lock has this function:
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if the lock is grey (open), the instance is Unpreserved: when you delete an instrument assigned to that instance, or close a Project where that instance is present, the instance disappears from VEPro server.
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if the lock is blue (closed) the instance is Preserved: when you delete an instrument assigned to that instance, or close a Project where that instance is present, the instance remains in VEPro server (but will of course be disconnected).
The system is really well thought through, but it takes time to learn how to use the different possibilities. In general my suggested workflow is to create your template in VEPro server with all the libraries that you use, save the VEPro project and call it “my orchestral template 2024” or something like that. Then in the DAW (Dorico), prepare all your instruments and assign/connect them to the already present instances/midi channels already present in VEPro server, Decouple all, Preserve all. Save a Playback template with all the Endpoint configurations, and the desired settings, including expression/drum maps, live stage settings etc…
So you can close your project and open another project, load the Playback template in Dorico and you don’t have loading time, because VEPro remains with all instances loaded in the background. Before opening a project in the DAW you need to open VEPro, load your saved template in VEPro, and when you open your DAW (Dorico) project, everything will connect nicely. And the DAW file size and saving time are also minimal.
This is a workflow that works good in a DAW like Cubase. In Dorico it should work similarly, as explained, with the extra steps of creating the Playback Template in Dorico. This takes time and creates some maintenance and attention, and is recommended for big and fixed VEPro templates (if you change your template, save it with a new name and save a copy of it in the specific corresponding Dorico project folder, because if you change something in VEPro template, older projects of the DAW may be not work as expected, in decoupled mode).
That’s why I use VEPro in Cubase, and Note Performer (with NPPE) in Dorico 