Use environment variables for file paths to help Moving Track Presets to different machine/user

Hi!
Didn’t find similar topics so I need this to rise.
My setup: Windows 10 Pro, Cubase 11 Pro.

I’m working on a huge template and I save every track as Track Preset just for two reasons - a) recall settings stored and b) create the same track in new project. It works like a charm!
But! (as always) Cubase stores the full path to the track preset file. WHY???
This is question to developers or whole Steinberg team.

If I work on one PC and manage my template this way to use Track Presets, then of course I need the same setup on second computer, where I copy my templates to Templates folder and Track Presets in {APPDATA}\Steinberg\Track Presets\Instrument. Therefore the system have these settings like APPDATA, HOMEPATH and others, because they are different on each PC.

I suppose, if user specify other path to store Track Presets, then yes - Cubase should store full path and user knows this and replicate his setup on all machines.
(I really don’t know can we specify path other than default).

As far as I know we cannot specify path for Track Presets. So the only way to fully replicate setup is to avoid storing full path in project file. Let’s say Cubase knows where are User folder, Cubase also knows that there is AppData\Roaming\Steinberg\Track Presets\ folder, and presets for Instrument type tracks are stored in Instrument folder. Any other deep specified by user is storable in project file. RIGHT?

And this of course isn’t feature request, because the logic is bad and not friendly for multimachine setup. It’s a bug, I would say. Just fix it using system environment, not storing full path.
Thank you!

To be clear, your request is for Cubase to use the environment variables (%appdata%, %userprofile% etc.) rather than the literal filepath?

It’s not easy to understand your writing, sorry

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But you understood correctly! Yes, using these variables.

P.S. I’m trying not to use dictionary and I’ve never learned English. I did it occasionally when as a programmer read manuals for C, Assembler, Pascal etc.

No problem! I deduced what you we’re saying – it took a couple of tries though.

Where is the filepath wrong? In MediaBay, or…?

If everything reduced to preset selection then yes, it’s MediaBay. But I was talking about saving preset - that window don’t allow to store presets in place that differs from default (in %appdata%). It’s okay, but in this case it would be nice if Cubase store the path of attached Track Preset relative to the default Track Preset folder, not full path.
Look at this excerpt:
image
So project file stores the full path to the track preset and of course it isn’t reachable on second computer, where username differs from this. So track cannot be reloaded using reload button. I can load preset because they are copied correctly, but they are disconnected from track.

Huh, hope you understand :slight_smile: Should I write this somewhere else or report as bug? It’s not a bug, but simple work-not-done as many other little things in Cubase, Wavelab and Dorico.

Your windows account username is User? Or that actually doesn’t look like a file path.

I suppose it’s a feature request.

Yes. Don’t tell this to anyone :smiley:
I bought new laptop with Windows 10 Pro preinstalled and I’m too lazy to research how to change name of existing user. I know I can create another user, but then I’ll lose all settings and whole studio setup. I’m not ready for that turn. So three years it knows me as User :smiley:

If it’s feature request, then it probably will be included in next major version (not 12), but if I prefer to stay on 11 then it doesn’t matter am I request anything or not.

It hurts me as programmer if I see that someone didn’t his job correctly.

:rofl:
Don’t worry. It’s just between you and me – no one else will ever know.

I’ll tag this as an FR and edit the title… hope that’s cool

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Thank you very much! It’s nice to have a little support from wise man !

In addition to this I would say there is another fix needed - icons for reloading preset - in Inspector we see rounded arrow, but in Channel Settings it is like Rewind icon from stone age players :slight_smile: I suppose they should be identical.

Well that’s a different request for another topic. :slight_smile:

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The fact that a feature, even if useful, is not there, is not a bug, nor does it mean someone didn’t do their job.

That being said, a bit of inspiration from apps that make extensive use of variables would be welcome (visual effects, animation and post production apps, which are part of complex pipelines, are a good place to look).

And I don’t mean only system variables (which aren’t cross platform anyway) but even a set of specific Cubase/Nuendo variables.
$PROJECT for current project root.
$TEMPLATES, $PRESETS etc

Blackmagic Fusion compositing software has a nice user interface for defining those.

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Let me opposite to this. If software is using a place in system that is different on each machine, then it should use environment variables. Otherwise these files should be stored in static folder identical on all machines, for example, C:\Program Files\Steinberg.…and so on. Don’t you agree? Therefore I insist on the same - someone didn’t do his job for 100%.

Imagine this:
If we can share project files with collaborators, we copy .CPR file. Let’s say John did something bad to one track and he see that there is Track Preset attached. He hit Reload button, but nothing happens. Then he call me and ask for Track Preset file(s). I will send them to him, he will copy into the right place, but after he hit Reload, nothing happens. Why? Because his username is different from mine.

Every new version makes a big step away from old unfinished things. And this described thing is only one of many other little unfinished things.
We should not worry about such deep technical things, even some of us are technically minded sysop, like me :slight_smile: I would like to be a composer only.

How does the question, “somebody didn’t do their job” enter into this at all?

Ultimately, this is a request to accommodate a use case of users, nothing more.

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You’d think it would work as the underlying O/S takes those variables. Never tried it myself, must admit. That blackmagic path map is brilliant and was the first implementation that sprang to mind for myself too.

Personally, I map local folders to drive letters that enables me to move across machines, and helps with backups/restoring in future where file structures may differ.

i.e.

Luckily everything I need to access can live within one mapped drive location and inside that are subfolders for presets, projects, samples, templates and such like.

But I do have a few shortcut/symlinks for specific local user folders within there too. And this format is echo’d across multiple machines. Plugin locations and my local user folder, as an example.

Maybe it would be a solution.
So you map local user folder to a drive letter and how do you let Cubase to understand it?

But probably y’all don’t understand me. If two computers are using the same DAW and it has a strong structure of presets and other files stored for further use and we still have dongle to switch our workplace at any time, I suppose that presets, that are connected to project just to have ability reload it with Reload button, should be connected to the project even project is opened in another computer where all presets (needed for project) are copied to the same corresponding place, structured by the same DAW.

P.S. I can write the same in my native language if my English is so poor, but the idea will be the same after translated to any other 250 languages.

We do understand you and the replies you got show it very well.

Yes, so you map a drive letter and that is your root folder for everything.

i.e. I have drive T: and in there I have:-

T:\Cubase
T:\Cubase\Projects
T:\Cubase\Track Presets
T:\Cubase\Templates

I also have more generic locations:
T:\Samples\Commercial
T:\Samples\Home

And you just use them in Cubase as any other folder locations.

My desktop machine drive T: maps to D:\Creative\Audio
On my laptop T: maps to C:\Audio

You can then replace the standard users/appdata/roaming “Track Presets” folder with a shortcut that goes to your own drive mapped location (In my case D:\Cubase\Track Presets).

It’s a little complicated, but works - when I save presets they go into my D drive, even though Cubase “thinks” it’s saving to users/appdata/roaming locations.

Obviously the second machine (and user on that machine) needs to have those maps and shortcuts in place for this to work.

I use dropbox if i want to keep either in sync automatically too. It’s nowhere as simple as using environ paths though. I think that would be a great improvement.

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Just done a quick mockup on my work machine as to show what I use back home:-

You can see on there how the appdata\roaming “Track Presets” folder is a shortcut link in windows explorer, but it’s a junction created using “mklink” command (As admin) - which i’ve included.

Syntax is:-
mklink /J LINKLOCATION TARGETFOLDER

The presets are being saved and retrieved from D:\Audio\Cubase\Track Presets, as shown on the image.

If you ever try it, make sure to BACKUP your existing “track presets” folder, or whatever folder(s) you try it on, and ensure that you get the mklink command the correct way round. (Link to create first, then target).

Now, I better put this back before someone complains… shhh :slight_smile:

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