Presets

Source: src/mpfb/ui/presets/enhancedsettings/

Parent panel: MPFB_PT_Presets_Panel ("Manage save files")

Overview

The "Skin material save files" panel saves and loads the shader parameters of the Enhanced Skin material. The Enhanced Skin material is a procedural node-based material where the actual colour, roughness, subsurface scattering, and similar visual properties are controlled by input socket values on a central ShaderNodeGroup. This panel serialises those socket values to a JSON file so they can be reapplied later — to the same character or to a different one.

Save files use the naming convention enhanced_settings.{name}.json and are stored in the user config directory. A built-in default settings file (enhanced_settings.default.json) is copied into that directory the first time the panel is initialised, so there is always at least one preset available.

Three workflows are offered:

• Apply — select an existing settings file from the dropdown and apply its values to the current character's skin material.
• Overwrite — replace an existing settings file with the current skin material's values.
• Save new — type a name and create a new settings file.

The panel requires the active object to be a basemesh, a body proxy, or a skeleton (poll strategy: BASEMESH_OR_BODY_PROXY_OR_SKELETON_ACTIVE).

Panel

MPFB_PT_Enhanced_Settings_Panel ("Skin material save files")

Attribute	Value
bl_label	"Skin material save files"
bl_category	MATERIALSCATEGORY
bl_parent_id	MPFB_PT_Presets_Panel
bl_options	{'DEFAULT_CLOSED'}
Base class	Abstract_Panel
Poll	BASEMESH_OR_BODY_PROXY_OR_SKELETON_ACTIVE

The panel draws:

• available_settings — a dropdown listing all enhanced_settings.*.json files found in the user config directory (populated by UiService.get_enhanced_settings_panel_list()).
• Apply selected presets button — loads the selected settings file and applies its values to the skin material.
• Overwrite settings button — overwrites the selected settings file with the current material state.
• name — a text field for entering the name of a new settings file.
• Save new settings button — creates a new settings file using the name from the text field.

On first use, if no enhanced_settings.default.json exists in the user config directory, the panel copies the built-in default template into place so the dropdown is never empty.

Operators

MPFB_OT_ApplyEnhancedSettingsOperator

Attribute	Value
bl_idname	mpfb.enhancedsettings_apply_settings
bl_label	"Apply selected presets"
bl_options	{'REGISTER'}
Poll	Custom: active object must exist and available_settings must have a value

Loads a saved settings file and applies its socket values to the skin material on the character. Steps:

1. Validates that the active object exists.
2. Reads the selected settings name from the available_settings scene property.
3. Loads the JSON file at {user_config}/enhanced_settings.{name}.json.
4. Resolves the basemesh or body proxy from the active object.
5. Iterates the material slots on the basemesh, searching for a ShaderNodeGroup node whose sockets include colorMixIn (the marker that identifies the Enhanced Skin material node group).
6. Calls NodeService.set_socket_default_values() to write each saved value back to the node group's input sockets.

Reports ERROR if the object, basemesh, or settings file cannot be found; reports INFO on success.

---

MPFB_OT_OverwriteEnhancedSettingsOperator

Attribute	Value
bl_idname	mpfb.overwrite_enhanced_settings
bl_label	"Overwrite settings"
bl_options	{'REGISTER'}
Poll	ANY_OBJECT_ACTIVE

Overwrites an existing enhanced settings file with the current skin material state. Steps:

1. Validates that the active object exists.
2. Reads the selected settings name from the available_settings scene property.
3. Validates that the settings name is not empty.
4. Delegates to the shared _save_material() helper (see below).

---

MPFB_OT_SaveNewEnhancedSettingsOperator

Attribute	Value
bl_idname	mpfb.save_new_enhanced_settings
bl_label	"Save new settings"
bl_options	{'REGISTER'}
Poll	ANY_OBJECT_ACTIVE

Saves the current skin material state as a new settings file. Steps:

1. Validates that the active object exists.
2. Reads the desired name from the name scene property (the text field).
3. Validates that the name is not empty and contains no spaces.
4. Validates that {user_config}/enhanced_settings.{name}.json does not already exist.
5. Delegates to the shared _save_material() helper (see below).

Reports ERROR for any validation failure.

Shared helper: _save_material() (operators/_savematerial.py)

Both Overwrite and Save New delegate material serialisation to this module-level function. It:

1. Resolves the basemesh or body proxy from the active object.
2. Validates that the basemesh has a material.
3. Iterates the material slots on the basemesh, searching for a ShaderNodeGroup node whose sockets include colorMixIn.
4. Records the name of the material (stripping any prefix or suffix separated by ".") and the default values of all input sockets on the matching node group.
5. Writes a JSON file at {user_config}/enhanced_settings.{name}.json containing a dictionary keyed by material name.
6. Calls UiService.rebuild_enhanced_settings_panel_list() to refresh the dropdown in the panel.

Properties

Scene properties (prefix "EnS_", sourced from enhancedsettings/properties/)

Property	Type	Default	Description
name	string	""	The name to use when saving a new settings file. Must not be empty or contain spaces, and must not match an existing settings file.

Dynamic properties (defined in code)

Property	Type	Description
available_settings	enum (dynamic)	Lists all enhanced_settings.*.json files found in the user config directory, populated at panel draw time by UiService.get_enhanced_settings_panel_list().

Related

• NodeService — reading and writing shader node socket values
• UiService — manages the cached list of available settings files
• Presets index — overview of the full Presets section