Setup guide

peripherals, workstation display settings, and environment directory paths. These parameters are independent
of the project you select from the Project Management menu when you begin a session.
NOTE For information on each keyword in the software initialisation configuration file, see Software Initialisation
File Keywords on page 72.
When you first install the software, you are prompted to edit the default software initialisation configuration
file.
As you continue to work with the software, you may have to edit this file under certain conditions, such as:
■ After making changes to your hardware configuration
■ When setting session-based keyword values, such as specifying an archiving device
You may choose to create different versions of the software initialisation configuration file to accommodate
session-based needs that change through the course of a project.
To view the default software initialisation file, browse to /usr/discreet/<product_home>/cfg/ directory and
open the init.cfg file in any text editor.
The file contains comments that provide brief descriptions of each keyword, keyword syntax, as well as
usage examples.
In some cases keyword examples are not commented out and are used as the default settings. They are parsed
during software initialisation and the corresponding parameter is set.
Sample Software Initialisation Configuration Files
The Visual Effects and Finishing application installation packages come with sample software initialisation
configuration files for the usual needs of working with NTSC, PAL, HDTV, or film material.
These samples are located in the directory /usr/discreet/<product_home>/cfg/linux-x86_64/sample. You should
never edit the sample configuration files. Instead, either make a copy of the sample software initialization
configuration file that you like or just edit the real init.cfg file.
These samples are starting points toward configuring the software to best suit your needs.
Using a text editor, you can open a software initialisation configuration file for viewing. For example, you
may want to read the keywords in different software initialisation configuration samples to see the differences.
This is a good way to learn more about configuration keywords.
Modifying a Software Initialisation Configuration File
Software initialisation configuration files have open read/write permissions, and anyone can modify them.
In some cases, you may want to restrict access to the files using the chmod command.
Here are some basic guidelines for modifying software initialisation configuration files:
■ Do not modify the sample software initialisation configuration files. Make copies of the samples and
work on those instead.
■ Create a backup of a file before making any changes to it.
■ After modifying a software initialisation configuration file, restart the software for the changes to take
effect.
■ To launch the software with a custom software initialisation configuration file, use the -c start-up option.
For example:
smoke -c /usr/discreet/smoke_2010/cfg/my_custom_init.cfg
68 | Appendix B Configuration Files