Workflow - Manual vs Preset

CGXel

I built a new computer two weeks ago after my old one failed in mid-2016, it was all good until I realized that I'm a bit lost without my old custom shelfs, render presets, material presets and some very basic scripts that I had.

I got so used to my render presets that I forgot how to properly set it up to optimize the render time, I forgot how to make materials from scratch and all that stuff, you get the idea.

It's all good, it may just take a couple days to re-learn and refresh my self, but it got me thinking...

Could it happen to YOU?

I'm aware that anything that could speed up your workflow is always welcome, but do you guys ever get so used to presets that you forget how to do stuff manually?

Brian "Panda" Choi

Yes.

EDIT:

Backups if and when you can, even if they're on tiny external drives.

Amsterdam Hilton Hotel

I keep all my program modifications, like scripts for max and hotkey assignments, backed up in triplicate (local hard drive, DVD, offsite cloud storage) since they constitute the "form" that I like to work within

As for templates for things like materials or rendering, most of that is based on taste, which is an understanding of principles, and can't really be lost. Setting up a render that looks nice or materials that behave realistically are actions based on concepts that I've taken the time to understand. It would be no major disruption to lose templates for these things because the visual design concepts come before the implementation technology anyway.

throttlekitty

I also keep regular backups, but also notes on some settings, especially ones that I'm sure I'll need to switch out moving between projects.