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--- stacker:docs:faqlist [2020/04/18 17:31]
rjlittlefield checking edit capability
+++ stacker:docs:faqlist [2020/04/19 02:24]
rjlittlefield [When do Options > Preferences values get saved and reloaded?]
@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
   * [[#are_there_settings_to_make_stacks_process_faster|Are there settings to make stacks process faster?]]
   * [[#why_does_the_program_complain_that_my_images_are_different_sizes|Why does the program complain that my images are different sizes?]]
+  * [[#_when_do_options_preferences_values_get_saved_and_reloaded|When do Options > Preferences values get saved and reloaded?]]
 **Retouching**
@@ Line 470: / Line 471: @@
   * If a stack is shot as raw, then very rarely, some raw conversion software will make slight changes in the image size apparently at random.  Again, a good fix is to set Options > Preferences > Preprocessing > "Image Pre-cropping" to be the size of the smallest image produced by raw conversion.  As an alternative, try turning off distortion correction in your raw converter.  Lens distortion can change with focus, prompting the raw converter to output slightly different image sizes.
+===== When do Options > Preferences values get saved and reloaded? =====
+Whenever the program exits, it writes current preferences to a configuration file, named "zerenstk.cfg".  The next time the program is launched, it reads those saved preferences from zerenstk.cfg .  All preference values that relate to stacking, file formats, etc. are also written to each project file (*.zsj) that is created or updated by File > Save Project.  Whenever a project is reloaded by File > Open Project, all the preferences of that project also become the current preferences of the program.  So, when the program exits after reloading a project, the preferences that are saved to zerenstk.cfg will be the values belonging to that project, not whatever preferences were set before the project was reloaded.  Preferences can also be explicitly saved and restored, independent of any project, by using the "Save preferences..." and "Load preferences..." buttons in the Options > Preferences panel.
+Most of the time, you can just ignore all these details and the program will do what you expect it to do.
+However, there are a few situations where the program's handling of preferences can produce unpleasant confusion.  Perhaps the most common one is when you've been doing some stacking, then you reload an old project for whatever reason, then you start a new project without realizing that the old project had different preference settings and now you're using those again!
+If you frequently change preferences and reload old projects, then it's probably good to get in the habit of explicitly saving and loading preferences by using the buttons in the Preferences panel.
 ===== What are some tips for fast retouching? =====