Presets are a convenient feature that allows plug-ins to save and retrieve parameter settings, so that you do not have to manually repeat the effect setup each time you want to get a specific look.

Introduced with version 1.0.5, the "Presets" control is available in the parameter inspector for most FxFactory plug-ins. The feature requires Final Cut Pro 6, or any version of Motion starting with 2.1.2.
FxFactory 1.0.6 has improved on the existing functionality by giving users the option to make their own presets available in the presets popup menu.

The Basics

FxFactory plug-ins usually come with some built-in presets of their own, which you can access and apply simply by selecting entries from the popup menu whose title is initially "Choose Presets...". When you select one of the built-in presets, you'll notice that sliders, angle dials, etc. will be adjusted according to the style encapsulated by the preset. (The screenshot shows the built-in presets available in the "Perspective Reflection" plug-in.)

Things get more interesting as you begin creating your own preset files to be shared across projects and even across different hosts. Once you are happy with a certain combination of parameter settings, saving a preset file is as simple as clicking the "Save As..." button in the presets control.

Suppose for instance, that we have taken the time to create the following setup for the NI Distort > Perspective Reflection plug-in:

By saving the parameters' values to a preset file (e.g. "Billboard.fxpreset"), we can load up the same values at a later time. To load up a preset file previously saved to disc, simply click the "Open" button available in the Presets control.

Preset files are plug-in specific: a preset file created with the Perspective Reflection plug-in can only be loaded from another instance of the same effect. On the other hand, presets files are not limited to a specific host. For instance, we can load the newly created "Billboard" preset file from an instance of the Perspective Reflection plug-in applied in Motion 3:

Similarly, a preset file created on one system can be loaded up from the same plug-in running on a different system, enabling you to share a given effect setup with co-workers as well as among your own projects.

User Presets

The functionality discussed thus far is a great time saver, but FxFactory has one more trick up its sleeve. You will notice that every time you click the "Save As..." button in the Presets control, you will be prompted to save the preset file to a folder named "Presets":

This folder is not a random place on disk. It is one of two locations that FxFactory observes while its plug-ins are being loaded by Final Cut Pro and Motion. When you save a preset file at that location, it will automatically appear under the Presets popup menu the next time you restart Final Cut Pro or Motion:

With this simple trick, you can make you own library of Presets immediately available within the parameter inspector. The two "magic" locations that FxFactory watches for User Presets are:

<your home folder>/Library/Application Support/Noise Industries/Presets

and

<startup disk>/Library/Application Support/Noise Industries/Presets

Just remember to back up your preset files any time you reformat your drive, or else your precious collection of presets will be erased along with your user settings.