Rane HAL1x Design Guide - Page 148

HAL SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDE So what are some other characteristics that distinguish the three different preset types from one another? And how do you decide which type to use? See the About Presets topic in the Halogen Help System to review a table comparing the different preset types. What is the Baseline preset and why do I care? The Baseline preset, which contains default settings and link activation states for all the processing and control blocks in your system configuration, serves as a foundation for your system. It is a Command preset and, therefore, can never be deactivated. Also, unlike other Command presets, the Baseline can never be deleted. It is always there to serve as the default fallback preset when no other presets are active. You can also configure the system to assert the Baseline on startup. (See the Halogen Help System for details.) TIP: Here is an easy rule to remember: If no preset is currently acting on a particular block in your system, the block returns to the parameter values saved in the Baseline. So how is the Baseline created? As soon as you open Halogen or click New on the system toolbar to begin a new configuration, Halogen creates the Baseline preset automatically (although it is initially empty). When you add a block to your Processing Map, that block is automatically added to the Baseline-with its default parameter values. When you add a control link, the Baseline stores the link's default activation state. Thus, the Baseline always contains every block, every hardware control, and the activation state of every control link that is present in your system. Although Halogen creates the Baseline for you, the initial parameter values stored in the Baseline may not be appropriate for your particular system. No problem. You can easily customize all the Baseline parameter values. In fact, we highly recommend that you review and customize your Baseline before you begin creating other presets. BEST PRACTICE: Early in your design process, decide what the default state should be for each block, hardware control, and control link in your system, configure these items accordingly, and save them to your Baseline. You can configure your entire system and save it to the Baseline all at once, or you can move from block to block, saving each block to the Baseline as you go. See Customizing the Baseline Preset for procedural details. The Baseline in Action So how do you actually work with the Baseline once your system is up and running? The answer depends on what it is you're doing and how you've configured your system presets. Working in Conjunction with Toggle and Selector Presets If most or all of your presets are Toggles or Selectors (presets that can be activated and deactivated), your Baseline will serve as the fallback position when none of your Toggle or Selector presets are activated. Let's say you have a Toggle preset that enables a DR in a room that is used only occasionally. When the room is not in use, you want the DR disabled. In this case, you would likely configure the DR as disabled in your Baseline. Then, when the room is in use, the end user activates the Toggle preset that enables the DR. When the room is no longer in use, the end user deactivates the Toggle preset, which causes the DR settings to fall back to their Baseline values-in this case disabling the DR. The behavior would be different, of course, if 144