# 3.0.1 Settings

## Default Program Settings

On start-up, Karamba3D sets its default appearance and behavior according to the values listed in the **"karamba.ini"-**file. This file is located in the Karamba3D installation folder (double-click on the Karamba3D desktop icon to get there) and can be opened and manipulated with any text editor.\
The file starts with a description of the syntax rules for defining the default settings. Each paragraph that follows contains a description regarding meaning and effect of a specific property and its default value. Among other things these settings can be changed:

* System of physical units ("SI" or "Imperial")
* Limit distance for snapping together neighboring nodes
* The value of the acceleration of gravity
* Limit inclination for verticality
* Number format and display properties of output values
* Properties of the default materials
* Colors used for displaying rendered calculation results
* ...

In case you want to keep your changes when upgrading from one version of Karamba3D to the next rename the initialization-file to **"karamba\_user.ini"**. This however incurs the risk, that newly introduced properties are missing. In such a case hard-wired default values take their place.

{% hint style="info" %}
Administrator rights may be needed to overwrite the original **"karamba.ini"**-file.
{% endhint %}

## User-defined Settings

The "Settings"-component offers a convenient way of changing the Karamba3D settings for one specific definition without manipulating the karamba.ini-file (see fig. 3.0.1.1). It takes the "karamba.ini"- or "karamba\_user.ini"-file as the starting point. The input-plug "Settings" expects a list of name and value pairs and sets the corresponding parameters for use in the current definition.

The component outputs the updated settings-text on the right side. When plugged into a pannel and streamed to file this can be directly used as a valid karamba.ini-file.

In order, that the settings-component gets executed before all others on loading the definition, one needs to select the settings-component and press Ctrl+B before saving (see <https://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/order-of-execution-for-unconnected-components>) - otherwise it might happen, that the changes take effect only after performing a recompute.&#x20;

![Fig. 3.0.1.1: On-the-fly change of the number of legend colors via the Settings-component. ](https://442610158-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MCkDlhlZpqUmakSqOrp%2F-MgypQJL7O--ykhZPZBs%2F-MgzaWzVSLVHaDtGMCQf%2Fgrafik.png?alt=media\&token=d4b18200-eb56-4873-a1c7-9a7d0736c4c1)

The drop-down-list on the Settings-component provides a shortcut for setting the unit of length used for handling geometry imported from Rhino.

The changes via the Settings-component do not affect the karamba.ini-file.