You can standardize and distribute settings across your team by using a FlowShare settings file (.fss file extension). This file allows you to reset specific settings in FlowShare every time the program starts.
Preparing the FlowShareSettings.fss file
To use this feature, follow these steps to prepare your settings file:
Configure FlowShare with the desired settings. If you're using a license server, ensure the server address is correctly entered.
Export the settings (from one or more categories) into a .fss file.
Rename the exported file to
FlowShareSettings.fss. FlowShare will only recognize a file with this specific name.Important! Always rename the file to FlowShareSettings.fss
Store the .fss file on your local computer
Place the FlowShareSettings.fss file in the user’s home directory (e.g., C:\Users\NAME). Alternatively, you can place it directly under the C:\ drive if the home directory is not practical.
During each program startup, FlowShare will look for this file. As long as it exists, any changes the user has made to the settings included in the file will be reset to the original settings.
Note: Only the settings included in .fss file will be overwritten. For example if your file contains only Design and License related settings, the user's languagae will not be affected.
Installing FlowShare with a custom Settings Path
For more control, FlowShare version 2.18 and later allows you to set a centralized settings path for your entire organization. This is useful for storing the .fss file on a local or network drive (e.g., Z:\).
Create an FSS file with your preferred settings, templates, etc.
Rename the file to
FlowShareSettings.fssand place it in a location accessible to all end users (e.g.,Z:\FlowShareSettings.fss).Open Command Prompt as Administrator and install FlowShare using the
SETTINGS_PATHMSI parameter. The parameter should point to the folder path where the file is stored, without the filename.msiexec /i "C:\TEMP\install\Flowshare_64bit_setup.msi" SETTINGS_PATH="Z:\"
You can verify that the settings are being loaded correctly:
Launch the FlowShare application to confirm that the desired settings from the
.fssfile are active.Change a setting, then close and reopen FlowShare. The setting should revert to its original state as defined in the
.fssfile.Advanced verification (for technical users): The configured path can be validated within the Windows Registry. Access the following place to inspect the
settingspathparameter value:Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\miraminds\FlowShare
Any updates you make to the
FlowShareSettings.fssfile on the network drive will be automatically applied to all users who have FlowShare installed with this custom path.
Hopefully it will make your settings rollout easier and more consistent in your team.
Note: If you need different settings for different users, you can create separate .fss files in separate folders and install FlowShare with the corresponding folder paths.