Tip - making and sharing Image Presets

Question

Someone over on Aperture Professional was asking why Aperture doesn't have image presets you can download like you can for LightRoom.
So, here's a quick guide to making image presets which can be shared with other people.
Setting up:
1. Make a new Project, call it 'presets' or similar.
2. Find a fairly normal/average image which looks OK without any adjustments applied.
3. Copy it to the new Project.
4. Make multiple Versions from your standard image.
5. Go to each Version, and apply a series of adjustments for a particular look such as tweaked contrast, cross-processing, high-key, B&W conversions etc.
6. Give each Version an appropriate name.
7. If you make lots of presets, start sub-dividing them into Albums as needed.
Set-up is done.
Usage:
1. Click on the Project or Album you are working on.
2. Option/Alt-click on the presets Project so that it opens up in a second browser pane. You may want to drag the divider over so that the presets Project doesn't take up much screen room.
You now have a series of preset Version thumbnails visible, applying them to your working images is a standard lift-n-stamp away.
you can also share the presets by exporting the Project, which won't be much larger than the Master image that is in it (assuming you've turned off Preview generation for the Project). To make it even smaller, use a referenced Master and don't consolidate it when exporting the Project, but note that people won't be able to add their own presets to the Project.
I'll probably set up some of my own over the next couple of weeks and upload the resulting Project for people to carry on adding their own presets.
Ian

Answer 1

I have been looking for develop presets in Aperture like those in LR, e.g. Direct Positive (see below), and so on.
I exported those settings in LR and would think that it doesn't take much tinkering to make the same in Aperture. Or even write a sweet plugin? Any hints on how to do this?
Exported Direct Positive Template from LR:
s = {
internalName = "Creative - Direct Positive",
title = "Creative - Direct Positive",
type = "Develop",
value = {
settings = {
AutoBrightness = false,
AutoContrast = false,
AutoExposure = false,
AutoShadows = false,
AutoTone = false,
Brightness = 0,
Contrast = 0,
ConvertToGrayscale = false,
Exposure = 1.15,
FillLight = 0,
HighlightRecovery = 25,
HueAdjustmentAqua = 0,
HueAdjustmentBlue = 0,
HueAdjustmentGreen = 0,
HueAdjustmentMagenta = 0,
HueAdjustmentOrange = 0,
HueAdjustmentPurple = 0,
HueAdjustmentRed = 0,
HueAdjustmentYellow = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentAqua = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentBlue = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentGreen = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentMagenta = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentOrange = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentPurple = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentRed = 0,
LuminanceAdjustmentYellow = 0,
ParametricDarks = -20,
ParametricHighlightSplit = 75,
ParametricHighlights = 60,
ParametricLights = 10,
ParametricMidtoneSplit = 50,
ParametricShadowSplit = 25,
ParametricShadows = -60,
Saturation = 0,
SaturationAdjustmentAqua = 50,
SaturationAdjustmentBlue = 58,
SaturationAdjustmentGreen = 10,
SaturationAdjustmentMagenta = 0,
SaturationAdjustmentOrange = 13,
SaturationAdjustmentPurple = 23,
SaturationAdjustmentRed = 0,
SaturationAdjustmentYellow = 23,
Shadows = 14,
SplitToningHighlightHue = 0,
SplitToningHighlightSaturation = 0,
SplitToningShadowHue = 0,
SplitToningShadowSaturation = 0,
ToneCurve = {
0,
0,
255,
255,
Vibrance = 0,
WhiteBalance = "As Shot",
uuid = "5410FFE9-3355-4A55-A1A5-582782F72BC5",
version = 0,
}