# 2.4 User Settings

User setting allow customization of various aspects of Karamba3D:

* 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.
* ...

User settings in Karamba3D are primarily managed through text files named "karamba.ini". These files contain comments, indicated by "#", and variable assignments (see Fig. 2.4.1). Assigning "auto" or "default" to a variable will apply the default values. 

The shortcut for editing "karamba.ini" user settings is via the Karamba3D menu: **Settings > Edit User Settings**.

<figure><img src="https://2671626451-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6rkhS8IteqWJRfUuJlL5%2Fuploads%2FXFZutOA7OwBjdw0tYkG1%2Fkarambaini_file.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c3016759-2f03-4d27-96c7-70f4fcd0b857" alt=""><figcaption><p>Fig. 2.4.1: Snippet from a "karamba.ini" file.</p></figcaption></figure>

To ensure a flexible and transparent user preference system, Karamba3D employs a multi-step approach for reading settings data, with each step potentially overriding the settings from the previous one:

1. **Default Values:** Lowest priority, hard-coded within Karamba3D.
2. **Installation Folder "karamba.ini":** The "karamba.ini" file located in Karamba3D's installation directory.
3. **Installation Folder "karamba\_user.ini":** If present, the "karamba\_user.ini" file in the installation folder is read next.
4. **User Directory "karamba.ini":** The "karamba.ini" file located in "%appdata%\Karamba" follows.
5. **Grasshopper Document Units:** The unit system (either "SI" or "Imperial") is stored directly in the Grasshopper document.

When first saving a new definition unit system and length unit are set according to the user preferences in the "karamba.ini"-files. By default this is "auto" for the unit length and either "SI" or "Imperial" for the units system. Choices set via the Karamba3D menu "Settings"-option overrides these values.