Thanks to all here for the insights and links. A lot to digest, so I'll be digging into this over the next week or so.
Regarding reading the manuals: First I did read the manual cover to cover first, then I read it a second time with the unit in hand, testing out stuff. I also went over the blocks guide and read through all of Yek's Guide to the amp models. Still, those resources failed to teach me what I'm looking to accomplish. I mean, it's one thing to learn the functions of the unit... it's another to design a work flow based on that which accomplishes my goals and organizational needs. And this is made even more difficult by the fact that the unit is so flexible.
In any case, there was nothing anywhere about saving blocks in a library, what the library is or how it functions. It guided me to creating scenes within a preset. So the concept of swapping out entire block setups (which I'd call a "rig") eluded me. In fact, in retrospect, I think it never occurred to me because I the blocks guide is all about digging into the INDIVIDUAL blocks, not about saving them as groups... in other words, I read all that thinking in terms of the nitty gritty, which I largely glossed over because it's self evident. It didn't approach blocks as potentially being the basis of an organizational system. So this thread has opened up that option, which I think will resolve the main thrust of my goal here.
BTW, perhaps a manual for the software could be developed? At least for me, it's far from intuitive. I'm not getting the library aspect at all because it's not starting with a library; there is no example to begin with.
[UPDATE: I googled 'how to use Axe Edit' and found a manual... it isn't on the fractalaudio.com page of downloads however ???? Just an oversight I suppose, or am I blind?]
I very much like the idea of starting with CHANNELS and then building scenes from those (and limiting each preset to 4 scenes based on 4 channels) as a work method for my goals. Then I won't be stepping on my other scenes (independence). Then, maybe for each of those scenes I could set up a dry version and a wet version, knowing they are just two variations of the same thing. That is something I can understand, and I find that useful at times to bounce between wet and dry.
Certainly writing manuals is itself an art, and overall I'd say these are pretty well done, especially considering the complexity and flexibility of the unit. Still a few fairly big holes though IMO.
When I first got the III, I also gave some feedback suggestions immediately about the interface itself. And I'm wondering what all of you here think of these. Namely:
1)
2)
3)
Basically, due to these "poor" navigational issues, I've completely given up on trying to edit on the unit itself and use the software exclusively. But I imagine this will be a serious problem when I go to play a live show and find myself needing to tweak something on the unit!!!
Thoughts?
Troy