Below are example Python scripts to modify the Windows Registry in order to manipulate Shelf paths.

Adding a Shelf Path

Adding Shelf path for Substance Paint in the Windows registry requires to check which one exist already in order to increment the list with a new one. The following code add in the Windows Registry a new shelf path after checking what is the current number of path already defined.

import winreg

RegistryKeyName = "Software\\Allegorithmic\\Substance Painter\\Shelf\\pathInfos"

ShelfName = "myshelf" #Needs to be lowercase
ShelfPath = "C:/Temp"
ShelfStatus = "false" #false = not disabled

try:
	RegConnection = winreg.ConnectRegistry( None, winreg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER )

	#Open registry key
	Key 			= winreg.OpenKey( RegConnection, RegistryKeyName, winreg.KEY_READ )
	SubKeyCount 	= winreg.QueryInfoKey( Key )[0]


	#Iterate over each sub-key to find the biggest Shelf number
	ShelfNumber = 0

	for x in range(SubKeyCount) :
		SubKeyName 			= winreg.EnumKey(Key, x)

		if int(SubKeyName) > ShelfNumber :
			ShelfNumber = int(SubKeyName)


	#Create the new Key and add its values
	ShelfNumber += 1
	
	NewKey = winreg.CreateKey( Key, str( ShelfNumber ) )
	
	winreg.SetValueEx( NewKey, "disabled", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, ShelfStatus)
	winreg.SetValueEx( NewKey, "name", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, ShelfName)
	winreg.SetValueEx( NewKey, "path", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, ShelfPath)


	#Finish
	NewKey.Close()
	Key.Close()

except Exception as e :
	print( e )

Disabling or Enabling a Shelf Path

Shelf path created in Substance Painter can be removed but also disabled. This is mostly true for the default Shelf shipped with Substance Painter which can only be disabled. The following code parse the Windows Registry and disable the default shelf (named "allegorithmic").

import winreg

RegistryKeyName = "Software\\Allegorithmic\\Substance Painter\\Shelf\\pathInfos"

try:
	RegConnection = winreg.ConnectRegistry( None, winreg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER )

	#Open registry key
	Key 			= winreg.OpenKey( RegConnection, RegistryKeyName, winreg.KEY_READ )
	SubKeyCount 	= winreg.QueryInfoKey( Key )[0]


	#Iterate over each sub-key
	for x in range(SubKeyCount) :
		SubKeyName 			= winreg.EnumKey(Key, x)
		SubKey 				= winreg.OpenKey( 	RegConnection,
												RegistryKeyName + "\\" + SubKeyName,
												winreg.KEY_READ )
		SubKeyValueCount 	= winreg.QueryInfoKey( SubKey )[1]

		#Read subkey values
		Values = []
		for i in range( SubKeyValueCount ) :
			Values.append( winreg.EnumValue( SubKey, i ) )

		#Note : Values is a table of tuples
		FoundKey = False
		for Value in Values :
			if Value[0] == "name" :
				if Value[1] == "allegorithmic" :
					FoundKey = True

		SubKey.Close()

		#Found the path ? Then we edit the Key
		if FoundKey :
			print( " - Editing Windows Registry" )

			#Re-Open key in edition mode
			SubKey 	= winreg.OpenKey( 	winreg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER,
										RegistryKeyName + "\\" + SubKeyName,
										0,
										winreg.KEY_SET_VALUE )

			#Assign new value
			winreg.SetValueEx(SubKey, "disabled", 0, 1, "true" ) #use "false" to Enable that shelf path

			SubKey.Close()


	#Finish
	Key.Close()

except Exception as e :
	print( e )