I couldn't find any standard way to load property sets (groups of properties which can then be referenced as a single unit) so implemented one.

Usage:
Code:
<bean id="defaultProperties"
  class="ui.PropertySet">
  <property name="properties">
    <map>
      <entry key="property1">
        <ref bean="valueOne"/>
      </entry>
      <entry key="property2">
        <ref bean="valueTwo"/>
      </entry>
    </map>
  </property>
</bean>


<bean id="machineView"
  class="ui.PropertySetViewDescriptor">
  <property name="viewClass">
    <value>ui.view.MachineView</value>
  </property>
  <property name="propertySet">
    <ref bean="defaultProperties"/>
  </property>
</bean>

<bean id="lotView"
  class="ui.PropertySetViewDescriptor">
  <property name="viewClass">
    <value>ui.view.LotView</value>
  </property>
  <property>
    <map>
      <entry key="propertySet">
        <ref bean="defaultProperties"/>
      </entry>
      <entry key="property3">
        <ref bean="propertyThree"/>
      </entry>
    </map>
  </property>
</bean>
You can currently nest property sets, though I don't see much of a use case for it w/out a well-defined ordering of precedence, which there currently is not.
The change was fairly minor, but did require a modification to DefaultViewDescriptor; specifically, I extracted a setPropertyValues method from createView in order to get a hook before ((InitializingBean)view).afterPropertiesSet() was called.

If there is an already-established way of grouping properties, I'd very much appreciate hearing about it. If not and anyone else needs this behavior...
(I would've posted attachments, but didn't see the option)

Code:
public class PropertySet &#123;
  private Map _properties;
  
  public void setProperties&#40; Map properties &#41; &#123;
    _properties = properties;
  &#125;
  
  public Map getProperties&#40;&#41; &#123;
    return _properties;
  &#125;
&#125;


public class PropertySetViewDescriptor extends DefaultViewDescriptor &#123;
  private PropertySet _propertySet;
  
  public void setPropertySet&#40; PropertySet propertySet &#41; &#123;
    _propertySet = propertySet;
  &#125;
  
  protected void setPropertyValues&#40; View view, Map properties &#41; &#123;
    BeanWrapper wrapper = null;
    
    if&#40; properties != null &#41; &#123;
      wrapper = new BeanWrapperImpl&#40; view &#41;;
      
      setProperties&#40; wrapper, properties &#41;;
    &#125;
    
    if&#40; _propertySet != null &#41; &#123;
      if&#40; wrapper == null &#41;
        wrapper = new BeanWrapperImpl&#40; view &#41;;
      
      setProperties&#40; wrapper, _propertySet &#41;;
    &#125;
  &#125;
  
  private void setProperties&#40; BeanWrapper wrapper, Map properties&#41; &#123;
    for&#40; Iterator keys = properties.keySet&#40;&#41;.iterator&#40;&#41;; keys.hasNext&#40;&#41;; &#41; &#123;
      String key = &#40;String&#41; keys.next&#40;&#41;;
      Object value = properties.get&#40; key &#41;;
      
      if&#40; value instanceof PropertySet &#41;
        setProperties&#40; wrapper, &#40;PropertySet&#41; value &#41;;
      else
        wrapper.setPropertyValue&#40; key, value &#41;;
    &#125;
  &#125;
  
  private void setProperties&#40; BeanWrapper wrapper, PropertySet set &#41; &#123;
    Map properties = set.getProperties&#40;&#41;;
    
    if&#40; properties != null &#41; &#123;
      setProperties&#40; wrapper, properties &#41;;
    &#125;
  &#125;
&#125;


Index&#58; DefaultViewDescriptor.java
===================================================================
RCS file&#58; /cvsroot/spring-rich-c/spring-richclient/src/org/springframework/richclient/application/support/DefaultViewDescriptor.java,v
retrieving revision 1.9
diff -u -r1.9 DefaultViewDescriptor.java
--- DefaultViewDescriptor.java	12 Nov 2004 02&#58;36&#58;53 -0000	1.9
+++ DefaultViewDescriptor.java	18 Dec 2004 16&#58;32&#58;34 -0000
@@ -97,10 +97,7 @@
             &#125;
             getApplicationEventMulticaster&#40;&#41;.addApplicationListener&#40;&#40;ApplicationListener&#41;view&#41;;
         &#125;
-        if &#40;viewProperties != null&#41; &#123;
-            BeanWrapper wrapper = new BeanWrapperImpl&#40;view&#41;;
-            wrapper.setPropertyValues&#40;viewProperties&#41;;
-        &#125;
+        setProperties&#40; view &#41;;
 
         if &#40;view instanceof InitializingBean&#41; &#123;
             try &#123;
@@ -113,6 +110,13 @@
         return view;
     &#125;
 
+    private void setProperties&#40; View view &#41; &#123;
+      if &#40;viewProperties != null&#41; &#123;
+          BeanWrapper wrapper = new BeanWrapperImpl&#40;view&#41;;
+          wrapper.setPropertyValues&#40;viewProperties&#41;;
+      &#125;
+    &#125;
+
     public CommandButtonLabelInfo getShowViewCommandLabel&#40;&#41; &#123;
         return getLabel&#40;&#41;;
     &#125;