After creating an instance of the component, you can double-click it and edit the size, value, name, etc. If you click the check-box next to any parameter, it remembers that setting as the new default.
A resistor will stand unless its two connections are further apart than the length parameter. Spread the leads apart, and they will lay down. Many of the capacitors have adjustable pin spacing, which is useful.
Adjusting the defaults can be useful, but it's still a hassle if you regularly use more than one size of a given component. I found it useful to make a simple vero template to start every project with. It includes a few resistors and capacitors that reflect what I have in my stash (including smd components), a piece of vero, and some labels.
You can make something similar and save it in the templates folder.
Here's the template, in case anyone wants to use it:
vero.diy