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I meant to ask this earlier, when you were talking about how DS displays folder names, but which version are you using? The "error" (in my view) of showing the name of the parent folder for DS directories and of the folder itself for Poser directories was fixed in DS 3 sometime - now both types display the name of the selected folder. Of course the installer shouldn't be creating a Content folder in the destination directory, so that needs a bug report to the Content bug tracker.
I'm using DS4.5. And I'm a bit confused. If I have "Toons/Runtime" and "Toons/Content", I map the Poser Library to "Toons" and the DS Library to "Toons/Content" and both show up as "Toons" in their respective library types. If I map the Poser Library to "Toons/Content/Runtime" I know it used to show up as "Content" in the Poser Library.
I know I no longer need the DS Library to be "Conent" and can map it directly as "Toons" but back when that was required (which should tell you how old my library structure is) I kept Content and Runtime parallel. A large number of DS installers used to create Content directories, so I just got in the habit of pointing both installers to "Toon" and moving things after the fact, which until Metadata wasn't a big deal. And at this point, moving everything out of "Content" and into "toons" would result in a mess of misplaced Geometry, Morph, and Texture folders from various freeibes I don't want to get rid of in my DS libraries.
I will submit that Bug Report, though I may wait until I'm sure that those few when I was re-building the Millennium 3 runtime are the only ones.
Oh, and further thoughts on the downloaded itself. The Batch feature and letting it run all night is great. But I'm really not seeing the improved speeds. I'm sure that some of it is that everyone is hitting the servers, but I'm only a little more than a third of the way through the 3500 or so files that I still had to when I started downloading everything last night.
No I'm not seeing any increase in download speeds either it took me 2 hrs to download and install 75 items.
Download speeds are the same for me too, showing at 237 KB/s. I have had much faster than that many a time, but I still like the whole concept of the DIM. I think it will make a big difference for me.
As I said, at this point, doing that with some of my runtimes would result in an even bigger mess than fixing the metadata after I move it. (Props and Sets being the worst offender) I have bunches of files and folders (yes, some people set up their freebies with the textures just loose in the directory) that would be showing up in the DS library.
Then unfortunately you're kind of stuck. You won't be able to use the DIM to install / update content. :( You can still use it to download/update installers though.
I had no intention of using the DIM to install. :) (Well, I was planning on faking it out with a dummy Runtime, and then merging everything over. Yes, it breaks the metadata, but that happens for me currently anyway.)
I wonder if the Edit Base Path feature would help your situation... seems like it might but honestly I don't know enough about your system to know for sure :)
And as far as I understood, if you leave those xml files for DIM (when moving the things out of the dummy runtime) it still thinks it has installed stuff and will tell you about updates.
I think.
I am a bit confused, but I think I got that right.
I can assure you, that that is correct. I did some dummy installs of my Genesis runtime last night, and it believes they're still installed, when my dummy runtime is currently empty. (Haven't opened DS yet, but I work from the Content Libraries much more than the Content Manager/Smart Content anyway.)
Well - I am working with a tree view of my many runtimes in DS ... LOL
Oldfashioned, but works.
I like that the zips are smaller than the exe files!
"I can see my house from here!"
Could that possibly be the Mogollon Rim in Arizona? Wherever it is, it is gorgeous country!
Right state, wrong rim.
There are three ways I know of to manually trigger the .dsa and the .dsx "User Product Data" backup files you created to be processed:
All are done with the help of DS4.5.
- - -
The very first step is that you place the .dsa and .dsx files you created in /runtime/support
Option 1 - file by file
- Close DS4.5
- Got to runtime/support and click on the .dsa file of the product that you want to process the metadata again
- Open DS4.5 and confirm to process the metadata
Option 2 - multiple files at the same time
- Close DS4.5
- Go to runtime/support and copy all .dsa files of the products that you want to queue the metadata again
- Got to C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\RunOnce and place the .dsa flies there
- Open DS4.5 and confirm to process the metadata
Option 3 Content DB Maintenance Import Metadata
- In the content library tab go to Content DB Maintenance Import Metadata and check the files you want to process again
If you have not many products installed this may be the fastest way.
If you have allready many products installed this will be the slowest because there is no search field and you have to scroll up and down
OK - I get it. Thanks!
Now for a pestier situation. I just got a brand new Win 8 computer about 10 days ago. I had backed up all my content from my old computer and was simply copying it all over to the new computer, intending to use the exact same paths for both the Content and My Library contents. However, due to a glitch, my user name ended up being different on the two computers. This caused the CMS not to function properly on the new computer.
So, I created a new folder under C:\Users\Old User Name\.....\My Library and restored my backed up content to this folder. Everything worked fine. Or so I thought. In preparation for the new DIM, I realized that when I "export user data" there is no UserData_1.dsx file being created. Thus leaving me without my categories/user data being backed up.
I have continued to keep my old computer up-to-date, though, and can produce the UserData_1.dsx file there. I am wondering now, if I create a new, clean and empty folder, reinstall my content via the DIM, and re-import my user data using the backup file from the old computer, shouldn't that work to restore my categories? I imagine if I were to test it with just one or two content files installed, there would be a lot of triangles and exclamation marks for missing content when I restore the UserData_1..dsx. I guess I can always try it and if it doesn't work, I can do a clean install and start from scratch. What do you think?
Edited to add: I should mention that my intention is to place the new DIM reinstalled content in a different path than the existing paths - namely the default Public path, now keeping all the content in one folder as opposed to the former Content and My Library folders.
If you have products that fall into that range and classification that are not done, please post a bug in the tracker.
NOT FAIL! :-) You can put it anywhere you want, mine is on my I Drive.That one we already know about, and is something we are looking at. However if you move it, when it updates it will mess things up, as Install Manager does get updates. :)
As far as I gathered from one of the videos sine the latest DS4.5 update it is possible to have Genesis content placed in different paths.
The video also shows how to add those different paths to you DS4.5 Studio libraries.
I have not yet come around to try this out. In theory everything should work as you suggested.
My basic assumption here is that all the relative paths stay the same.
Example:
The old default suggested default path
C:\Users\yourusername\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library
and the new suggested default path
C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\My DAZ 3D Library
are the top directories that can be different. What matters is that all folders that are placed in the Library top folder have the same intact relative path structure as before.
You can come up with any other top level names as long as the folder structure below remains the same:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\My Other 3D stores Library
- - -
Speculation:
I assume that DS4.5 will be able to read the information in your UserData even if the files are now split up to different absolute paths. The relative path will still be the same.
I am not yet around to test this. What I will try to do sometimes later this week is set up separate runtimes for all content that I did not purchase in the DAZ store and then I will try to find out if those files can also be read when I copy paste userdata and process it or add CMS backup data.
Seeing as all of the problems going on with data being collected by cell phone apps and other devices and then delivered back to the companies this also seems to be a valid question since the app is designed to control all of our files, what if any information about our systems is this app collecting and returning to the company? What does DAZ intend to do with the information being collected and why do they need it in the first place if it is collecting data?
That's why I'm elated to have the option to download and store the zips on the L:!!DIM DOWNLOADS folder rather than the "default" on the C drive. As mentioned, I'm running out of room on the C drive so putting the downloads on the 2 terabyte backup drive will be better all the way around.
It seems my previous post went *poof* so I'll repost here. Ah, I see, my post didn't go *poof* there was the other thread in the Members Only area talking about DIM and that's where I posted and it's still there. My bad! %-P
As I stated previously... the program is easy to set up.
Installed, signed in and then changed the default download path to my "L" drive which is my 2 terabyte backup drive.
Created a folder that I recognize and put a !! in the front to keep it top most.
Then changed out the "default" installation path. Kept the same path but again put a !! to keep it top most, created a nice folder icon for it called "DAZ Library" and then created a shortcut on the desktop.
Checked off just 35 files to download and then unchecked the "Install After Download" so I can do that when I get home from work tonight when I have more time. I just wanted to see how fast this would be to download the 35 files.
I do notice as the download folder is populated there are zips and there are matching .dsx files for that. Wondering what those are?
That's why I'm elated to have the option to download and store the zips on the L:!!DIM DOWNLOADS folder rather than the "default" on the C drive. As mentioned, I'm running out of room on the C drive so putting the downloads on the 2 terabyte backup drive will be better all the way around.
It seems my previous post went *poof* so I'll repost here. If a mod thinks what I posted was wrong you best contact me about it.
As I stated previously... the program is easy to set up.
Installed, signed in and then changed the default download path to my "L" drive which is my 2 terabyte backup drive.
Created a folder that I recognize and put a !! in the front to keep it top most.
Then changed out the "default" installation path. Kept the same path but again put a !! to keep it top most, created a nice folder icon for it called "DAZ Library" and then created a shortcut on the desktop.
Checked off just 35 files to download and then unchecked the "Install After Download" so I can do that when I get home from work tonight when I have more time. I just wanted to see how fast this would be to download the 35 files.
I do notice as the download folder is populated there are zips and there are matching .dsx files for that. Wondering what those are?
I think the complaint is about the DIM itself, not the content.
Dana
I never assumed it was the content. The poster was complaining about where they could download to. I stated that the path was easily changed. All you gotta do is fish around a bit, took me like a minute to figure everything out.
These files are used to track information that comes from the server that is either expensive to calculate or is not in the zip itself.
The User Data is keyed off of relative paths.
These files are used to track information that comes from the server that is either expensive to calculate or is not in the zip itself.
OK.. thanks.
Now to go over meta data one more time. If I choose to create a sub folder within My Library WITHIN DAZ Studio and move content the meta data will be updated? SO say I want to move the male clothing to a folder within the Clothing folder for Genesis I won't have to worry about the meta data being corrupted?
OK.. thanks.
Now to go over meta data one more time. If I choose to create a sub folder within My Library WITHIN DAZ Studio and move content the meta data will be updated? SO say I want to move the male clothing to a folder within the Clothing folder for Genesis I won't have to worry about the meta data being corrupted?
The meta data will update, and the CMS should handle it. However, if you ever have to rebuild the database, the information for that file will be lost unless you update the metadata file it came from as well.
OK.. thanks.
Now to go over meta data one more time. If I choose to create a sub folder within My Library WITHIN DAZ Studio and move content the meta data will be updated? SO say I want to move the male clothing to a folder within the Clothing folder for Genesis I won't have to worry about the meta data being corrupted?
The meta data will update, and the CMS should handle it. However, if you ever have to rebuild the database, the information for that file will be lost unless you update the metadata file it came from as well.
I did mention in a previous post that I cleared out all the metadata from within DAZ Studio. Brought up the Smart Content to see and sure enough it's empty. I wanted a fresh start in that area. Is that the right way to do that?? I went through the Database Maintenance area. If there is another folder I need to go to to clear files please let me know. :-)
The meta data will update, and the CMS should handle it. However, if you ever have to rebuild the database, the information for that file will be lost unless you update the metadata file it came from as well.
I did mention in a previous post that I cleared out all the metadata from within DAZ Studio. Brought up the Smart Content to see and sure enough it's empty. I wanted a fresh start in that area. Is that the right way to do that?? I went through the Database Maintenance area. If there is another folder I need to go to to clear files please let me know. :-)
The Database Maintenance is the best way. There are more complete removals but they are more complicated and only necessary if the db files themselves get corrupted.
I think he was referring, as I was in my post about it, to how the DIM itself installs on C, with no options to install the DIM on anything else. After that, sure, the DIM can download and install content wherever you tell it to, but the DIM installer itself gives no options to change where the DIM application is installed.
Yep. This needs to be changed, unless we're all supposed to learn the symbolic links trick. It's always irksome for a program to assume it knows better than all users, when that program has no need to imbed itself as part of the OS. (Such imbedding being the only good reason to require installing on the system drive.)