IMPORTANT - Install Manager Notice - BEST THING EVER (updated)
Dartanbeck
Posts: 21,583
IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT INSTALL MANAGER
Install Manager, by default, uses a Different Default Installation Directory than the Daz Studio default.
By default, it makes a whole new content directory: "My Daz 3d Library" in the Public User - for Windows
This is actually the best way to do it - it's a fresh new directory - untouched. That's perfect because you want to keep DIM installs separate from others, I think, because DIM has the ability to uninstall, should you choose to do so. You do need to know this location, however, so that you can tell Daz Studio that you have a new content directory.:coolhmm:
Check out the Instructions Here and have a look through all of the cool features it offers.
Here is an Article detailing my experience from before I knew squat about the thing, to having it download and install my entire collection of Daz Products on an otherwise Daz-less laptop!
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Comments
I noticed that, looks a good idea for nas or lan
Don't get me wrong... the DIM is the best freaking thing ever!!! I love it!
Does your comment apply only to DAZ Studio? I don't use DS much, so does the DIM do anything for Carrara users? I can't see using it since I like all my Poser style runtimes on an external hard drive, linked when used via C8's browser.
I have yet to work out how to get it to install female clothing to a certain dir, female clothing to another, male stuff etc etc
Which I do, and from what was implied, the DIM installer should be able to put different content different places, without user intervention, What is all the meta files for?
Go to Applications, and you can verify where stuff is installed. I don't have Poser installed (nor do I own a current version), mine reads Daz Studio 4 and Daz Studio 3, probably because I used to have older DS on this machine - plus I asked for legacy content to download and install - so it even gave me my licensed version of aniMate, even though DS3 isn't there... just doing as I asked it to.
I'm not entirely hip to what all it might be able to do - but what I can get it to do is nice.
Problem is that it did it already. Bam! Done! Now it's just sitting there waiting for me to get more money into my bank account! :ahhh:
Dude, I am so sorry for explaining runtimes. I was on no sleep and just read your words wrong! If I'd have realized....
Oh the embarrassment! (been doing that a lot lately :-/ )
I'm glad I don't have these issues lol ;)
Aside from DS not knowing where Genesis was, and Me not knowing where DIM installed everything to, which was very quickly answered in very special thanks TO the DIM, everything went so smoothly that I may have to redo my workstation.
I really like my multiple runtime environment, largely because I can then look here for this, and there for that. Like you do.
The Daz Studio organizational system is actually even better than that. I was blind to it, so I never saw it.
First off, it already has specific places to install different stuff - animals to animals, people to people, etc., But even better, on an individual basis, and only if you want to, you can sub categorize stuff within the database... I think... I haven't gotten that far yet.
So far, I'm a little lost. But that's understandable whenever you switch to a new bus route.
I definitely look forward to picking this up. The DIM made it really exciting... and then nothing. Because it was all done! No more endless days and nights double-clicking. It's just done! No special runtimes needed and the DIM now acts as a product home page - all readmes and uninstallers, as well as a complete list, all in one spot on a single page! It's nice.
Time to test your cheerleading Dart...
I got force-fed the DAZ Install Manager when I bought Aiko 3.0 a few minutes ago. I was going to avoid this because I was reading that it does not support Carrara.
Well, it is downloading my purchases (kinda nice) but I did not realize that it would also install them. If it doesn't support Carrara, how does it know my preferred runtime structure?
Lets step in to the way back machine, back to the last time i was banned, right after studio 4 came out. A certain individual let it slip on another forum about this possible cloud system. DAZstore-your purchase-auto download and install-update smart content. We argued about this automated system quite some time back.
Taa Daa :long:
Anything more I can think to say about it would just mean a pulled post.
Straight up. If I can't download a zip, I ain't buying it.
Indeed...I'm not yet sure if I'll join that peaceful protest of yours but...
NOTE TO DAZ DEVELOPERS: Hey, thanks for asking me during installation what my preferences were... For the record; "C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library" is not a good location for this machine...
HI Garstor :)
Dim can download and installe products automatically (if you use that option)
it can also just Download them, then you can select the products,. and the folder where you want those products installed,. then it'll install the selectied files, into whatever folder you specify.#
by default, it's set to the new ( C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library )
you can obviously change that to whatever folder you want, bearing in mind that it's not a great idea to install products into a runtime where you already have products,. since DIM cannot install / uninstall content which it hasn't installed.
that's why a start over with a fresh install location is recommended.
As far as support for Carrara,.Bryce and other software,.. that will happen, but right now it only handles "content" which actually means that it works with all software which uses content. ..including Carrara.
Right now it doesn't download or install carrara specific content,. but it will.... and more.
EG: If you had Carrara, and nothing else,. you could use DIM to create a runtime within carrara, or anywhere else,. and install your content there. that includes external drives.
If you want to have a Customise set of folders to install male clothing , or dresses , or whatever,. then that's your choice,.
You can set up your folders,. Download the products, and then select and install them to wherever you want to.
Meta data is used by the database to update the view of content in the "Smart content" section of the browser in both DS and Carrara, It also tells the database which products work with which products,..
EG: If you load an item of clothing,. then select it,. the Smart Content display will change to show you all the materials which work with that product,. even if you have several materials from different developers,. so you don't need to search through several different folders of materials for that product,. all materials are shown in one screen in the smart content.
As for setting up an automatic way of DIM identifying whether products are male or female and installing them automatically into a pre-defined folder,..
I'm not sure that's possible, especially where genesis is concerned where the same base figure is Male / female / animal / monster etc..
There's no issues in setting up a set of folders for V3 or M4,.. and then installing specific content using DIM into those folders.
Hope that makes sense :)
Hi Stan :)
ALL of the files in the store have been replaced with ZIP as the default,.
That's what DIM actually downloads. they're all zips,.
You can choose to extract those ZIP files manually,.. into whatever folder you want,. but that won't update the smart content database with that item, then DIM won;t show you updates for it,.. and it won't be un-installable with DIM if you didn't use DIM to install it in the first place.
Garstor,..:)
The User / public folder shouldn't cause any issue for you.
it's now the default for Poser, and Daz content
Autodesk and other apps are also defaulting to this location for files.
Nope not going to stick my finger in that mouse trap to see if it works ;)
I was looking at the store today. Hadn't shopped in a while and the store flagged me about a stonemason sale. So I did some checking, shopped a bit, and I've hit upon another instance where I can't think of anything to say that wouldn't get the post pulled.
Stan :)
It's not a Cloud system,.. it's the same server where you download your products from the store after purchase, or reset them from your account.
the only difference is that NOW, you have an option to use DIM to Download,. install, and help you manage your content.
For example: I manually used the product Un-installers to remove everything,. and it took most of the weekend, and thousands of clicks.
Then I used DIM to install everything into a new folder,.. it was done in under half an hour, and a total of three clicks.
I decided to play, and set up another folder,. then selected a bunch of stuff i had just installed,. ...Uninstalled it,.. and installed it into the new folder. ....less than ten minutes,. and with filtering and global select options I think I clicked the mouse button about 5 or six times.
this really is a much easier way to download, install / un-install, and manage your content, even if you want to have multiple folders for different content.
Andy :)
Didn't you read the instructions first? :smirk:
This part of this, same thread has a brief explanation, the part you need is toward the bottom, but you should read it all, just in case! ;)
Sorry 'bout that, man!
In my defense, check the WARNING sign in the first post! lol
None the less, this is step 2, step 3 is... Nope, not going there. I know what it is, I'll let everyone else find out on their own.
Argued this out on the other forum, this is just step by step what I was arguing against then. Same issues I had then.
I have opted out of the automated system. I'm sorry but I really don't need help managing my content.
Thanks for the insight (as always!) Andy. The calming voice of reason...a gentle yin to my raging yang... :D
Perhaps the DIM will find its way into my life once I get it configured to my liking. The downloading bit I definitely do like. I'm still suspicious about the rest...
@Dartanbeck: Some tasty sarcasm there good sir! Remember, I didn't get a chance to read the instructions...in order to obtain my new purchases I had to use DIM (near as I could tell anyway). As I noted above, it starts with assumptions rather than asking the user for their preferences. That bit is not cool at all.
The DIM is cool, but I prefer the usual method, I think. Jury's still out on that.
Hey wait a second there Cheesehead (one of my two favourite cheeseheads!)...you don't actually use the DIM yourself?
Hey wait a second there Cheesehead (one of my two favourite cheeseheads!)...you don't actually use the DIM yourself?
[Hogans' Hero's Style German Accent] Velly intervesting....[/Hogans' Hero's Style German Accent] ;-)
Hey wait a second there Cheesehead (one of my two favourite cheeseheads!)...you don't actually use the DIM yourself?
Dude... okay... read the thread, will ya?Chuckling, of course! Yeah... I downloaded everything as I typed an article about it in the Carrara Info thread. It was most exiting. I'm still using it, Smart Content, all of my content and the default installation library on my laptop as a trial run thing.
Problem is that I'm working too much to even open an Daz3d app in this little guy. Not even Bryce - which has me all exited - I wanna take some new skills I'm picking up from David Brinnen into that marvelous piece of modeling bliss they call Bryce - but, alas... not as of yet.
I've looked into the Daz Studio file structure into which the DIM defaults to. Trying to find stuff in Carrara on my laptop is therefore wierd and I'll have to get used to it. Wierd boy that I am... I'm actually looking forward to the change. I'm getting tired of runtimes.
When I get to my comfy workstation, all of that goes out the window through the familiarity of the way things have been... so...
it's an incomplete experiment, as we speak.
I'm liking the DIM.
Call it what it actually is, a basic download manager built to handle just one site, and it's not scary at all. In fact it's probably safer than using any commercially available manager on any other site.
You can still access all of your files through your account download page if you want but I'm finding this way to be very useful.
I'm leaving my existing runtime structures intact and just making use of the DIM to tidy up on the Genesis stuff.
Oh, and I'm finally starting on the huge quantity of files I got in all of the sales but never got around to installing.
(Damn you DAZ for all of those irresistible $1.99 sale items that I didn't need but got just in case)
Sure beats all of those double-clicks (not to mention follow-up clicks to finish the installer) after all of those 1.99 purchases!!!
After verbally assaulting Dart in a PM (and dodging his otherwise impressive spinning roundhouse kick aimed at my head); we've come to a truce of sorts over beers... NOTE TO THE MODS: I'm exaggerating about the verbal assault thing... ;-P
Use the DIM to build a new runtime - do not get rid of any folder structure that you may be used to. That way, if you truly do hate DIM, no harm nor foul...go back to your old way of doing things that works for you. If DIM is a miraculous piece of code the solves the world's ills...great, you have a spiffy new managed runtime.
I'll try to get to setting this up for myself later today and report on my findings.
The only consistent issue I have had with DAZ content is DAZ installers. All I ever wanted was my content in easy to download easy to use zip files. I simply download/unzip/sort/install {drag and drop}. Simple, easy no muss, no fuss. I know where my content is I put it there, I know it is good I check before I put it there. So no need to uninstall later.
My runtimes though large and encumbering are well organized. My studio content folder is not. try as I might I can't keep it organized. I have repeat items in different places, dozens of empty go no where folders I can't seem to delete, and no rhythm nor reason the file structure. My biggest issue with studio has always been the cluster F content folder.
It is my opinion if the studio content folder wasn't so screwed up you wouldn't need DIM or CMS. Last night I was trying to use studio, it got to the point I was ready to uninstall it and all the studio content and tell DAZ just what they can do with it. All that is in my studio content folder is genesis, genesis morphs, and dynamic clothing. It shouldn't be a frustrating helter skelter mess with just that in it, but that is how the studio content folder is organized; as in no organization at all.
My runtimes look like a library, my studio content folder looks like a kids toy box.
if you remove the check from "Install after Download" it will simply download anything you want to download to your
My Documents > DAZ3D > Install Manager > Downloads folder
All zips for you to do with as you please.
It really is designed with your tastes in mind as well. I know that if "I" were a Daz dev, I would take "your" comments seriously, too. I think they do.
What I was explaining to Garstor:
If you already have a structured runtime folder setup, yet want to try out the DIM to facilitate that same end, try this:
Keep your current structure as-is, just in the event that you don't like the new method. Some of us just like the way things have been.
It can always be used as an excellent back-up, should you go with the new method for a time, and later change your mind.
But there are key advantages to the new method, but in order for those to be apparent, Starting over is the est way to proceed. Here's why:
The Daz3d Installation Manager is actually a fairly robust content organization platform for all of your Daz3d content needs. It can automate the downloading and installation of all of your content*, no matter the date of purchase, no matter how or where you want it installed, all without ever having to reset your downloads. It also has a robust search facility, but you'd want to look into that yourself, because I don't use that part.
*currently, Carrara, Bryce or other non Daz/Poser app-specific products are not supported - so you'll get those by restting their downloads as before.
So. Go into the Install Manager and tell it to install to a new, empty runtime folder of your choosing. Give it a new, unique name so you can easily identify your new runtime folders installed by the DIM.**
Now simply click on the products that you want to install to that, specific runtime directory.
The Daz3d Installation Manager will now effortlessly download and install everything you've clicked upon.
Note that you may need to check "Show Hidden" if you've already downloaded the stuff to another location.
Rinse and repeat the above process for all of the rest of the runtime directories that you require. I have not yet tried this - though I've seen the ability to do so in the layout. I'm yet uncertain how it would work for installing the same product to multiple runtimes - which "I" would need to do, when it comes time for me to try this. I believe that DIM would recognize the multiple installations and reveal them in its main list upon reopening the DIM for future needs/access what have you. I'll look into that soon. If I haven't reported back on this, and you'd like to know, give me a prod in a PM and I'll jump right to it.
Major DIM advantages you'll now have:
Whenever you open the Install Manager from this point forward, you'll have the following availabilities, and perhaps more. My time is very limited this few weeks, but I'll be looking into this further very soon:
* List of Installed Content - A comprehensive list of everything you've installed using the DIM. This is why starting fresh with everything you've ever purchased from Daz3d will result in a whole new, better content managing experience using this tremendously awesome tool.
* Smart Content? - Not seeing a product in your Smart Content tab? A quick look at the list of installed content shows whether it included the necessary files to become Smart Content compatible. If it does NOT have the big Smart Content check mark next to it, and you're not certain where to find the product, see next:
* Product ReadMe's - Next to each listing within the list is access to the products ReadMe file. As these ReadMe's naming conventions have changed over the years, I find this feature to be incredibly useful. Within each ReadMe html page is a "File List" link that opens a text page illustrating the directory listing that the product was installed to. I use this all the time to find out if products came with Specular or specific Glow maps that I can use within a shader - but is equally useful in figuring out where to find the location of a product if you can't find it in the browser.
* Uninstall - Each listing also includes the ability to uninstall the product. This is especially useful should you wish to reinstall an item to a different directory, or if you return an item and need to get rid of it, whatever. It is quite refreshing to see this feature built into such a convenience. We veterans of using the Poser runtime structure know how impossible it can be to entirely clean your space of a product that is no longer needed. This function will remove it all!
** installing fresh like this will eliminate having some content seen by the DIM and the rest not. I feel that, to take full advantage of this great manager, one should at least sample how it works from a fresh start.
If you don't ask the Daz3d Install Manager to delete installation files after installing them, it will store your product in .zip format to your My Documents > DAZ3D > Install Manager > Downloads folder. A great backup system for offline content.
If this is the beta, I wonder what the final will be like - because this thing totally freaking R O C K S ! ! ! ;)