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moving content to another disk: can my scenes still load?

jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134
in Daz Studio Discussion

Hi,

I would like to move my content directory to another hard disk. I'm guessing that if i just do that (and make a new reference in the CMS to the new drive), DAZ won't find my models when I load a scene? is there a way to remedy this?

Thank you!

Comments

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449

    As long as they are still in the same locations within the content directory (and as long as the files were in a content directory) then DS and the CMS will not have a problem. Install manager, however, does store absolute locations for installed content in its Manifest files so that is a potential issue with updates if you used DIM.

  • jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134

    thank you

    so does this mean i can just move the directory from one drive to another in windows explorer?

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449

    Yes, as long as you then edit the list of directories in DS - and DIM if you use that. You can right-click on existing directories in the Content Library pane to remove the old ones, and on the Daz Studio Formats/Poser Formats heading to add the new ones, or you can use Edit>Preferences>Content tab>Content Directory Manager.

  • jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134

    thank you

  • jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134

    another question here: does the runtime directory only contain poser files, or do some daz files get in there too somehow?

    asking because i wonder if i could just move this whole runtime directory to another drive and if this could be a way to split content over two drives?

    thanks

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449

    In geernal all textures go in Runtime\Textures. Also the metadata files (should you need to reimport) go to \Runtime\Support. DS should certainly be able to find textures from another content directory on another drive, though DIM could not update a split installation.

  • jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134

    so does that mean i can move the runtime directory (as a whole, including the whole libraries subfolder) to another drive?

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,601

    Is there a reason you don't want to move the entire content folder?

  • jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134

    so i have too much content for one drive (there's other stuff on each of the drives too), and i want to know if there's a way if i can put it on two drives, and if so what is the best way. so i was thinking that maybe i can keep the poser content on one drive (the runtime folder?) and the daz stuff on another drive?

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449

    As I said above, DIM won't update products if you move them to split locations but you can install diffrent products to different folders - the only restriction is that fourth geenration Daz figures (Victoria 4 etc.) have to have their bases and all morph expansions in the same content directory.

  • jstiltonjstilton Posts: 134

    hi richard, thanks, i know what you said before, i just wasn't sure if that answered my question. but i'll assume it does then and will move the runtime folder :)

    thank you

  • Alden7eAlden7e Posts: 12
    edited June 2017
    Richard Haseltine said:

    As long as they are still in the same locations within the content directory (and as long as the files were in a content directory) then DS and the CMS will not have a problem. Install manager, however, does store absolute locations for installed content in its Manifest files so that is a potential issue with updates if you used DIM.

    @Richard --

    Apologies for the lengthy post, but I want to make sure I articulate my question clearly.

    I'm in the process of moving my content folder as well, and I want to make certain I understand your comment with regard to the DIM Manifest files. I believe these files are created when content is installed via DIM and that if I move my already installed content, these Mainfest files will continue to point to the original installation folders. I'm assuming this would create an issue for updates via DIM if I use the default setting for Content Updates on the Installation tab of the DIM setting interface (Install to Respective "Installed" Paths). I'm hoping that if I switch that to "Install to Selected Path" that content updates will be appropriately installed in the new directory that I have specified. I assume that I will technically have a bunch of bogus Manifest files sitting there, but they won't be referenced for content updates if I'm understanding the interface correctly. Does that sound right?

    Thank you for any insight you can provide.

    Cheers!

     

    Post edited by Alden7e on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449
    Alden7e said:
    Richard Haseltine said:

    As long as they are still in the same locations within the content directory (and as long as the files were in a content directory) then DS and the CMS will not have a problem. Install manager, however, does store absolute locations for installed content in its Manifest files so that is a potential issue with updates if you used DIM.

    @Richard --

    Apologies for the lengthy post, but I want to make sure I articulate my question clearly.

    I'm in the process of moving my content folder as well, and I want to make certain I understand your comment with regard to the DIM Manifest files. I believe these files are created when content is installed via DIM and that if I move my already installed content, these Mainfest files will continue to point to the original installation folders. I'm assuming this would create an issue for updates via DIM if I use the default setting for Content Updates on the Installation tab of the DIM setting interface (Install to Respective "Installed" Paths). I'm hoping that if I switch that to "Install to Selected Path" that content updates will be appropriately installed in the new directory that I have specified. I assume that I will technically have a bunch of bogus Manifest files sitting there, but they won't be referenced for content updates if I'm understanding the interface correctly. Does that sound right?

    Thank you for any insight you can provide.

    Cheers!

     

    Yes, I believe that is correct. The manifests with the bad paths will be used to spot that an update is needed (DIM doesn't look at the individual installed files) but the update should then go to the current Content Directory - it's not, however, a feature I have used.

  • Alden7eAlden7e Posts: 12
    Richard Haseltine said:
    Alden7e said:
    Richard Haseltine said:

    As long as they are still in the same locations within the content directory (and as long as the files were in a content directory) then DS and the CMS will not have a problem. Install manager, however, does store absolute locations for installed content in its Manifest files so that is a potential issue with updates if you used DIM.

    @Richard --

    Apologies for the lengthy post, but I want to make sure I articulate my question clearly.

    I'm in the process of moving my content folder as well, and I want to make certain I understand your comment with regard to the DIM Manifest files. I believe these files are created when content is installed via DIM and that if I move my already installed content, these Mainfest files will continue to point to the original installation folders. I'm assuming this would create an issue for updates via DIM if I use the default setting for Content Updates on the Installation tab of the DIM setting interface (Install to Respective "Installed" Paths). I'm hoping that if I switch that to "Install to Selected Path" that content updates will be appropriately installed in the new directory that I have specified. I assume that I will technically have a bunch of bogus Manifest files sitting there, but they won't be referenced for content updates if I'm understanding the interface correctly. Does that sound right?

    Thank you for any insight you can provide.

    Cheers!

     

    Yes, I believe that is correct. The manifests with the bad paths will be used to spot that an update is needed (DIM doesn't look at the individual installed files) but the update should then go to the current Content Directory - it's not, however, a feature I have used.

    Thanks! 

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,601

    I haven't tested it, but while that would ensure that the new files go to the new location, I don't think any old files that need to be removed will be removed from the new location.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449
    Fixmypcmike said:

    I haven't tested it, but while that would ensure that the new files go to the new location, I don't think any old files that need to be removed will be removed from the new location.

    True, and that can be an issue - there have been occasions when assets (the files in the Data folder) have been removed in favour of a new file and this method would leave the old version in situ, probably causing conflicts (as has happened in at least one case when DIM failed to remove an old file).

  • Alden7eAlden7e Posts: 12

    Good point. :-(

    Any suggestions for a better way to resolve this?

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,449

    The manifests are .xml files, so I think people have used a text editor with a batch function to update them all at once (working on copies, of course).

  • Alden7eAlden7e Posts: 12
    Richard Haseltine said:

    The manifests are .xml files, so I think people have used a text editor with a batch function to update them all at once (working on copies, of course).

    Ah! Excellent! Thanks again!

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