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Clarity on Backing Up DAZ files

GeoffreyHawkinsGeoffreyHawkins Posts: 255
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

I realize this has been covered numerous times in these forums and elsewhere but I'm still generally confused when I go looking for answers.

I need to determine what I need to backup in regard to my own DAZ created material.  What do I need to backup beyond my .duf files?  DAZ is installed on my C drive.  I'm not concerned about my content libraries as I have all my old runtimes backed up. I use Content Library within DAZ Studio and only install content as I need it and can re-download from the DAZ cloud as necessary.

Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914

    There's a data folder somewhere you need to backup as it contains the actual geometry of anything you've made or changed. But for the life of me I cannot remember where it is nor can I find it.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,848

    The Data folder is in the first daz Studio Formnats content diectory by default (you can chnage which oen is used in the options dialogue). That matters only if you save assets, not for plain scenes. You also want to back up your metadata - Content Library option menu (the lined button in the top corner, or right-click the tab) and select Content DB Maintenance, then check Export User data. That goes to /Runtime/Support in the first content directory.

  • GeoffreyHawkinsGeoffreyHawkins Posts: 255

    Thanks, Richard.  The User Data Export was a really small file (134KB).  Does that sound right?  So, if I have a crash and lose my primary hard drive where DAZ is installed, I will be able to restore everything by way of this backup and my .duf files?  (In other words, my scene files will open as before with all resources present?)  As noted, I have all my old Poser runtimes backed up and I'm otherwise installing products as needed via the Smart Content pane.

    Sorry to be on the dense side with this.  It's not as intuitive for me as it is for others.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,848

    The userdata is just files you have created and caegorisations you have made, all the stuff from the store (and other add-ons that were set up that way) is handled by its own metadata, which will also be in the /Runtime/Support folder.

  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914

    I made the mistake of not backing up the usedata folder at one time. When I installed windows fresh, I lost geometry edits I had made in some scenes so they needed to be redone :(

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,848

    The userdata is just metadata - the geometry edits would have been in the /Data folder, if saved as assets or - one some older versions of DS - if saved in a scene without saving the changes as assets (recent versions of DS embed custom assets in the file, they don't generate files in the /Data/Auto Converted or /Data/AutoAdapted folders)

  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914

    Yep, that's the folder I was thinking of. Good to know DS doesn't rely on that folder anymore :)

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