Reinstalling DAZ library from backup and/or installing by DIM

Slowmichael

My HD crashed and i had to reinstall windows. I made a backup so i could reinstall the library by making a copy of the files in to the daz library. I reinstalled DIM als of course and DIM is now downloading and installing al the purchased content from DAZ. But i have also content from renderosity and some freebies. I would prefer to install that by using my backup.

 

Is that a problem? 

 

 

Michel

Richard Haseltine

No, that should be fine - indeed for DS itself you could do the same with your daz content, and reimport metadata (assuming you don't have a back-up of the old database). DIM does install the absolute location to which it installed, in the .dsx files in the Manifests folder, so if the content directory names have changed you might not want to use a back up of any content installed that way but otherwise the back-up should be fine (for pure content - anything thata dded files to the applications folder, such as plug-ins, many sahders, and some scripts, will need to be reinstalled).

stubie128

Richard Haseltine said:

No, that should be fine - indeed for DS itself you could do the same with your daz content, and reimport metadata (assuming you don't have a back-up of the old database). DIM does install the absolute location to which it installed, in the .dsx files in the Manifests folder, so if the content directory names have changed you might not want to use a back up of any content installed that way but otherwise the back-up should be fine (for pure content - anything thata dded files to the applications folder, such as plug-ins, many sahders, and some scripts, will need to be reinstalled).

When are you going to address the fact that most modern PC's have relatively small SSD/NVMe drives with larger separate HDD for storage/back ups. It's a PITA reinstalling DAZ3D to non-default Windows locations because of your company database management choices and complete lack of customisation at time of installation. We can change directory locations, but only AFTER it has made directories all over the place which you then have to go and hunt down.

I'm am truly sick and tired of going through the complex re-installation process and not having a way to save all my settings from an easily accessible front facing menu. I have around 2000 items to reinstall, i have to hunt for the ones i don't want to install because DIM doesn't group them. I have Windows telling me the installation can't go ahead because it's already installed, it then uninstalls and i'm left having to try and re-install.

Can you tell that re-installing is a thoroughly unpleasant experience?This is a brand new PC, I'm doing a completely fesh online install and it still won't install the CMS properly. You want to have customer loyalty and hopefully appreciate those who continue with you for years and yet you have virtually zero in the way of practical help guides, support and info.

Please consider reviewing this situation. We shouldn't be forced to choose between partial DIM and a complex inflexible system for saving out work and settings we may have spent years achieving. Just because we use Windows doesn't mean we all use the default locations Windows tries to enforce.

jestmart

DIM is fully customizable, but DAZ does need to either remove that auto download and install or have first time warning to run offline then set the preferences.

Richard Haseltine

stubie128 said:

Richard Haseltine said:

No, that should be fine - indeed for DS itself you could do the same with your daz content, and reimport metadata (assuming you don't have a back-up of the old database). DIM does install the absolute location to which it installed, in the .dsx files in the Manifests folder, so if the content directory names have changed you might not want to use a back up of any content installed that way but otherwise the back-up should be fine (for pure content - anything thata dded files to the applications folder, such as plug-ins, many sahders, and some scripts, will need to be reinstalled).

When are you going to address the fact that most modern PC's have relatively small SSD/NVMe drives with larger separate HDD for storage/back ups. It's a PITA reinstalling DAZ3D to non-default Windows locations because of your company database management choices and complete lack of customisation at time of installation. We can change directory locations, but only AFTER it has made directories all over the place which you then have to go and hunt down.

I'm am truly sick and tired of going through the complex re-installation process and not having a way to save all my settings from an easily accessible front facing menu. I have around 2000 items to reinstall, i have to hunt for the ones i don't want to install because DIM doesn't group them. I have Windows telling me the installation can't go ahead because it's already installed, it then uninstalls and i'm left having to try and re-install.

Can you tell that re-installing is a thoroughly unpleasant experience?This is a brand new PC, I'm doing a completely fesh online install and it still won't install the CMS properly. You want to have customer loyalty and hopefully appreciate those who continue with you for years and yet you have virtually zero in the way of practical help guides, support and info.

Please consider reviewing this situation. We shouldn't be forced to choose between partial DIM and a complex inflexible system for saving out work and settings we may have spent years achieving. Just because we use Windows doesn't mean we all use the default locations Windows tries to enforce.

I install applications to the default C:, but none of my content is there 9or in the default paths). Install DIM, customise its locations before going online, install DS through that, customise its locations  (it will respect the OS-level choice for location of the User's Docuemnts folder for the Connect and My Library folders without requiring any modification) and you should be set - that doesn't seem complex, especially as users with small C: drives and larger other drives should be moving the documents folders at the OS level (though I do note that the Public/Documents folder doesn't have the friendly Move button in its Location tab).

Richard Haseltine

stubie128 said:

Richard Haseltine said:

No, that should be fine - indeed for DS itself you could do the same with your daz content, and reimport metadata (assuming you don't have a back-up of the old database). DIM does install the absolute location to which it installed, in the .dsx files in the Manifests folder, so if the content directory names have changed you might not want to use a back up of any content installed that way but otherwise the back-up should be fine (for pure content - anything thata dded files to the applications folder, such as plug-ins, many sahders, and some scripts, will need to be reinstalled).

When are you going to address the fact that most modern PC's have relatively small SSD/NVMe drives with larger separate HDD for storage/back ups. It's a PITA reinstalling DAZ3D to non-default Windows locations because of your company database management choices and complete lack of customisation at time of installation. We can change directory locations, but only AFTER it has made directories all over the place which you then have to go and hunt down.

I'm am truly sick and tired of going through the complex re-installation process and not having a way to save all my settings from an easily accessible front facing menu. I have around 2000 items to reinstall, i have to hunt for the ones i don't want to install because DIM doesn't group them. I have Windows telling me the installation can't go ahead because it's already installed, it then uninstalls and i'm left having to try and re-install.

Can you tell that re-installing is a thoroughly unpleasant experience?This is a brand new PC, I'm doing a completely fesh online install and it still won't install the CMS properly. You want to have customer loyalty and hopefully appreciate those who continue with you for years and yet you have virtually zero in the way of practical help guides, support and info.

Please consider reviewing this situation. We shouldn't be forced to choose between partial DIM and a complex inflexible system for saving out work and settings we may have spent years achieving. Just because we use Windows doesn't mean we all use the default locations Windows tries to enforce.

I install applications to the default C:, but none of my content is there 9or in the default paths). Install DIM, customise its locations before going online, install DS through that, customise its locations  (it will respect the OS-level choice for location of the User's Docuemnts folder for the Connect and My Library folders without requiring any modification) and you should be set - that doesn't seem complex, especially as users with small C: drives and larger other drives should be moving the documents folders at the OS level (though I do note that the Public/Documents folder doesn't have the friendly Move button in its Location tab).