Why do some products load perfectly, while others have to be written off as a loss?
lryhall_17d185bd0d
Posts: 127
I spent $36 this am on two products. One being, 'Evil Clown HD for Genesis 8 Male', the second, Bad Clown Jumpsuit for Genesis 8 Male(s). I waited almost 15 minutes for it to appear in my Install pane. Finally, out of frustration, I pursued the 'manual' install route. I individually copied the contents of each zip. then opened my 'My DAZ 3D Library', and pasted the contents individually. Went to my 'Content Pane" and neither was there. I re-started Daz, and still no luck. I finally returned to my 'Install Pane' And both were there. Feeling relieved, I followed the simple install process. (which has always worked previously). Returned to my content pane, go to Genesis 8, and still, there was nothing. Of course, I re-started DAZ, and nothing had changed. Using DIM isn't an option for me, because it still refuses to recognize my account after 15 years.
I've spent the past two hours trying to manually place the files from the zip. to it's prescribed location with some luck. I can now get the clown to appear on the G8M figure, but there are absolutely no mat files. I've noticed a trend, (and not just with DAZ) that more and more product files just will not allow the tried and trusted 'copy and paste' method of installation that's been a mainstay for a decade or more. It's getting so frustrating, I've considered not using the Daz Studio Platform. I doubt it's the Platforms fault, but it's become a crapshoot when purchasing and trying to install a product. Roll the dice...... will you win or lose? I'm not a gambling man and am growing weary of throwing money away on products that don't work.
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
Eventually, by manually placing each file in it's prescribed place after considerable time, I've managed to make both products accessible. 'The copy and paste' method has ceased to exist apparently when it comes to copying and pasting the entire contents of a zip. file. Adding to the misery is the disappointment of the failure of the Install Pane option. And DIM? A waste of time. No matter how often you remove and replace it. Something is wrong DAZ. You can't blame it all on the customer. Copying and pasting is not Rocket Science. As for the Install Pane and DIM? I haven't a clue.
You can use DIM offline to install, just check the "Work Offline" box when starting. All you need is an account (inside DIM, not necessarily with DAZ) with a valid e-mail address (doesn't even have to be real, just properly formed). DIM must still be configured to find product archives (the downloads) and where to install them (your library).
I presume you are using Connect to get your content. Much has been written about the trials and tribulations of that system, and I do not use it, so cannot help you with that. However, copying manually should be straightforward, as you expect. You say you manually placed the files where they should go. Have you considered making a separate test library (or three) where you can check things out before adding them to the main library? Just make another folder in parallel to the main library and add that path to your current Content Set in Content Directory Manager. You can just drag everything from the zip below the top level Content folder into the test library, go back to Studio and navigate to that library (don't forget to refresh, it sometimes takes a while for Studio to see new content that wasn't explicitly installed)
Sorry, man, but "Copying and pasting" is not a Daz' functionality. It's your computer's functionality.
BTW, run Content Database Maintenance -> Re-Import Metadata, check these new products and they will appear in Smart Content panel.
Although it's not recommended, copying the stuff in the Content folder in the zip (not the Content folder itself) and pasting that into your actual content diectory, whatever it is called, should make the files available through the Content Library pane, under Daz Studio Formats or Poser Formats (as appropriate). Manual installs won't show in any of the database driven views unless you import the metadata.
I import the full contents of the zip. file. I do not drop the zip.file itself into 'My Daz 3D Library'. Thanks, Richard for your reply.
Victor_B? I've been copying and pasting folders into Daz and Poser for over a decade without much trouble until lately. Have I subconsciously changed my M.O. without knowing it? I don't think so. It's not a complex operation. Very little variety in the process. If the DAZ loaders loaded as they are supposed to? I'd much prefer them. Thing is, you don't know from day to day what to expect. They could use a little tweaking. As far as characters appearing in my 'Smart Content' Pane? Any that are allowed to be installed by the Install Panel do show up in 'Smart Content'. Hair, props, and various and other assorted and sundry items are included as well. The only time I 'Copy and Paste' is when the Daz provided platforms aren't functional. I'd like to ask a question if you don't mind? Are you of the belief that the 'Copying and Pasting' method has not traditionally been used by people who post here and at other places. And Victor? I was very aware that 'Copy and Pasting' was not a function of Daz Studios. I had computers before Poser or Daz were around.
Thanks for your reply, Victor.
You are welcome. I install products from Renderosity this way. And I was in your situation several times bcoz I copied files to the wrong folder. I have more than one folder called "Content" (actually folder in folder) and I copied to "Content", that old version DS was using some years ago, but the last DS didn't see it (it uses another). I prety much sure this is your case. After decade of using DS you have several DS libraries. My money on this.
At least half the content I have (DAZ-wise) is from the past year. I have 19 full pages of content. I didn't count the products from DAZ individually. How the older stuff might affect the system, I couldn't say. I just know from experience that content going into DAZ Studio has no guarantee of loading properly. Regardless of what manner you may load them. Some load perfectly, others you'll spend hours trying to sort the files into their proper locations by hand. It's above my paygrade. I'm just the poor slomo that has to fix it on too many occasions. I'll forever be at a loss to explain how you can load two products one after the other using the exact same methods, and having one load seamlessly while the other slips off into another dimension.
Again, thanks Vincent.
When you open a Daz zip the first folder will be Content; from othe sites it may be Content, or My Library, or My Daz 3d Library. You usually want the files and folders from within that folder, not the folder itself.
Iryhall,
What is the file path of your content library?
What is the file path you copy from the decompressed zip and exactly what folder are you pasting it into in your content library?
I personally manually organize all my content by unzipping each product to its own folder, organizing it as I see fit (understaning what should not be moved and what is free to move) and then I repack it with 7zip (prefered format). After its repackaged, I use 7zip to unpack to my content library. Unless a product is actually broken, or I screwed something up, it has always worked.
Mattymanx? My file path is: This PC.>LocalDisc>Users>Public>Public Documents>My DAZ3D Library/ I usually paste the contents of the Zip.file directly into My DAZ 3D Library. The majority of times it works in the same way I've done it for years. Other times, it's just unfathomable to me where the content goes. At that point, I have to go to the download again and post each file and folder separately. It's tedious, aggravating, and a waste of my time. At some point along the way, something changed or vendors methods changed. If the content folder is serving no purpose, wouldn't it occur to any sentient being to remove it? Solve the confusion?
And thanks to Richard, for a re-affirmation. The 'Content' folder serves no purpose. Like an appendix, no one seems to be sure what it's for. Slowly I am clumsily learning to do the laborious Nature of the manual installation operation.
Surely lurking somewhere in the shadows, there's a better way
Many thanks to you both..
It does serve a purpose, it allows differentiation between content and other things - plug-ins and software, for example. You don't need to go folder by folder - just select everything in the Content folder in the zip and paste it into the My Daz 3D Library folder.
Many thanks, yet again, Richard. That's good info to know.
I know, sylvie. It's disheartening to pay for a product, load it, and find out it doesn't work. Not much you can do about it. It just seems like the quality of products has suffered.
Thanks for your reply.
Character instead of Characters (for a preset) wouldn't stop the item from working, though it would be a stumbling point for access via the file system (as opposed to a database view).