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Reinstalled Items No Longer "New"

Jason GalterioJason Galterio Posts: 2,562
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

An issue that I am running into; with a bit of a background to explain why it is an issue.

For my DS installation, I only keep certain items "permenantly" installed; the Base Figures, Shaders, Lights, some plug ins.

I use the DAZ site as a catalog to flip through, to decide which items I want to use. Then I use DIM to install just those items to a "Project" directory. When I am done with the project, I archive the Project directory and then use DIM to uninstall the items that are installed to that directory.

So far this is working out pretty well for me. Figures load faster, I don't have pages of items to scan through. There are no extraneous items to distract me while I am going through my work flow.

Herein lies the issue: if I install something, then uninstall it...  when I install it again, DS knows that the item has been installed previously. So that item inherits the old installation date and is no longer "newly installed." Not a big deal it would seem, but when I go into Smart Content, All Products, and Sort By "Install Date" DS ignores that the item was just installed and instead remembers the old installation date. Because the item ends up way down in the list.

Is there a way to scrub out the old install dates? Or to make Smart Content realize that the item was just reinstalled?

Comments

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,546

    Maybe try Condense Database from the Content DB Maintenance utility? From what I remember about databases is that records aren't deleted immediately, they are just marked for deletion later when the tables are cleaned. Otherwise, the indexes would have to be re-built all the time, which could have an impact on performance. Also means you can undelete records with little or no hassle, which sounds like what is happening when you re-install. Database sees matching records and just unmarks them instead of making new entries. Or something like that.

  • Jason GalterioJason Galterio Posts: 2,562
    NorthOf45 said:

    Maybe try Condense Database from the Content DB Maintenance utility? From what I remember about databases is that records aren't deleted immediately, they are just marked for deletion later when the tables are cleaned. Otherwise, the indexes would have to be re-built all the time, which could have an impact on performance. Also means you can undelete records with little or no hassle, which sounds like what is happening when you re-install. Database sees matching records and just unmarks them instead of making new entries. Or something like that.

    That makes sense. I am always a big nervous about the DB Maintenance utility. I don't have a good history with it.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,436

    I think if you want to have sort by isntall date work in DS you need to install via Connect - so I was told, anyway, but that was when it was a new feature.

  • Jason GalterioJason Galterio Posts: 2,562
    Richard Haseltine said:

    I think if you want to have sort by isntall date work in DS you need to install via Connect - so I was told, anyway, but that was when it was a new feature.

    That makes and doesn't at the same time. I will need to try it and see. I know it sorts by Install Date to the original Install Date. But that could just be an accident and not actually the DIM install date.

    In any case, for my work flow, Connect won't work. I can't handle G8F taking over a minute to pop into a scene just because it has five million morph dials installed that I have no interest in using.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,436
    Jason Galterio said:
    Richard Haseltine said:

    I think if you want to have sort by isntall date work in DS you need to install via Connect - so I was told, anyway, but that was when it was a new feature.

    That makes and doesn't at the same time. I will need to try it and see. I know it sorts by Install Date to the original Install Date. But that could just be an accident and not actually the DIM install date.

    In any case, for my work flow, Connect won't work. I can't handle G8F taking over a minute to pop into a scene just because it has five million morph dials installed that I have no interest in using.

    Connect lets you install what you want just as DIM does (as long as you aren't using Victoria/Michael/Kids 4, or one or two other legacy figures).

  • Jason GalterioJason Galterio Posts: 2,562
    Richard Haseltine said:
    Jason Galterio said:
    Richard Haseltine said:

    I think if you want to have sort by isntall date work in DS you need to install via Connect - so I was told, anyway, but that was when it was a new feature.

    That makes and doesn't at the same time. I will need to try it and see. I know it sorts by Install Date to the original Install Date. But that could just be an accident and not actually the DIM install date.

    In any case, for my work flow, Connect won't work. I can't handle G8F taking over a minute to pop into a scene just because it has five million morph dials installed that I have no interest in using.

    Connect lets you install what you want just as DIM does (as long as you aren't using Victoria/Michael/Kids 4, or one or two other legacy figures).

    I know. But I would be endlessly downloading and redownloading. Right now I have everything downloaded and updated in DIM. So it's easy and quick to uninstall and install.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,436
    Jason Galterio said:
    Richard Haseltine said:
    Jason Galterio said:
    Richard Haseltine said:

    I think if you want to have sort by isntall date work in DS you need to install via Connect - so I was told, anyway, but that was when it was a new feature.

    That makes and doesn't at the same time. I will need to try it and see. I know it sorts by Install Date to the original Install Date. But that could just be an accident and not actually the DIM install date.

    In any case, for my work flow, Connect won't work. I can't handle G8F taking over a minute to pop into a scene just because it has five million morph dials installed that I have no interest in using.

    Connect lets you install what you want just as DIM does (as long as you aren't using Victoria/Michael/Kids 4, or one or two other legacy figures).

    I know. But I would be endlessly downloading and redownloading. Right now I have everything downloaded and updated in DIM. So it's easy and quick to uninstall and install.

    There are the Offline Installers, which could be kept backed up and copied to the install folder as needed, but that is gettng fiddly.

  • Jason GalterioJason Galterio Posts: 2,562

    Understood. There are just a host of reasons why Connect doesn't work for me... Scene Archiver doesnt work on Connect installs... DIM let's me export a list of installed items, which I can then import if I want to revisit a project... 

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 102,436

    Well, not trying to twist your arm but as ingormation for others following the thread - if you open a scene using content you own, and that DS knows you own, then it will offer to download and install it for you.

  • Jason GalterioJason Galterio Posts: 2,562
    Richard Haseltine said:

    Well, not trying to twist your arm but as ingormation for others following the thread - if you open a scene using content you own, and that DS knows you own, then it will offer to download and install it for you.

    Ah, okay. Then I will end with this...

    I have to admit that adopting the current work flow has sped things up considerably for me. I had no idea just how much of a delay all my installed morphs were causing.

    Not having to pick though extraneous products also streamlined my efforts. My mind is no longer distracted by all the odds and ends, as well as the hunting and pecking.

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