DAZ, please stick with ONE content path directory when your customers install content please!
Knight22179
Posts: 1,195
First, it was the Daz Installers (*Takes a moment to mourn that loss*). If it wasn't Daz Installers, it was "Runtime". Then came Daz Studio 4 and suddenly "Runtime" turned into "My Library" which was nothing short of a confused mess. And now, I download more files and they almost always start with...CONTENT?!
Where in the world am I to extract that to? I don't use DIM since it doesn't work for me.
DAZ, PLEASE stick with ONE content path directory when your customers download your products! :shut:
Constantly changing the name of downloaded files creates nothing but confusion. :shut:
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My library. You can merge all the runtimes.
First, I extract the files from the zip file. Next, I copy file files under content to my libraries in "my docucments".
edit: yeah, what Frank said.
DS3 had Content as the main folder and in that resided the Runtime. Then the Content folder was renamed My Library, then My DAZ3D Library but the zips still have it named Content. So in essence the structure hasn't changed just the names. You could if you wanted to use another name for the main library folder, say "Limp Lettuce leaves" for example. :)
But yes I agree with you this is a RPITA.
I believe the change was made because people use to install thier runtimes to the same folder DS or Poser was installed in. On a Windows based machine this had to be changed due to the changes in Vista, 7 & 8.
The best method for Runtime organization is your own - http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/2460/#32068
It's the "Just one more thing to know" syndrome. It's related to the "It's intuitive to the most casual observer" syndrome and is the parent of the "Straw that broke the camel's back" syndrome. It's caused by the "Never time to do it right but always time to do it over" syndrome, and is excused by the "That's so last century" syndrome.
Please run for president
or king of the planet
we so need common sense back
and yes I've always hated that the Studio directory is such a mess
For me, the "That's so last century" syndrome causes the "Straw that broke the camel's back" syndrome to awaken violent thoughts deep within me. There is nothing, I repeat, nothing, not one thing, good about this century, let alone great! Now I need to calm down before my grand-babies arrive for their visit.
Please run for president
or king of the planet
we so need common sense back
and yes I've always hated that the Studio directory is such a mess
What do you want instead? Are you talking about the contents, or the fact that the default (but optional) name and location have changed over the versions?
What do you want instead? Are you talking about the contents, or the fact that the default (but optional) name and location have changed over the versions?
there was never any standard set by daz that they adhered to for very long, so artists (paid and free) just dumped their items wherever they liked so it's a huge mess.
Me i'd make them start over and put everything in it's place and then keep it in a nice orderly fashion on pain of banishment lol
I'm with Szark here, the only thing that has changed at all is the Folder name.
DS2 was Content in the Programs Files folder with the Main prg.
DS3 was Content in the Programs Files folder with the Main prg.
DS3A 64 bit Moved the Content folder to the My Documents for OS reasons.
DS4.0 Changed the folder name only to My Library it stayed in My Doc's.
DS4.5 Kept the folder name My Library and the Location.
DIM Changed the Name to My DAZ 3D Library and moved it to Public Docs for new OS reasons.
At no time did any of the File structure change one bit. It has always been a DAZ Content folder with a embedded Runtime folder. The Name is all that changed. The Installers changed from exe to zip. The Zip holds the Content in a Content folder. Open the Zip Content folder and you find all the folders as needed to be merged with the content folder you use that as noted can be any name.
Content, My Library and My DAZ 3D Library are all hard coded Content Folder names so you can not have any of those nested within another one, but in the past you could not have a Content folder in the Content folder as well. Nothing has changed except the folder names.
NM this is not relevant. Please ignore what was here.
And just what was so wonderful about the first 14 years of the 20th century? Disease, war, genocides, class separation and oppression, poor education, rampant pollution, employment abuse, technological arrogance (Titanic), political posturing, etc. etc. etc.
If you have WinRAR it's quite easy to install them, it will remember the path to your runtimes in the drop down box:
http://miscfiles.net/tutorials/InstallDAZZipsWithWinRAR
What seems orderly to you may not to me.. Or in this case where I find the current set up organized most of the time (sometimes props and environments can be a bit iffy) I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't like what I thought was an ideal set up. Now poser runtime organization? That is totally daft. Who thinks character textures go in poses rather than under the figure you use it on?
I just hope DIMM is smart enough to catch variations in the folder hierarchys. I haven't double checked the installs since I switched.
I know drow are long-lived (well, potentially) but I think you are thinking of the 21st century.
DIMM = Dual In-line Memory Module. DIM = DAZ Install Manager. DIM is not smart, like any installer it has its default settings and it is up to the user to change them if they don't like them. Older Poser material presets are in Pose as they where a hack of the pp2 file format discovered by a clever Poser user and for a long time Poser was very picky about where the different file formats could be placed.
I know drow are long-lived (well, potentially) but I think you are thinking of the 21st century.
I was thinking the same thing!
The world always has problems because of the darn imperfect humans running about with their free will. Free will is great but people never like the idea that their free will should end where the next person's begins. Until people decide to stop looking for ways, reasons, and excuses for treating others inhumanely, we will just trade one problem for another, no matter what century it is. People have had the same flaws all along. We make great strides against racism and comedians only ask, "But can't we still make fun of fat people?" As long as people are asking those kind of questions consider the problem unsolved.
But what does that have to do with a thread about moving directories around? Nothing. Sorry. Pretend I didn't say anything.
I know drow are long-lived (well, potentially) but I think you are thinking of the 21st century.
I was thinking the same thing!
The world always has problems because of the darn imperfect humans running about with their free will. Free will is great but people never like the idea that their free will should end where the next person's begins. Until people decide to stop looking for ways, reasons, and excuses for treating others inhumanely, we will just trade one problem for another, no matter what century it is. People have had the same flaws all along. We make great strides against racism and comedians only ask, "But can't we still make fun of fat people?" As long as people are asking those kind of questions consider the problem unsolved.
But what does that have to do with a thread about moving directories around? Nothing. Sorry. Pretend I didn't say anything.
So far, except for the introduction of some gadgets, a change in the Manhattan skyline and some really annoying changes to airports and border crossing, the first 14 years of the 21st century really aren't all that different from the last 14 years of the 20th century. So much for all those predictions made in "Beyond 2000". Walter Cronkite must be very disappointed.
And just what was so wonderful about the first 14 years of the 20th century? Disease, war, genocides, class separation and oppression, poor education, rampant pollution, employment abuse, technological arrogance (Titanic), political posturing, etc. etc. etc. In other words, just the same cr.. we are having now... :shut:
But back to the topic: Yes, DAZ, please stick with ONE content path directory!!!!
On that note, when I am the Benevolent Dictator of the World, I will force 3D content creators to clean up their directory structures, at gunpoint if necessary (OK, Mostly Benevolent Dictator of the World).
One of biggest pains in my Dictatorial posterior is trying to find stuff in my libraries, and it is not helped by people who throw stuff in there anywhere. Take, for example, the "My DAZ 3D Library". It contains Environments, Lights, People ... and Maclean, Dreamlight, and P3DA. It also contains Light Presets. What, pray, is the difference between Lights and Light Presets? ... well? Well? I'm waiting. This better be good.
Down in People, things are mostly orderly, but under Genesis 2 Female we find Anatomy, Characters, Clothing, Hair, Materials ... and Actual Eyes 4 and Fantasy Fighter Outfit. If I recall correctly, that out-of-place Fantasy Fighter Outfit is even made by DAZ, who Should Know Better.
And inside Characters, there are individual characters ... like Diana and Felicity ... and creator folders, like Silver, SilverCountess, Morris ... And so on. And so forth.
It is, in short, a dog's breakfast down there, and I am sick of scrabbling around trying to find things in the soup.
I actually became obsessed enough by the mess that I wrote a couple of Python scripts to make installing the older stuff easier: I extract the contents of a zip file to a folder called Extract, duplicate its contents to a folder called Install, and then re-arrange the contents of the Install folder to follow the folder hierarchy that I think is right. I then point the first Python script at the two folders and it learns the mapping between them and writes it out as a recipe. Any time I want to install after that, I just tell the second Python script to use the recipe, and it will extract the contents of the zip file and put everything Just The Way I Like It.
But that was a lot of work and the script still isn't really ready for prime-time, and there are still some abominations that it can't do anything about. So I think I'll just focus on becoming the Benevolent Dictator of the World and see if I can't get things cleaned up that way.
So take note, content creators. You probably have a few years until I become Benevolent Dictator of the World, so you should spend that time working out a nice, consistent, logical directory scheme among yourselves and making sure that all your products conform to it slavishly and exactly. Because seriously, wouldn't it be better to spend a few hours checking your installers now than to spend a few months in an ill-lighted, rat-filled cellar while my Benevolent Secret Police explain the importance of proper directory structure to you using such approved teaching aids as rubber truncheons, brass knuckles and car batteries?
Just saying.
I agree, angusm.
But the DS folder system is almost user friendly compared to the Runtime system. In the DS folders you find the materials in a subfolder of the model, while in Runtime you have to 'run' from the 'figures' folder to the 'pose' folder (why do they use a 'pose' folder for textures???) - or did they put the stuff into the 'materials' folder? And how does the gentle artist call the materials for this special item? Are you lucky to find them under the same item name? Runtime is pure madness. A dog's banquet, not a mere breakfast; everybody seems to act ad libitum.
On the edge of despair, I created this system: I make a scene file of every Runtime item and put it in folders who make sense to me; eg 'Furniture', with several subfolders, like 'Chairs', 'Tables' etc., or 'Jewelry', with the subfolders 'Neck', 'Hands', 'Ears', etc. It steals a lot of storage space, but it works.
I think that technically lights are created lights (In other words coded or created via shader mixer) such as the daz default lights, uberenviorment and the newer AOA lights. Presets would require that those lights already be installed to function properly.
I know drow are long-lived (well, potentially) but I think you are thinking of the 21st century.I blame the Meds. I have no other reason to be this DIM witted.
I think that technically lights are created lights (In other words coded or created via shader mixer) such as the daz default lights, uberenviorment and the newer AOA lights. Presets would require that those lights already be installed to function properly.
Initially the Lights (Shaders, Cameras etc.) folders were for self-contained product and the Light presets for products that required other products, but since the user files are all presets this was somewhat arbitrary and they now seem to be using the Presets folder for everything new and for old products as they are updated.
Historically textures where loaded from the pose folder because it was a hack of the file type, which if memory serves was created by poser users along many other poser file discoveries and advancements, before that textures had to be loaded manually one by one, which was bluggh
From version 8 onwards: figures, clothing, textures poses etc can all be loaded from the same folder if an artist so chooses, so studio is no longer unique in its disorder and disarray lol
Me too. Considering how messy my current runtimes already look I dare not think of how they'll look when I've added the 80% of my content I haven't installed yet...
Mat poses and mor poses are user hacks that were eventually adopted by users and eventually by Curious Labs, eFrontiers and now SMS.
While version 8 offers users the choice to move things, most Poser vendors still adhere to the standard Poser runtime structure. Especially if a vendor is listing a product as functional in P6 and up.