How to get my daz content ready for future windows re-installation

drinformation

Recently I've updated to a new PC and that means I have to download and install daz and it's content again even though I still have a folder containing all my daz connect files.
this time I've tried the new daz central and it was yet another install manager that just makes a bigger mess of installation folder instead of making it simpler.
luckily I've noticed the daz studio stand alone installer and it was what I hoped for, simply gave it a directory to install the software and another directory to store the content. it was a joy to open daz and see it isn't trying to fill my OS drive full of downloaded content.
There is still a DAZ3D directory in my roaming folder that worries me what would happen next time I change my ssd that is my windows drive or when for some reason I have to re-install it. Do I have to download and install all of my content because of whatever it is that this folder holds?
 

NorthOf45

You should backup the entire folder and sub-folders (%AppData%\DAZ 3D\*). It contains the CMS content cluster (the Database), Studio configuration files, user layouts, and other assorted files that you would want to migrate. You should be able to copy your content folder directly, just make sure Studio is looking in the right place. (I do not use Connect myself, so maybe someone more knowledgeable on that subject can confirm).

drinformation

thats just bad software design, when a hard drive crashes, it wouldn't give us any time to backup that folder. it's like locking a safe and putting the key on the edge of a cliff.
somebody should ask the programmers working on daz: what's wrong with storing that data beside the downloaded content? or checking if a file exist before downloading it it again.

NorthOf45

The metadata for the content should be saved with the content, like with DIM and (maybe) with DAZ Central, in the Runtime/Support folder (all those .dsx files). Studio has the ability to export the user data (any changes you make to metadata, or custom categories), and re-import the product metadata and user data to rebuild the database. Backing up the database would be a second layer of protection, and not absolutely necessary, but some people can never have too many backups.

drinformation

in my opinion, any task that the software can handle all by itself, shouldn't be forced on the user. if backing up the database is necessary to keep the content available, it should've be done by the software, there are of course very efficient ways of maintaining such a backup, but if the programmers are too busy with everything else, they can just add a single line like `copy %AppData%\DAZ 3D\* daz_connect_directory`
How can I get daz developer to read this topic and ask for their input?

NorthOf45

Try asking in the DAZ Studio Discussion forum. All sorts of technical stuff there.

drinformation

Thank you, I'll try there

barbult

To get Daz employees to read and consider your suggestion, you need to submit a help request. Forums are for user to user conversations. We are told that Daz employees do not monitor the forums.

Chohole

drinformation said:

Thank you, I'll try there

 Please don't start a new thread on the same subject.  This is how you can move your thread to another forum.

WendyLuvsCatz

when I installed DAZ studio on my new second PC I didn't have to redownload anything 

I just plugged my external with the saved zips and manifests on it into it and DIM installed it all from that

drinformation

@Chohole thanks for the tip, I moved the thread

@barbult sure, I'll submit a ticket instead

@WendyLuvsCatz initially I was doing the same, however, DIM is a pain to work with compared to connect, also it doesn't make much sense to drag the install files around when I have a folder that would be exactly the same as what I would get after installing them again. it's like throwing out a pilled banana I can eat, just because I need my hands free to pill an identical banana.

 

Richard Haseltine

Backiing up user data is the user's responsibility, having DS do it (how? To where?) would simply be a duplication of what should be happening anyway. The AppData folder is, as far as I know, added by default to most fille/folder based back up solutions. You can chnage the ocation of the Content Cluster folder, and of the Manifests folder used by DIM to track its installations, if you prefer.

drinformation

I see it from a different angle...
The majority of software I use are portable because I always choose the portable option if it exist. there is nothing more beautiful than a program that isn't finicky and works just by double clicking on it. None of them require backing up the data they need to work and daz3D studio is the only program that requires both installation and backing up multiple directories scattered  and hidden around my hard drive.
If tons of big and small programs can handle being transferred to a new computer with that level of grace, maybe daz can learn a thing or two from them. it doesn't seem to be impossible and I know it isn't that hard.
for a software that is aimed to make it easier for artists to create art without worrying abut the nitty gritty details or technical stuff, daz leaves too much technical stuff to the user to handle.
There is good reasons to not send users digging files in the bowels of their operating system. and some people might argue: computers are made to automate the tasks that people don't like to do over and over, like copying files from one place to another, or checking what files exist in the destination folder before downloading them again.

Richard Haseltine

Do those other applications make use of external content the way that DS does, though? Although DS isn't portable per se you could place the content and database on the same external drive and just configure the paths for different machines (the database uses relative paths within the content directory, it doesn't care where the content directory is as long as it's been told about it).

drinformation

of course they do, one close example is game engines, they usually have a project directory and when we change it, they scan the folder and add all of the projects in the new directory to their list.
it's not that daz can't do that, it can if they simply put the contentcluster beside the content. or at least let the user choose the location while installing.
the problem arises when the programmers assume people have the time and patience to search for everything that can go wrong and how to prevent it when installing a program. "aint nobody got time for that", just assume users don't know anything about computers and make sure it works with the minimum effort from the user side.
I dare you to try making your daz portable. it seems impossible.

I did try to move my cms folder to another location, guess where it stores the setting for where the cms directory is? in the cms directory inside appdata, once you move that folder it loses the track of where it went and makes a new one. shouldn't that file be where the program is installed? in fact, all of the daz settings can be stored in a few kilobyte config file beside the exe file. but even that is unnecessary if they put it where the content is installed.
 

Richard Haseltine

As I understand it settings should never be in the application folder. As far as I ama ware all current mainstream OSes - Windows, Mac, and Linux, maintain a separation between executables, settings, and documents.

drinformation

this is getting ridiculous, I've just spent days re-installing my assets, near the end the program closed and now everything is gray again. Why Daz is forcing us download the same things again and again? I mean how hard can it be to check for the files that are already installed before downloading them again?
How hard can it be to give the program a list before starting to download 60 megabytes?
here's the list of files for asset 1_945 that the user clicked to install:
 

people\grim\grim's pants.dufpeople\grim\grim's pants.pngpeople\grim\grim.dufpeople\grim\grim.pngruntime\geometries\dazclothing\grim\pantsgrim.objruntime\geometries\dazpeople\blgrim.objruntime\libraries\character\daz characters\grim's pants.cr2runtime\libraries\character\daz characters\grim's pants.pngruntime\libraries\character\daz characters\grim.cr2runtime\libraries\character\daz characters\grim.pngruntime\reflection maps\achromereflectionmap.jpgruntime\support\daz_3d_945_grim.dsaruntime\support\daz_3d_945_grim.dsxruntime\support\daz_3d_945_grim.pngruntime\textures\daz\achromereflectionmap.jpgruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimbody.jpgruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimbodybump.bumruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimbodyd.jpgruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimbodys.jpgruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimhead.jpgruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimheadbump.bumruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimheadd.jpgruntime\textures\daz\characters\grim\grimheads.jpgruntime\textures\daz\dazclothing\grim\grimpantstexture.jpgruntime\textures\daz\dazclothing\grim\grimpantstextured.jpgruntime\textures\daz\dazclothing\grim\grimpantstrans.jpg

if they exist at the destination, skip downloading them.

Richard Haseltine

Actually Daz Connect (installing within DS) should be able to validate each isntalled file against those on the servers and only download those that are different.

drinformation

it doesn't seem to be the case, when I clicked g2f essentials, it starts to go through every single one of 6158 files very slowly as it it's downloading every one of them. a hash comparison shouldn't take this long and shouldn't need this much bandwidth.

I guess the reason that this part of software doesn't get any attention is: most people with fast internet don't really care about it but I'm sharing one connection with 2 brothers and it's extremely annoying for the 3 of us.

Richard Haseltine

I wouldn't make any assumptions about whys, or even whether, the feature doesn't get attnetion. I do agree that the validation process does not seem to work in all cases, though I think it does sometimes.

drinformation

I've decided to give it one last chance, this time download and installing my content manually, I've downloaded few assets and extracted them into a folder and added that folder to the list of `daz studio formats` and `poser formats`
however, they don't show in the smart content, is there a magical button somewhere to fix that? or the people whom suggested a manual install is the best method are just trolling others?

Richard Haseltine

If you install manually then you also need to reimport the metadata if you want things like Smart Content to work. Content Library pane option menu (the lined button in the top corner or right-click the tab)>Content DB Maintenance, check reimport Metadata, in the next dialogue use the master check box to reimport everything or be selective about what you reimport by checking individual items. Manual installation tends to appeal to those who prefer to manage their content by moving the actual files around.