behavior of data folder when resaving scene in new folder
sriesch
Posts: 4,241
I have an empty mapped DS content folder "000 test folder", and a second mapped DS content folder "000 test folder 3" with multiple .duf scene files in it along with a data subfolder shared by all these scenes.
If I load one of the scenes from "000 test folder 3", then resave it to "000 test folder", I was expecting DS to create a data subfolder in "000 test folder" that had everything that single .duf scene needed but without the extraneous stuff used by other .duf scenes. However, no data folder gets created.
What exactly is happening here, or should happen, and/or what is the appropriate method of doing what I'm trying to do here? In this case it's just some test scenes I don't care about, however I'd like to know for the future for when I need to do this, and what to do if it turns out I have an unknown number of older real scenes that might perhaps now be referencing data files in unexpected other random folders without me being aware of it if I have done this in the past.
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Comments
The files already exist, in the /data/ folder in that other content location. The way D|S assembles content from the scene/data/texture/etc files is that all the mapped content locations are One Big Folder — it doesn't matter which content location something is in, as long as it's in one of them D|S can find it.
I think the only way to force this (not even sure if it would work) is to go into the Content Directory Manager and temporarily move your test folder to the top of the D|S Formats list — this is by default where all new /data/ files are saved. What I'm not sure of is if this would override the "files already exist somewhere else" situation.
DS won't duplicate existing assets, even if you change the folder order. Only items which don't yet have assets will generate files in the new Data folder. Saving the items as assets in the new location would create new Data entries, I think, but then you'd break the metadata links so that may not be desirable.
Is it possible to move the data folder to another drive location.??
My data folder is currently sitting on my desktop(for some unknown reason) and is 13gb in size.
Cheers,
S.K.
Yes, as long as the Data folder is sitting directly in a folder you have set as a DAZ Studio format content directory (not in a sub-folder) it should work. However, remember that moving the folder will break the isntall locations recorded in the DAZ Install Manager and the content database - if you use DIM it may be better to uninstall and reinstall, then move any leftover content; for the metadata you can export user data with the files in the old locations, then reimport metadata in the new location (both commands in the Content DB Maintenance dialogue, which is reached from the Content Library pane's option menu).
Ok, so based on this, what is the most appropriate way to handle the following situations:
case 1: I start working on a scene, which now has a data file in it. I then put it on hold and work on other projects in other folders, which use some of the same content, and therefore are actually getting saved into that older scene's folder. A year later I decide I don't want the old scene and wish to delete it. What do I do?
If I delete it, I could break many other scenes elsewhere that were created after it. Am I just never allowed to delete anything ever again? :-) In this case I'm guaranteed to always have all the content, and if I remember correctly, one can recreate broken scenes just by loading all the objects used into a bogus empty scene, right? So do I simply not have to worry about this problem at all, because if I ever find a scene that's broken because of the delete, I can just do these steps to fix it?
Case 2: I want to submit a bug report, or create a free .duf scene to distribute. In this case I HAVE to be able to track down and save all the content into a single folder, since whomever access my bug report or freebie will not have my entire 3D graphics content folder structure with every scene file I ever created. What to do?
If these are assets - new figures and props deliberately saved as assets - then you can choose which path to use for the Data folder in the option dialogue, it's a drop down at the top. If they are imported OBJ files or converted Poser format files then DS will remember the originals and if it doesn't find the asset files in the Data folder it will look for the imported files in their original location and reimport them. You can test this to make sure it works for you by temporarily removing the folder you might want to delete as a DAZ Studio Content Directory and then trying to open the other scene.