Content search and smart content running away?
RenderPretender
Posts: 1,041
Hello...
Periodically, for no apparent reason, DAZ's content search function, as well as smart content, will disappear/fail to work. I still have access to all of my content, and can use it, but smart content does not show in the pane, and the content search does not work. Is there an explanation for why this happens, and how can I restore these functions?
Thank you.
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Comments
That sounds like your CMS is not running.
In Windows, you can go to the Start menu, All Programs > DAZ 3D and restart it from there. If it continues to stop periodically, then it may be because of a corrupted db file.
If you have the latest version of DAZ Studio, you can install and use PostgreSQL DB, and transfer your old db files over to it through the DIM (DAZ Install Manager). It gives much less bother than Valentina/CMS usually.
Ah, I did not know I could do that. I restarted CMS, and then restarted DAZ. That did the trick. My content is on an external drive, and I have been having issues with a loose USB plug for it. Maybe that's the cause.
Thank you!
the search is temporary disable after "SAVE SCENE"
> this is for some second to a minute!
if the search result show nothing, just refresh it by click on "parameters" and back again to "content" and you will see the result!
Thank you, but that doesn't seem to have any effect at all. This CMS/search seems very unstable, and it's hard to believe that there's no clear fix for this issue. If my content is visible/accessible, why can't the search function and smart content index/read it reliably? This seems to be a new issue since I updated, by the way.
i had the problem also in older version
is just a "refresh window" issue!
How do you do that, exactly? I don't see a refresh option for the Smart Content tab or the Content Library tab. I had it happen again today and had to reboot. It's very annoying.
Right-click somewhere in the content library pane, then select Refresh from the context menu.
I'll try it the next time it happens, but I don't think that would also refresh the Smart Content display. This seems like the CMS just spontaneously craps the bed.
I missed that it was the smart content pane, not the content library pane, you were asking about. However I see you can do the same thing in the Smart Content pane, but you have to right-click in the left column, not just anywhere, to see the Refresh option listed in the context menu (although I don't know if it will fix your problem, but easy enough to try next time.)
Well, it's both: The search stops working, and the Smart Content disappears. But I'll try it nonetheless.
When the Smart Content disappears, and the Search function stops working, it is almost certain that the CMS has stopped running.
CMS also controls Products and Categories, so you will probably not have anything in them either. The best way by far, to prevent problems with CMS, is to get rid of CMS/Valentina, and install PostgreSQL instead, as it seems to give far less bother.
Care to share exactly how to do that? I have no idea, as it stands. And what can go wrong or get worse as a result of doing so? How does it affect installing content with DIM, etc., as I don't want to create new issues where there were none? I'm a digital artist... not a database person.
You should have PostgreSQL available in your DIM Ready to Download tab. There is also another entry for PostgreSQL, which will transfer your existing data from Valentia.
PostgreSQL has no effect at all on DIM, it works in the same way that CMS/Valentiina worked, but it does not use or require CMS to be running, and it is much more stable. I don't know of any reported problems with PostgreSQL at this time.
Have a look in your DIM downloads to make sure that you have it, it would fix most of your issues if not all of them. There is no downside that I know of, except if you are also using Carrara 8.5 which now has Smart Content.
I'll have to have a look when I get a chance today, thank you, Jimmy. Is all of this pretty idiot proof, or do I have to do anything special? I just don't want to create any more/other issues.
You should have PostgreSQL available in your DIM Ready to Download tab. There is also another entry for PostgreSQL, which will transfer your existing data from Valentia.
PostgreSQL has no effect at all on DIM, it works in the same way that CMS/Valentiina worked, but it does not use or require CMS to be running, and it is much more stable. I don't know of any reported problems with PostgreSQL at this time.
Have a look in your DIM downloads to make sure that you have it, it would fix most of your issues if not all of them. There is no downside that I know of, except if you are also using Carrara 8.5 which now has Smart Content.
Bad to worse. I installed both Postgre and the conversion, but had accidentally installed the 32 bit Postgre. So I uninstalled it and the conversion, and then installed the 64-bit, and the conversion again. Both register as installed, but I have no content showing in the Smart Content tab. How can I be sure the content has been converted/installed? How do I know that the changes/new software are in effect? Do I need to reboot the computer? Do I need to find the converter somehow, and run it, or did it run automatically? If it did, it was way too fast and transparent.
Rebooting may not be a bad idea, for all the time it takes. I didn't have to reboot mine though.
Have you tried exiting, and restarting DAZ Studio? Do you have anything in Products and Categories in the Content Library pane? When you run Task Manager with DAZ Studio running, can you see several instances of postgres.exe running?
Finally, you should see this line in your DS log file if PostgreSQL is running
I rebooted, but still nothing in the Smart Content, though I do have stuff in the Content Library as per usual. Search appears to work, but I have no Smart Content visible, as if CMS is off. No indication that Postgre is running. DIM says is's installed, but I'm not convinced that it actually "ran" or "converted" anything. Do I have to manually locate and run the converter?
Also, when I start DAZ, it still says "Connecting to CMS". And the conversion package shows no package files and no files installed, though DIM says it's installed. I'm stumped.
Update: Re-downloaded the conversion package that comes with Postgre. It's empty. How can that be? Postgre is installed and shows files.
The Content Library items will always show, it does not rely on CMS, it reads from your HDD.
Start DIM, make sure that DAZ studio is NOT running (very important) Go to the Installed tab and find both 'PostgreSQL CMS (Win 64 bit)' and 'PostgreSQLCMS from Valentina CMS Conversion', and uninstall them again by selecting them (checkmark in the box) and pressing the Start Queue button.
When that has finished, you will find both items in the Ready to Install tab, select them and click on the Start Queue button to reinstall them.
See how you get on with that, and let me know.
I uninstalled and reinstalled them, but the "installed" conversion package still says "0 bytes", and DAZ still shows an empty Smart Content panel. Something is not right with that conversion file package, because it appears to be empty/inert.
Did you uninstall/reinstall through CMS as I explained?
The conversion program will not show any installed files, it does not install anything, it just converts the database.
If you go to C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D, do you see a folder called 'PostgreSQL CMS' My folder is 65.6 MB If you have that, PostgreSQL has installed, you should be able to see that from DIM 'Show Installed Files'
In the drop-down menu in the Content Library pane, select Content DB Maintenance, and Re-Import Metadata to see if that helps.
I started DIM and uninstalled/reinstalled, just as you instructed. I DO have that folder, and Postgre's installed files show in DIM. I re-imported the metadata, and now my Smart Content is showing. But how can I be sure that it's "coming from" Postgre instead of the old CMS? If al stays stable, you have been more than helpful.
I bought a new computer and had to reinstall all the DAZ3D products again on the new computer and had the same problem. There was no Smart Content at all. However, I could find everything in the Content Library with lots of trial and error and searching. To solve this problem, I simply uninstalled the ‘PostgreSQL CMS (Win 64 bit)’ and ‘PostgreSQLCMS from Valentina CMS Conversion’ using the Install Manager. Make sure DAZ Studio is closed when you uninstall them with the Install manager. After you uninstall them with the Install Manager, close the Install Manager. Then open DAZ Studio. I did not need to restart my computer. I had to do the same thing with my last computer but I forgot about it. Those two Postgre installs really mess up DAZ Studio 4.6 as if they were malware.
When you have DAZ Studio running, Task manager should show several instances of 'postgres.exe' running. The other way to check is to look for 'PostgreSQL' in the Log file. When PostgreSQL installs, it replaces the old Valentina database.
From a previous post
Finally, you should see this line in your DS log file if PostgreSQL is running
I think you should be OK now.
Jimmy, nothing about Postgre in the task manager. But it IS in the log file.
Thank you as well, michael. I'm seeing a lot of content that I could not see before, so that's good. However, that could be from re-importing meta. I'm still not sure where the data is being read from... Postgre or the old CMS. I'll have to see if it craps out again.
We shall see, and I thank you both for your time and patience. I'll holler if trouble re-emerges.
If the Valentina database is corrupt, as I suspect was the case for masi3vee, then installing PostgreSQL won't help - in fact the conversion process seems to fail occasionally even with Valentina databases that aren't fully corrupt. Reimporting metadata goes directly to the files installed along with the content, it doesn't read from the Valentina database (and if you've made customisations, and not exported user data, you will lose the customisations).
Well, so far, no search failures, and no spontaneous disappearance of the Smart Content. And the latter seems to be working properly for the first time I can remember, with no orphaned references icons. Not sure what you mean by customizations though.
If you had moved items to new categories, or categorised content that wasn't already categorised on installation (old content, content from other sites, freebies) then you'd lose that.
No, happily, I think I had/have left things in default locations, just for such a reason.
If you ever do decide to create your own Categories as a way to organise your content in the way that you want it organised, then saving your User Data is very important. It can be done through the Content DB Maintenance using the 'Save User Data' option.
That way, when you Re-Import Metadata for the same menu, User Data appears at the top and you can reimport it at the same time. That way, any previous work you have done to Categorise your content will not be lost.
You can see AdamR's video tutorial on Categories here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_nnPf8nCcc4
So far, so good, Jimmy. Thank you for all the additional information, and for the patient assistance. Fingers crossed. All seems well atm.