Loading...
> >

Simplest way to organise 3rd-party content?

ijfijf Posts: 0
in Daz Studio Discussion

I can't organise my 3rd-party content fast and simple. I have been unzipping the folders to my main library. But then it is getting confusing, as all content is usually divided into 3 folders (data, People, Runtime), which also have many subfolders. Can't really quickly delete unneeded assets this way. Also, some assets don't seem to get properly loaded and sorted in the Smart Content, but that's probably a creator's mistake. I see an ideal concept for me as having all downloaded and unarchived content in a folder, with each subfolder as a name of a product:

└ 3d assets

     ├ Gwennili Hair

     ├ Kratzdistel Chair

etc. I also prefer choosing stuff within the Smart Content pane. Is there a simple way to do this all without spending half day messing with the Content Library and Content DB Editor?

Sorry if something is unclear — this isn't my first lang.

Comments

  • SpaciousSpacious Posts: 481

    I strongly suggest keeping all third party content seperate from the main Daz library.  It can be anywhere else on your computer.  The important thing to remember is that the "data" folder and the "runtime" folder need to be in the root of whatever folder you tell Daz that your content is in.  You can, as far as I can tell, have as many content folders as you would like, and how you name or organize the folders with the duf files in them doesn't seem to matter.

    One could conceivably keep each item in a separate folder, as you seem to be suggesting, but in practice I don't think it would work particularily well.  I keep separate libraries for people, animals, environments, and props.  I also use an additional folder to test each 3rd pary item for any problems it may cause like dupliucate formula errors or improperly saved morphs before I drop it into one of the category folders.   I also keep all the zip folders for when something innevitably goes wrong with installation, since it'sd gernerally easier to just delete and rebuild the library rather than trying to fix it.

    As for smart content, there are a few threads about how to get third pary content into the smart content pane, but there is no "easy" way to get it done.

  • ijfijf Posts: 0

    Spacious said:

    The important thing to remember is that the "data" folder and the "runtime" folder need to be in the root of whatever folder you tell Daz that your content is in. 

    Do you mean here that despite having a categorised or uncategorised lbrary of content I still have to merge each product's "data" and "runtime" folders in the root directory, in my case "3d assets"? So that the "3d assets" has both the "data" and the "runtime" from all the products, and also separate products' folders?

  • SpaciousSpacious Posts: 481

    Not quite.  Essentially your content can not be in nested folders.

    Say you've got a zip you downloaded for "Gwennili Hair" and another one for "Kratzdistel Chair".  You could unzip each of them find the folder inside that has the "data" and  "runtime" folders and point your content manager at that folder.  A different folder for each asset.  Everything will work.  On the other hand if you put those same folders into another folder called "3d assets" and point the content manager at that folder, nothing will work because when DAZ looks in "3d assets" it's not going to find folders called "data" and "runtime"

    Daz Studio needs to see the "Data" and "Runtime" folders, and the files it expects to find in those folders, in the root directory of whatever folder you tell DAZ to look for content in.  I'm sorry if I'm not explaining this especially well.  It took me years of experimenting before I figured out an effective way to keep third party content organized and deal with the innevitable products that mess up my whole library.

  • ijfijf Posts: 0

    Spacious said:

    You could unzip each of them find the folder inside that has the "data" and  "runtime" folders and point your content manager at that folder.  A different folder for each asset. 

    So this method implies that I would create a new content directory in the 'Settings –> Content Directory Manager' for every product, or I again got it wrong?

    On the other hand if you put those same folders into another folder called "3d assets" and point the content manager at that folder, nothing will work because when DAZ looks in "3d assets" it's not going to find folders called "data" and "runtime"

    I am not quite sure why would not DAZ find the folders, and that is what I end up doing earlier today. Except that I created a subfolder "content" under "3d assets", but that does not really matter. There I put all the "data", "runtime", and other product folders like "people", etc. Basically, merging every product's folders with the existing ones. I pointed Content Directory Manager at the "content" folder. Can not delete products quickly this way, but at least it works.

    Thank you for taking time to help me!

     

Sign In or Register to comment.