Creating smart subfolers

golem841

Hi there,

I have 2 questions :

1) Is it possible to create sub folders in the smart content pane ?

For instance : props//landscape/plants/trees and another for /shrubs and a last for /grass

Same for furnishing /furniture/tables .../chairs

2) How do I do to locate "other stores" products in the smart content pane ?

Many thanks for your help !

NorthOf45

Smart Content is a function of the metadata, which is supplied in a file with the product, and gets entered into the CMS database when the product is installed. It categorizes each item and sets its compatibility with others, if applicable (i.e., which material presets go with which pair of pants, or which poses can be applied to a figure). This metadata database must be edited to add the items to new or existing categories, which will then appear in the Smart Content pane. All items are supposed to have a content type (actor, pose, material(s), etc.), at least one default category (what you see in the Smart Content folders), and compatibility (if applicable).

"Other Stores" rarely, if ever, have metadata support; that is done by DAZ for all their products (well, most, not so much on older products, but all recent ones). Others' would have to be done from scratch, either manually or with third-party tools.

Not a trivial task...

Phatmartino

@golem841 Hey, the simplest solution may be to start creating your own Sub-Categories right in DS, which doesn't require doing anything with Metadata. It changed my Library's organization massively once I realized how easy it was to do...

 

Find an item that you want to be in a new "Sub-Category" as you mentioned above, like a Tree Prop.

 

Right Click on a Tree Prop's Icon in your (Smart)/Content Tab and choose Categorize.

This opens a Dialog with the List of Categories you're familiar with already... might be worth expanding the height of this Dialog Window.

The Tree Prop's already existing Main Category is the only one in the list that is not "greyed out". Click on the word Props, not the Checkbox.

This will open the next Sub Category list and again, the ones that this Prop is already assigned to will be Checked and not greyed out.

Click on the word Landscape.

In the next Sub Category list, Right Click on the word Plants and choose Create> Sub-Category...

In the Dialog that opens, type the word Trees, then click OK.

Check the Box next to Trees and then Click Accept at the bottom of the Dialog Window.

(The Attached Images below show what these Menus and Steps above look like)

Now you've created your first custom Sub-Category and added the first Prop to it.

 

For subsequent Tree Props, just go through the same steps up until you are viewing the Plants Sub-Categories and check the Box next to Trees again (the Right Click / Create> Sub-Category part only needed to be done the first time).

You can also select multiple or ALL your Tree props at once in the (Smart)Content Tab(s) by holding down CTRL, etc. then right clicking, chosing Categorize and get them all done in one go.

 

Use the same process as above for Shrubs, for example... Start by Right Clicking on a Shrub Prop, go through the same steps as above until you Right Click on Plants, choose Create> Sub-Category... Type Shrubs, click OK, Check the Box next to Shrubs, click Accept. 

 

 

This can be done in the Content Library Tab with non-Daz Store items just the same way, adding them to your Smart Content Library Tab as well!

 

Best of luck, hope it helps to organize things more to your liking! :)

 

 

golem841

Thanks a lot  Phatmartino,

This is exactly what I needed to know.

As said above by Northof45  i'ts a quite tedious task, but it's worth the pain, provided future iteration of DazStudio leaves everything as done.

NorthOf45

You can save all your hard work so that you can re-import it in case of disaster. Use the Content DB Maintenance utility to Export User Data. One or more files named, appropriately enough, UserData_n.dsx, will be created in the main library's Runtime/Support folder. It would be a good idea to save those somewhere else also, like a cloud service. 

Phatmartino

@golem841 My pleasure. Just to make sure it wasn't lost in my extensive rambling, remember you can select as many of a particular kind of prop you're able/want to before right clicking and choosing Categorize, which could massively reduce the amout of work/time it might take. Best of luck!

 

@NorthOf45 Thanks for suggesting this! I've never done that so I surely will now. Much appreciated!