Current version of Studio working 100%? (safe to update yet?)
Malandar
Posts: 776
in The Commons
I remember there being some issues with 4.16, have they all been fixed? I am still on 4.15 and don't have a backup to be able to go back if I upgrade and something is borked that I need. Is it safe to update DS now?
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That depends on why you weren't updating. What issues were stopping you?
LOL, to be honest, I don't remember what it was, but I do remember that it would have been highly annoying to me.
I'm wondering the same thing. I'm still on 4.15 also. I think someone complained that it was really slow. Well, 4.15 is pretty slow for me anyway, so I'm considering updating to 4.16, but I'm still hesitating.
I am not sure what was causing me to not upgrade yet, but I do know that the sudden proliferation of crashing is really irritating me to no end. Every time I turn around DS crashed to desktop, and always for a different reason.
...what stopped me is all my characters' skin and hair turned dark, even the albino ones. Had something to do with Top Coat Settings that broke with the new version of Iray.
ETA: downloaded the latest beta to run some tests after reading in the Nvidia Iray notes that there was an improvement made to the top coat thin film setting which in 4.16.1.8 turned all my character skins and hair dark. Turns out my character skins look as they should again so will keep playing with it. Rendering is a bit faster than 4.15 as is loading characters, even those which have a lot of morphs loaded as it didn't go into "not responding" mode like older versions did.
You can always try out the beta version 1st. It's a separate install that won't interfere with your regular install...
I've got 4 beta versions running alongside my 'regular' installment, although installing several beta versions require a little different approach (manual installing).
Can you explain how you do that? Do you need to install all the "essentials" (the base figures etc) that come with each version?
Not in depth atm, (will have to check out some things 1st for that), but basically
dl all the needed beta files (don't install) with dim (DS, figure/measure metrics etc)
make a copy of your latest (regular or) beta installment folder (for example "DAZStudio4 Public Build") and rename it as you see fit
open the zip files from the beta dl, and copy the relevant files/folders to your newly created beta folder (make sutre to copy the files to their right folders!)
optional,make a shortcut to the "DAZStudio.exe" for easy execution
if you're using GenX2, then you may also have to copy the "GenX2" folder from "User|AppData|Roaming|DAZ 3D|Studio4" to "....|Studio4 Public Build"
No need for dl content files, but you nay have to tell the new beta where to find your content folders in the "preferences setting"
(I don't use [gulp] DazCentral, or DIM - except for dl the beta's, and only do manual installs, so can't help with any DIM related problems...)
Edit to add: while this is probably not the easiest way (copying the latest beta folder and rename and then run the new beta installer to overwrite the old one will probably also work, but it is the safest way to avoid any problems with the new installment and to go back to the previous version when needed.... yeah, I tend to do things a little different, about 35 years working with PC's might do that to you....
Thank you. I have copied the instructions down for when I'm brave enough to try them :)
I don't know if I'm just lucky if if I'm less discerning than others, but I haven't yet encountered a version of DS that I considered unusable. I always update, and I haven't had cause to regret it. The biggest problem I can remember was I believe in the first release of 4.16, where all Iray renders were slightly transparent.
I might have a couple of crashes... per year. AMD b450 and b550 systems. That's not to say I don't have other issues with recent builds but stability isn't one of them.
I remember being convinced my old gen 3 Intel system was stable, when I was crashing a couple of times per week. But it wasn't.
Still running 4.15 here...becaues it ain't broke.
When you look at the official minimum and recommended system specs, it's understandable, why people are having problems... One just cannot move mountains with a go cart.
You can, but it takes a while.
I still have one copy of 4.15 Beta installed (Nvidia 1080, 32Gb), so I have access to my ghost lights. But the latest versions of 4.16 Beta installed on my other computers (WIN Nvidia 1080ti 64Gb) and MacBook Pro M1) are okay, other than my beloved ghost lights are toast. Thankfully I had bought the SY ones before I knew about the problem.
I have the public release of 4.16 on all of them. I believe it is the same as the last version of 4.15 except for the addition of that MetaMixer stuff?
Have you tried applying the Advanced Iray Node Proeprties script to the ghost lights, then turning off Visible to primary rays? jag11 has a scipt to automate this https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/548061/iray-ghost-light-fix-dse-for-daz-studio-4-16#latest
I had not seen that Richard, thank you for the link.
With one computer still rebuilding its runtime, and the new one just starting to build, along with working I haven't had much time to actually 'use' D|S or study the forums for months.
Mary