DAZ Studio file structure

Richard Haseltine

Vaskania said:

Ok, lets try this. Let's say for example you're creating something for Dawn.

When you go to Save As > Support Asset > Figure/Prop Asset, 2 things happen.

1. The files that go in the /data folder are created.
In the case of Dawn, her data files are found in My Library > Data > Hivewire 3D. From there you use your judgement. Either add Vendor Name > Product Name, or just Product Name. This is done in the dialog from within DS.

2. You save out the DUF files that actually load the clothing into the scene.
Again, for Dawn, her clothing is found in My Library > People > Dawn > Clothing, again, adding Vendor Name > Product Name or just Product Name. Her structure pretty much falls in line with the People folders for Genesis.

Clothes should not go in the Hivewire folder (unless they are made by or for Hivewire). Morphs and UVs will nestle in the Data folder for the base figure, with the "vanity" folder and product folder helping to locate them when packing (but see below). Add ons such as hair and clothing will get their own top-level Data folder, with your name, and then the product folders in that. As Vaskania says the names are set by the names you enter in the options dialogue.

I do, strongly, recommend adding a new, empty, folder to your system (not in an existing content directory), adding it as a content directory (right-click on DAZ Studio Formats in the Content Library pane), placing the \Runtime\Textures folder in that, and saving your user files and assets to that folder (there's a drop down list at the top of the option dialogue when saving an asset that lets you pick the content directory to use - labelled base path, as I recall). You can do this for both stand-alone items such as clothing and for morph or UV sets - unlike the ExP system used by the fourth generation figure DS and the DSON Importer will gather files from multiple content directories. That way you just need to add your readme or whatever is required by the place you are sharing/selling the content and zip the folder up, no need to poke around trying to find the files and folders amongst your working content. Once the thing is done you can merge it into your regular content directory so that you don't end up with a stack of one-product folders.

Lissa_xyz

Richard Haseltine said:

Clothes should not go in the Hivewire folder (unless they are made by or for Hivewire).

I said "in the case of Dawn". Eclark does not do clothing for Daz figures. This is something I already knew about him, and something he stated on page 2.

I agree with creating an empty structure for each new product to save to.

jestmart

They should not be placed in the ...data/Hivewire... folder as that is Hivewire's vendor folder and should only be used for products owned and sold by Hiverwire, EClark needs to to use his own vendor folder.

Morphs for a product is the exception.

Lissa_xyz

Oh hell, you're right. My apologies, temporary brunette turns blonde moment.

I'll correct my post when I'm home and at my pc.

/edit
Post on last page has been edited to remove the reference to Hivewire in the /data folder.

Khory

I want to mention again that the data location and files are generated when the asset is created. There are several fields that get filled in at that time. Where the asset directory is located, the vendor name, the product name and the item name are all filled in there. If for some reason the vendor name is filled in with "happy moon face" then the file name under data is going to be "happy moon face" and you can't change it to something else and expect the files to work properly. The same is true for the product name. If you change the product name you will have to redo all the files or you can just leave it and only change the forward facing files.

Spit

Not totally on target and quoted from an earlier page...so I'm removing my message pass on this one.

eclark1849

You know, I'm about to bust a gut laughing. I just started using Studio about two or three weeks ago, but I've been a Poser user since version 2. That's before even DAZ started up. So it's understandable that I would be confused, but some of you guys have been using Studio for quite some time and frankly, some of you sound just as befuddled as I am.:-)

Still though I want to thank you all for chiming in to help me understand. I'll download the file from Mr. Greenlees and study it closer.

Nadino

EClark1849 said:

You know, I'm about to bust a gut laughing. I just started using Studio about two or three weeks ago, but I've been a Poser user since version 2. That's before even DAZ started up. So it's understandable that I would be confused, but some of you guys have been using Studio for quite some time and frankly, some of you sound just as befuddled as I am.:-)
Still though I want to thank you all for chiming in to help me understand. I'll download the file from Mr. Greenlees and study it closer.

Now now, let's not start the 'measuring contest' again... (sarcasm)

It's really not that difficult. There are some variables yes, but I think it's because we're all trying to guess what your trying to do.

The packs from Mr. G are excellent for showing the correct folder structure of the DS runtime.

Khory said:

First, exactly what, if any, top level file will be dictated by where you submit the product. If it will be a freebie that won't matter as much because you can dictate that yourself. In other words for the top level file you need to check submission guidelines and follow those. If it is a freebie then you need to be sure to write a full explanation of how you have the top level set up and if files will need to move after an unzip.

Second, data files are generated when you save it as an asset. There is a limited amount of information you need to input when you save and that will create the data files location (yourname) and so forth. Pay attention to what you choose because you will need to locate the data to put it in the packaging folder. And be sure that you use the same product name all the way through so you don't create multiple data sets. Data file goes directly under what ever your top level folder is an it will have your folder then the product folder under it. Inside that will be all the data generated for the whole product. To be clear these are not something you set up but something that is generated as you correctly save the product parts.

Placement is dictated by logic most of the time. Rather than something illogical like a texture material file in poses they would go directly under the product that the texture is used on. If your doing a dress for g2f then it would go under people/genesis 2 female/clothing/your product name and then in a folder below that would be the outfit textures. However if the Poses for v6 character go in people/genesis 2 female/v6/poses and so on and so on. 90% of the time you can simply use your brain about where a product should be located. If your really unsure I would check to see where products like it are generally located by others or ask people where they would expect to find the product. The easiest thing to do is to look at the products installed by the essentials and then use that file structure.

This is very important. What you type in those fields will determine where DS saves your product and it's placement in the DS structure.

I do, strongly, recommend adding a new, empty, folder to your system (not in an existing content directory), adding it as a content directory (right-click on DAZ Studio Formats in the Content Library pane), placing the \Runtime\Textures folder in that, and saving your user files and assets to that folder (there's a drop down list at the top of the option dialogue when saving an asset that lets you pick the content directory to use - labelled base path, as I recall). You can do this for both stand-alone items such as clothing and for morph or UV sets - unlike the ExP system used by the fourth generation figure DS and the DSON Importer will gather files from multiple content directories. That way you just need to add your readme or whatever is required by the place you are sharing/selling the content and zip the folder up, no need to poke around trying to find the files and folders amongst your working content. Once the thing is done you can merge it into your regular content directory so that you don't end up with a stack of one-product folders.
This is an excellent idea, I am doing this more with my own freebies. Helps keep your stuff together, clean and simple.