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Break Free from Installer.....please

SLoTH_XVXSLoTH_XVX Posts: 199
edited December 1969 in The Commons

I have been out of the mix for sometime and was hoping upon returning that I would find DAZ had discontinued the use of BitRock Installers..........but they have not. In fact I think they have managed to make them even more cumbersom and slower than what I remember.

Not to long ago I recall hearing a rumor that they would be moving away from installers and going to 'ZIP' files like every other vendor in this industry, is this true?

Please

please

please

tell me it's true.........:ohh:

Comments

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    It's true.

    However, it won't happen overnight, there are a few tens of thousands of installers to change.

  • SLoTH_XVXSLoTH_XVX Posts: 199
    edited December 1969

    So if they are moving in this direction why are the new releases still using the BitRock (lame) installers?

    Don't get me wrong I love DAZ and the awesome content they offer just not the way it is packaged. It is very customer UN-friendly.

    I know that this topic has been beaten to death, I am wondering if this is a DAZ soon project or something that will happen before the next summer olympics come around......

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited December 1969

    DAZ 3D has an Install Manager stand-alone program for those who want it after they switch to .zips, but until the website infrastructure is there to support it they're still using installers. A lot of older stuff that couldn't be installed on current Macs has been switched to .zips, but the new releases aren't yet.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    At the moment they are converting all the older stuff, because the older installers can't be used by people who use Macs.

    There will be an install assistant type app available once the main catalogue is converted, which is an optional download, and only needs downloading once.

    Once this is available I would think we would see the process of converting the other installers speed up.

  • SLoTH_XVXSLoTH_XVX Posts: 199
    edited December 1969

    What would be great is if someone would write a script that would unpack the BitRock 'exe' files and compress and save them into a 'ZIP' file. I would pay for that script.

    I bought a script/program over at Rendo that kinda did that, it ran the exe's in bulk but then DAZ changed the lay out and the program wouldn't work with newer BitRock files.

    I don't want a program that will necisarrily install the file but one that will convert them to 'ZIP' files from the exe's.....that would be AWESOME!

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    Well once the whole Da catalogue is converted, all you will need to do is redownload them :roll:

    And yes That was said jokingly. I have well in excess of 1500 items in my itemised history, so I know that is not a serious thing to suggest to anyone.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,774
    edited December 1969

    Older content, where the Mac installer didn't work on recent versions of the OS, have already been converted but I suspect newer content will have to wait until the Install Manager is available - zips vs installers divides the user base, and not everyone would agree that installers are user-unfriendly, so they may want to make sure there is an option for those who prefer the installers before switching fully.

  • SLoTH_XVXSLoTH_XVX Posts: 199
    edited December 1969

    I agree Richard not everyone finds the installer unfriendly....I just find them to be cunmbersome and slower than simply unzipping a ZIP file.
    ...and as you said Chole, I am realistically not going to re-DL all my past purchases which is why I would love to see a program or script to 'convert' the exe's to zips. That would make me happy for sure.

    I wish I were smart enough to develope that piece of software but I am not. I am not programer or software genius but I would think someone out there is, like I said earlier I would definatly pay good $ for a program that would do that.

  • SnowSultanSnowSultan Posts: 3,595
    edited December 1969

    Does anyone know if we will still be able to get stand-alone installers once the install assistant is put in place, or will that replace them? I'm not a huge fan of Steam-like installers, but (strange but true!) I like the installers we've always had and don't want to use zips.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,583
    edited August 2012

    It's not Steam-like, it's just like the installers now, you download it and run it on your computer. Only difference is that there's one installer you download once, and the actual content is in the zips.

    ETA: There is an option to have it do all the downloading, check for updates, etc., but I'm told you can just use it like the current installers, it just won't be built into every product, just a one-time download.

    Post edited by fixmypcmike on
  • SnowSultanSnowSultan Posts: 3,595
    edited December 1969

    Oh, so it will extract and install from the zips when it's used? Sounds good, thank you for the information.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,036
    edited December 1969

    ...the nice aspect of .zip files it makes it easier to set up a custom runtime. No more useless folders in the Daz Content tree, no more having to move things around after the fact (and possibly risk breaking important links). I've had zero issues with anything I DLd from Rendo, RuntimeDNA, EvilInnocence, Xurge, or the Fantasy Attic. Only the Daz installers are what have made a mess of my runtime.

  • RAMWolffRAMWolff Posts: 10,212
    edited December 1969

    Yes, and delete the annoying spam shortcut to the store too. I did get one older product in a zip file but there was an exe within the zip which is kinda uh... stupid. One or the other. Zipping up an installer does not tell me it's going to be easier, just another click or two actually. I hope that's not the case.

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