Is there a way to recover an old DAZ Studio .daz scene file?

bytescapes

I have a .daz file that was probably created with D|S 4.0.2. In the interim, my content directories have been changed significantly, so when I first tried to load the file, Studio complained about large numbers of missing texture maps.

I reinstalled all the missing content, and Studio loaded the scene without complaining ... until the very end, when it reported that "some files were missing", and advised me to look at the log. (After the load, I was left with an empty scene).

The log file contains around 3,000 lines of the format:

Unable to find file for storable: data/4_0_2/Genesis/Genesis/modifiers/morphs/MCMV5Surprise_247.dsd
Unable to find file for storable: data/4_0_2/Genesis/Genesis/modifiers/morphs/MCMV5SnarlRight_92.dsd
Unable to find file for storable: data/4_0_2/Genesis/Genesis/modifiers/morphs/MCMV5SnarlLeft_149.dsd
Unable to find file for storable: data/4_0_2/Genesis/Genesis/modifiers/morphs/MCMV5SmileSimple_1052.dsd
Unable to find file for storable: data/4_0_2/Genesis/Genesis/modifiers/morphs/MCMV5SmileB_623.dsd

My assumption is that these data files are compiled on demand from content geometries, and serve as a kind of cache, and that the process of loading a .daz file actually consists of pulling in all the cache files referenced by the .daz file. If the cache (.dsd) files are missing, the scene won't load.

My data/4_0_2 directory has long gone the way of the dinosaurs. Is there any way that I can make this .daz file openable again, or is it gone forever?

mjc1016

angusm said:

My data/4_0_2 directory has long gone the way of the dinosaurs. Is there any way that I can make this .daz file openable again, or is it gone forever?

I'm assuming you have V5 installed now...

If that's the case, you could try a fresh scene, load V5 and then when she's loaded, merge this one (the old one) into the new scene...that should repopulate the data. Rinse and repeat for other missing morphs...unless you get them all in the first go (that would require ALL the previous Genesis characters/morph packs to be currently installed).

Unless you happen to have the old installer around somewhere for a 4.0 version and someplace to install it...

Bejaymac

IIRC there used to be a way to recover the old DAZ scenes, not sure if it still works in newer version of DS4.

Load your DAZ scene, you wont see anything in the viewport but the scene tab should list everything that was in the scene.

Your log shows Genesis was in the scene, so go ahead and load a second Genesis into the scene.

Now select the first Genesis in the scene tab and delete it from the scene.

Now click the UNDO button, and with luck DS should recreate the first Genesis using the data from the second Genesis.

If it works then do the same for everything else in the scene, then delete the second version of everything and save your scene.

If it doesn't work then your scene's gone without a copy of 4.0 to recreate the DSO, DSD & DSV files.

argel1200

I'm running into this and I'm really surprised to learn there is no real solution to this. So if I understand you correctly, I basically need to load everything that was in the scene again?

Edit: I think I have abackup copy of the old data directory, but I am still mindboggled at how easy it is to lose years worth of work. We need a tool that can recreate these files for us so its possible to recover old scenes.

Richard Haseltine

For .duf files it should be possible to rebuild, as long as the original imported content (Poser or .obj) is still installed - this was one of the reasns for dropping .daz, as I recall.

argel1200

Richard Haseltine said:

For .duf files it should be possible to rebuild, as long as the original imported content (Poser or .obj) is still installed - this was one of the reasns for dropping .daz, as I recall.

These are using the 4_0_2 directory, so DS4. If I have all the assets can can manually load them and then save the scene to get it working again there should be a way to automate scene recovery. Good to know .dufs are recoverable. I was ecstatic when I finally got the old scene to load up in DS48!! Just had to redo some Reality settings.  *whew* Panic attack averted!! :)

Richard Haseltine

You need a version 4.x that saves to .daz to rebuild the Data folder, though it may work with DS3 and manually moving the folders of .dso files to the \4_0_2 folder. Saving from 4.5+, in .duf format, won't help.

argel1200

Then I am exteremly lucky I had a full backup of my old system!!! Thanks for all the help/info!!

StratDragon

Bejaymac said:

IIRC there used to be a way to recover the old DAZ scenes, not sure if it still works in newer version of DS4.

Load your DAZ scene, you wont see anything in the viewport but the scene tab should list everything that was in the scene.

Your log shows Genesis was in the scene, so go ahead and load a second Genesis into the scene.

Now select the first Genesis in the scene tab and delete it from the scene.

Now click the UNDO button, and with luck DS should recreate the first Genesis using the data from the second Genesis.

If it works then do the same for everything else in the scene, then delete the second version of everything and save your scene.

If it doesn't work then your scene's gone without a copy of 4.0 to recreate the DSO, DSD & DSV files.

I tried this in 3.x and 4.8 with V4.2 and it didn't work for me, which is a shame 'cus it sounded like an awesome fix.

but oddly I noticed some of my damaged scenes were looking for the "3.0" data folder in ..\data and I had them in ..\content\data 

so duplicating the 3.0 file to the root directory(..\data) before the content folder sorted some of this mess out for me. I guess I had it mapped this way in DS3

Richard Haseltine

The version subfolders - 3_0 etc. - are there, I blieve, so that saving a scene from DS 3 wouldn't overwrite the older .dso files ffrom DS2, if they existed. The same was true of the 4_0 subfolder.

Hiro Protagonist

Is it possible to get and installer from DAZ for a version of DS that will open .daz files? I have an installer for 4.0.0.343 but that version won't open the later .daz files it seems. I presume 4.0.3.47 would be the version I need as I think that was the last 4.0 version, or any version capable of opening .daz files created in 2012.

Richard Haseltine

Any version of DS since the one that created the file should open it.

Hiro Protagonist

Oh I see—thank you. I misunderstood the problem. I tried to open some really old .daz files (from 2011) and I was able to open them in 4.9, but after a certain date (some point in 2011 onwards) I get this error:

Error setting pointers while reading file E:/Users/.../Scenes/DAZ format scenes/{filename}.daz : C Exception: Memory Access Violation - Attempted to read memory at address 0x00000000

mjc1016

What version of Windows were they saved in and which version are you now running?

That particular error is usually caused by Windows itself...it's tied to DEP (data execution prevention).  If you are running Win10, now, THAT could be the problem, as Win10 is much more strict on file permissions and if there is a permissions problem (like that E:/Users/... is pointing to a user account you don't have full access to), that particular error can occur.  And, no just being in an account with Admin priveleges is not enough.

Hiro Protagonist

Thanks for answering. The files that won't open were created in Windows 7 and I still have the same machine and OS, although I've reinstalled Windows twice. I did try to upgrade to 10, which was a disaster, so I reverted, but I was having this problem before then.

Daz scenes created before 1/1/2012 will open, but none after that date. My oldest duf scenes open fine (from 9/9/2012).

Richard Haseltine

I had some later .daz files fail to open in more recent builds. You could try opening a support ticket and explaining the issue - they may be able to help, I don't know.

mjc1016

Win7 also has DEP.  That particular Access Violation error is indicative of it kicking in...it's just worst on Win10. 

Haslor

 

 

StratDragon said:

Bejaymac said:

IIRC there used to be a way to recover the old DAZ scenes, not sure if it still works in newer version of DS4.

Load your DAZ scene, you wont see anything in the viewport but the scene tab should list everything that was in the scene.

Your log shows Genesis was in the scene, so go ahead and load a second Genesis into the scene.

Now select the first Genesis in the scene tab and delete it from the scene.

Now click the UNDO button, and with luck DS should recreate the first Genesis using the data from the second Genesis.

If it works then do the same for everything else in the scene, then delete the second version of everything and save your scene.

If it doesn't work then your scene's gone without a copy of 4.0 to recreate the DSO, DSD & DSV files.

I tried this in 3.x and 4.8 with V4.2 and it didn't work for me, which is a shame 'cus it sounded like an awesome fix.

but oddly I noticed some of my damaged scenes were looking for the "3.0" data folder in ..\data and I had them in ..\content\data 

so duplicating the 3.0 file to the root directory(..\data) before the content folder sorted some of this mess out for me. I guess I had it mapped this way in DS3

---

I know this is an older Post, but I just happen to have run into this this weekend and I found this thread while looking for a solution.

Bejaymac's Process will work for Genesis because it has a Consistent GUID (Global Unique ID), but it won't work for anything Pre-Genesis.

All those who say, "Smart Content is Useless. I Never Use it. I dont want it."  Well here is a place where the Foundation of Smart Content helps you.

Before Smart Content, the GUID wasn't Gobal it was Local and handed out to an Asset when you saved a scene in Studio (well Actually Loaded the Asset, but Saving wrote it out to the Disk). Thing is the LUID was Unique ONLY to your system. if you had two Computers they each had their Own LUID for Victoria 4, therefore I couldn't start a project on Bill's computer and finish in on Sally's. With the addition of Smart Content, GUID's are actually Global and everyone has the Same GUID all Daz 3D Content. Therefore I can hand John a scene File and if he has all the Assets, he will be able to load the Scene. (This is what makes Redy To Render files work.)

So here is how StratDragon get that Pre-Genesis Scene back, and Make it so he can share the Scene file with a partner.

First you load the broken scene, and as Bejaymac said you won't see anything save Boundary Boxes.

It will most likely look something like this:

Now to Rebuild it and this is a lot of tedious work:

• Load new copy of Asset, save V4
• Select the Old Asset in the Scene tab
• Move to the Parameters tab and select the old Asset
• Right Click the Asset and Select Copy > Copy Figure
• Select the New Asset in the Scene tab
• Move to the Parameters tab and select the New Asset
• Right Click the Asset and Select Paste > Paste to Figure
• This will copy the Position data, Pose, Shaping, etc. Except the Surface/Material/Texture

NOTE: the Following will only work if there Surface data. if not, then you will have to find rework the surfaces.

• You can do the same thing in Surfaces
• Select the Old Asset in the Scene tab
• Move to the Surfaces tab and select the old Asset
• Right Click the Asset and Select Copy Selected Surface(s)
• Select the New Asset in the Scene tab
• Move to the Surfaces tab and select the New Asset
• Right Click the Asset and Select Paste Selected Surface(s)

NOTE: with Genesis, you have to be careful because some of the Skin Materials are actually from V4 and they won't reload properly, (Or that has been my experience)

In the end you should have your Scene back. In my case, all of the mess above resolved into this.

The Advantage of this method, is that you will have a Scene which uses the assets with the new GUID's.

In my scene the Fire and the Staff were an issue and I had to replace them, because I couldn't find the Originals.

This took me about twenty minutes to Rebuild and most of that was finding the Fire and Staff.

Also selecting the missing item and going to Smart Content tab with Products select, made getting to the content much quicker.

Hope that helps.