How to restore or backup Categories?

NorthOf45

jjoyner said:

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to get better organization of the categories for my installed content.  Some products install and create a new category for its content and sometimes the category will contain many items and sometimes just one or two.  Wherever possible, I’m trying to simplify the category structure.  For example, I have no need for an apron to be categorized as  Wardrobe – Outerwear – Tops – Apron.  A categorization of simply Wardrobe is fine for me.

For some content, I can change and simplify the categorization in Smart Content.  In many instances, though, when I change the categorization, the item keeps the old categorization as well.  For example, changing an item’s categorization from Environment – Office – Desk to simply Prop may result in the item now being an Environment and a Prop instead of just a Prop.  I know that I can delete a Category and I have done that for content that only has items from one product and then categorized the items as I wish.

Other than deleting a category (some have hundreds of items from many products), is there a way to change an item’s category such as in my desk example so that it only appears in one categorization?

From my experience, metadata files must be modified to force a change on "Vendor" data categorizations. Those seem to hang on no matter how many times you try to change it in the DB Editor. (Other modifications lke Compatibility, or Content Type, do as expected). Edit the metadata file, then re-import metadata (fastest from DIM). Somtimes it takes two tries to make it stick.

You can also edit the metadata from a Product view (DB Editor with two tabs) and export a new metadata file, but EVERY categorization will be considered Vendor data, and make them read-only. PITA if it ends up in your custom categories, since it makes the whole branch read-only.

jjoyner

NorthOf45 said:

jjoyner said:

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to get better organization of the categories for my installed content.  Some products install and create a new category for its content and sometimes the category will contain many items and sometimes just one or two.  Wherever possible, I’m trying to simplify the category structure.  For example, I have no need for an apron to be categorized as  Wardrobe – Outerwear – Tops – Apron.  A categorization of simply Wardrobe is fine for me.

For some content, I can change and simplify the categorization in Smart Content.  In many instances, though, when I change the categorization, the item keeps the old categorization as well.  For example, changing an item’s categorization from Environment – Office – Desk to simply Prop may result in the item now being an Environment and a Prop instead of just a Prop.  I know that I can delete a Category and I have done that for content that only has items from one product and then categorized the items as I wish.

Other than deleting a category (some have hundreds of items from many products), is there a way to change an item’s category such as in my desk example so that it only appears in one categorization?

From my experience, metadata files must be modified to force a change on "Vendor" data categorizations. Those seem to hang on no matter how many times you try to change it in the DB Editor. (Other modifications lke Compatibility, or Content Type, do as expected). Edit the metadata file, then re-import metadata (fastest from DIM). Somtimes it takes two tries to make it stick.

You can also edit the metadata from a Product view (DB Editor with two tabs) and export a new metadata file, but EVERY categorization will be considered Vendor data, and make them read-only. PITA if it ends up in your custom categories, since it makes the whole branch read-only.

Thanks for the info.  I'm in no rush ... just taking my time.  I've always been a dabbler/hobbyist at this stuff and am now retired.  My thinking is that rather than touch metadata files, I'll eventually start to delete problemmatic categorizations.  That will free the content in them to be categorized as I wish.

NorthOf45

Until you have to re-install them. 

jjoyner

NorthOf45 said:

Until you have to re-install them. 

 

WIll my category revisions be saved if I Export Uer Data?

NorthOf45

Not sure, if you are messing with Vendor data categorizations. That info comes from the installed Vendor metadata, which I imagine isn't part of UserData. It might keep what you have added, but not what you have removed. Kind of what happens when you try to remove a Default Category from some asset, only to have it stubbornly return the next time you edit the metadata. Read-only Vendor data...

By modifying the metadata file itself, you can guarantee that it can be restored properly when re-installing (if you update the product package with the new metadata file).

jjoyner

Thanks.  I'll look further into it but I have no real desire to potentially modify hundreds of metadata files.   :(

NorthOf45

If you are going to use only Default Categories, you can just export the metadata files for each product that is affected. If the changes are already done to the Default Categories, they will be present in the metadata for any product that uses them, and will be exported into the new metadata file. Faster than editing them manually. Note that the categories will be read-only once re-imported or re-installed; you can add to or delete, but can't move nor rename.