Having to download content twice?
Joltrast
Posts: 199
I'm not sure what's going on. I download stuff via DIM, but when I go into Smart Content everything is greyed out and in order to use them through Smart Content I have to download them again.
I also seem to have to keep re-downloading older content that was previously accessible as well constantly updating stuff, (even if I install updates through DIM).
Trying to re-download everything is literally taking hours. For example my current session has been open for over three hours and I'm only 8% done.
How do I avoid this every time I open Daz? I don't really want to use Daz Connect at all and would like to move everything out of that folder. Please help! Thanks in advance!
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Don't log in from Studio. You can change it in Preferences (F2) and uncheck "Automatically Login with Remembered Credentials". For good measure, go to that login page and delete said credentials (Username and Password), uncheck Remember Me and Automatically Login.
That will prevent future Connect-ions. Now, you will want to uninstall anything the Connect downloaded, because it is taking up the space twice. The content installed with DIM should show in colour, though, not sure what's up with that. One step at a time...
If you are looking only at teh products view in Smart Content check the Content Library pane under Daz Studio Formats>Content Library you installed to - it's possible that the fils are there but were not added to the database.
Thank you can I remove the Daz Connect folder?
EDIT: Removing everything inside seems to have removed it.
I seem to remember there's a way to rebuild/refresh the database, but I can't find it - will that fix it? I'm also missing icons for the stuff that I can see. (I've tried to upload a screenshot but I'm unable to).
All the files I uninstalled are gone from the content library. If I try to click the icon in Smart Content, I'm prompted to login. I guess I can try uninstalling from DIM as well.
Oh I think I see what happened to some of them. They went into the wrong directory because I forgot to switch back the install path in DIM. Hopefully that's where they all are! I wish there was a way to sort by install path in DIM, this is going to be painful!
You can have several installation destinations (Libraries) as long as they are all configured in DIM and Studio (they must match, otherwise some content will not be available in Studio). DIM can only deal with one destination folder at a time, so if you forget to switch, it can get confusing. Some users like to split up their Libraries, but that is a matter of personal choice. There is a way to filter by install path, but it is rather technical, and the documentation warns that it is an old version (Advanced Filtering [Documentation Center]). Look for Path...
You can move content safely if you take the proper steps to re-integrate it into the database. I helped someone recently with a similar situation, the info should be relevant for you: Transferred Files to New Harddrive. The database still has the metadata, but the connection to the content location is broken. Basically, you have to modify the manifests to point to the new locations. Worst case is to re-install from DIM.
The thing is, Studio knows about the products you have bought since you had previously used Connect. That info is stored in the database, and you will always see the Connect icon overlays on the product thumbnails, and those products will show in the Available tab, but just ignore them. If they are in colour, then Studio recognizes the library used by DIM, so it is all good. I do not use Connect, so I am not sure how to clear that information (since it is now of no use to you) without resetting the database and re-importing the metadata. It is kind of a nuclear option.
That's helpful thank you. The weird thing now is I've got files in the correct location but Daz still thinks they're in Connect, so I'm having to uninstall and reinstall one by one in DIM and then they show up correctly in Smart Content without me having to log in..
That DIM documentation was super helpful. I could have used that 2 hours ago, LOL. Oh well. Saving for next time! Thank you!
If the content was installed to a different folder than you wanted, that folder has to be mapped as a Content Directory in Studio to show properly. If you don't have too many to re-install, it shouldn't be too bad. However, check to see if the original location is being cleared out, otherwise there will be a lot of duplication.
I've moved everything out of the wrong directory, so that bit went fine. Now my problem is Smart Content is not opening a lot of the content that is in the correct directory. That's the stuff i'm having to reinstall through DIM. It's tedious but it does seem to be fixing the problem. I just hope it's a permanent solution. I don't mind tedious as long as it's "one and done"!
Try the trick of editing the manifest files. It should all point to the right stuff when done, and can be done in a few minutes, no re-installing needed.
Ah, I missed that tip! If I've got any stragglers, I'll do that. Thank you!!!
Ok dumb question, how to I bulk edit the manifest files and where do I find them? Thanks again!
I've found ..\DAZ Library\Applications\Data\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles but that's not the archive, is it?
If you had right-clicked on one of the packages that was in the wrong place you would have found an option to select the rest - Filter Installed>Same Installed To
That must be new with all these recent DIM updates. Good to know.
I'm sorry, I'm being senior, I right clicked in Smart Content and the option isn't there. Also in the ManifestFiles, the path seems to be correct. Oh, you probably mean DIM - OK.
Found it! Thank you so much!
I had missed it too, a little bird told me.
This is only loosely related, but I noticed this thread and thought I'd ask here instead of making a new thread...
My PC recently died, specifically the boot drive. The only things DS related other than the software itself that were on that drive, were things that go into Users/XXX/Roaming/AppData, like the CMS and Manifest related files I imagine. I've had my Content Libraries on a separate drive for a long time and never had a prob, but now having built a new PC, with fresh installs of DS and DIM, I pointed both to the same Content Libraries and, of course, DS works with it no problem (other than Smart Content being completely empty) and DIM looks as though I have no installed content. I should mention that I always had the downloaded packages deleted after install...
Is my only option to basically start over installing products in order to build a new Manifest, Database, etc. to re-populate my Smart Content Tab? Or are there any tricks that could possibly work?
Part of the reason I'd rather save my original Content Library is because many, many product's folders have custom files I saved like textures, even PSD's where I did the work to alter Tex Images, etc... With this being the case, in the state I'm in where DS's Content Library Tab uses this Library no problem, but DIM doesn't know anything is installed (it's pointed to this Library and ready to install there), if I were to just start "Installing" Products in DIM, what will it do? Could/Would it delete the custom files I have in the Product's folders? Will it see that the files it wants to install are already there and just move on, creating the new Manifest or DB or whatever that I need to get back to the way things should be?
Thanks a ton in advance for any insights!!
To repopulate Smart Content, you could first try reimporting metadata from the Content Library pane. It is an option in Content DB Maintenance.
Wow, it seems to have been as simple as that. Thanks, @barbult!!
Hurray! You may discover that you are missing metadata for things you customized, if you had not saved User Data before the crash. But you should have recovered the Daz metadata at least.
So I've double-checked in DIM for files that DAZ won't show offline with files that DAZ can see and they are all in the same directory. I've also checked the Content Database within DAZ and that is also pointing to the same place.
I've found the manifestfiles folder in two locations, but I've looked at some of the assets and they are all showing installed to the correct directory. I copied over those files but nothing has changed. I'm out of ideas, as I've already tried reinstalling everything through DIM. I just don't understand why some of them can't be viewed offline. Any more suggestions gratefully received. I can probably access them through Connect, but I don't want to go that route - obviously.
First, personally suggest always use DIM other than Daz Connect. Second, combine your Manifest Archive folders as one and correctly configure it in DIM Installation settings. Third, try to Fix Installed File Registries...
OK, I did that. (Thanks for the third tip by the way, that was a hidden gem!). I doesn't appear to have fixed anything though. The good news is merging the manifestfiles (which I did yesterday) means I now only have about 20 files that are missing. (I'm trying to upload a screenshot, but it's stuck uploading - I even switched browser, no dice).
Attaching images has been working only between 6PM and midnight Daztime and it has stopped working earlier.
Thank you for confirming that, I thought I was doing something wrong! (Also, what is "Daz Time"? I don't know where they are based, thanks!)
Daztime is UTC-6 hours, they are based in Salt Lake City, Utah
I finally fixed it by resetting the database, logging in and reimporting my metadata. 99% of my stuff has been recovered.
I'm still looking at what's happened to the rest, but here's one problem.
Although interestingly I can still load them into a scene.
OK, I spoke too soon. I still have those stragglers that are not available to me offline. It's only about a dozen items now, but still annoying!