I've got two CMS folders..?

RichardM

hello all

i have'nt the slightest clue what the cms is but i read it's highly recomended to use/keep..?

i was looking through daz's files to make sure everything that can be on my "content" HDD, is - this way, Daz is not filling up my OS SSD

i found two CMS folders though - one in my content HDD, and another in my OS SSD.

i've messed aorund with the installation a bunch - everything's working, but i'd like to save some disc space, and i'm wondering if i can delete one of the CMS folders?

Daz's CMS folder, set in the preferences, is the one in the appdata folder, on my OS SSD (C:\), so my questions are:

is Daz using both CMS folders?

if not, can i delete the CMS folder in my "content" HDD (F:\), and then move the appdata CMS folder from C:\ to F:\ and then set the CMS (through Daz's preferences) to the CMS folder in F:\?

bottom line is that i want to move as much stuff as i can to my "content" HDD

 

 

 

 

 

SofaCitizen

The CMS is a database that Daz uses to handle metadata and product content configuration. It is the driving force behind everything you see in the Smart Content tab and the Products & Categories sections of the Content tab. It is also used by both DIM and Daz Connect (whichever you use).

I am not sure how you have ended up wkth two copies tho. However, this may have happened if you previously changed the location of the CMS and then installed the beta and left the configuration as default (or vise-versa).

I am not sure on the exact best way to do what you plan, but bear the following things in mind:

1. The CMS is launched in the background by both Daz Studio and DIM and you definitely do not want to mess with it's files whilst it's running (this could lead to corruption of all the data)
2. The CMS path is specified in both Daz Studio and DIM configuration and you will want to change them both to the new location.
3. Changing the configuration easily requires the applications to be running - which as per point 1 means the CMS is running too. This obviously makes things tricky.
4. There is a chance that if the CMS is not found where the configuration expects it to be one or both of the applications may end up creating a new empty CMS there.

 

With this in mind, and also pointing out that I have never moved the CMS folder myself, I would suggest the following steps:

1. Make sure no Daz Applications are running
2. On both those folders you have in the screenshots, right click and select "Compress to ZIP file". Store these in a temporary location. This is just as a backup incase things go wrong later - they can be deleted when everything is back up and running as expected. Double-check that the one for drive C is considerably bigger than the one from drive F.
3. Launch DIM - specify "Work Offline"
4. Launch Daz Studio
5. Under Smart Content corner menu, click Content DB Maintenance
6. Check/Tick "Export User Data" and Accept - this will backup any custom changes you may have made
7. Go to the CMS Settings in preferences (as per your screenshot) and hit the stop button. Hopefully this doesn't return an error. If all seems well I would wait a few seconds just to git it time to finish up - just in case.
8. Change the path to the new location and hit Apply. Note, do NOT hit Start.
9. Change the CMS path in DIM to the new location, save it and close DIM.
10. Close Daz Studio.
11. Now you should be able to remove the "Content Cluster" folder from drive F and move the one from drive C across.
12. Launch Daz Studio and check that no CMS error dialog is displayed and that your Smart Content tab looks as it was before.
13. Launch DIM and check that everything appears to be correct - although I don't think it actively uses the CMS apart from the final stage of installing a product.
14. Double-check that the "Content Cluster" folder has not been recreated on drive C.
15. If all seems well you can probably delete those backup zip files, or keep them for a little while as extra insurance. That's up to you.

 

That may be a little overkill and also might hit a snag I didn't anticipate as it's more of a theoretical process that I would probably take if I chose to do this myself.

crosswind

It seems that the ContentCluster on your F drive is not in use (as per the time stamp..), so don't have to worry about that. As an alternative option to SofaCitizen's steps, I may suggest a simpler way which I've used for times...

1. Go to Smart Content, write down the number of products installed in the upper right corner ( 1 - xxxxx )
2. Go to Drive F. Create a folder: Daz 3D\cms under root path, i.e. F:\Daz 3D\cms
3. Follow the screenshots as attached...

I suggest some tests like: 1) Re-install 1 or 2 products in DIM and check if they'll be right there in Smart Content; 2) Load some items from Smart Content; 3) Check if user-defined Categories are still there in Smart Content; 4) Check some products in which you ever assigned user-defined categories, so on and so forth...

If necessary tests prove that newly-set ContentCluster works fine, feel free to delete those old ones.

RichardM

crosswind said:

It seems that the ContentCluster on your F drive is not in use (as per the time stamp..), so don't have to worry about that. As an alternative option to SofaCitizen's steps, I may suggest a simpler way which I've used for times...

1. Go to Smart Content, write down the number of products installed in the upper right corner ( 1 - xxxxx )
2. Go to Drive F. Create a folder: Daz 3D\cms under root path, i.e. F:\Daz 3D\cms
3. Follow the screenshots as attached...

I suggest some tests like: 1) Re-install 1 or 2 products in DIM and check if they'll be right there in Smart Content; 2) Load some items from Smart Content; 3) Check if user-defined Categories are still there in Smart Content; 4) Check some products in which you ever assigned user-defined categories, so on and so forth...

If necessary tests prove that newly-set ContentCluster works fine, feel free to delete those old ones.

this solution looks simple enough, but it isn't working for me 100%

i get a resource error (attached). 

if i copy the cmscfg.json file into f:\Daz3D\cms, and edit it to reflect the new cms's path, i can see my content, but not the categories. this file doesn't get copied when i change the cms location through daz's preferences. i have to move it by hand! any idea why?

(the path in dim changes fine, when i change the cms btw)

and, any idea on how to get the categoriess to show up?

 

also, thanks for pointing out the dates for the contentCluster on the F:\ drive !

crosswind

...

 prove that newly-set ContentCluster works fine, feel free to delete those old ones.

this solution looks simple enough, but it isn't working for me 100%

i get a resource error (attached). 

if i copy the cmscfg.json file into f:\Daz3D\cms, and edit it to reflect the new cms's path, i can see my content, but not the categories. this file doesn't get copied when i change the cms location through daz's preferences. i have to move it by hand! any idea why?

(the path in dim changes fine, when i change the cms btw)

and, any idea on how to get the categoriess to show up?

 

also, thanks for pointing out the dates for the contentCluster on the F:\ drive !

It does not make sense...ah.  I used this way for times and I just did it again 'cause this way is simple and quick. No problem at all on my side. And that json file is just for switching to default cluster location, you don't need to copy it to the new folder.

What DS version are you using ? General Release or Public Build ?

Edit:

Hang on, you‘’re still using DC's cluster folder ?

 

RichardM

crosswind said:

Hang on, you‘’re still using DC's cluster folder ?

 

er..no 

 daz runs from c:\program files.

:D

ive installed and moved daz around so much i don't know where i'm at anymore. i think i can delete that daz central daz installation (probably it's an installation i had on another hdd, then i bought an sdd, installed windows 10 on it, and installed daz also on the ssd, leaving that daz central installation there. ops!)

attached is the root folder i got.

p.s - sorry, its been a while since i've messed around with the daz installations.

edit: the fact remains, though, that moving the cms to anywhere results in missing category folder and the error attached

p.p.s - im using Daz 4.21.0.5  Pro Edition..i dont know about it being General Release or Public Build.

crosswind

Anyway, pls try to uninstall DC first... I'm not sure of the culprit as I have no way to reproduce your issue and I had removed DC after I tried it less than 15 minutes two years ago...

Then delete "F:\Daz Central\Daz3D\cms" folder to Windows Recycle Bin ! Create a brand new folder "F:\Daz 3D\cms",  then retry the steps I posted before.

RichardM

crosswind said:

Anyway, pls try to uninstall DC first... I'm not sure of the culprit as I have no way to reproduce your issue and I had removed DC after I tried it less than 15 minutes two years ago...

daz central is not installed on my current windows 10 - it was installed on windows 8, which was on drive F , i think

anyways, thanks for your help - ill try the solution from the first post (sry, cant remember who it was) and see it that solves everything.

if that doesnt work, i'll have to start removing the old daz files on F until something breaks and i have to re-install daz

RichardM

crosswind said:

 

Then delete "F:\Daz Central\Daz3D\cms" folder to Windows Recycle Bin ! Create a brand new folder "F:\Daz 3D\cms",  then retry the steps I posted before.

i just did