Adding New Shaders

handyman4545

I've tried in the past and after numerous fruitless attempts, given up on adding new shaders into the Daz presets directory.
Copy and paste doesn't seem to work.
Does anyone know of any tutorial that clearly and simply instructs you on how to add/import a new shader (.duf and .duf.png) file into the Daz presets directory that doesn't include 15 pages of step by step BS on building the watch?
All I want to know is how to add or import these two shader files into the presets library.

Richard Haseltine

The presets tabs, like Smart Content, need the files to have categories, compatibilities, and types (for presets the type has to be the right one for the pane - in this case Shader or Materials presets). The simplest way to do it is to have a suitable target selected in the Viewport, then drag the file from the Content Library under Daz Studio Formats into the desired category in Smart content, then select the type in the pop-up dialogue. You may then have to right-click>Edit Metadata to adjust the compatibility to be broad enough.

handyman4545

While I appreciate your reply and I'm sure it makes absolute sense to you, it is thouroughly confusing to me.
I don't understand "suitable target"
I don't understand "drag the file". What file? My new shader is not in Daz content Library?
What is "Daz Studio Formats"?
What "Catagory"? Where?
Why is "Smart Content" involved in this transfer?
Popup Dialog???
Metadata??? Huh? Why is this so complicated? All I want to do is add my new shaders to the existing Daz shaders directory???

When I have a texture to add to my library I simply

1) Open the Content Library, then
2) "Browse to Folder" and
3) Drag the new texture from the original folder that it's in, to the Daz folder and
4) "Refresh" the Daz folder.

This process does not work with new "shaders" and Daz "Presets" tab.
When you drag and refresh as above Daz ignors the new additions.

What I need to know is what the "step by step" method is.
Is there a tutorial some place?

Richard Haseltine

The presets tabs are not showing you files as theya r arranged on disc. Theya re showing you files that DS, from its database, are presets for shaders or materials arranged in the categories (the folders down the left of the tab) that the database lists them under and thata re compatible with something selected (for shaders that means an object that has at least one of its surfaces selected). If the files don't appear in the Content Library under Daz Studio formats, wherever you saved them to, then they will not show in the database views like Presets (I think).

Usaing Smart Content is one way to get the necessary information added to the database (the metadata - it describes the file, rather than being the information in the file) because Smart Content is also a view of the way files are arranged in categories in the database, so setting things up there will also set them up for the presets pane. It isn't the only way - you could right-click on the file in the Content Library and select Edit Metadata from the menu - but it is probably the most naturally accessible, especially if the files are not all grouped in one actual folder on disc.

handyman4545

Ok...
I'm not exactly sure if I understand this correctly and I'm not sure if I've accomplished this correctly but here's what I learned...

By using the "Content Library" pane, "Daz Studio Formats" and digging down to:
..."My Daz 3D Library"
..."Shader Presets"

I created a new directory and named it Testing.
Then I copied and pasted all the new, zipped Shader files into this new directory and refreshed the directory.

The result was successful although confusing.
Now, (although not in the original Daz, Surfaces, Presets panes) my new shaders show up in the "Content Library" pane and will apply as needed.

Did I interpret correctly or am I still missing something?

Richard Haseltine

That gets you presets you can use, and if you right-click on them you can make them Custom Actions available in the Favourites or Scripts menus without having to go to the folder. Now you have those you can potentially use the adding metadata steps to make them available in the Presets tab.

handyman4545

Ok...
I'm not sure if I understood this completly and I'm not even sure if I accomplished it completly but here's what I learned.

By using the "Content Library" pane rather than the "Surfaces" pane...

Select "Daz Studio Formats"
Select "My Daz 3D Library"
Select "Shader Presets"

Right clicked on the "Shader Presets" and 
Select "Browse to folder location"

In the File Manager window I created a new directory called Testing.
Then I simply dragged the new zipped shader files from the zipped file to the "Testing" directory.

Result:
All my shaders show in the "Content Library" pane and apply as expected.

Did I understand this procedure correctly or am I still mission something?

Richard Haseltine

No, that just gives a link to the file from anothe regular folder. if your goal is to have it in the Presets tab then you need to tell the Content Management System more about it, which is where dragging it into Smart Content or editing the metadata comes in.

handyman4545

When you say "drag it into smart content", do I take that to mean dragging the new shader folder I created in the "Content Library" pane into the "Shader" directory in the "Smart Content" pane?

handyman4545

ADDING THE NEW SHADERS (Step 1)

Select the "CONTENT LIBRARY" pane, 
Select "Daz Studio Formats"
Select "My Daz 3D Library" 
Select "Shader Presets"

(Now you need to select or create a directory where you want to dop your new shaders into)
Select an existing file or creat a new file for your new shaders.

     To Create A New Folder...
  Right click "Shader Persets" and select "Create A Sub-Folder"
  Name the new sub-folder and Accept.
  Right click the new folder and select "Browse to Folder Location"

     To Use An Existing Folder...
  Right click the existing folder and select "Browse to Folder Location"

Select and drag all the new, zipped Shader files that you're adding to Daz, into this folder, Accept it and refresh the main directory.
(This part puts the shaders into Daz but not yet into the shader surfaces directory)

IMPORTING THE SHADERS TO THE "SURFACES" PANE (Step 2)

Open Content Library tab
In Daz Studio Formats directory open My Daz 3D Library
Open "Shader Presets" directory
Select the file that has the shaders in it that you want.

Select SMART CONTENT tab
Select the FILES tab at the top
Select "SHADERS" (or any existing catagory) from the menu
Select the catagory you want to add the new shaders too.

Now left click. hold and drag the new shader file(s) in the CONTENT LIBRARY tab into the SMART CONTENT tab pane you selected as the destination.
"Asign Metadata" window will appear. Adjust as desired or select "Accept"
(The files in the Content Library should now reflect "Shader" status)

Notes:
The easiest way I found to do this required moving the CONTENT LIBRARY tab on the left side of the screen and the SURFACES" tab on the right. Both panes could be open simultaneously and be moved back again after the process was completed.