Product-oriented workflow?

bluelake_2cfb0bd048

I apologize for the length of this question, but it may help others managing with finite hard drives like me <G>. And I thank in advance anyone that can help!

It always threw me how DAZ Studio (and Poser too) explode products into sets of files that are scattered to separate folders, where they're intermingled with exploded pieces of other products. For a while, I tried creating separate base directories in DAZ Studio for every product, so that I could manage them smartly, but that approach just does not scale.

The next best alternative, I think, might be to have two "active" base directories on my computer's hard drive (one for DAZ Studio formats, one for Poser formates); and two "less active" base directories on an external hard drive (again, for DAZ and Poser formats). It would also be a huge plus to be able to carry this external hard drive back and forth between my two computers, depending on which one I'm working on.

A couple obvious "use cases" to workflows using the above set-up include:

• 1. products used for images I'm actively working on would be in the "active" base directories (and so wouldn't even need the external hard drive plugged in); other products, not being actively used in current images could reside in (and still be accessible from) the "less active" base directories on the external hard drive
• 2. a number of products (V4, M4, G1, G2F, G2M, G3F, G3M, etc) would permanently reside in the "active" base directories, since they are simply used all the time
• 3. "migrate in": if an image called for a product I haven't used in a while, I would need a simple way to migrate it from the "less active" base directory (on the external drive) to the "active" base directory (on the computer's hard drive), at least for as long as I'm working on that image that needs it
• 4. "migrate out": conversely, products that are in the "active" base directories that are not being used in current images and that I haven't used in a while would need a simple way to migrate from the "active" base directories to the "less active" ones; note that this will very helpfully keep my computer's hard drive from filling up!
• 5. "special (executable?) products": DAZ has some products (e.g. that have executables) that seem to want to be installed on the computer's C: drive, and I think refuse to properly install into a base directory on an external hard drive; I guess that these could not play in migrate-in/migrate-out procedures of items 3 and 4 above -- true? Or am I misunderstanding? I think that this just applies to executables and not tutorials; some products also include Photoshop paintbrushes, so these might need a Photoshop folder in the "active" area on the computer's hard drive (or is there a way to migrate these to/from the "less active" external hard drive?)

I apologize for the lengthy drescription above, but it's needed especially for the third question just below.

Three immediate questions (and they hopefully have simple answers! <G>):

• 1. Is there a simple set of steps to "migrate in" a product from the "less active" base directoies (on the external hard drive) to the "active" base directories (on the computer's hard drive)? This should apply to both DAZ products and to manually-installed products from Renderosity, etc. in the base directories.
• 2. Is there a simple set of steps to "migrate out" a product from the "active" base directories (on the computer's hard drive) to the "less active" base directories (on the external hard drive)? This should apply to both DAZ products and to manually-installed products from Renderosity, etc. in the base directories.
• 3. Or am I making this harder than it should be, and another approach would solve all these problems more simply?

Again, thanks in advance to anyone that can assist!
--John

 

fixmypcmike

Using Connect is probably the simplest way to do this for Daz products -- install and uninstall products as needed, each installs to its own location.  You could also do something similar with DIM, only instlling products as needed, while keeping the DIM .zips on the external hard drive for installation when needed.

BeeMKay

The "direct install" stuff is often part of certain plugins/special shaders, which need to be installed in the drive where you have installed the program. Also, some products contain materials/versions for Bryce or Carrara, which will want to install in the C-Drive, too.