Installing DAZ studio to a different directory
Hi there. I'm installing DAZ studio from scratch. I have a separate clean drive that I want to use to install the program and the content. I see in the tutorials of using the daz installer that it seems to prefer the c drive. If I don't want to install it there, does it give you the option to install it to a different drive? That isn't clear in the video tutorial. Any info appreciated, thanks.
P.S. Is it going to affect the program performance installing it to a different drive than c??
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If you are using DIM, you can tell it where you want the install to go. To do it, go to the little gear symbol under the "close program" red X. A pop up opens up with various settings. Go to the "Install" tab and put your installtion path under the 32 and/or 64 bit areas, this is where the program will be installed. Then at the bottom of that popup (still in the Install tab) there is a + sign, you can use that to add a content directory where you want your content library to go. Hit the +, enter a directory and give it a label. Then in the dropdown box labled "Current:" select the path you just labeled. Now you are all set up.
If you are using DAZ Connect, I don't know.
Hope this was some help.
Thanks Grinch. I would just install it manually, but they keep syaing ot use the daz installer, which I could see the value for future purchases, but not for the intial install. I will try those things you mentioned.
Just a cautionary note - if you plan on installing both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Studio, your path names MUST be different; DIM will install Studio to <your 32-bit path>/DAZ 3D/Studio4/Studio4.exe and <your 64-bit path>/DAZ 3D/Studio4/Studio4.exe. Being of small imagination, mine are D:\bits-32 and D:\bits-64. Also, after you get things set up and installed you will need to fire up Studio and go to <content tab> -> Content Directory Manager and add your new install directory to both the Studio and Poser format directory definitions.
Thanks namffuak. I plan on just installing the 64 bit version. MY main concern is that the install manager doesn't seem to allow you to select a different directory than what it has in mind. At least that's what it seems from the couple of tutorials I've seen.
When using DIM, if you set it up BEFORE you install, it should obey the changes...
If you use the manual/exe installer, you can change the paths at the start of installation.
Most videos just assume the defaults - and I seldom use defaults. So - I usually run DIM in off-line mode when I first set it up. (Click on 'work offline' and then the green 'accept' button).
Then hit the gear icon, top right to get to the settings.
Select the 'downloads' tab and browse to the directory you want DIM to download to. I use a 1 TB USB drive for this, but whatever drive you want; my directory is G:\dim-download. You also need to select what you want to show up in the 'ready to download' tab - at the very least, you'll want DAZ Studio 4.5+ , Install Manager, General (most tutorials will be here), Software, Plugin, and Windows 64-bit.
Select the 'Installation' tab.
Browse to the directory you want to use for the 64-bit software. Again, I use D:\bits-64.
Now click on the '+' bottom left to get apopup to enter a shortcut and path. In my setup this is gen5 and D:\s4stuff\gen5 (generation 5, or genesis -- when I finally quit trying to do path management by hand). I also have D:\s4stuff\mydata, where I save my work within Studio and D:\s4stuff\third-party which is anything not installed with DIM. I do not have these defined in DIM as it never uses them.
Click on 'accept' to define this path. I also have a 'general' path pointing to D:\tutorials.
Once you have your installation path defined you can, if you wish, delete the default path (back when DIM first came out you couldn't change or delete the only path; ths may have been changed since then)
When you're done with installatin paths,
Now - if you have PS or Zbrush you'll need to select the 'application' tab and tell DIM where they are; DIM will pick up on Studio when you install it.
Click on 'Accept' to finish the definitions.
And that's it. If you have more than one installation directory you'll want to click on 'show detail' at the bottom of the 'Ready to install' tab; this will give you a drop-down box to select the inatll directory you want to use for the products you've selected to install.
Thanks MJC for an image to look at, definitely very helpful. You're image is far more helpful than the video they have for installing DAZ with the DIM. Appreciate it.
Thanks very much namfluak for your detailed instructions. Between these two, I"M certain I'll be able to install DAZ Studio and the content to a different directory than what comes in stock.
Ironically, I have followed the above steps (to the best of my knowledge); yet, even afterwards, I still have problems getting Daz to work properly.
Please, see the attached photos...
For further explanation, I'm trying to download DAZ onto my external hard drive (having 3TB); yet, despite the fact that it does install properly, nothing else I've downloaded will appear once I've opened said software. Truth be told, whatever else I do download appears in my external hard drive as a zip file. Could this be my problem?
The second image, of the installation tab, is wrong. DIM downloads zip files and manifests (.dsx files) to the download directory you defined in that first screen. DAZ Studio does nothing with this directory, it is only used by DIM. On the installation panel you tell DIM where to install tha content in the zip files. The label can be anything - I use 'gen5' because I was keeping everything separate until DIM came along, but 'fred' works, as does 'DAZ Library' - the important value is the path you want the data installed to - and it looks like you want 'F:/Uriah/DAZ3D', which should be OK. But delete the line above it.
Now there are at least two more steps. 1) The resource error indicates you've not installed the Postgres package yet - that is the database used for smart content. 2) Once you have downloaded your content with DIM you need to switch to the second tab on the main window - the 'Ready to Install' tab and select the packages to install AND use the drop-down box at the bottom of the window (visible if you've clicked "show details") and make sure that the path is set to 'F:/Uriah/DAZ3D and click on the 'Start Queue' button.
And F:\Uriah\DAZ3D needs to be defined to DAZ Studio as both a Studio format and Poser format content directory. (In Studio - edit -> preferences -> content -> content directory manager.
Thank you so much for helping me out; let alone, for responding so hastily! I’m very impressed. Your explanation did the trick! Again, thank you!!
Although, I have another question.
I acquired a newer laptop (Windows 10) that I’ve intended to use with DAZ; whereas, my older laptop was by Samsung (Windows 7), both having 4 GB of RAM. The issue is this; my Samsung used to operate very well and very steadily whenever I would use DAZ. However, now that it’s been loaded down with years of constant downloads, it doesn’t seem to operate as well anymore; hence, DAZ tends to lag and/or not respond. Due to this reason, I had bought a 3TB expansion drive to house all my DAZ downloads. Whereas, upon installing DAZ on my newer laptop, I’ve decided to install DAZ onto that expansion drive in lieu of installing it on the C drive. Yet, now, DAZ runs even slower and loads longer with the newer laptop! Could it be that I should have installed DAZ onto the C drive (where the operating system resides), and just used my expansion drive for DAZ content? Do you think then DAZ would operate smoothly? I'm thinking that the operating system has to work overtime just to use a program, aka DAZ, that's linked by a usb cable...?
I turned off my firewall and it noticeably helped, yet it’s not as par as what my old laptop can do in its current state. However, that’s one less variable I must worry about. I’m thinking about uninstalling Norton Antivirus and going with Microsoft Security Essentials instead, since I’ve done exactly that with my older laptop back when I first discovered DAZ and it seemed to help quite a bit then.
Although…
I have found another dilemma when downloading DAZ content via the DAZ program itself. For whenever I download via DAZ and not the Install Manager, the newly downloaded content goes straight to my C drive and not the expansion drive. Despite that my Install Manger states it will download to the F drive (and it does), the DAZ program just reverts to the default drive. How can I fix this, for whenever I want to download through DAZ while I'm working, and not the Install Manager?