Where does Daz hide the documentation that comes with products?

tring01

I recently purchased Iray Decal Kit.  One of the reasons I specifically purchased it was because it stated in the product store page that it came with a .pdf instruction manual.  After installing it using Install Manager I searched my Daz library high and low for the advertized .pdf - and it just wasn't there.  I finally downloaded the product manually.  In the .zip file I found a ReadMe folder contatining the .pdf.

Is this how Daz works?  They simply do not download or install product documentation at all?  Do you always have to manually download the product and extract the documentation yourself?

frank0314

Select the product in your installed tab, then right click on it and select show installed files and that will show you the location of all the files. You should be able to download the PDF from your product library as well.

SpottedKitty

The pdf is installed, it's just incredibly unobvious and hard to find. There's no difference between the DIM download and the manual installer, they're exactly the same archive file with exactly the same contents. The problem is that standard boilerplate readmes used to be included in the installers, but now they're only available online (click the Help link at the top of this page, and go to the Documentation Center, or see the links in DIM).

Anything special, such as a pdf tutorial, is usually installed to a "Readme's" folder in your content location, but I don't think there's ever been any direct link in D|S to these files, you have to go to the folder yourself and open the pdf there.

Yes, it's a bit of a mess, yes, we've complained about it for years, no, nothing's ever been done about it.

tring01

Ah.  I think I found it.  If you install using the DIM there does not seem to be any link to the documentation created.  If you right click there is no option for, "show installed files".  I manually tracked down the installed folders in my library and there were no .pdf files in there.  If you right click on the DIM installed product and click on, "Install", then the CM install runs.  After that if you right click you find a new link, "Browse to Folder Location...".  Clicking on that link takes you to a folder location where the .pdf exists.  So...seems if you want to access product documentation you have to install using CM.  Not DIM.

By opening DIM I was able to find the .pdf via the information button for the product.  That worked too.

Thanks...

Tobor

Unlike most other digital marketplaces, Daz does not make readme files or documentation available from a link from the product page. Not only does this make it harder to discover the secrets of some product you just paid for, it inhibits potential customers from looking at the readme or docs before buying.

However, Daz still makes the info available online, if you know how to fit it. Go to

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/start

and browse by SKU number -- the number listed under the price in the product page. You can also go directly to the page for that product by inserting its SKU in this address:

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/37479/start

Supposidly, if a product comes with a PDF, it's downloadable from here, too, though few Daz products have that level of documentation, so it's hard to say that's always the case. The PDF appears to be there for your Iray Decal Kit product.