Install Manager Help

bsett

Need help understanding content management. I purchased some items yesterday and used the Install Manager to down load and install. The process seemed to go smoothly but when I opened up DAZ 4.5 there was no new content message and I was unable to find any of my new items under the content tab.

I then went to the available downloads section for my account and proceeded with a manual download and install for each new item. This worked and when I opened DAZ I received the new content message and am able to use my new items.

Later I wondered what happened to the items that the Install Manager had downloaded. I did a file search of my C: drive for one of the items (RasPalace) and found that the Install Manager was installing items to:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\...

Whereas the manual install is putting them in:

C:\Users\MyName\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content\...

So now I have a bunch of items in two separate locations. Do I need to change some file path settings in either the Install Manager or DAZ? Is there a way to clean up my mess using the data maintenance tool or would I be better off doing a full uninstall – reinstall of both DAZ 4.5 and my content? I also have an older version of DAZ 3 still on my system from a couple years back. Should I unistall it as well? Any help would be much appreciated.

Scott Livingston

For DAZ Studio to find the content installed by the Install Manager, you need to tell it where to look. Here's how I did it...the most relevant part is step #4, but here's my whole process in case it's helpful...

Scott-Livingston said:

Update on my process:

1. I uninstalled the CMS and DAZ Studio.
2. I ran all the content uninstallers I had. I left other content alone, including non-DAZ content and the few things I didn't have uninstallers for.
3. I reinstalled DS4.5
3. I ran DIM and installed everything to DIM's default location. It took less than four hours to download and install 476 items!
4. I added the new "My DAZ Library" location to mapped directories within the Content Database Manager, accessible through the Active Pane Menu icon on the Content Library pane.
5. I clicked that icon again and selected "Content Database Management," then re-imported all metadata and removed orphaned file references

At this point, in Smart Content, I could see a bunch of functional icons and a bunch with those exclamation-point-in-a-yellow-triangle error icons.

6. I went back to the Content Database Manager and removed the old "My Library" mapped location

Now Smart Content was working fine...but of course, the non-DAZ stuff I had kept was no longer accessible through the Content Library.

7. I added the old "My Library" location again (in the Content Database Manager).

Now everything seemed right with the world. This is perhaps not the most elegant solution...but it does appear to work, at least for me.

So now that you have things in two locations, you'll probably want to remove one or the other. If you plan on using the Install Manager, then uninstall the stuff you installed manually. Otherwise, have DIM uninstall everything. I like DIM because it simplifies the process (well, once you get beyond your present issue, that is...) and it will tell you when product updates are available.

It's not a problem to use DS4.5 and DS3 on the same machine...many people do it (you shouldn't try to have DS4.0 and DS4.5, though).

bsett

Thanks for the quick response. I’ll follow your 7 steps. Does this mean that the new “My DAZ Library” default location of the DIM will always be in C:\Users\Public\Documents as opposed to C:\MyName\Documents without a way to change the DIM settings? Forgot to state I’m using a Windows 7 64 bit system.

JimmyC_2009

bsett said:

Thanks for the quick response. I’ll follow your 7 steps. Does this mean that the new “My DAZ Library” default location of the DIM will always be in C:\Users\Public\Documents as opposed to C:\MyName\Documents without a way to change the DIM settings? Forgot to state I’m using a Windows 7 64 bit system.

The time to change the path or directory for installing the content, is before you install it. If you go to the 'Ready to Install' tab in the DIM, you will find abar labelled Shortcut, which says 'Recommended DAZ Studio/Poser Content Folder' , and you can add a new location there.

You can also use the little Gear icon at the top right of the interface. Basically, you can install content to wherever you want, I have mine installed to the default folder with no problems, but I have plenty of room on my C drive.

EDIT:

Uninstalling is easy as well, you should be able to uninstall everything in a few minutes, and reinstall it again, assuming that you kept the ZIP files?

frank0314

Even if you deleted the zips, if you uninstall the content the zips will show back up in ready for download.

bsett

Okay after reading the excellent feedback I uninstalled and reinstalled both DS 4.5 and the install manager as well as going through and doing all of my content uninstalls. After DS 4.5 was reinstalled I proceeded to use the Install manager to download and install my 80+. This didn’t take long and it showed the path as being “C:\Users\MyName\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content”.

When I started DS 4.5 there was no new content massage and no new available content. I go into the My Documents content folder and the Install Manager had put all the content installs there still as Zips. Now I seem to be further away from where I started and am quickly using up my available 4 to 5 downloads.

I really like the models and textures that DAZ sells but if it’s becoming way difficult to download and access content. What confuses me is that for all the initial clean installs I allowed the default locations. Shouldn’t the install programs be able to figure out what need to go where

JimmyC_2009

Well, i don;t know what is happening here.

This didn’t take long and it showed the path as being “C:\Users\MyName\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content”.

That is NOT the default path for the DIM, it is C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library. Did you enter the path for Studio 3 yourself?

The DIM does download all the ZIP files, but there is an option on the first page of the interface which says 'Install After Download', you must tick that or the DIM will simply download the ZIPs and NOT install them.

I haven't heard of anyone with the problems you are having, it really is a straighforward process. There is no need to keep redownloading the DIM, or the ZIP files either.

When you go to the 'Ready to Install' tab, do you see the items you have downloaded there? If so read my previous post to see how you setup the default folder you want to install your content into.

Can you post a screenshot of the DIM showing the Ready to Install tab, so that we can see what is happening?