CARRARA CONTENT FOLDER SET UP
ThatGuy
Posts: 794
This has probably been addressed before, but I can't seem to find it anywhere, so if you you have the link, I'd be grateful if you can let me know where fo find the answer.
After taking a long break from using carrara, I have decided to start re-learning. Because I am quickly running out of space in my PC, I have decided to put all my 3D contents or runtime folder, if you will, in an external drive. When installing carrara contents yetsterday there would be a message that tells me the path I'm installing the content to is not a carrara path (or something to that effect). And of course when I open carrara I don't find the carrara stuff I just installed. In DS/PS it is easy to pin point to the location of the runtime folders, but I don't see this in carrara. How do I do this please?
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Hi Lulubelle
All Carrara products are designed and arranged to be installed directly into the application,. like a plugin, rather than "content"
One of the reasons for this is that carrara uses specific folders for things like leaves and plants, which can be used in any scene,.
so plants and leaves need to be available within the carrara folders.
Fortunately, carrara scene files are not Big as far as file size is concerned.
hope it helps :)
ahhh...I was afraid of that. Thanks for confirming.
In the browser you first have to click the CONTENT TAB. Then click the little black "file/folder" button.
If you don't have CONTENT selected the menu under File/Folder will be different...
**EDIT, sorry, I may be misinterpreting the last part of your post...
You can create folders on whatever drive you want, for nearly anything you want, and manually point Carrara's browser to them. Then whatever you create that you wish to save, be it a shader, model, light set, whatever, you drag and drop it into the folder you created and it will be stored in that folder. Even if it's an external drive.
thanks holly and evilproducer. That worked out quite well!
Oh good. :)
Just FYI, if you start Carrara without the external hdd connected your external runtimes won't show up. It will look blank...
You'll have to connect the hdd then restart Carrara for them to show again.
As Holly said!
There are other advantages to saving to the Browser. For instance, Carrara will open .car files faster than the Poser files. So you can load a figure from the Content Browser where your runtimes are located, adjust morphs and customize your character however you see fit, then drag the figure to the Objects Browser to save it in Carrara's native format. If you clothe the figure, you can group the figure and the clothes together and drag the entire group to the browser. The next time you want to use the figure, drag the icon from the browser and drop it into your scene's instances pallette/tab or drop it into the scene window and it will load with all the changes intact.
Holly and EP... You fricken R O C K ! ! ! :)
PS...
I have tried leaving my runtime on an external hdd before. I'll never do it again.
What Holly said is true. It must remain plugged in.
But also,
USB connections are slower that internal... especially if you have a SATA drive interface.
I might be talking geek Greek. But if you have no choice... it's better than not having access to your runtimes ;-)
Nowadays, I have a collection of internal hard drives that I've since replaced with larger and/or faster drives.
When I built this new workstation, I just bought a really fast, large (1.5TB) internal drive so that I could keep my runtimes on the same drive as my operating system (Win7 64 bit Home Premium) for immediate file delivery.
I found a box which I can use to turn these older hard drives into usb external drives. So I use those to occasionally back up all of my runtimes, test video and images, installation exe files... everything. Then I take it out of that converter box and put it away in one of those anti-static sleeves that they ship them in. Then I put another drive in and do the same thing. If I ever need one of those for something else... I could always format one. But until that day comes... I would rather behave as if I'm really paranoid, and back up everything I can.
I also had a very new drive, that would no longer be used for anything since I built my workstation, so that is my dedicated temp file drive. I set up all of my software to use that drive for a scratch disc, spooling drive, temp write drive. Works great.
GROUP HUG! :kiss:
My laptop needs the external drive...its internal drive is an SSD. They are stupid-fast but piteously tiny in capacity.
A USB 2.0 connection is pretty slow...only about 1.1 mbps. A USB 3.0 connection can hit about 20 mbps. That's survivable.
Surviveable compared to 3GB/sec, 6GB/sec on RAID 0?
Hmmmm.
SSD are dangerously fast. I'll not get one until they're big enough to hold me files. I'm just stubborn that way. You lose most of the benefits of a stupid fast drive if it has to draw through a slow interfaced bottleneck. Oh i am now haunted with the sound that stupid drive made every time I double-clicked a file... and then it made me wait as it woke up. What a drag! :ahhh:
Okay... I'm not quite that offended by the memory. Once the data gets into the app... the minor annoyance is gone - so, yes... I'm humorously over exaggerating. I want a 5 TB SSD. Five 1TB drives in a RAID 0! Gars-man... Please? Can I? I guess that's where money talks and I have to leave. lol
Not even I can afford that buddy! My company does have a pretty wicked SAN (storage attached network) and its spinning-rust drives are cached by a metric butt-load of SSD drives. Before they hired me, they didn't know how to configure SQL Server...so the fire-breathing performance of the SAN kept them alive even though the poor databases were wheezing in agony.
I nearly cried...
I read this thread and wanted to confirm how to install Carrara 8.5 contents. I'm using a PC with Win 7 x64. Do I install all content into Carrara's program folders or do I need to set up a specific Runtime folder for Carrara? When I run a Carrara content exe it asks for an installation path which is left blank. What is the best place to install the content?
I also use DAZ and have all my DAZ contents installed into one Runtime in the 'Contents' folder. Whenever I install DAZ content it automatically knows where to install it into the correct folder. Should I install my Carrara contents in the DAZ 'Contents' folder or will this create a confusing mess?
I really want to install my Carrara content correctly.
HI Superdog
Products built for Carrara,. should be installed into the main Carrara program folder.
that Carrara folder has sub-folders for preset's , scenes,.Data, etc.. and the product's will have been built to know where they should install it's component parts to.
so to install any carrara product,. point it to your carrara folder,.. and hit go.
Daz Studio, or Poser content,. should be installed into your "Library", or "Runtime" folders,. (as you normally would)
Those Content / Library or Runtime folders can be added to the browser in Carrara,.
Any version of Carrara can read and open Poser products from the browser,. Carrara doesn't read DUF or DS files./ (Only the BETA version of 8.5 will read and load DUF files from the browser, or Smart Content tab)
Hope that makes sense
Thanks for that very clear explanation. Using some examples from the DAZ shop I just wanted to clarify that this applies to installing all Carrara content including:
Brushes:
http://www.daz3d.com/digitalpainters-3dpaint-brushes
Scenes:
http://www.daz3d.com/country-lane-2
Plugins:
http://www.daz3d.com/advance-pack
Environments:
http://www.daz3d.com/hdr-prosets-monterey
Lights & Gels:
http://www.daz3d.com/cloud-nine-clouds-and-lights-bundle
http://www.daz3d.com/gel-master-pack-for-carrara
Objects:
http://www.daz3d.com/sub-mariner
Shaders:
http://www.daz3d.com/dp-carrara-master-collection-shaders
HI Superdog
yes, all of those would be installed into your carrara program folder
when Daz3d accepts a product,. it goes through testing and quality control to make sure it works and that it's files/folders are structured correctly for each application.
If you're just getting into Carrara,. I'd suggest that you take some time to explore the tools and functions in carrara, without any plugins first,. then,. if you need them, get whatever plugins you need. .. although,... that advanced plugin bundle is reasonably price right now.
It's your choice.
Also,. checkout Sparrowhawke3D for his free plugin pack
www.sparrowhawke3d.com
Thanks for clarifying that. I've been watching the Infinite Skills Carrara training videos and I'll take your advice about using Carrara for awhile longer before buying extra plugins. I might buy that Inagone if/when it goes on sale.
You can get the current plugins at inaoni.com. He dropped his prices to 50% (presumably to match his cut at the DAZ store), all except AchiTools, I think...
You can get the current plugins at inaoni.com. He dropped his prices to 50% (presumably to match his cut at the DAZ store), all except AchiTools, I think...
I worked out that it's still cheaper to buy them full price from DAZ. I think I'll wait until there's a sale.
One last question, if I install all the content into the Carrara 8 program folder will it be visible to the Carrara 8.5 BETA?
HI
Plug-ins are placed in the Extensions folder , which is specific to each application, so,. No, ..any plug-ins installed to C8 would only be available in C8.
You could install the plug-ins into both versions if you want to test them in the beta version.
There are normally different versions of the plug-ins available for each version of Carrara. EG: C6, C7, C8, 32bit , 64bit
One thing for European users.
Inagoni is European based and thus applies VAT (20% for French residents) to EU customers over the published priced. In the other hand, Daz, being US based, doesn't.
So, I bought Architools from DAZ and not Inagoni because of that.
I've installed my Carrara contents as suggested (into Carrara folder) including some HowieFawkes scenes but they're not showing up in Carrara 8.5. Where are they located?
HI Superdog
Installing products for Carrara, only installs the product into the version you're installing to,.
so,,the product will be a available in that version, ...but not in other versions,. since some product parts will be placed into program specific folders EG: leaves.
unlike Poser or Daz studio,. Carrara doesn't have a global location which any / all versions can use.
mainly because Carrara doesn't "Need" any content,... you can model, rig, texture, animate, and render your own.
C8.5 beta doesn't come with any content or scene wizards,. (which are part of the "Carrara Native Content installer")
It's supplied as the main program only,. for easier beta testing.
so, without the scene wizards, Products won't show up in "Presets", ....only in the browser.
You can either install into both application, or choose the program version you're using the most, and install to there.
Also,.. Carrara doesn't automatically scan your folders for any new products or folders, and auto add them to the content browser.
Mainly because there are different file types for Atmosphere's / Backgrounds / Objects / Shaders etc.. and each type should be added to different sections of the browser,.
So, sometimes when you install a new product,. you'll need to add it's folders to the browser manually.
Hope it helps
Do we still have to install the leaves inside the Carrara package on osX?
HI Holly, :)
No idea,. but if that's how it worked before, then it should still be the same. ....I should try to keep up on mac stuff more.
As for PC,.. any leaves need to be in the Data / plants folder, and the default leaves are in the Data/Plants/Leaves.
but you can create a sub folder inside the Data/Plants folder for plants and leaves if you're making a product.
I think It would be nice to have a central location for Carrara products, but I've no idea how easy, or difficult that would be to make happen.
Installing products for Carrara, only installs the product into the version you're installing to,.
so,,the product will be a available in that version, ...but not in other versions,. since some product parts will be placed into program specific folders EG: leaves.
unlike Poser or Daz studio,. Carrara doesn't have a global location which any / all versions can use.
mainly because Carrara doesn't "Need" any content,... you can model, rig, texture, animate, and render your own.
C8.5 beta doesn't come with any content or scene wizards,. (which are part of the "Carrara Native Content installer")
It's supplied as the main program only,. for easier beta testing.
so, without the scene wizards, Products won't show up in "Presets", ....only in the browser.
You can either install into both application, or choose the program version you're using the most, and install to there.
Also,.. Carrara doesn't automatically scan your folders for any new products or folders, and auto add them to the content browser.
Mainly because there are different file types for Atmosphere's / Backgrounds / Objects / Shaders etc.. and each type should be added to different sections of the browser,.
So, sometimes when you install a new product,. you'll need to add it's folders to the browser manually.
Hope it helps
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How do I go about adding folders to the browser manually? You mentioned each type should be added to different sections of the browser. I find installing products into carrara quite maddening ...at least until I learn how :)
Hi Kharma :)
You would add folders using the little icons at the right hand side of the browser. (see pic)
Normally, products will install into the correct folders,. so that it works,. and if you have the Scene wizards installed, (carrara native content)
then,. selecting "New Scene", will show an area where you can select and load the installed products
Some products, like shaders, brushes, lights, atmospheres, backgrounds,. etc... anything that's not a complete "Scene", then you may need to add those items manually,. EG: If they create a new folder,. and don't install to a folder which is already in Carrara's browser.
For example:
If you buy a "shader" product,. it can either be built to install into the existing "Shaders" folder, in which case it should show up in the browser automatically,.
Or,.
It could have been built to install the shaders into a new folder,. EG: developer name / product name / shaders.
The carrara browser has tabs for Scenes,. Objects, Shaders, and "Misc"
the Miscellaneous folder is where you'll find things which aren't Scenes, Objects, or Shaders,. and more often than not , you'll need to add products which have Atmospheres, Backgrounds, etc ...manually. to the Misc folder.
So, products with Scenes, Objects, Shaders all go into those main tabs,. but Atmosphere's (sky's) backgrounds (HDRIs') etc,. need to be added to the Misc tab,. and because the Misc tab can accept different types of items, there's a pop up panel when you add a folder,. where Carrara asks you what type of files,. eg: Atmospheres,. Backgrounds,. etc..
Hope that makes sense :)
...I just recently got Carrara 8.5 Pro installed and running. Now I'm at the point where I have a boatload of Carrara content to install from nearly all of Howie Farkes' sets to the Native Content, to the New Woodlands Kit. My system uses two drives, one smaller one (C:) for the system boot and applications, and a much larger (D:) one for the content runtimes/libraries.
I had thought I could install the content to a folder on the D: Drive and just point Carrara there but after reading several posts here am now confused. Does it, absolutely, positively, have to all go in the Carrara 8.5 folder on the smaller C: drive (which would take up a major portion of the available free space) so the application can find it?
With Poser, Daz Studio, Hexagon, and even the DIM, this setup works fine but from what I read, it seems that it will not be the case with Carrara.
And does my scene library also need to be on the C: drive as well? That could quickly fill up the remaining available space.
I don't install Carrara into the program files directory (PC user). I use C:\Daz 3D\Carrara85. I don't see any reason that you could not install the entire Carrara program onto your D drive.
Leaves and stuff like that have to go into the main Carrara directory. If you put scenes and other objects, you could open them up, but they would not show up as presets (AFAIK).
It may be possible to install to the D drive, but put the scratch disk on the C drive for faster performance. I don't have an SSD, so I never tried, but under preferences, it looks like you can specify the scratch disk directory.
ncamp
...apologies for the noob-ness, but what is a "scratch drive"?