Need help Installing free content

Slms34

Hi. I haven't used Daz in a long time. I started using Daz 3 and realized there must be a newer version, so i looked and of course now there's Daz 4.
So I downloaded that. i see there is a content installer now. So I got all of my Daz items installed with that, but I am having trouble figuring out how to load my old Daz freebies. I used to have external Runtimes in Daz 3.
I looked under, C:\Program Files (x86)\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4 and can't find any folders named Runtime so I am wondering if there is new way of loading freebies from places like Redersosity.
I did download some new free stuff from Rederosity and went through the folders and those still have the Runtime structure so I'm lost.
I've been searching for quite a while but i can't find any help with installing freebies in Daz 4...only paid for Daz content.
Can anyone help me with this?

JimmyC_2009

Your DAZ Studio content folder has a Runtime folder inside it for Poser content, but you wont find any content in Program files, it is a protected area in Windows Vista and beyond.

Where did you install your DAZ 3D content into, using the DAZ Install Manager. If you used the default setting, you will find all of your content in C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library, and there will be a Runtime folder in there as well.

cecilia.robinson

Babu357, the simplest solution is to add so-called base directories to your current installment of DS. You do it this way: open DS; choose an action "Content Directory Manager" and then "Add base directory" from a little box with stripes that appears when you click on Content Library pane; click on "New" and add the base directory where your old stuff is (remember to do so both for DS files and Poser files; a restart is recommended. I'm listing a screenshot from DAZ Wikia to show it: http://wiki.daz3d.com/lib/exe/detail.php/artzone/azproduct/trismegistus/tris_cc_ds4_contentlibrary_contentdirectorymanager.jpg?id=artzone:pub:software:dazcontentconfiguration.

There are threads on that topic here: http://wiki.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/finding_loading_and_organizing_content/tutorials/mapping_directories/start and here: http://wiki.daz3d.com/doku.php/artzone/pub/software/dazcontentconfiguration. Regarding DIM, it's suggested to add the directory it creates (C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library like Jimmy told you) to your directory list. Also, content goes to Documents folder as with most applications, games, for instance.

Slms34

JimmyC_2009 said:

Your DAZ Studio content folder has a Runtime folder inside it for Poser content, but you wont find any content in Program files, it is a protected area in Windows Vista and beyond.

Where did you install your DAZ 3D content into, using the DAZ Install Manager. If you used the default setting, you will find all of your content in C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library, and there will be a Runtime folder in there as well.

Oh Wow that was quick, thanks.:)
I was close, I looked under My Documents.. only under "Valued customer ,"since that's where my Sms 3 stuff is. Didn't think to look under "Public". To be honest it's not as easy for me finding stuff with Windows 7 as it was in Windows XP.
And I don't know where the DAZ Install Manager put my Daz content . LOL I didn't choose the path, I just went into the installer and saw my stuff there so I clicked on it. *shrugs*

Babu357, the simplest solution is to add so-called base directories to your current installment of DS. You do it this way: open DS; choose an action "Content Directory Manager" and then "Add base directory" from a little box with stripes that appears when you click on Content Library pane; click on "New" and add the base directory where your old stuff is (remember to do so both for DS files and Poser files; a restart is recommended. I'm listing a screenshot from DAZ Wikia to show it: http://wiki.daz3d.com/lib/exe/detail.php/artzone/azproduct/trismegistus/tris_cc_ds4_contentlibrary_contentdirectorymanager.jpg?id=artzone:pub:software:dazcontentconfiguration.

There are threads on that topic here: http://wiki.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/finding_loading_and_organizing_content/tutorials/mapping_directories/start and here: http://wiki.daz3d.com/doku.php/artzone/pub/software/dazcontentconfiguration. Regarding DIM, it's suggested to add the directory it creates (C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library like Jimmy told you) to your directory list. Also, content goes to Documents folder as with most applications, games, for instance.

Again, fast, thanks. ;)
I followed the directions and got my stuff showing up..well most of it. LOL The one thing that bothers me is that all it shows up in different categories. Like Poser; Daz; Other .
In Daz 3 I was able to set it up so that I just had all of my free content under ALL RUN's and then it had all of the categories like Animals etc in sub folders. It was a lot simpler to find things, but then again it took a lot of work to get it like that.
I guess I'll work on getting this set up better, but for now it'll do fine.
thanks Again! Both of you.
Babu

cecilia.robinson

Babu, I agree customizing runtimes is difficult, but there are several nice tutorials on this. I suggest browsing SnowSultan's tutorial page first, then checking out FAQ in DAZ Wikia. I really hope this helps!

sriesch

babu357 said:

The one thing that bothers me is that all it shows up in different categories. Like Poser; Daz; Other .
In Daz 3 I was able to set it up so that I just had all of my free content under ALL RUN's and then it had all of the categories like Animals etc in sub folders.

You can still have all your content in one spot. In DS 4.x, you want to look in the Categories folder, and you can create your own subcategories and move stuff around in here.
The DAZ Studio Formats, Poser Formats, Other Imported Formats, and Products folders are alternate ways of viewing some of your content, so you can look at your content in one of these ways, or in your own customized Categories folder.
When you first add new content, it will either show up under Categories > Default > Unassigned (this is where your free content will probably be found) or if it's DAZ store content it will be automatically categorized somewhere within Categories > Default.
Once you have found your new content, you can categorize it the same way you did in DS 3.x. (within the Categories folder, and with the exception of the special Default folder.)

Jaderail

As just pointed out, Categories are still in DS. You just can not set DS to auto use the Category View as you could in DS3. I miss that one myself.

EDIT: That feature has been requested for DS5. I hope it gets added.

Slms34

Sean Riesch said:

babu357 said:

The one thing that bothers me is that all it shows up in different categories. Like Poser; Daz; Other .
In Daz 3 I was able to set it up so that I just had all of my free content under ALL RUN's and then it had all of the categories like Animals etc in sub folders.

You can still have all your content in one spot. In DS 4.x, you want to look in the Categories folder, and you can create your own subcategories and move stuff around in here.
The DAZ Studio Formats, Poser Formats, Other Imported Formats, and Products folders are alternate ways of viewing some of your content, so you can look at your content in one of these ways, or in your own customized Categories folder.
When you first add new content, it will either show up under Categories > Default > Unassigned (this is where your free content will probably be found) or if it's DAZ store content it will be automatically categorized somewhere within Categories > Default.
Once you have found your new content, you can categorize it the same way you did in DS 3.x. (within the Categories folder, and with the exception of the special Default folder.)
HI. I know I haven't been back to this subject in a while but I just started getting back to work on my project and so I'm looking for help again with categories.
I can see my DAZ store content under Categories/Default/, and my Free Custom Content, under Categories/Default/Unassigned as you said. But although I can see the names of my content names in folders under Default/Unassigned, I do not see them in the Content LIbrary viewing panel. And the folders are light grey not white as the folders with the store content.
It's all so out of order I can't seem to find what I need. Every once in a while I'll run across something and a picture box shows up in the viewing panel but there's an exclamation mark where the picture of the content should be. If I click it I just get an error message, that says thee file does not exist??
The more I look through the folders the more confused I get.
Is there any place that has a tut on how to understand the folder system and how to install custom Content, and organize your categories.
I am basically back to being a noob with Daz 4.
I can set up my ALL RUNS fine. If fact all of my content is already in my ALL RUNS from Daz 3.
I'm wondering if I were to forget my ALL RUNS and just add each item separately again. A real pain in the butt but maybe that's the only way to get things set up right...:(

sriesch

babu357 said:

But although I can see the names of my content names in folders under Default/Unassigned, I do not see them in the Content LIbrary viewing panel.
There appears to be a bug in DS where often your content thumbnails simply aren't displayed in that pane when you select a category above, however if you click the mouse in the empty space where they are supposed to be, they magically appear. Try that any time you encounter an "empty" category that you believe should not be empty. Annoying, I know. However, I'm going to bet that isn't actually the problem you are seeing at this exact moment (but you should still know, since it is an issue plus it could be adding to your current confusion if you really are seeing it happen right now.)

babu357 said:

And the folders are light grey not white as the folders with the store content.
I don't remember what the folder icons represent, however I also have some that look different than the store content, but don't have issues with that content, so I wouldn't worry about that at this exact second.

Every once in a while I'll run across something and a picture box shows up in the viewing panel but there's an exclamation mark where the picture of the content should be. If I click it I just get an error message, that says thee file does not exist??

If the actual files on disk that compose your content are deleted or moved, or I think if your content mapping to them is deleted, this will happen, becauase the icon in the database is just pointing to the (now missing/moved) files.

I can set up my ALL RUNS fine. If fact all of my content is already in my ALL RUNS from Daz 3.
I'm wondering if I were to forget my ALL RUNS and just add each item separately again. A real pain in the butt but maybe that's the only way to get things set up right...:( I don't know what you are referring to with the phrase "ALL RUNS". A screenshot might help.

It might also help to get you started by picking a single item of content that you believe should be there, or that was and is now missing, and see if we can find out why that item isn't beeing identified.

Slms34

Sean Riesch said:

There appears to be a bug in DS where often your content thumbnails simply aren't displayed in that pane when you select a category above, however if you click the mouse in the empty space where they are supposed to be, they magically appear. Try that any time you encounter an "empty" category that you believe should not be empty. Annoying, I know. However, I'm going to bet that isn't actually the problem you are seeing at this exact moment (but you should still know, since it is an issue plus it could be adding to your current confusion if you really are seeing it happen right now.)

OH wow that's weird. thanks for the tip though!:)

Sean Riesch said:

If the actual files on disk that compose your content are deleted or moved, or I think if your content mapping to them is deleted, this will happen, because the icon in the database is just pointing to the (now missing/moved) files.

Yeah that happened sometimes in DAZ 3 now that I remember ..don't understand it cause I never moved my files ...:(

I don't know what you are referring to with the phrase "ALL RUNS". A screenshot might help.
Oh I'm sorry I forgot myself. I forgot that everyone doesn't have their content folders set up the same way. LOL
It's the place where I keep all of my runtime files in categories. That way when I need to load them I go to my ALL RUNS file and pick the category and that way load, all of my Backgrounds at once, all of my Clothing at once. etc..since they're all in one place.I learned it in a tut someplace although I can't remember where. And I don't remember why they'r e called ALL RUNS, but It's been very helpful in the past.

So after this complaining. I was fooling around in DAZ and I right clicked on the Poser Formats heading and then clicked on "add runtime directory". So I was then able to go to my ALL RUNS and add each category one by one..Annimals , figures etc. So everything is loaded now.
Can't believe it!
I felt so lost a few hours ago. LOL

Thank you for all of your help..Let's hope I have it right this time..;)