Genesis-only Categorization & File Organization

Mythmaker

After Daz Install Manager hiccups, I stop buying new content from the store to learn Daz content filing and navigation fundamentals. It seems my confusion about finding and saving content is shared by many typical non-Poser, Daz-only Genesis-onwards users. My system is Win64 Dell Precision.

Finding the right Daz tuts is hard enough, finding information specific to Genesis-only users is harder. 90% of Forum/Google/Youtube search fetched Gen3 or Gen4 or Poser-related or Daz3 discussions. New users suffer irrelevant-info-overload.

What is relatively clear to me now (do correct me if I’m wrong)

- Poser format directory and installation files should be ignored by Genesis-only 4.5+ generation users like me, to avoid confusion
- DIM prefers to install to a fresh empty directory. Non C drive is OK.
- I should not merge typical My Library with DIM install path My Daz 3D Library. Just learn to live with multiple directories plus those (Poser format/Products) I don’t use.
- I can add subfolders to both My Library or My Daz 3D Library. It won’t confuse Daz 5.0 or DIM 2.0 in the future. But I must do it from an opened Daz, not from Windows Explorer.
- Don’t touch/alter things inside Data and Runtime. But it’s OK to add subfolders, such as Runtime/textures/Tori_acne/. OR Runtime/TextureAtlas/V5_singlemap.
- If I want to sort and find files my way in Content Library - for example since I only use Genesis onwards I want Genesis to be top hierachy for faster access - it’s better to go the route of Categories>Default>Create SubCategory (My Actors), and not Daz Studio format>Create a folder called My Actors.
- Newly installed purchased items will always appear in Categories: Default: Unassigned, or Vendor-assigned Categories. It’s up to me to right-click re-categorize them according to my own context and logic.
- As long as I diligently save new props - assign content type and category, make it Genesis compatible when saving, it will always appear under Smart Content:Genesis.

What is still unclear...

- If I entered metadata when saving props, do I still need to export/update something to let Daz know about this new metadata before exiting?
- If I created a new “actor personality” with his own new GoZ morph, which format do I save to? Will it be different from a unisex partial-body morph to be used for other Genesis? What’s the difference saving to Shaping Preset, Character Preset, Figure Asset, or Morph Asset?
- What’s the difference between Shader Presets and Shaders under Categories/Smart Content?

Is there anything I need to know about saving my own custom assets/presets that could prevent future Daz 5.0 upgrade confusion?

Amazing if you reach this part. Thank you for your patience!