Totally Redoing Content And Learning How Files Are Setup
First, for months and months I have dealt with "corrupted database" over and over- I had NO problems with version 4.5 and I have manually installed for a year. But so far as looking at the STRUCTURE of how things are organized, it wasn't necessary as the files SUPPOSEDLY went where they were supposed to go (extract and put in My Library.)
I am customizing my studio and will have a lot of questions. First of all, remember I am not a technical person. I don' t know what makes what show up where. So I will ask specific questions as I go through and check and see what isn't working- I brought back in My Library from my external hard drive, but NOT my content management service as my smart content constantly disappeared, the CMS stopped working, etc. I am only using Content Library. (I repeat- I am only using Content Library. If Smart Content works, fine, but that's not my emphasis.)
Hopefully this will help others understand what the setup is and why. I will be asking about specific situations and general setup.
What I have done is create a folder for the downloads so I can open the folder and see what files are there and learn what is "typical."
I did that with Gigantoraptor and painstakingly put each file manually where it said to put them. So files did NOT load erroneously to where they were supposed to be. The reason I did that is see #1.
First, all these relate to CONTENT LIBRARY.
Let's just do one situation first- (and thanks in advance.)
1. Why in Daz Studio Formats>My Library>Animals>Daz Dinosaurs>Gigantoraptor does that exist, if it doesn't pull anything up? Nothing happens when it is clicked on. It works for the Poser Formats>My Library>Figures>Daz Dinosaurs
If I click on it in the Daz Studio Formats and choose delete, it states "...all files and subfolders it contains will be deleted permanently." DOES THAT MEAN IN THE POSER FORMAT SECTION TOO?
2. On my computer in the My Library files, how do I tell what is going to appear in the Daz Studio Formats, vs the Poser Format section? I need some help with file extensions if that is what determines that.
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My Victoria 4 stopped showing up after I reinstalled the studio, and I was curious as to why the files have !Daz. What is with the question mark? (And it isn't an error on my end, I just downloaded Victoria 4 into my folder to look at all the files, and it is labeled that way from the manual install. I haven't moved or done anything with the files yet other than extract to this folder to look at them) I would think an ! means an error.
Next, when checking V4, I found in Runtime>Geometries, that my DAZ PEOPLE had disappeared. So that was one problem. So got that moved to there.
Now, why when I click on the Runtime>Geometries in my folder (I will call it my check it out folder, meaning it has been brought there for examination before I manually move the files) is there Null.obj when I click on the word Geometries? Am I supposed to actually drag that onto the word Geometries down in Runtime? Or can I delete the Null.obj reference?
Still on Victoria 4-
Under Runtime>Libraries>!Daz
1. Do I need / what is
DazCreateExPFiles.app>Contents>Frameworks>Python Framework>Versions>2.5>Resources
2. Do I need MacOS file if I am on a personal pc?
3. Then in that same section it says Resources>lib>Python 2.5 so do I need that?
4. What is all this stuff about Python 2.5?
No, the two folders are separate.
Let's say your content folder is named "My Library". Any folders under My Library EXCEPT Data, Runtime, and ReadMe's will show up under DAZ Studio Formats. The files shown will be ones ending in .duf, .dsf, .dAZ, .ds, .dsa, .dsb, or .dse
Poser Formats will only show folders in one of these specific trees:
Runtime/Libraries/Character
Runtime/Libraries/Camera
Runtime/Libraries/Face
Runtime/Libraries/Hair
Runtime/Libraries/Hand
Runtime/Libraries/Light
Runtime/Libraries/Pose
Runtime/Libraries/Props
Runtime/Libraries/Materials
Runtime/Libraries/Scene
and only files in Poser formats: .cr2, .crz, .cm2, .cmz, etc.
Any folders other than the 10 named above in Runtime are support folders -- the !DAZ folder has morph data for the DAZ figures.
Everything under Runtime/Geometries is not meant to be manipulated directly -- it's the geometry data for Poser items. Don't touch anything there -- the paths are hard-wired into the Poser format files and DS won't be able to find them if they are moved.
The .app file is the Mac version of the Windows .exe -- you don't need it for Windows, nor do you need the MacOSX folder
Python is the scripting language Poser uses, not needed for DS.
Thank you- it's 1:30am so I have to get some zzzz's. As I wade through tomorrow I'll continue asking. It really means a lot to have your help. :)
From what you have said, I am going to move that null.obj down on top of the word Geometries, to keep it the same way as it was setup in my installation folder where I am reviewing stuff. I'll keep it exactly as it was.
All the zips have the folders and files set up where they should be (there have been a few broken ones but they have been reported and either fixed or being fixed), don't move anything, just extract everything inside the "Content" folder. DIM is the best way for new users to download content as it has filters to screen for only the zip files needed for the program(s) the user has. DIM is also the best way to install as it ignores the "Content" folder and knows where plug-in should go for specified programs.
Some of your problems with Victoria 4 and all the generation 4 figures is they need to be initialized, the DzCreateExP files in the !DAZ folder. The old installer ran the initializers aotumatically as does DIM if CMS is running. Since CMS isn't running you have to do it manually.
I do have the CMS, I just didn't use my old one, I started from scratch with the fresh install.With DIM, when organizing your content, DIM is going to put the files where it wants to (just like when manually doing it, you lug it to MyLibrary and they scatter from there) and I'm trying to customize my setup. My Smart Content is running (parts of it anyway.) Thanks for explaining the DzCreate thing. :)
I did this little rundown of the runtime and daz structure a bit ago.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/29951/
think it might help in figuring out the basics.
I personally don't use the CMS after upgrading to 4.6 freakin cms wouldn't reimport. 3 months of work down the hole.
Been relaying out everything similar to how i had it in cms, but on a folder basis.
Sitting at about 70-80 runtimes and then the daz folders.
I'm actually converting many of my runtime items over to daz type via material preset, or other options(deprecated).
time consuming, but a lot of content i have is not setup for daz, just poser, so some conversion and adapting had to happen any way.
When some says "mapped to" what exactly does that mean?
When ever you add a runtime to your Content library, through content manager(right click on content tab>Content directory manager>select daz studio formats or poser formats>add(its on the left)
you are "mapping" the path to the selected directory.
Sorry used to that term from too many years of staring at computer files.
Basically this
C:\whobbly goslin\Beercheese\runtime\Libraries\character
When you add a runtime, in this case the Beercheese, that is the "mapped" directory.
Poser and daz can see everything in a runtime, as long as the Parent(onelevel above) is "mapped"
Hope that makes sense if it don't just drop a line and i'll clarify.
Guess i'll go back and rewrite that thing again.
LOL, it's not just you- EVERYONE says "mapped to this, mapped to that" and no one yet has bothered to explain what that is. But everyone is trying to help so it's not an issue at all.
One thing I might suggest- For this-
"There is one last thing to keep in mind. Uninstallers usually don’t work after this kind of customization. so you’ll have to manually uninstall the content. That is where the readme’s come in, as most have a file list."
A much faster thing to do is simply go to My Library in C Directory and make sure My Library is selected. Type the product in the search textbox at the top of the page, and all of it's files come up, select them and delete. Very fast. That works if you have an unusual product, but not for main figures (you don't want to delete everything that says Victoria 4! ) But for Zuniceratops or Gigantoraptor, piece of cake :)
What I am finding is that I have a Libraries under Libraries. I didn't do that, don't know how it got that way, but I would suggest that if people can't find something, first go to Runtime and see if you have that setup. I double checked and it was a duplicate, every file in one was also in the other.
That works for the user-facing files, but you also need to remove the supporting files (although since those will have stayed in their default locations, they'll be easier to find).
well the find and delete thing works, until you have multiple files with the same name but different directories.
Many a content creator uses the same name for items, but because they are in different directories they don't get "called" by the cr2 or daX/duf file.
for instance:
geometries\funky\sword.obj
geometries\goober\sword.obj
Same file name, different directory.
literally i have 200+ sword.obj, and a few thousand Reflect.jpg files.
Some time the Libraries under Libraries is a screwup in the installation.
You might be able to move the folder within the lower Libraries folder up to the Higher Libraries folder.
Somtimes a content creator gets their setup weird and you have to leave it alone because some of the references in the CR2 are actually written to show something like
C:\wobbly goslin\beercheese\runtime\libraries\libraries\texture.
Usually it comes from freebies i've picked up from Sharecg or elsewhere on the latter one.
I have had a couple of older items from daz do that, but they were the old installers.
I've spent months cleaning up some of the insanity like this.
I think the textures folder is the worst.
You'll literally have a textures directory outside of the runtime, and sub directories inside the textures folder, such as runtime\textures\textures, or runtime\texture.
What are user-facing files vs supporting files?
What is bugging me is the files missing. I haven't deleted anything or moved anything with Ananmesis, for example. I went to the ReadMes and the product lists, and some of the files listed there are gone. The two obj files in geometry! So basically I've decided to just test items in Content Library, when they dont work I am just doing two installs- one the regular way by extracting/putting in My Library, the other is to put a copy in my separate folder so I can take a peek and see what just got brought in, where it went.
You folks have been a big help. I think I'll just "create a product" and "categorize" what I've got and test and see what is working and what isn't. If it isn't I'll just reinstall instead of trying to check it file by file to try and understand it. Just don't have time. THANK YOU!!!!
A user-facing file is one that you, as a user, would directly see and use. Presumably something you can double-click on in your Content LIbrary pane. The other files are ones that you don't directly access yourself, but still get used by DS in some way in the background when working with one of the user-facing files.
Something to think about: there are some disadvantages with having multiple runtimes, but one advantage is if a few (but not all) products' folders get all messed-up, you can just delete the entire folder and re-run the installer to painlessly fix whatever unknown things went wrong with it. Of course if everything is messed up you're still out of luck.
It sounds like something did go wrong for you, but note that some products might not have all the files in the expected locations, or even at all. Sometimes products are mispackaged, although it might not be immediately obvious (missing readmes or materials, or files or folders at the wrong level. So you might not be able to fix everything that seems to be wrong, and some products may have been updated with fixes since you originally installed. I also find lots of free products are broken, although if you have the time, knowledge and interest, sometimes you can shuffle files around and fix them. I also find that I regularly unzip things into the wrong folder without realizing it, which, if I used a single runtime, could goof up other products or at the very least make it impossible to sort out what's what (another reason multiple runtimes, one per product, can be useful.) I have also caught myself bumping the mouse or keyboard and accidentally moving a huge number of files at once in Windows with whatever button combination I managed to hit; some freak thing like that could have happened.
to answer the question in a more technical version
User facing files are
DSx/DUF for daz, but they will have a PNG, and not be located in the Data folder.
For poser FIles
they are
CM2
CR2
FC2
HR2
HD2
:LT2
mt5 and mc6 .
PZ2
PP2
PZ3
and they will have either a png image or an RSR file(the rsr is effectively a png, just of really old stuff).
basically it's the stuff ya click on.
As far as "missing" files, like sean said, sometimes the content creator messes something up when packaging.
I've literally found the obj files a couple directories below where they are supposed to be.
It was mainly due to a typo somewhere.
If the product is still working, i wouldn't worry about it too much.
If you want to Really find out where lost files might be, or where a messed up Cr2 thinks they should, get a copy of Notepad++(freeware). and just openthe cr2(or other) with it.(right click>edit with Notepad++)
Or you can use notepad. I prefer the notpad++as I can have files open side by side.
ONe i'm editing, and the original.
You'll want to leave most stuff alone, the main things are OBJ, JPG, PNG, and the file types above.
Do a "find all" and it'll let you find every one of em in the file.
I've had to do some of that to correct the layout problems and save myself a headache in the future.
Just be sure to update the zip file with the new version.
and resave.
do not for any reason, mess with anything other than the file types and file locations within a cr2 or other format above.
you can completely break it and have to reinstall the file.