It is VERY difficult to figure out how to install plugins

Toothtail

I just got a new computer an am reliving the horror that is trying to figure out how to install plugins again. :( The documentation is as hard to navigate as I remember and I wonder if anyone here can help me.

In particular, I'm trying to reinstall pwtoon. The item does not show up under my account --> serial numbers, even though it is in the product library. I can't find the serial number, and even if I couldn't I can't figure out where I would put the darn thing. I installed the daz install manager to manually install it, but after restarting, it still isn't in my plugins list.

Within the app, under Installed plugins, I see I have a number of them pre-installed, but not this particular one. 

I remember having this exact problem last time, and can't remember where I found the answer. Does someone have a link to step-by-step instructions for the latest version of DAZ?

Thanks a bunch.

 

 

TDBAGZ

Install with Install Manager.

Note that Poser stuff will only be in the Poser Format section, and some lights and (RSL) shaders on older products only work in 3Delight not Iray.

IF it requires a Serial Number than it should be listed on your account serials, of your daz account page. The Serial would then need to be put under menu "Help/About Installed Plugins/Plugin Name" to activate it and usually requires a studio restart.

If that all fails you can "Manually Install" (download) the ZIP file and then open with 7zip or extract files and see if there's a Read Me or other User Manual file to aid with installing that particular product.

  

NorthOf45

First, there is no serial number required for pwToon, it is a shader, not a plugin, so it will not be in the list of plugins. Installing with DAZ Install Manager has not changed, although there is the option to install with DAZ Connect (if you have never done that, or don't know what it is, stick with DIM for now). There are two versions of pwToon (for DAZ Studio 3 and DAZ Studio 4), so make sure you install the correct one. If you are setting up a new system, ensure that DIM and DAZ Studio are properly configured. DIM needs to know where to install things, and Studio needs to know where to look for it. I believe the default settings for all that will work. Let's assume for the moment that it is.

Installing with DIM gives you the ability to track down the location of the installed products if you can't find them. From the "Installed" tab, find the pwToon product (just type pwtoon in the filter box if you have a long list). Right-click on it and select "Show Installed Files..." The popup list will show you the location of all the files included in the product. The content you will be using (so-called "User-Facing files") will be listed in the first section (Content). Not all files are visible in the Content Library, but in this case, the shader itself will be under "DAZ Studio Formats/[your Library]/Shader Presets/pwToon_DS4" and an assortment of presets under "Shader Presets/pwToon_DS4/pwToon Resources".

Does your system correspond with this, so far?

Toothtail

Thanks for the help! 

First, there is no serial number required for pwToon, it is a shader, not a plugin, so it will not be in the list of plugins.

THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!! It says DAZ studio plugin on the bottom left image displayed on the store page, so I thought it was a plugin! Thanks for the help!!

SpottedKitty

The definitions are a little fuzzy, and it doesn't help that we've all been a bit inconsistent over the years with what we call things. There are two types of plugins; one is self-contained with all its files in your content folder. The other type also needs support files installed to the DAZ|Studio program folder. Both types might or might not need a password to activate it. And it isn't always obvious which is which.

Richard Haseltine

SpottedKitty said:

The definitions are a little fuzzy, and it doesn't help that we've all been a bit inconsistent over the years with what we call things. There are two types of plugins; one is self-contained with all its files in your content folder. The other type also needs support files installed to the DAZ|Studio program folder. Both types might or might not need a password to activate it. And it isn't always obvious which is which.

Any plug-in, by definition, goes to the application folder. Shaders and scripts may place files in the application folder, and older shaders almost certainly will. It's not really that the terms themselves lack definition - though there was a shift in whether the base presets for applying shaders went in Shaders or Shader Presets in the Content pane back a ways - it is, however, true that they have been used incorrectly in many cases.

fred1554

Installing plugins  and content manually

Download the zip/rar file and unzip.

If there is a 'content' or 'my library' directory, copy and paste the contents of that directory to your 'content' directory (along with runtime and data directories)

If there is a, xxx.dil file copy and paste it into  C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\plugins

Restart DAZ.

To be safe got to the Content Library tab, click the menu icon (top left) and 'scan known directories or files' the content will now show in the library tab

Got to top menu, Help >> About Installed Plugins, the xxx.dll will show here as a plugin

I find this easier than messing with content managers etc. because I don't know what they are doing. By doing it manually you have full control and can reverse it if required.