Contents in the Smart Panel keep disappearing
This is becoming really frustrating - when I open DS everything is fine. But as I work on the scene, going back and forth between the Scene and Content tab (on the right), the panel on the left goes empty.
I've restarted DS 6 times today just to get it back. I've also relaunched the CSM 4 times today but it's only a matter of time before it happens again.
Has anyone else experienced this? I didn't have this issue before I upgraded with the latest version.
I'm on a Mac and it has plenty of memory.
Thanks
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This sounds like 'Content Management Service' (CMS) is having some kind of, "Difficulty".
I have not experienced that exactly, and I am on a PC, 'Calculator'. I hope some one else has a good suggestion, or it is the update. I have Hefty warnings about just "Arbitrarily" flushing and rebuilding the CMS database. To say the least, it may not be your "issue".
We don't want all of your personal saved stuff disappearing from that 'smart tab' without at least an explanation of how to get it back in that tab after the flush.
The Smart Content pane is context sensitive. It will show you items which are compatible with selected objects, and it's important to note that adding items often selects it by default. As an example, selecting the Genesis figure will give you wardrobe and material options designed for use with Genesis.
If you select an object which has no compatible items, the smart content pane will not list any items. You can choose 'Clear selection in the right click menu' to remove your currently selected items which will give you the full default Smart Content listing.
The intention behind this is so you don't need to trawl through tons of content to find the items which are compatible with a specific model. For people like myself who have thousands of items in their runtime, this can be a real time-saver.
Actually, what happens when the content becomes invisible is that it won't let me make a selection either. It's like the content pane goes invisible and becomes unresponsive. It crashes and I have to restart DS. Sometimes when I click on an object, the headings are visible for a second.
There is a Refreash issue on the Bottom Pane or Icon view some times, that is a Graphic card thing some times. I must just click in the empty view for it to refresh on my PC. I'm not sure if that is your issue.
If the CMS is fully turning OFF when DAZ Studio has been open after some time that tells me another Service Process on your PC is running in the Background and closing the CMS to use that Port for itself. If that is happening you will need to set the CMS Service as Allowed in what ever program is shutting it down. That could be the Anti Virus you run or even a System Operating Process, once set to allowed the shut down should stop.
EDIT: After reading more above it sounds like you have more than just a CMS issue here. A Stopped CMS should not crash DAZ Studio.
Jaderail, the CMS is running the whole time. It's as if the entire pane is disabled - nothing shows up until I restart DS. This problem seems to happen when I switch back and forth from the Scene view. I could work my way around it but not all content shows up in the Content library. I don't want to mess around with the CMS - I don't that's the issue. DS doesn't crash but if I want my Pane populated I have to restart.
It's a mystery...
That one is odd, not seen that one before... Have you sent a Support Ticket and supplied the information about your System and that error description? If not please do so.
I haven't done so yet, Jaderail. I always look to you guys first. But I'll do that now.
Thanks to everyone!
:-)
Like sinfany, I also have been having this problem with database contents disappearing not only from Smart Content panel but also from the Products and Catagories section of the Content Library. Even after deleting the CMS database files and going thru the database restoration process (Re-import Metadata, etc) several times, It still keeps disappearing shortly after, while I am setting up a basic scene.
Before this Studio update - 4.6.2.120, I had problems with CMS stopping after loading Studio. And had apparently corrupted database files. That is not happenning now. Task Manager (Win 7, 64 bit) shows that CMS is still running, but nothing in Products or Catagories.
Also, sometimes content will disappear from the Content Library (DAZ or Poser sections) when I go up or down in the hierarchy searching for clothes or hair or a prop to add to the scene. The subfolders show up but nothing in them. Sometimes it seems to be just a delay in the database updating the content window as the content eventually shows up after 3 or 4 minutes after clicking on other folders to see if anything is there, which it isn't until waiting a long time or clicking to a folder that shows something there. A delay in accessing content is understandable with 36 Gig of content but it wasn't behaving that way before the update.
So I don't know if this is due to a bug in Studio or CMS or what but it is sucking up my time trying to figure it out and I'm not getting any work done. While I don't generaly use Smart Content, the Categories section is useful in organizing my custom preset poses and shapes, so I don't waste time seaching thru the Library for what I want to use. Hopefully this issue can soon be resolved for me and all the other people dealing with it.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
RainbowArtist. I thought the delay exactly as you describe was my lack of ram, or XP32bit.
I hope it resolved soon. The delay for things to appear is worse for someone that doesn't even know where Daz Studio is saving some presets and stuff. I look in a folder, see it empty, and assume it must be some where else.
Keep in mind folks each change to your Viewport in the Content area involves much more than just the CMS database. It runs in orderly steps that must complete to display the proper information.
First the Full Database is scanned hunting the flags for the area that has been called, be that a set of items or many items that meet the requirements such as Actors.
The Flagged items then go to a temp list and the proper files and file links gathered.
The Program is then populated in the proper pane with the file link information, so a click loads the item from the proper path.
Then the graphic is generated in the OpenGL viewport from the supplied image information for just the flagged items from a Image temp file
Then pop the Pane fills in as the OpenGL ram is populated.
And yes that all should run smooth and seamless. But PC factors do creep in to the equation as time. First is Speed of File read from the storage medium, for most of us that is the Hard Drive. Second is OS free Ram and Ram speed, all used to hold information as the temp files are created and stored either in RAM or on Drive as a file, file again requiring HD read and write time. Next is Size of the Database, the larger the Database the more time is needed to check for all flagged items. Next is Size of returned information to be displayed, keep the free RAM and or Disk read writes in mind here folks, even RAM has a speed rating. Then both Temp files are sent to the proper parts of the OS, one the Links so a click on the Icon reads the correct file paths and the other to the Graphic card for that Icon to populate the Pane. So the PC is involved just as much in the Speed here as the CMS itself. Things like Low Ram, Fragmented Ram require Time to build a new file as the correct size RAM block must be created either in Ram or Vram, If your HD has a auto Sleep mode the Drive must spin up for the read and writes, and the Graphic card is going to create a Swap file to go back the the last display even if the swap file is never called.
Combine enough of these Time bottle necks and you get a Pause or even longer before a update. I'm not defending the CMS just explaining that often people do not take into consideration the reasons some things are seen on their Systems. Even length of time a PC has been running and other actions, programs run, before DAZ Studio was opened can effect the performance from Boot of DAZ Studio to Boot of DAZ Studio.
Thanks for the explanation, Jaderail.
I've gone through the procedure of reloading the CMS, as instructed, but nowhere does it say how long to wait for it to complete the task - no pop-up windows appear to let me know its progress. What makes me nuts is that even after shutting down the computer for the night and no other programs running, it still happens. In any case, I do have a support ticket and am eagerly awaiting their response.
Yes, Jaderail, thanks for illuminating the process of how Studio deals with the database, & for all your other helpful posts.
It is good to have a better understanding of how things work.
The screen window refresh delay is not that big a deal actually, considering the large database size. Even with fast CPUs and lots of RAM it still takes some time to process all the file access links & 3D calculations involved.
However, that doesn't explain what is causing the CMS OR Studio's database to KEEP GETTING MESSED UP AFTER IT IS RESTORED OVER AND OVER.
As it is happening on MAC & Windows PCs, it seems unlikely to be an OS or memory or graphic card issue.
Whatever the cause, I hope the DAZ software wizards can resolve this soon, so we can get back to enjoying this wonderful 3D software for creating visual magic!. :coolsmirk:
Encouraging news. :lol:
After reading the posts about the new features added to the latest Beta version of DS -4.6.3. I feel much better. Looks like database problems we have been having will go away as soon as we get the next Public release.
DAZ is replacing the current database engine with a different one that performs a whole lot better and more reliably. Plus some nifty new features are added !
Looking foward to the next public release !!! :cheese:
Well as for Databases let me say this up front. I hate Databases, I've avoided Databases as much as possible in my 30+ years of PC use for one simple reason. Databases Crash, you can do everything perfectly right and they will crash. One simple hicup in any step during a databases write, Anything At All, and BOOM down comes the whole house of cards. God forbid bad data gets entered!! Then its worse.
That Said, I will say I applaud DAZ 3D for moving to a new Database version starting with the Newest DAZ Studio Beta. I find it to be a much more stable database than the version we have been using up till now. It can be read about in the Beta post in DAZ Studio Discussion.
I am already using the Beta Version and Find it very stable.
Has the Beta version been released yet? Tech support had no help to offer except to send links to the Beta specs.
In the meantime.... restarting DS several times a day...UGH...
This one http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/40142/ ?
Yep, that's the link. I upgraded to some version not that long ago. Is the Beta version available for download? I'm finding all this very confusing...
The beta is available, but it needs to be installed with the DAZ Install Manager and you will probably need to enable Public Beta in the filters to see it.
That's good news - but you lost me with the "enable Public Beta in the filters".
I checked the "Public" in the DIM but no updates showed up
In DIM, click Download Filters to the left above the fiel list in the Ready to Download tab, then make sure that Public Build is checked in the list that opens and click Accept.
I did, Richard but it isn't there.
How long ago did they release the Beta version? It occurrs to me that I downloaded that one and my troubles began soon after.
Help>About DAZ Studio and look at the top-left of the splash screen to see which version you are currently running.
After some reading and hunting I think I finally figured it out and - fingers crossed - will have a happier day!
Thanks for all the helpful feedback!
:-)