Multiple copies of same products in separate Daz content libraries?
pctech4ny
Posts: 184
I'm wondering if it is possible to have multiple copies of the SAME product installed in separate content libraries at the same time?
What I mean is, if I use the Content Library pane instead of Smart Content, I have a content folder for every main site I get content from; one for Daz3D, one for Renderosity, one for ShareCG, etc. But only one copy of each product exists on the computer, in only ONE of the content folders.
So... what I was thinking is that if I had a big series of related projects that would use a common subset (possibly hundreds of assets) of all my content from different sites, would it be possible to make a new content folder named for example "MEGA PROJECT" and COPY (not move) all of the needed products into the new content folder?
Would this confuse Daz Studio at all if multiple copies of the same product existed in different content folders at the same time?
(It is getting quite tedious to try to remember which content folder contains a specific asset and any similar assets now that I have like 4000+ assets from a half-dozen sites. I end up wasting a lot of time looking for assets that I could be spending on scene building or rendering instead.)
Thanks for any advice.
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Comments
You must not move files in Content/Data/... or Content/Runtime/Textures/... The rest are pretty much fair game (if packaged correctly), you can move them where you want or make copies to different folders.
Why not just make custom categories for each mega project, with references to any product(s) in your libraries. You can make as many copies of the references as you want and move them around without restriction. Copying the assets themselves will probably lead to more confusion, for you and for CMS.
You mean something like in this thread?
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/290876/can-i-organize-files
Will do some more close reading of how to do that.
UPDATE: Seem to have figured it out. Began making new category tree for items to be used in custom project.
The Data and Runtime folders can be moved to another content directory - what you mustn't do is change the relative location within the content directory.
Yes, but prepare your approach ahead of time as to how to group the subsets. I have a separate tree next to the Default categories to keep them apart. Just right-click in the column under Default and select "Create a Sub-Category..." with an appropriate name. You can add layers under that to your heart's content. I do not recommend moving the actual content folders, that will bring you no end of grief if you ever want to uninstall or update any content.
How do you make a referance to a product, and how do you place the referance in the content folders of your own choice?
For Custom Categories, from the Content Library: if the product assets are all in one folder and its sub-folders, use the right-click "Create Category from..." options. (if scattered across many folders, you have to do one at a time). A category tree will pop up and you can select the parent category branch. If you want to do individual files, select them in the asset view, and right-click and select "Categorize..." You will get a different view of the category tree(s) where you can select oneor more categories where they will be included. You only need to select the end of the path, and you can create new sub-categories along the way. Or, just right-click and copy, then go to your custom category and paste. (this is not the same as the .djl links)
For Custom Categories from a Products view (all assets in one place): you can also "Create Category from...", but all assets will end up in the same category (you can move them later), or select individual items and right-click and "Categorize..." to put them where you want from the start. Sometimes it is hard to tell different files apart (like 3DL vs. Iray material presets if they have the same name and no identifying flashes or logos).
If you want to make links to files (.djl, Daz JSON Links), you copy the original asset in the Content Library, and paste it in another folder (not a category). This makes a .djl file with the path to the original asset. Studio handles it like the real thing.
Thanks for the explainations! When I have an asset in the viewport, in a scene, and I resave it to the folder of my choice - what is happening? Am I copying the actual file which is saved? Or is this a link? Or is it a reference? I don't want to end up with a dozen copies of a dress.
That's another beast. It won't save the entire geometry and textures again, but will save any modifications you made to the geometry, all poses, active morphs, surface settings, animation data (even if there is no animation, per se, most products have animatable parameters), and more (basically anything that has been changed from default values, I believe). Scene files can easily exceed 30 MB (uncompressed) with two clothed figures with hair, posed, with expressions, in an environment.
Saving assets is meant only for items/morphs one has made oneself, not just dialing in someone elses work. One can easily mess up the content library when saving dialed in changes as assets.
Sorry, I misunderstood the implications of that. Are you saving out the asset as a Support Asset -> Figure/Prop asset? That does indeed make a new copy. If you want to save a new preset because you changed the materials or the shape with existing morphs, you don't have to save a whole new version. Just save as, say, a Character Preset, or a Material Preset. Each of those "Save As.." choices has a different scope of parameters to work with.
Edit: ...and none of them save references or links. They save new files.