What In DS Can I Safely Delete?

Prince Wao

This is related to my other question about running out of C Drive space. I noticed some time ago that when I copy and paste Daz Library Content into a custom folder that I can't later delete the content of that folder as the original package also deletes, so I'm concerned that if I delete items from Poser Formats: My Library that the DS packages will also vanish. Thus what in DS can I safely delete?

Richard Haseltine

Delete or uninstall? And if delete, using the operating system tools or within DS?

Prince Wao

Uninstall or delete, though I have a lot in the Poser files I have no use for so deleting is preferable. Re the custom folder content (ie: everything in the folder) I used the DS delete, only to find that the original files also deleted.

Richard Haseltine

Uninstall and delete are different, deleting will not remove associated files (such as geometry and textures) and so won't save that much space. I'm not clear on what you are doing or seeing when you delete the custom folder content and lose the originals too.

Prince Wao

Richard Haseltine said:

Uninstall and delete are different, deleting will not remove associated files (such as geometry and textures) and so won't save that much space. I'm not clear on what you are doing or seeing when you delete the custom folder content and lose the originals too.

For example, say I purchase the materials add-on for a product, but when I download and install them I find they've not loaded under their master-product, so I check in Products to find where they went, then I copy them, create a new Materials subfolder under their master-product and paste them there. But when I erred once and put the materials in the wrong place I tried to delete them only to find that the at batch of materials had also vanished from Products. IE: if I copy a Word or image file and paste it to an alternate folder I can later delete that copy and the original remains where it was, but what I've found in DS is that when copying and pasting a file there's a link between it and the original so if the copy is deleted so is the original.

One example of materials not installing where one would expect them is that under G2F there's Clothing/3D Universe/Ranger Outfit and the Materials subfolder contains the same materials as in Ranger Outfit, while the alternate Materials for the Ranger Outfit appear under Clothing/OOT Styles/Ranger Outfit. Or in Products the Ranger Outfit and it's materials appear under R, while the alternate materials appear under O for OOT. If I go to copy the latter to the Materials subfolder of Clothing/3D Universe/Ranger Outfit where it belongs but accidentally place it in an incorrect folder, if I then delete it the original also deletes (I've not actually copied these OOT materials to Ranger Outfit, but I give it as an example as I can't recall what it was that I tried, mis-pasted and then on deleting the mis-paste I found the product under Products had also vanished).

RexRed

Don't delete anything, uninstall it if you must. Deleting things directly from the content folder leaves a tangled mess in Daz content.

My advice is purchase an external drive or put another drive in your PC. First, "copy" all of your Daz content to the new secondary drive.

Then change the DM content folder in the DM preferences and the three folder links in Daz Studio preferences then you are set to go.

If your current drive is full it is pretty much game over, eventually you will run back up against that wall of having no room.

A 3.1 USB drive can be pretty fast but make sure you get a drive made for a lot of use and not just a drive meant for storing stuff on a shelf.

Drives meant to store data wear out fast when they are used to constantly read and write data like Daz use and gaming.

I am not sure what they are technically called but you need a heavy duty external drive or an internal drive.

Most all internal drives are already heavy duty.

Do not just purchase an external drive, research them and get a heavy duty one meant for constant use.

Then "copy" over your My Daz 3D library folder and once it is fully copied rename the old folder just in case something goes wrong.

Once you are certain that everything loads correctly from the new folder location (drive) then it is safe to delete the old backup copy.

One tip, uninstalling HDRIs are probably a good way to make some space, especially the 6 and 8K ones...

Prince Wao

Thanks for the feedback folks, but I now know I need a new drive.

Richard Haseltine

Prince Wao said:

Richard Haseltine said:

Uninstall and delete are different, deleting will not remove associated files (such as geometry and textures) and so won't save that much space. I'm not clear on what you are doing or seeing when you delete the custom folder content and lose the originals too.

For example, say I purchase the materials add-on for a product, but when I download and install them I find they've not loaded under their master-product, so I check in Products to find where they went, then I copy them, create a new Materials subfolder under their master-product and paste them there. But when I erred once and put the materials in the wrong place I tried to delete them only to find that the at batch of materials had also vanished from Products. IE: if I copy a Word or image file and paste it to an alternate folder I can later delete that copy and the original remains where it was, but what I've found in DS is that when copying and pasting a file there's a link between it and the original so if the copy is deleted so is the original.

That sounds as if you copied and pasted inside DS, which creates a link rather than a copy of the file.

Prince Wao said:

One example of materials not installing where one would expect them is that under G2F there's Clothing/3D Universe/Ranger Outfit and the Materials subfolder contains the same materials as in Ranger Outfit, while the alternate Materials for the Ranger Outfit appear under Clothing/OOT Styles/Ranger Outfit. Or in Products the Ranger Outfit and it's materials appear under R, while the alternate materials appear under O for OOT. If I go to copy the latter to the Materials subfolder of Clothing/3D Universe/Ranger Outfit where it belongs but accidentally place it in an incorrect folder, if I then delete it the original also deletes (I've not actually copied these OOT materials to Ranger Outfit, but I give it as an example as I can't recall what it was that I tried, mis-pasted and then on deleting the mis-paste I found the product under Products had also vanished).

 

Prince Wao

"That sounds as if you copied and pasted inside DS, which creates a link rather than a copy of the file." That does explain it! Thanks!