Handling Genesis Content
Trake118
Posts: 79
I'm not sure if this is the right place to put it but I wanted to ask about how to handle categorizing and using Genesis content. I love the Genesis character and more importantly the technology behind it. However, the way content seems to be organized by default makes it completely unusable unless you re-categorize the content which is a VERY large problem given the way the content is categorized with each body part having it's own folder and dumping all of the content pertaining to that body part in that folder. I suspect that there is actually some way to make use of it with this kind of setup and I'm just missing what I'm supposed to be doing here. Can anyone tell me how you are supposed to use Genesis content?
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I'm confused. My Genesis items aren't categorized that way. My DS4 library has a "Genesis" folder with subfolders "Clothing," "Characters," "Poses," "Props," etc. All clothing is installed to the Genesis/Clothing folder. I don't know why on earth you're getting body part subfolders.
There is some fair chance I'm in some odd folder or something, but I have:
categories->default->wardrobe->
pants
shirts
shoes
skirt
etc.
As in under wardrobe I have a tone of different folders for different body parts where all of the genesis stuff for that body part is. It is makes it impossible for me to really use or categorize the content. Maybe all of that content is to be found elsewhere in a more useable form and I just don't know about it?
Are you using a PC or a Mac, and did you install to the default location?
If a PC, Windows Vista or 7, and default installation, you need to look in Documents--DAZ 3D -- Studio -- My Library. My Library contains the People--Genesis--Clothing folder.
I'm using a PC. Windows 7. I installed to documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content
However, I'm not trying to find the content on my hard drive. I'm trying to sort it all out in Daz Studio.
What version of DAZ Studio?
Daz Studio 4.
My secondary install here on this laptop looks like this. Is this not what yours looks like?
The library items are over on the left there.
Well, there is a:
Daz Studio Formats->My Library->People->Genesis
folder. However, it does not contain all of my genesis content. Most of it is split up in the previously mentioned mess.
That's so bizarre. I'm afraid I've never heard of that happening.
Has anyone else?
You don't need to limit yourself to the default categories -- you can use your own categories instead of, or in addition to, the defaults. I have my own set of categories which I carried over from DS3. They are outside the default category in DS4. I find it's easier to NOT import metadata for new items when I start up DS4 -- instead, I "search known content folders for new content", which puts it all in Default>Unassigned. Then I categorize it into my preferred categories outside of default. Only then do I import the metadata.
There is some fair chance I'm in some odd folder or something, but I have:
categories->default->wardrobe->
pants
shirts
shoes
skirt
etc.
As in under wardrobe I have a tone of different folders for different body parts where all of the genesis stuff for that body part is. It is makes it impossible for me to really use or categorize the content. Maybe all of that content is to be found elsewhere in a more useable form and I just don't know about it?
This sounds like you're using the "Smart Content" tab, where everything that has metadata is sorted into whatever category the creator thought it should be in. You may get better results using the "Content Library" tab, which is what Sickleyield showed you. Everything in Smart Content is also in the Content Library somewhere, though some of it may be hard to find.
I'm using a PC. Windows 7. I installed to documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content
However, I'm not trying to find the content on my hard drive. I'm trying to sort it all out in Daz Studio.
Ah, the problem is that you are looking into the wrong place. There are Poser runtimes and new Daz runtimes. Based on your post above you are looking into the place where items are put for Ds3, not Ds4. For Ds4 you need to do as SickleYield is suggesting. Poser runtimes are what Ds3 and earlier use exclusively, but Ds 4 introduced a new format that is inconsistent with the old poser runtime. Information is organized very differently.
Genesis stuff will all go into the place SickleYield described. Just follow the folders precisely as Sickle outlined. Look more carefully and you will see a big difference in the destination Sickle describes and the one you are following.
I feel confident your problem is solved. Best of luck.
Ah.
OK, first, ignore Smart Content; it will just confuse things at this point.
Now, in the Content Library, try looking in Daz Studio Formats > People > Genesis and see whether or not your content is there. DO NOT LOOK IN "MY LIBRARY".
I did the same thing when I first started using DS4, and it took me ages to realize that when you tell it to install to \Studio 3\content -- without specifying "My Library" underneath "content" -- the "My Library" directory is then ignored by the installers. More convenient, in a way -- that actually does use the main Runtime\textures directory, instead of using the new one under My Library -- but very confusing when you look in My Library and nothing's there.
Depending on how much content you have, you can either move/redirect things to My Library at this point, or just keep going as you have. If you keep installing to "content", rather than to "content\My Library", for anything you purchase from places that use zip files regularly, you'll need to make sure to open the "My Library" directory in the zip file, and to drop the directories into "content" itself; otherwise, you wind up with things scattered and split between "content" and "content\My Library", and it'll make you crazy.
What would be handy as well is that as the installers install the product, underneath the progress bar there should be a file log showing what sub-directories all the files are being installed to. That way you know where stuff is. I had some scene files go under environment and some under props.
What might be handy, if you want to use Smart Content, is to switch from the 'Files' tab to the 'Products' tab. That way it lists all the items in a product not categorized by type. I gave up on Smart Content ages ago and have now rearranged my Library so all my Smart Content links are broken. Wonder if I can reteach Smart Content where I moved them to?
Ah.
OK, first, ignore Smart Content; it will just confuse things at this point.
Now, in the Content Library, try looking in Daz Studio Formats > People > Genesis and see whether or not your content is there. DO NOT LOOK IN "MY LIBRARY".
I did the same thing when I first started using DS4, and it took me ages to realize that when you tell it to install to \Studio 3\content -- without specifying "My Library" underneath "content" -- the "My Library" directory is then ignored by the installers. More convenient, in a way -- that actually does use the main Runtime\textures directory, instead of using the new one under My Library -- but very confusing when you look in My Library and nothing's there.
Depending on how much content you have, you can either move/redirect things to My Library at this point, or just keep going as you have. If you keep installing to "content", rather than to "content\My Library", for anything you purchase from places that use zip files regularly, you'll need to make sure to open the "My Library" directory in the zip file, and to drop the directories into "content" itself; otherwise, you wind up with things scattered and split between "content" and "content\My Library", and it'll make you crazy.
But you see, the My Library file folder does not belong in Studio 3 at all, which is what my post was saying. Obviously from your image post it is clear that the items are installed into the Daz file format, not the Poser file format. This is a key distinction. That means the items you are looking for were not installed ever into Das3d/ Studio 3 but instead was installed to Daz3d/Studio/ My Library. Studio 3 is a Poser runtime, My Library is a Daz runtime specific to Ds4 and the new Genesis technology of metadata. People are getting the folders confused. If you are using DS4 then there's no reason to install anything to Studio3 anymore, and if you do then fine. The installers seems to know which items are generation 4 and that gen 5 stuff goes into the My Library folder in the DS 4 Daz runtime.
No - \DAZ 3d\Studio 3\Content was the default content library, for both Poser and DS format content, for DS3. \DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library is the default content library, for both Poser and DS format content, for DS4. Either folder may be used, or another folder entirely - the names have no functional significance.
Indeed. But what I am saying is that by default the installers are sending Ds 4 stuff to a different location than it sent stuff for Ds 3, which is where the op got off on the wrong foot. By default the items for Ds 4 were never installed to Studio 3 unless the user specified it.
That's what I was trying to do at first. However, when I started up Daz Studio it automatically imported the Meta Data. I hate meta data. It seems to be a constant problem for me. At any rate, I then did a search for known content directories and sorted everything in the Categories->Default->Unassigned folder but much of the Genesis stuff is no where to be seen in there. Is that because it read that meta data stuff? If so, is there a way to permanently disable all meta data forever?
But you see, the My Library file folder does not belong in Studio 3 at all, which is what my post was saying. Obviously from your image post it is clear that the items are installed into the Daz file format, not the Poser file format. This is a key distinction. That means the items you are looking for were not installed ever into Das3d/ Studio 3 but instead was installed to Daz3d/Studio/ My Library. Studio 3 is a Poser runtime, My Library is a Daz runtime specific to Ds4 and the new Genesis technology of metadata. People are getting the folders confused. If you are using DS4 then there's no reason to install anything to Studio3 anymore, and if you do then fine. The installers seems to know which items are generation 4 and that gen 5 stuff goes into the My Library folder in the DS 4 Daz runtime.
I have been installing everything into my Daz Studio 3 folder because I like to have it all in one folder. However, there is no Daz Studio Formats->people folder.
Ah.
OK, first, ignore Smart Content; it will just confuse things at this point.
Now, in the Content Library, try looking in Daz Studio Formats > People > Genesis and see whether or not your content is there. DO NOT LOOK IN "MY LIBRARY".
I did the same thing when I first started using DS4, and it took me ages to realize that when you tell it to install to \Studio 3\content -- without specifying "My Library" underneath "content" -- the "My Library" directory is then ignored by the installers. More convenient, in a way -- that actually does use the main Runtime\textures directory, instead of using the new one under My Library -- but very confusing when you look in My Library and nothing's there.
Depending on how much content you have, you can either move/redirect things to My Library at this point, or just keep going as you have. If you keep installing to "content", rather than to "content\My Library", for anything you purchase from places that use zip files regularly, you'll need to make sure to open the "My Library" directory in the zip file, and to drop the directories into "content" itself; otherwise, you wind up with things scattered and split between "content" and "content\My Library", and it'll make you crazy.
I don't have a people folder under Daz Studio Formats.
OK, I have found it! It's under Daz Studio Formats->Studio3->People.
I would still like to know if there is a way to just make absolutely everything show up under Categories->default->unassigned?
Also, is there a way to permanently disable all meta data? I'm not sure what that's for but it seems to be the most common problem I run into.
That's what I was trying to do at first. However, when I started up Daz Studio it automatically imported the Meta Data. I hate meta data. It seems to be a constant problem for me. At any rate, I then did a search for known content directories and sorted everything in the Categories->Default->Unassigned folder but much of the Genesis stuff is no where to be seen in there. Is that because it read that meta data stuff? If so, is there a way to permanently disable all meta data forever?
The metadata is located in Runtime:Support -- after installing, delete that folder before launching DS4.
I find the easiest way to get everything into Unassigned if the metadata has already categorized it is to go to each category under Default and delete it. When you restart DS4 the default categories return, but they are empty. Then do a search for content and everything will show up under Unassigned.
The metadata is located in Runtime:Support -- after installing, delete that folder before launching DS4.
I find the easiest way to get everything into Unassigned if the metadata has already categorized it is to go to each category under Default and delete it. When you restart DS4 the default categories return, but they are empty. Then do a search for content and everything will show up under Unassigned.
Unfortunately, I've already installed the meta data and started up Daz Studio so my folders and such already have the meta data stuff in them. If a close Daz Studio, delete the meta data and restart Daz Studio and do a search for content will that then make stuff show up under unassigned or will to not work because the meta data is already categorized?
How do you deal with things if your folders and such have already been infected with meta data? I imagine this is a common problem.
This is wrong, I'm afraid. The installers are largely version agnostic (the exception being the plugins), remember that many date back to version 1 or 2 of Studio and have no idea about the later additions, yet still work perfectly well. Compilers will install to exactly where you told them, if the OP tells them to put the very latest installer in documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content then they will happily put it there, and Studio 4 (or 1, 2 or 3) will care not one jot about that. You cannot assume they are not where the user says they are, the default is user dependent based on your library setup and completely over-ridable.
My Library is just an alternative name for Content, and both are just the name for the top level of the Studio content directory, you could call them Shibboleth and Studio wouldn't care (as long as you told it Shibboleth was a content directory). What you need is to keep specifying the same directory for your installs, so that everything ends up in the same place, the name is irrelevant. If you do end up with multiple content directories, they can be quite happily dragged onto each other and merged.
It's likely not the presence of the metadata that's the issue, but that you are using the Smart Content tab, which works off metadata. I've never used Smart Content, have some metadata installed, but because I don't use Smart Content it's irrelevant. So to 'get rid of' metadata, turn off the Smart Content tab and forget about it. Then in the Content Library Tab, click on the box in the top right corner and make sure 'view as tree' is listed, this should show your complete sets of runtime folders, Poser and Studio both, in exactly the same structure the folders exist below your \DAZ 3d\Studio 3\Content folder.
It's likely not the presence of the metadata that's the issue, but that you are using the Smart Content tab, which works off metadata. I've never used Smart Content, have some metadata installed, but because I don't use Smart Content it's irrelevant. So to 'get rid of' metadata, turn off the Smart Content tab and forget about it. Then in the Content Library Tab, click on the box in the top right corner and make sure 'view as tree' is listed, this should show your complete sets of runtime folders, Poser and Studio both, in exactly the same structure the folders exist below your \DAZ 3d\Studio 3\Content folder.
Hmmmm..... I like smart content, but I hate that content with meta data automatically gets categorized in the most horrible of ways. I want all of it in unassigned before I categorize it. Unfortunately right now some of it is in auto-categorized places which are always the worst possible ways to categorize. Is there a way to move all the auto-categorized stuff into the unassigned category but still leave the stuff I manually categorized myself in the categories I placed them in?
I have been trying to just suck it up and categorize the stuff from where it is but I can't move folders. That's a problem as some folders (for an instance those with expressions) may have 15 folders under them. That's going to be an enormous pain to categorize the items within each folder individually. Is there a way to just move all of them at the same time?
Note: I tried just getting rid of all those meta data files but since I had already started up Daz Studio with the files in there, getting rid of them didn't make any difference. Once they have been installed and read it doesn't seam you can get rid of them. As best I can tell, it's permanent. If anyone knows a way to force those folders from the meta data all back into unassigned (without doing the same with all the files I have manually categorized myself) please let me know.
This is wrong, I'm afraid. The installers are largely version agnostic (the exception being the plugins), remember that many date back to version 1 or 2 of Studio and have no idea about the later additions, yet still work perfectly well. Compilers will install to exactly where you told them, if the OP tells them to put the very latest installer in documents\DAZ 3D\Studio3\content then they will happily put it there, and Studio 4 (or 1, 2 or 3) will care not one jot about that. You cannot assume they are not where the user says they are, the default is user dependent based on your library setup and completely over-ridable.
Just right click and choose 'move category'. Should work although I didn't test.