Random Missing File Notification Help!
So, earlier today, for reasons I cannot explain, DAZ is giving me a warning that it cannot find a file anytime I load a figure into a new scene. The files it cannot find was a scene I did a full year ago, and has absolutely nothing to do with anything related to what I'm trying to load. I made no changes to directories. I changed no settings. The file it's looking for has not moved from its location since May of 2020. Can anyone tell me what to do to stop this? The reason it's rather dire for me is because it happens every time I load a scene as well, meaning I can't use the render queue. No render queue mean my workflow is crippled. I attached a screenshot of what I'm getting. Also, the log file simply says "Could not Resolve" and the name of the file.
Comments
Can you open the actual scene file?
Is the character dependent on the scene file?
I assume this is a new error. Do you remember what the last thing you did prior to the error?
Can you open that file? It may have been corrupted by a disc error. As for why it is being referenced, did you have any custom morphs (spawned from a dFormer or imported with Morph Loader) or other geometry chnages/additions?
Yes, I can open that scene file. However, that particular file was one where I used a character converter to move a genesis 3 figure to genesis 8. Since then, I had to reinstall DAZ and wipe my hard drive (that was about two months ago). The old file can't find the converted morph because it no longer exists (had to redo it). So I opened that old file, and then saved it, overwriting the old one thinking maybe it was the nonexistent saved morph. THat didn't work either. Now, when I open the "missing" file, it loads, while telling it can't find that file.
No, the character loading has absolutely nothing to do with that old file.
The last thing I remember doing was a small batch of scenes for Patreon. Six, I believe. When my 1 year woke up from her nap, I started the batch render like normal and walked away. Came back to that issue.
Just for funnies, I just opened the missing file again. I find it kind of comical that DAZ has opened the file while simulataneously stating it can't find the file.
Yes, I can open the file but DAZ says it can't find it, after loading it. There was a conversion from Gen3 to Gen8 in the file, but not there isn't. That morph was washed out two months ago thanks to other DAZ issues (rebuilt from scratch). Since then, I've done probably 400-500 renders with no issue, until now. I resaved the "missing" file without the now nonexistent conversion morph but I'm still getting the error.
Just to add to the "I tried this" stack, I also loaded the "missing" duf file from the folder it's located in. DAZ booted, opened the file, and again, told me it couldn't find the file while the file was already loaded. This is so frustrating!
Okay, more information. I loaded a genesis 3 figure and did NOT get the error. It's only when I load genesis 8 figures. I don't know if that helps diagnose this or not, but if it does, then I'm glad I posted it!
Does it happen also when you load the "Genesis 8 Basic Female", or is it only the characters you have tweaked and saved as Actors?
All Genesis 8 figures, even the base one.
First make sure that DS is not running, then if you start from the base folder of your content library in Windows Explorer (File Explorer) and navigate to;
...\data\DAZ 3D\Genesis 8\Female\Morphs\
Do you remember the name under which you have saved your own morphs?
That name is the name of the folder that contains morphs and characters that you have saved as assets. Choose that folder and right-click to get a menu, choose "Properties" and change the attribute to "hidden" - Some have said this is enough to hide the morphs in that folder from DS and if it does work, it's easy to change back.
Now with the morph folder hidden, start DS and when it's open go to "Help->Troubleshooting->View Log File", select everything and press "Delete", close the logfile and choose "Save" when asked.
Load the "Genesis 8 Basic Female" and once it has loaded, open the log file again and save it somewhere you can easily find.
Did DS complain about the missing file?
If DS still complained, attach the log to your post with the "Attach a file" under the "Leave a Comment" window, that way we can have a look at it.
I found where my morphs were, hid the folder and when I loaded a base Genesis 8, the error did NOT happen. So, it's an issue with the morphs inside that folder? Or, the lack of a morph as it were? I've attached two log files. log is the one with the morph folder hidden. log2 is with the morph folder not hidden.
I'm still super confused on why DAZ is saying it's missing a scene though. ><
Ok, one of those morph files contains the reference to "4-9-20 Azu Upgrade.duf" and it got there when you saved the morph as an asset. Now, as the location is being read when opening or loading any and all characters/scenes with G8F and the morph is then merged with G8F, DS tries to locate that scene file in the location that is recorded inside the morph file, that location is not necessarily the same where the file is stored at the moment.
Since the logfiles do not give better clues to which morph file is the culprit, the only way to find it is using process of elimination - Unhide the folder and move some of those morph files outside the DS Content Library (desktop or some other drive).
If you don't have that many morphs that you have made, try moving them one by one, if you have a lot, move half of them at first and if the problem went away, you know the problem file was amongst the ones you moved. Unfortunately the process takes some time as you should close DS before moving the files and then open it up again to test.
I only have maybe 6 in there right now so it should not be too difficult to find.
Once I locate the morph causing the issue, what do I do then? Delete the morph?
The morph files are text files, either compressed that can be uncompressed with 7Zip or non-compressed which can be opened as they are in Notepad or Notepad++ (Notepad++ is better)
If the morph file is important to you, it is be possible to open it in Notepad++ and remove the reference to the scene file. When you find the one, we can help you fix it.
Deleting the morph file is the easiest solution.
THank you for your help. I did find the problem morph. Rather than try to fix it, I just junked it. I'll redo the conversion and see if it happens a second time.