Reinstalled Windows 3rd Party Manifests Missing

anaximanes_2000

So, I know I figured this annoyance out last time I got a new computer, but this time I am having trouble remembering how I did it.  On my old computer, I remember I copied the My DAZ 3D Library folder onto an external HD.  I then plugged it into the new computer and brought it all across.  Then in Daz 3d, I told the Content Libriary to reinstall metadata or something like that and everything appeared in Daz.  The DIM though, I had to do something to get it to see all installed, INCLUDING the 3rd party things I had isntalled with metadata.  Then, when I would go into Daz Install Manager, it would show all the things installed.  I did NOT copy over the manifests folder, so somehow last time I got Daz to see everything installed in the DIM, but this time, while I see the content in Daz itself in Smart Content, it's not all showing as installed in DIM.

 

Did I do something using the content manager to show it?  Because once in a blue moon something would be borked.  Like a Chosophia pose set might not show up inside Daz's smart content, so I'd open DIM and type Chaosophia, it would show up under installed, check mark it, and select "Re-Import Metadata" and presto, in Daz all the things would appear "Lost and Found".  This time though, DIM is only seeing the thousands of models from here, but not seeing any of the installed 3rd party stuff anymore.  And, again, I did not move ANY manifests last time, which means somehow I generated all the manifests from within Daz itself using something.  Smart Content?  The COntent Library?  How did I manage to get DIM to see everything installed without copying over a singular manifest file last time?

 

I wonder if I can somehow achieve the same thing this time inside Daz itself.  Like, all my third party metadata shows up in Smart Content still, but it's empty.  Like the files are there, and Daz shows the picture I put in as the thumbnail, but I cannot go to DIM and "Re-Import" the metadata which places everything in the Lost and Found.  So, how do I tell Daz Studio WITHIN Daz studio "Hey, the files for this thing are here" since it obviously finds the metadata to put the picture i smart content.

anaximanes_2000

I tried posting screenshots.  But, here is the issue.  In Daz, I have Smart COntent.  My Third Party (Renderotica/Renderosity) stuff is there in Thumbnail form.  That is, when I told daz to reimport all the metadata, the thumbnails of my items are there.  BUT, when I click on one and go into it, whereas before all the files were there, now it's empty.  So, take Chaosophia's Bugged Out.  My Smart COntent is showing me the thumbnail like it always has.  I click it.  Now, it's just empty.  All those poses are missing.  They do not seem to come in when I reimport the metadata, only the thumbnails.  I tried googling this, but 99% of what comes up are people complaining they do not have thumbnails.  I have thumbnails and no files! lol

Richard Haseltine

The Manifests folder is how DIM knows what it isntalled - the database stores only relative paths, the location within a content directory, so that isn't useful for an installer (at least for updates/uninstalls).

Muon Quark

I hope the OP doesn't mind me posting.  I am having the same trouble.  Upgraded the C drive on my computer and now DIM cannot see all my content that's on my D drive.  I had installed DIM orginally on the D drive but decided to reinstall it on the new C Drive.  I have the manifest files in the new folder.  Anything else I need to get DIM to see the installed content on the D drive?

Thanks!

Richard Haseltine

So you have the manifests from the old system, and DIM knows which folder they are in?

Muon Quark

No unfortunately not.  I am not sure how to tell the new DIM where everything is from the previous DIM.  I think it has to do with the paths right?

Richard Haseltine

Yes, if you have the folder with the original Manifests justr click the gear icon in DIM>Advanced Settings and in the Installation tab set the Manifest Archive to the folder that holds them by clicking the ... button next to the existing path.

Muon Quark

That did the trick Richard. Thank you! I hope you can help the OP as well. Good luck to the OP!

anaximanes_2000

I have a Runtime Folder that seems to have everything in it.  The XML and whatnot's of everything.  Runtime > Support.  So, I'll try it there.

anaximanes_2000

Yeah, so it looks like if I copy ALL of the XML's out of the:

 

C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\Runtime\Support

And paste them all into:

 

C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles

 

And then inside Install Manager, select everything and tell it to re-import metadata, it will work.  So if someone ever finds this thread, that's how I got several hundred Daz adult content/3rd party installs to work after reinstalling windows.

anaximanes_2000

Whelp, nevermind.  When I tested it, it worked because I put the manifest I wanted to test there.  When I opened IM, it had it's usual long list on "installed".  So, I typed the name of the thing, and it showed up.  Told IM to reimport Metadata and it worked.  However, I copied all the XMLs in there, but IM doe snot see their manifests for some reason unless I specifically type the name.  How do we get install manager to "refresh" and show all the XMLs in the Manifests folder?  I tried opening and closing it.  I tried the little refresh button.  I'm very close to mass fixing my issue, since all the manifests are now in the right folder.  I just need to get IM to see them all there.  I tried inside Daz using the DB manager and reimporting all metadata again, thinking it might do the trick, but no luck.

thenoobducky

The xml in C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\Runtime\Support are metadata infomation, and not the install manifest files DIM is looking for. You need to find the original install manifests and copy those. You will have to go back to the old computer and get C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles

anaximanes_2000

Oh yes, the harddrive is wiped, so that is a no-go.  Alright, well, I'll just start from scratch.