Brand New Installation
magog_a4eb71ab
Posts: 769
Ok, finally got my new system and need some guidance. I'm using Win 10 Pro and have an M.2 SSD 2 Tb for the OS, games, and programs, and I have a 4 Tb SATA SSD for storage. Basically, I want to install Daz and DIM on the OS drive, but have my smart content & other content(Renderosity content) installed on the storage drive. I've only ever installed Daz once and it was a while ago so I don't recall some of the steps. Will I be able to set it up like this on the install or does this need to be performed afterwards(i.e. moving the databases)?
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Comments
Two thing to start with; Do not use DAZ Central and never log in to DS.
The DAZ Install Manager is considered the best tool for installations
Install Manager is certainly better than Daz Central if you wish to customise paths as you do. Daz Connect, however, is also an option for the content and you should take the advice of people on hobby-horses with a pinch of salt.
Don't quite know, how that comment should be read Richard...
Take a new user that has no knowledge of the workings of DS and/or the installers, or even a user that has been dormant for a few years.
The user comes to the site and sees the heading "Download Studio", which leads to the user installing DAZ Central for the purpose of installing DS and the content, the user does as instructed and starts up DS for the first time just to be adviced to log in to DS, which the user does as one thinks it is required.
Once the DS has been started with the user logged in, DAZ Connect starts updating metadata for the products and flags products not installed by DAZ Connect, suggesting the user should install them again inside DS for everything to be correct, resulting in the user installing the content the second time to another location that doesn't work with all the products and with the added bonus of decrypting the downloaded files sometimes failing and rendering the product non functional.
The same applies even when the user knows to use DIM for installations, but doesn't know/understand the effects and consequences of logging in to DS.
Nowhere within the process, is the user given any warnings about logging in or explained that if the user wants to use DAZ Connect for installing content, they should not use any other methods (DIM/DAZ Central/manual installation) for the same task, at least not for the same products.
I don't recall having that issue when I installed Daz a few years ago and seem to remember there being an option to use one or the other, so maybe they changed some stuff in regards to that. I forget the process I did to install Daz, but I do know that I used DIM since I have nothing from Daz Connect. What I need to figure out is how to set DIM up to install Daz Studio itself on the OS drive and install all content on the storage drive. I also want to keep the DIM product packages on the storage drive. I'm not sure if DIM would store them on the OS drive by default or if there's a setting to change this. I did find this:
https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360060104392--Installing-DAZ-Studio-through-Daz-Install-Manager-DIM-
but nothing regarding how to set the install directories for smart content & other content (i.e. My Daz Library/smart content & My Library/renderosity content). Granted, DIM does not handle non-smart content, but I'm pretty sure some part of the installatioin process creates & sets the directory for it.
I've never used Daz Connect so I can't say I'm biased towards/against one or the other, but I haven't experienced any major issues with DIM. Any problems I've had was due to how the install packages were prepared. One is as good as the other depending on user preference & skill level in using the software.
Ok, I'm not seeing anywhere to download without having to go through creating a new acccount, which I certainly do not need to do. This may be a stupid question, but would I be able to download DIM and install DAZ Studio that way? Its been so long, but it might have been what I did before. I'm a bit aprehensive at this point since I don't want to install something incorrectly and end up making a mess of it.
DAZ Connect would be fine, if it used the same traditional location for the content that the other installation methods use, but as it is, installing to a completely different location and overriding content installed with the other methods, it has been a cause for countless of cries for help from users that didn't realize what the concequences were for getting the annoying tags away in Smart Content.
There is no longer encrypted content, which was the reason for introducing DAZ Connect. Now it would serve the users better, if it was made to play nice with the other installation methods, or at least the user was informed and/or warned that following the default procedures and clicking on "ok" to everything, does not end up with the best possible setup - If not otherwise, the collection of content will use twice the space on the OS drive if nothing else.
Go to your installation tab to make the changes and select the paths. Yes you can download DIM and then install DS. https://www.daz3d.com/install-manager-info
Sorry, I missed this earlier. I have absolutely no issue with those cautions/explanations - but you didn't give them initially, just a blanket don't do this. Better to say what the differences are without the outright condemnation.
Thanks Frank! I have another question. I spent quite a bit of time watching videos and I think I might have found the solution regarding the smart content. I was watching the recent video Installing DAZ Studio with Install Manager (DIM) on a fresh Windows system by The WP Guru on Youtube and noticed he went into Daz Studio --> Content Library tab and deleted "My Library" since he must not install any products from anywhere else. Could this directory also be set to my storage drive as well? If so, how is this accomplished? I know, dumb question, but I'm one of those visual learners. I only see "Remove Base Directory" and "Create New Sub-folder", so maybe it can't be moved? I certainly don't want to create a New Sub-Folder unless its necessary.
You can edit paths in Edit>Preferences>Content tab>Content Directory manager. The quick access via right-click in the Content Library is simply add or remove, so you would have to add the new location and remove the old.
Smart content has many many BUG...
I try to change DRIVE and after DAZ tell 0 is installed.... Because metadata.... In the HELP DAZ tell "No change DRIVE".... xD
Use manually folders and put all manually, the best. :)
That sounds like user-error in setting paths, not a "bug".
All user PRO use Folders manually, Smart content is for beginner, exemple when you have about 1000Giga of data, find something is impossible...
All creator make in all folders, sometime Anatomy, sometime same think but others folders, all name with the name Creator, soo we must find with the name creator....
Soo, best is to rename ALL, I have rename ALL, all folders one by one, and now it is very easy to find something, I have make about 50 Folders by type for all xD