"!UberAreaLight Base.duf" from "Default Resources for DAZ Studio" fails to load
Ender
Posts: 23
Hello all,
just for curiosity I attempted to merge "!UberAreaLight Base.duf" in to the scene (empty one). Suddenly DAZ Studio presented me a modal dialog with an error message, prompting me to search for more details in the error log.
2022-11-10 11:44:45.003 [INFO] :: Prepare asset load (open): /Light Presets/omnifreaker/UberAreaLight/!UberAreaLight Base.duf 2022-11-10 11:44:45.003 [INFO] :: Locking viewport redraw... 2022-11-10 11:44:45.003 [INFO] :: Viewport redraw locked. 2022-11-10 11:44:45.058 [INFO] :: Native format content directories: 6 2022-11-10 11:44:45.059 [INFO] :: Poser format content directories: 3 2022-11-10 11:44:45.059 [INFO] :: Other import format content directories: 0 2022-11-10 11:44:45.059 [INFO] :: Begin asset load (open): /Light Presets/omnifreaker/UberAreaLight/!UberAreaLight Base.duf 2022-11-10 11:44:45.072 [INFO] :: *** Scene Cleared *** 2022-11-10 11:44:45.072 [INFO] :: Determining missing assets... 2022-11-10 11:44:45.072 [WARNING] :: Invalid node selection for "preset_shader" type. 2022-11-10 11:44:45.072 [INFO] :: Error loading asset: D:/Program Files/DAZ 3D/Applications/Data/DAZ 3D/My DAZ 3D Library/data/cloud/1_13176/light presets/omnifreaker/uberarealight/!uberarealight base.duf 2022-11-10 11:44:45.072 [INFO] :: Operation failed 2022-11-10 11:44:45.114 [INFO] :: Unlocking viewport redraw... 2022-11-10 11:44:45.114 [INFO] :: Viewport redraw unlocked.
What catches my eyes (thanks to my experience as a software engineer) is the line stating `[WARNING] :: Invalid node selection for "preset_shader" type.´ even if I don't know what exactly means apart from the fact that there should be a `preset_shader` property somewhere in that file and it is invalid enough to fail the flow of the program.
While I continue investigating I would really appreciate if anybody has a clue about this.
Thanks all for your help
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Comments
The editor of this forum posts is a bit bugged. Here is a better code hopefully: [...]
Edited because I fixed the original post.
The problem is probably in having installed the Überarealight with DAZ Connect within DS.
Nom, it was not Connect in the library with an installer.
That is a shader preset, it needs an object loaded with both the object(s) and one or more surfaces slsected. The prop is the head lamp blocker, a dead light that loads to make sure the AutoHeadlamp is off. It could be rported as a type error, I think, although it isn't strictly wrong to have it in the props folder due to the blocker.
Actually I didn't install anything with DAZ Studio Pro internally before this morning (this error is an incident of yesterday) and, moreover, using DAZ internal tools this morning to update/install packages helped me fixing many issues, for example the double instances of every asset belonging to "Genesis 8 Starter Essentials" caused by (I guess) some malformed record in the database, that is regretably not very easy to manipulate (despite I have been able to read it in a PostgreSQL client).
I did suspect this and I tried to search it in the Surfaces > Presets pane with some object selected. Based on your answer I guess the selected object it should be a "Lamp Blocker" (I will give a try).
For the "type" error I guess you mean that the shader should not even appear in the "Smart Content" pane but only in the Surfaces > Presets: correct?
You do realize, that installing stuff within DS, installs products into completely different location and that installation steals priority over all the other instances of that product, even when the DAZ Connect installed version does not work due to decompression errors (happens quite often) or the product using scripts that don't work with the non-traditional location, or due to the product being otherwise incompatible with that installation location.
Since such products are essentially JSON files with cross references and some image files for texture mapping I can hardly believe that it is that hard to manage and eventually fix the Database. Even the PostgreSQL database is accessible.
In fact, based on what I am observing and my experience as a software engineer I would say that such problems are related to some issues with filesystem/database sync. The way I fixed the double Genesis 8 assets is quite twisted. I had 2 Genesis 8 Basic Female, 2 Genesis 8.1 Basic Female, etc. Both copies of each asset were pointing to the same filesystem resource (translated: the same path on disk). The solution came in "Products" tab of the "Smart Content" pane where I found 2 Genesis 9: one without thumbnail and with "Install" item in the contextual menu, able to open a Windows Explorer window opened in the containing directory; one with the thumbnail but uncapable to open the system Explorer. I updated the metadata of the first one then unsinstalled both somehow and reinstalled. I did the same with "Genesis 8 Starter Essentials".
I don't know what is happening yet but I can assure that I did nothing special before yesterday.
I guess you haven't been using DS that long yet...
Richard got it, you need to have an object in the scene and one of that objects surfaces selected in the surfaces tab to apply a shader.
As far as methods of installation are concerned, here is some background information.
The structure of (traditional) DAZ Content Library is actually quite logical, but when trying to find a simple "push button" solutions for new users, DAZ has created a situation where different default functions do not play well together.
-At first the (new) user is offered DAZ Central for downloading and installing DAZ Studio and all the content that comes with it, no other alternatives are offered or even mentioned.
-When the user has downloaded and installed everything with the default settings/options and starts DS the first time, one is presented with a dialog that asks the user to log in, with the default option to keep logging in automatically in the future, giving the user the impression that logging in is necessary.
-Once the user is in DS and starts browsing the available content in 'Smart' Content, one is told that the content is not installed (with DAZ Connect), giving the user the impression that the content needs to be installed again, when in fact it is not necessary.
-If the user does as is suggested, the content gets downloaded and installed the second time to another location, taking twice the storage space. The installation location is non-traditional, which does not work with scripts and older content, and whatever gets installed by DAZ Connect, overrides the installations made by the other installation methods (DIM/DAZ Central/Manual installation), even when the DAZ Connect installations fail to work due to for example decryption failures.
The general concensus is that the DIM is the best tool for installing DAZ content.
DAZ Central is just a simplified version of DIM
DAZ Connect inside DAZ Studio was created at a time DAZ experimented with encrypted content, which did require logging in to DS/DAZ servers to verify the users licence for that content. The experimentation with encrypted content was ended some 5-6 years ago, but the user is still asked to log in without being told why or being warned about the possible consequences and side effects - The decryption errors are due to the content still being encrypted at DAZ servers that are used by DAZ connect to download them.
Personally I use manual installation as it gives me total control over the installations without having to track down settings in an installation program to get it to do what I want. The only thing the installation programs have is the ability to uninstall content with a push of a button, otherwise everything works just as if the content was installed by any other method.
Ps. Do not use your C-drive for installing content.
I did already say to Richard that I will follow his indications for the shader.
For the remaining topics I was just analizing the situation. I usually deal with issues understanding how actually things works. Let's say I like to "hack / reverse engineering" (if possible and legal of course). Instead if it's intended to hold back and behave like a non-tech customer, one that just uses the software as a tool to create products without any clue of the mechanics beneath (that is indeed the normal customer behaviour): I buy a car to bring me from A to B; if to make the car bring me from A to B takes a degree in engineering it is not worth the money even if free.
That said, if DAZ Studio Pro has all those inconsistencies between the Daz Central installer and the internal installer (I guess), of which I already read in this forum and other sources, probably something has to be done, soon or later. Recently, for example, I wasn't able to launch Blender Bridge anymore. I had to uninstally DAZ Studio entirely included Daz Central and reinstall it all. And now Blender Bridge is back alive. This is something that rarely happend to me with other applications.
In my opinion,, Daz has too many options for installing the same content.
1. Manual
2. Daz Connect ( inside Studio requires to login)
3. Daz Central (Newest and "simplest")
4. Daz Install Manger a.k.a DIM (oldest, most reliable, and most capable)
#2 Installs to a completely different directory tree and structure. Thus breaking most scripts and many products.
Can't be used to install Studio itself or plugins.
#3 Lacks some of the advanced options an experienced user will want. Including the choice to NOT update something.
#4 Needs to be told where you want to put your content library , and inside Studio the Content Library location needs to be set. Currently DIM and Studio don't talk to each other to sync this settings.w
If a user employees #2 and a combination of any of the other methods to install content they end up with what I call "Install Salad". Leading to unusable content and cryptic errors most new users can't decipher.
You are right, a point in time is coming when 1 method will need to be the focus at the expense of the others.
I choose #4 Daz Install Manager (DIM) as it does everything with the most options. Though I would like to see some dependency tracking and configuration syncing with the apps it installs content for.
Many new users end up logging in inside Daz which downloads database metadata for use with Connect (#2) then also install the same products with DIM, which uses a different set of metadata to accommodate the different file locations, and they end up with afore mentioned "Install Salad". Products installed twice with conflicting metadata.
Eliminating Connect and Central would go along way towards solving alot of the product install issues.