Taming the Content Library beast
andya_b341b7c5f5
Posts: 694
After a few months only using DS, my Content Library is an unholy mess, courtesy of the fact there seems to be no consensus among content creators about where stuff should appear. So for example for G2F I have Expressions under Poses, and Expressions in a top-level folder of their own; I have buildings and such scattered around under Architecture, Environments and Props... You get the idea, and all of this from exclusively allowing DIM to do its thing installing content bought in the Daz store. I guess the QA process doesn't apply any discipline in this respect. (Content I have bought elsewhere is in a separate folder hierarchy altogether.)
Now, I suppose I could move the files around, but this feels like a Bad Idea, not least because DIM will not be able to uninstall things that have been moved, and would install them again in their original location. DS does not seem to recognise Windows shortcuts, from what I can tell (what I wouldn't give for Unix-style symbolic links!).
Are there any other techniques for bringing some sanity to this? (BTW, Smart Content doesn't work, never has, and I have no wish to fix it.)
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I've actually just learned that you can drag things from "content library" pane into the "smart content" pane and have it show up there
So I plan on rebuilding my smart content using this method (it doesn't actually move anything around on your hard drive so it won't break anything)
If I remember correctly, if you have an object or character selected then it will assign whatever you drop into the smart content to that character or object. If you have nothing selected, then it will be set as compatable with everything.
I have everything formally under content installed under: D:\! TZO_3D PROGS\DAZ 3D_(64)\! TZO_DAZ CONTENT Where Daz content is formally content that includes Poser runtimes, plus all insane public/my documents and user dir "My Library" is located on my own separate Libraries directory...Even without the chaotic content creator's separate locations for their readme/read mees/readmes/readme's locations I make it a point to consolidate everything under the "! TZO_DAZ CONTENT" folder as much as possible, as long as the official first party dirs are stable, everything else can be pretty much custom, yet another reason I love DS!
I would have never guessed that, very good to know...
Create your own custom categories. You can move content thubmnails wherever you want within them, it doesn't affect where they are on disk, which is the whole point. It's just an alternate view of your content, arranged in whatever way makes sense to you.
And, of course, back up that custom categorization periodically.
Custom categories are a nice feature, but I'm not having the same success with it as others might be. It's taking forever to do everything by hand.
I agree with andya,,we could really use a better way to manage our growing content libraries.
edit:spelling
I have figured out how to arrange my daz library content to my satisfaction (although its going to take FOREVER!). However, does anyone know if its possible to do this with Poser content as well? If I put the poser files under the daz portion (even though I haven't actually moved any content just copied it to my own folder) it doesn't work. I just have a blank file.
From what I remember, when I first starting learning how to use the software, Daz Content and Poser Runtime have to be in separate folders or they just do not work. From what I understand, most, if not all, poser content is slowly being converted to the Daz format so you would only need the Daz folders. At least, that Poser content sold here, anyway. Someone more knowledgeable can correct me if I'm wrong about that. But, until then, you have to keep them separate.
Okay. I have some older stuff that I found in freebie sections and the dress for instance is in Poser format and the textures (from someone else) are in Daz format so I have to load the dress from the poser side and then try and find the textures on the Daz side lol. Not that big of a deal I will just organize the textures so I know where they are. Thank you!
If you view your content from the Categories view, you should be able to see both the DAZ Studio and the Poser content side-by-side. (and the Poser runtime can coexist in the same folder with the DAZ Studio content top level folders, as you see when you install a DAZ product that has both.)
My understanding was that Poser content had to stay in the runtime because of conflicting .dsb files so older files could not be moved in the Daz content section. I assume (could be wrong) that this conflict doesn't exist where there is a .cr2 file and a .duf file because one has nothing to do with the other. Since, I only use Daz, my wish is that everything was converted to the .duf format and we had the option of not installing the .cr2 format if both are available. Then I would only have .cr2 files for those items that aren't available in the newer Daz format. Basically having two copies of everything takes up a lot of real estate on the hard drive because you essentially have two copies of everything where one would do. Unfortunately, the one time I tried not installing the poser version of files, some of my content didn't work because Daz couldn't find their own files, but I could find the .cr2 files. I hate that I can never find anything when I want it. Right now, I'm trying to setup everything with categories, but that will take some time. I hate the Smart Content because it never knows where to find things. I usually end up using the Content Library.
I may be misunderstanding what you meant by having the files side by side. I meant you didn't have to move any of the files out of their default installation locations, and the runtime folder can remain alongside the top level DAZ Studio folders, and you can see the content within both at the same time as well. See screenshot.
I got the impression that Sonja was trying to combine Daz files and Poser files all in the same folders and not keeping them split as they are in your screenshot. I may have misunderstood her intent, though.
Looks like custom categories might be a way to bring some order to the chaos, but alas they do not work for me. If I right click a top-level Content Library folder, say Environments, and choose the 'Create Category from...' option, after I have supplied a name for the new (sub-)category I get a rather uninformative message saying 'Unable to create container: Environments'.
Setting up custom menus is another possibility, but I think just too much effort involved given the amount of content that needs to be organised.
I really don't understand why content creators get to choose how to classify their stuff when it's sold through Daz. The lack of consistency is the root problem here, especially when some content creators have such an exaggeratedly high opinion of themselves that they dump their stuff in a top-level folder all of their very own rather than in a sub-folder, with two exclamation marks at the beginning of the folder name just to ensure theirs is shown at the very top of the list.
You are not asked to supply a name, so it makes me wonder if you are choosing the correct option?
'Create a Sub-Folder ' does require a name, but 'Create a Category From' uses the existing name of the folder, and gives you the choice to take the folder only, or the folder and it's sub-folders too. You do not supply a name here.
I have folders on the Daz side of things that I created in a manner that makes sense to me. For instance. I have a !Genesis folder with the subfolders of Characters Clothing Hair and Poses. Under clothing I have each designers name subfolder with each clothing item then subfolder for materials for that item. So if i want to dress genesis, instead of trying to figure out that one dress is in poses and one is props - its all under my !genesis folder. And if I have textures for a particular dress made by different people, the textures are now associated with the dress and not halfway across the directory. I can't seem to do this with the Poser side of things because when I try and add an item that is a Poser file to the !Genesis file, it will show the name of the item but none of the actual files copy over, they are just blank. I use the add a base directory button to make those files but the Poser side does not have that option.
t
Categorircally customize your content. Check out my example screenshots on my DS:
You can right click and create sub categories in your catagories folder in DS.
You can move purchased models and props from products or directly from your content folders into your created categories.
Its a lot work but once you have where you want getting something you want to use becomes a convenience.
Does this work for the Poser side of things as well?
When I do this , a reference gets put into every parent directory that I have to right click and remove.
for example, I right click a pair of jeans for G2F, and categorize it in Default > Wardrobe > Pants . I will get a reference in Default, and another in Wardrobe, and another in pants. I have to manually remove the references in Default and Wardrobe.
Isn't there a better way :(
Actually, I am asked to supply a name with 'Create a Category From'.
Right-clicking the Environments sub-folder in Content Library (for example), choosing 'Create a category from' and then 'This folder & sub-folders' gives me a dialog titled 'Select a Parent Category'. One entry 'Categories' is shown. If I click Accept, precisely nothing happens. If I right-click on this entry I get the choice to create a new sub-category, which I have to name. When I do that, I get the 'Unable to create container...' message mentioned earlier.
Right? The idea is to unclutter, not make it three times as hard to wade through stuff. I am happy with the way I have organized my files for Daz, its simple and everything is right there. But the Poser side of things.... not so much
It looks as though your CMS (Content Management Service) is not running.
When you look in the Content Library pane, do you see DAZ Studio Formats, Poser Formats, Other Import Formats, Products,Categories Can you plaes post an image of your Content Library pane showing the left hand side?
Also, do you have several instances of 'postgres.exe' running in Task Manager?
Yes, it does.
Instead of using the categories under Default create your own categories alongside Default.
Still doing it :(
I made a new catagory called Clothes>G2F>Footware and it still dropped a refernece in all the parent directories above Footware.
Is this in Smart Content, or in Content Library > Categories?
Content LIbrary > Catagories
Can't think of any reason that would be done deliberately, could you file a bug report? I haven't tried that since DS3.
ok,,I figured this out,,,
When I right click an item to categorize it, a window pops up that I navigate to the catalog I want to use , in that window there is a check box for each folder I clicked on to get to Clothes>G2F>Footware.
I removed the check in all of them except for where I wanted my boots to go , now it's not placing references in the parent folders.
:)
edit:Spelling
This is a suggestion on how to find things quicker- but won't address how things are organized. Because I own so many products, I simply can't organize them by re-arranging their folders. What I do is use the DIM (Daz Install Manager) and it's a breeze. If you type your product into the DIM search, when it comes up, go to the Installed tab and over on the right (on the line where it states your product) you'll see an "i" which is information. Click it and it will quickly take you to the ReadMe and tell you where the product is. There ya go! (Again, this won't help you re-arrange anything, but it's the fastest way to FIND something, which you stated is the problem.)
I want to help. If I may show you what I do step by step. I bought some content this morning and I have yet to categorize it in my current system. I will use the product called, “Mortuorum Sacris” in this step by step example. I have determined that this product will categorized under “Things” in my system.
I go to products and find the product
Once I find it, I right click on it and then click “Create A Category”. See the screenshot.
A dialog appears, “Select a Parent Category”
I want to put this product in “Things” so I navigate to “Things”, select it and click “Accept”
At that point that product is my customized category, “Things”
FAQ:
What if I can’t find the product in “Products”? Can I still custom categorized?
Yes. Find the product in your content library. I will use a model called Freya for this example. Look at the screenshot. Freya is Genesis 2 female and I want to move her and her support files into the Genesis 2 Female customized category.
Right click on Freya folder, select “Create a Category From” and then slide over to select, “This Folder and Sub Folders”. Notice in the screenshot that Freya has sub folders and I want to include all those else they will get left out. Also beware that not all products have subfolders.
Again the “Select a Parent Category” dialog box appears and I navigate the custom folder I want to place and click accept. See Screen Shot.
How do I create a category to even get started?
Right click Categories (or an existing category under Categories) and select, “Create a Sub-Category”
An input dialog box appears requesting the name of the category you want to name. See Screen Shot.
Type in the name and click OK
Your new category appears. See screen shot.
Hope this helps.
Thank you! Will start working on organizing my poser files tomorrow. Far too late tonight, when I try to organize this late, things tend to go missing lol.