3rd Party Thumbnails in Smart Content- but no files
anaximanes_2000
Posts: 311
I go through this everytime... EVERY TIME. So, here on Daz I bought a product several years ago called Content Package Assist, and somehow I always do this. But it's always 2 or 3 years in between. So, Daz was really busted (shocker, I know) and so I had to reinstall windows entirely. No problem, backed up all my files in the "Public Documents" folder, which was the "My DAZ 3D Library" and "Daz3D" folders. Easy. Now, Content Package Assist of course had worked, and over time everything from third party sites was in there, working in Smart Content, all was right with the world.
Get the new computer, move everything back over. All my 1st Party stuff is BAM right back in Smart Content after reimporting all metadata...
All 3rd party things show up in Smart Content too... at least the thumbnails do. ALL of them are missing all their files that were there before the move.
Now, once again, I am lost. If I right click and say "Show in Content Library" it takes me right to it. I can click it and click, "Edit metadata" for example, and lo and behold, there are all the files. So, Daz knows they are there. So, what is the automated (not a man having to do hundreds of third party files) way to import all the files back into their existing smart content thing? It's 2024 and Daz's estimated annual revenue is currently $32.5M per year. So, obviously they would have a simple and easy way to do this and I will be grateful if you can let me know the simple process.
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About the metadata for the 3rd party products...
Did you create metadata files that were installed with the zip file that you made with CPA? (CPA does not create metadata, you would have to export it from the Content DB Editor in a Product view.) Then it should have been in the list of Products when you Re-Import Metadata.
Or did you add the metadata manually after installation? If you entered it manually, it would have to be exported first as UserData from the old machine, then add it to your metadata re-import on the new machine.
So, originally, I used the CPA to install, hundreds of poses, models, and so on from Rendo and other sites. Back when the CPA originally installed them, they all worked in Smart Content, just as if I had bought them from Daz itself. So, for example, after Dinoraul's unfortunate passing, I ran a GoFundMe to buy all his models off of Rendo both to help his family get funds as well as to ensure I would have all his monsters forever more as a tribute to a great and imaginative modeler. Anyway, everything CPA ever install worked like a charm in Smart Content, nary an issue except the odd thumbnail missing.
Since it worked like any Smart Content, I assumed, it was putting their bits and parts into C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles, along with how all other Daz first party stuff does because everything in Smart Content was working perfectly. Thus, when I moved all my Daz files (that is EVERYTHING) along with all the manifest files, and did the "Content Database Matainance > Reimport Metadata", I'd think everything I ever installed with CPA would again show up as normal. All 1st party daz files have (I have not even reinstalled Install Manager yet nor have I even signed into Daz login, but all my Smart Content from Daz is there, picture perfect.
Everything CPA ever installed does show up in Smart Content still- as thumbnails, but unlike before the windows reinstall, now the Smart Content is empty. This has happened before, a long time ago, and since then I purchased, for example, all those Dinoraul models, countless erotic poses, innumerable other things, and had taken all that time putting them into CPA and having it turn them into zips and installing with Install Manager, and again they worked, only now to find all those hours added together were a bust. I certainly do not want to have to go to every site, redownload every purchase (at least ones still available) and put them all through CPA again. See, last time I had far fewer 3rd party, so I actually did that after Richard told me I was supposed to have copied over the manifest files- which I had not done.
So, this time I did, and all 1st party stuff is there, all 3rd party (some of which are doubled since I reinstalled them last time) are there, and all empty. However, as I said, the files are all still there in place according to Content Library, and so, I am left asking, "Why did I ever buy and use CPA at all if it does not work?" Or else, since everything is still in Smart Content at least as I had named it and with thumbnail, how can I easily tell Daz- "Hey, you know where the files for this are, so put them back in Smart Content you stupid fool!!!"
Northof45, I should add that what you talked about here:
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/640941/issue-with-content-package-assist
Is not what I am asking about. It was all in "Lost And FOund" and looked like that guy's screenshot and I am fine with that. However, now, where his shows the character's eye colors and all that, mine are all missing in Smart Content, to make sure we are on the same page. And, you once HELPED ME HERE or at least tried to with the weird thumbnail issue on this product as well. Well, I have all (or most) thumbnails still, now I just have no files in Smart Content, no "lost and found" so to speak when I go into one of the selections.
I did not remember that conversation, and and I see I never did follow up. I must stop reading the forums before bedtime...
I will need to read that carefully to understand. More later...
Okay, first, CPA does not create, modify or otherwise manipulate metadata. It will package whatever is in the folder tree for the Build number (Build001, Build002, etc.), creating fresh manifest and supplement files. DIM will install whatever files it is told to install, and, if no metadata file exists, it will generate a basic metadata file to create the Product in the database.
At this point, there is most likely no Product thumbnail (unless you added one), but all assets should show in Smart Content. Make sure you have Filter By Context unchecked to see all Products, and select "All Products" on the left side. Only Products with at least a Default Category assigned to at least one asset will show in the list, even if only in Lost and Found. Installing a Product with no supplied metadata will at least create an entry for each asset (user-facing files).
The manifest files only contain information about the installed Product and its assets, not the metadata. It does contain the path into which the Product was first installed, and must match the current path if it is to be of any use for proper uninstalling and examining installed files from DIM. Not sure what else it is used for.
The generated metadata file for those third-party Products should have been in the Runtime/Support folder when you re-imported the metadata. You can check the list to see if they are, in fact, included. If they are, the assets for those Products should show. Ensure that your libraries are mapped to the correct folders in Content Directory Manager.
When you "Show Product in Content Library", it just takes you to a different view of the Product entry in the Content Library. Does it show any assets there? I suspect not. Do the individual assets show in any "DAZ Studio Formats" or "Poser Formats" trees? Those are real files, not logical views like Smart Content.
Actually, I have the opposite, it remembered all the thumbnails, but all of them are empty in Smart Content when you click the thumbnail and go inside the product where usually it would show all the files in the lost and found. It does this everytime I ever move to a new computer/reformat, and like I said, since this time I did what Richard said and moved the Daz3d folder containing all the manifest files, I thought I'd be fine finally.
All files are exactly where they used to be before I reformatted.
Everything seems to be as all 1st party stuff is there and working like a charm.
Yes, the assets are all there as I say in my OP here. Which is annoying, because if it lists all the assets under "Edit Metadata" then why doesn't see those same files in Smart Content. Everything is a precise duplicate as it was on the C: before the horrible Daz break that caused all these issues for me.
Not sure what this means, but I never use Content Library, which was the point of spending on on CPA so I would be able to use everything in Smart Content.
@Northof45 - I am also going to try to install a model I just got on sell at Rendo using CPA. I am going to try to make a walkthrough with pics for you, and maybe you can tell me what CPA is doing that is 'off' so I can rectify it for the future inevitable Daz problems lol So when I do a windows reformat, and move everything over, it will all be there.
CPA is doing what it was made for: to create a DIM-installable archive, nothing more. It does not add, change or otherwise manipulate metadata. That is not the source of your problem. It can and will install the metadata file (if it exists) and a thumbnail file (if it exists).
Since you do not have a metadata file in the 3rd-party products, DIM will create a basic one with the Product name that you entered in CPA and will include all the assets in the Product. They will display under the Product in both Smart Content and Content Library. If they do not show, there is a disconnect between the database and the actual file location.
I suspect all your files are in LOCAL USER. When you re-imported the metadata, were those products included? You did not answer that part of my previous questions. It is possible that the metadata for those 3rd party products was not re-imported. If not, they end up in LOCAL USER.
Can you give me what that is? The files, like right now, I just did everything here with that new outfit. (See picture) So, as you can see, right now it's working (the thumbnail is missing but you and I talked about that on that other post where most of the time I get the thumbnail to work but also CPA sometimes borks that). Anyway, it's 3rd party, it's showing up in Smart Content. Now, what file am I looking for? Like what is telling it right now "Hey SMart Content show all these files in the Lost and Found"? All my 1st party stuff that I moved over and it is working, is in
C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles
As I mentioned before. I should add that sure enough, "IM05454200-01_EvilynaOutfitG8F" is there. Like the manifest thing is there. However, SO ARE all the MISSING things from third party. I hope I am explaining that properly. This is the folder Richard had told me to always backup along with the models. So, where I am ignorant or not understanding you is that I have the Manifest File, "IM05454200-01_EvilynaOutfitG8F" in there and it's showing up in Smart Content, even though I also see all those "missing from Smart Content" Dinoraul files are there. So why is this Evilyna outfit working, but SMart Content is not seeing those Dinoraul ones?
The manifests contain basically the info from the download manifest (not the same file, but it does have the same name in the download folder) plus the date installed, wthe user who installed it, the path it was installed to, etc., and all the assets that were installed.
LOCAL USER is a catch-all Product where assets that are unassigned to any other Product end up. It is a Product like all others, so you should see it in the Product list (Smart Content or Content Library). You can open it like any other, but there might be many files in there. Check to see if your Dinoraul files are in there.
Lost and Found is a category for Assets that do not have any other Categories assigned (default or custom). For DAZ 3D products, all assets (should) have a default category set in the metadata file. What I see in your example is exactly what I would expect from a package with no metadata, and no valid thumbnail (no valid filename for that thumbnail). DIM created a basic metadata file when it installed your custom zip. Look in the Runtime/Support folder for a .dsx file with the string "Evilyna_Outfit_G8F" in it. There will likely be some characters before it based on store and SKU, but I'm not exactly certain what it will be. Whatever, the thumbnail (in the same folder) must have the same name as that .dsx file. You can simply rename it in place and refresh the product view to see it. If it works (I'm sure it will), you can rename the file in the CPA Build folder and make a fresh copy of the package if you ever need to re-install.
Now, when DIM installed the new Product, the assets were assigned to it, and now show up in Smart Content. This was done using the generated metadata file. When you re-import metadata, all those assignments are refreshed. As I mentioned, if the files are not showing under the Product, it is because they have not been refreshed, or even assigned, in the new machine. Again, check if the metadata for your third-party products are in the list of Products in the Re-Import Metadata dialog. They had to have been created in the Runtime/Support folder (with all the rest of the DAZ 3D products) the first time you installed them. You can also re-import metadata for one or more (use the checkboxes) individual Products in DIM with a right-clickin the Installed tab -> Re-import metadata instead of the dialog in Studio (which can take a long time to open if you have many Products)
I do not see anything that says Local User under Products in Smart Content.
As far as the missing thumbnail, you know, often CPA gets it right, and honestly, the thumbnails do not matter to me.
This is where and what I am confused about. When I re-imported metadata it worked for all 1st party things. All things I used CPA for (which were working perfectly just like this outfit I showed you currently is) now have no files with them in Smart Content. You can click on Dinoraul's Daccer monster and it's now empty in Smart Content (though the thumbnail and product are in Smart Content). I am sorry to be a bother to you, I am not sure if it my autism or what, but do you have a step by step pictured guide or a video I can follow? Like for example when you say, "Again, check if the metadata for your third-party products are in the list of Products in the Re-Import Metadata dialog," I haven't a clue what that means or how to check it. I am not getting it. I did click the "Refresh" button, but nothing appears. I don't know what the Runtime/Support folder is, but it hsould have been copied exactly, if it is inside the C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library somewhere... wait, I might have found it as I got that.
I see DAZ_3D_4939938107523997-1_Ajuzam_DR_Test1.dsx
and DAZ_3D_4939938107523997-1_Ajuzam_DR_Test1.dsa
These are definitely one of my Dionraul installs from CPA. So, maybe I can salvage this massive headache! So, what do I do with these files? Where should I place them so Daz finds them again? Right now they are in:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\Runtime\Support
For example, I have Daz open and Ajuzam_DR_Test1 is there with his thumbnail, but as stated the product is empty. I right click and select Refresh but nothing happens. So, Daz is not seeing that folder with the info for it.
As to you saying, this part, "You can also re-import metadata for one or more (use the checkboxes) individual Products in DIM with a right-clickin the Installed tab -> Re-import metadata instead of the dialog in Studio (which can take a long time to open if you have many Products)", When I first opened Daz I got everything to show up as normal by going to the Content Managemnent thingy and telling it to Reimport ALl Metadata. Your things seems different. In the Install Tab when I right click, I can only choose what the attachment here shows. Anyway, I have hope here now, thanks! I'm eager to hear how to fix this finally.
The forums borked according to Cloudflare for a while, so I do nto see the attachement, so this is what I see when I right click int he install tab.
Right-click in DIM, not Smart Content. There are a number of options available, one is Re-Import Metadata. If you installed from DIM, you can see what it thinks is installed. This is where the manifest comes in. You can "Show Installed Files..." to see if files are in fact installed where they should be (the Content Path on the Installation tab in DIM->Advanced Settings). If the files are in the proper place, they will be listed as blue underlined hyperlinks. If they are plain black text, they are not where they should be.
LOCAL USER should be in the Product List. The list is sorted alphabetically, so go to the L's. If it is too difiicult to find, go to the Content Library -> Products -> L.
Scroll down until you see it (it is in ALL CAPS, so is hard to miss). This list is also sorted alphabetically. Look for any of your missing assets in there.
When you Re-Import Metadata in Studio from the Content Database Maintenance utility, a dialog box opens with all your products listed. It contains every product in the database that has been installed (it reads the folder with the manifests). Your third party products should be in that list, since you installed with DIM. You should also have an entry in DIM, on the Installed tab. You can re-import the metadata from there also, as an alternative. It all goes to the same place. A refresh in the Product in Smart Content will not re-import, but can be useful after re-importing to see if anything shows up.
For your example Dinoraul file, DAZ_3D_4939938107523997-1_Ajuzam_DR_Test1.dsx, look in DIM Installed tab for the "Ajuzam DR" product. From there, you can re-import the metadata as described above. You can check for success or failure by examining the DIM log file (DIM gear icon -> Show Log...) It will open in your designated text editor. Go to the bottom and check the entries for any messages relating to Ajuzam DR.
Ok will try the top part but I had DIM open so I did "Ajuzam" and see all 4 of my tests including 1. So, I rightlicked it and selected "Reimport Metadata" which then had the pop out menu showing Ajuzam DR Test1. I select it, saw the green install par type thing for a fraction of a second, but in Daz, it is still empty in Smart Content and I tried refresh which also did not work. When in DIM if I say "Show installed files" it does show all the files from the model to the materials and such. I feel like I am so freaking close.
In the log of DIM it shows at the bottom:
2024-04-22 19:12:38.694 [VERBOSE] :: Begin re-importing metadata...
2024-04-22 19:12:38.781 [VERBOSE] :: Finished re-importing metadata for 1 packages: Elapsed Time 0 min 0 sec 87 msec
So, I assume it should work, but I do not know still how to get it to show me in Smart Content on the Ajuzam DR Test1 page still.
EDIT: By the way @NorthOf45 all the file names are blue hyperlinks.
Ok in DIM I do not see LOCAL USER in the Products there here is a screenshot, and I have everything in alphabetical order.
Sorry for the confusion. LOCAL USER is in DAZ Studio -> Content Library -> Products -> L
Files as blue hyperlinks is good, files are where they should be, which means the manifests are correct. Yes, you are close...
Now just to find the Product contents. I vaguely remember having problems many years ago with misplaced references, and I do believe it was because of LOCAL USER (I think an asset can only belong to one product at a time, even if used by more than one product). If you delete the references to Ajuzam in LOCAL USER and Re-Import Metadata, they should show up in the proper Product.
LOCAL USER only has one file I saved today. It does not even have the Evil outfit that I stalled yesterday. So, no luck there.
The one you installed yesterday (Evilyna?) has a Product defined and populated, so its contents will not be in LOCAL USER. That's good.
Are you looking at LOCAL USER in Smart Content or Content Library? Smart Content might be filtering by context, but the view in Content Library - Products shows everything without any restrictions.
Okay, we need to track down the actual contents. Go to the Content Library and navigate to a folder with the Ajuzam product files. Follow the path indicated in the DIM - Show Installed Files... (don't click on the hyperlink, that opens a file explorer outside of DAZ Studio). You should eventually get to the folder(s) with the content from the Product. (DIM Says it is there, so it is there).
Click on an asset (any one, it does not matter). Open the Info tab at the botton of the tab pane (officially the Asset View / Additional Information area). Select the Info label. In the pane below, you will see
Author:
File:
Dates:
Product: <------------ This is the Product to which the asset belongs. It should be something like "Ajuzam DR" (maybe test1, too)
Daz Connect:
I just thought of something. DinoRaul stuff was in Poser Format, right? Do you have your Poser Formats folder mapped in Content Directory Manager? If not, none of those files will show.
Ok so the first issue I have is I never use Content Library so forgive my ignorance, but I do not see Runtime. As you can see all the blue links start with Runtime, but on the right side, you can see that my Content Library does not have runtime. There is no folder between RPublishing and S'erpatha, which is where I think RUNtime would be.
You will not actually see the Runtime folder in the Poser Content folder. All user-facing files went in the Libraries folder (which you also will not see) in one of the standard Poser folders:
Camera
Figures (for Character)
Expressions (for Face)
Hair
Hands (for Hand)
Light
Materials
Pose
Props
Scene
Those are the only folders you should see at the top level of the Poser Formats under "My DAZ 3D Library". Follow a path under one of those to find your files, Figures and Pose (or Materials). Once you find a folder with the files, you can continue with the previous instructions.
Sorry I am still confused, so I am in these and looking under things like Figures or Materials, but I do not see anything that says Ajuzam. I was originally trying to follow the exact blue hyperlink path, sorry about that, and since it did not say Poser anyway I did not realize it. Anyway, I want to make sure I am looking in the right place.
I still do not see Ajuzam, but I have hundreds of these third party things missing, so I click S'erpatha and I see my Gripper monster. As here I click on it, and it is showing materials. So I clicked the Info tab at the bottom and here is a screenshot. So what do I do next?
Let's stick with Ajuzarn, you're this close. It will be, according to the Installed Files list from DIM, in "Poser Formats/My DAZ3D Library/Figures/Creatures/" (Figures library is translated from Character folder, It's a Poser thing)
Materials will be in "Poser Formats/My DAZ3D Library/Materials/Creatures/AzujarnDR"
Poses will be in "Poser Formats/My DAZ3D Library/Pose/Creatures/AzujarnDR"
To see the Product entry in the bottom pane, scroll down a bit lower, or make the pane taller. It is not visible in the picture you attached.
OK! I found it finally, thanks! All the Dinoraul guys are there. So here is a screenshor including the "Info" tab. What is my next step, my friend?
Okay, almost there. Go up to Figures/Creatures (you are in the Materials/Creatures folder) and select Ajuzarn DR.cr2 on the right side (it should be there). In the bottom pane look for Product: (scroll down, or make the pane taller so that your screen capture gets all the info.) You should see which Product he belongs to.
Ok I made the Info tab as long as I could with him selected, but I am not understanding what the product thing is.
Okay. Ajuzarn has not been assigned to a Product, and is in limbo. I get this when an asset in a product is not included for some reason, usually left out of the metadata file, or has the wrong filename.
Okay, edit the metadata file in the Runtime/Support folder (DAZ_3D_4939938107523997-1_Ajuzam_DR_Test1.dsx). (Now you can use the DIM Show Installed Files list to get to it quickly). It is just a text file in XML format, but is human readable. Search for Ajuzarn DR.cr2. If it is there, it should be in the "Ajuzarn DR Test1" product.
Re-importing the metadata usually sets it straight. I do not know why it is not working. All I can suggest at this point is to re-install it and check (after a refresh in the folder) if you see a Product entry in that pane. Once you do, it will surely show up in Smart Content.
I took a screenshot of what the file has in it.
Well, the point is, I do not want to have to reinstall hundreds of 3rd party CPA installed files every time I get a new computer or reinstall windows. So, now that I reread what you said, you're implying I have to do just that... the worst part is every time I did that in the past, the previous version is there plus the new one. In some of these cases, I now have 5 installs of the same things over the years. I really thought I had it this time. Can you at least explain to me whie that Evilyna outfit I installed with it, does show up (well it does until I ever get a new computer or windows when I have to apparently reinstall next to itself all over again...)
I need to know why CPA installed files always break when you put your files onto new ocmputers, but 1st party stuff doesnt.
Huh. It only has Support Assets, no real Assets. Delete that .dsx file and re-install. DIM will make a new one, hopefully with all the assets included.