Packing up custom items into a zip for distribution
kaotkbliss
Posts: 2,914
This came up when I was trying to help someone in the rigging thread and I didn't want to take over their thread with my issue, so i'm starting a new topic here.
Some backstory: Quite some time ago, I found some characters on ShareCG that I really liked the outfits. Problem was they were made in 3dsmax but the creator did have some obj exports of them as well. So what I did was imported them into Hex and removed all the mesh I didn't want and started chopping the rest into single items.
Then I would send them over to Daz via the bridge. When the whole suit was completed, I rigged and shaded it, then saved as a scene subset.
Now I wish to gather everything up that I would need to create a zip that I could use as a backup in case of computer loss or sharing or whatever.
I started through mjc's guide in the rigging thread and created a testing folder with sub folders, but then he says to copy geometries over to those testing folders and start rigging, then save. I tried looking through the duf file for the location of the geometries that Daz is using, but cannot find them. I also tried saving the pieces as scene asset/prop into the testing folder but I don't think it's saving everything that's needed to redestribute. (I also don't know where I should be saving in the testing folder.)
I'd really like to not have to start all over from the beginning as I don't think I could exactly reproduce what I have and it was a ton of work that I'd really like to not have to go through again.
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
1. Such a "derivative" product cannot be redistributed without the original creator's okay-dokie.
2. Just pack the files you need into a "new just for this" folder.
Name of Folder [outfit name for example]
My Library [and then into this folder the following are put]
data [then into this one is put the new geometry you created - should be packed exactly as on your computer but contain ONLY the new files]
Props [if any of the items were put here - again then into folders bearing the name sequence and name as they were saved into on your computer]
People [then sub-folders for the figure: clothing: sub-folders for the clothing piece(s) into folders named the same, and nested the same however it is you made the set]
Runtime > textures > your sub-folders IF any texture images were applied.
n.b. Making/saving a figure with shaders is not a particularly good idea. Notice that people often have "blank" figures for to load first, then a mat to apply. Where this matters now is that there are 2 render engines for shaders and using the wrong shader may crash the program.
Edit to add: FIRST save the rigged clothing file properly! It is not saved as a scene subset but as a Figure/Prop ;-)
If I remember correctly, the original creator said it was ok to do whatever you want. But really I want to do this for backup of my own so if my pc ever dies, I don't have to recreate everything from scratch as it was a lot of work.
The problem is, I don't know what files it is that I need to pack :( I started saving the individual items as assets/props, but I don't think I saved them to the right location and nothing is being created in the runtime folder.
the outputs I'm getting are:
Testing\"Item Name".duf
Testing\"Item Name".duf.png
Testing\data\kaotkbliss\Seraphim_Armor\"item name"\body.dsf
Testing\data\kaotkbliss\Seraphim_Armor\"item name"\Morphs\kaotkbliss\Base\FBMExpandAll.dsf
Testing\data\kaotkbliss\Seraphim_Armor\"item name"\UV Sets\kaotkbliss\Base\default.dsf
And that is all
Okay. So "testing" is your equivalent to "My Library". Make an empty folder on the Desktop, name it for the item. Slide "Testing" into it. Rename "testing" to "My Library".
Test and see if it works.
Edit to add:
To test your own work: one can either temporarily slide/hide working files from D/S by sliding them out of their places to a separate holding folder. Close D/S first.
i.e. make a folder called "put back into data" and slide out your files from the data folder. Same for the rest.
Then "install" the "testing/My Library" batch. Then open D/S and try opening the file which it appears you have saved to My Library directly.
If it works, great, done. Zip up the "backup" folder and slide all the other files back to where you got them from. Copy the zip folder to your storage device.
Ok, I will try some of your tips and see if I can get it working.
Thank you
When I go to save a piece as an asset/prop, it wants a save location for the duf file before it creates any of the texture or (I'm guessing) mesh files. Where should I save that original duf file to? I know in my daz products library there aren't a bunch of duf files outside the runtime folder.
um, well they should be outside of the runtime with some exceptions [like for Poser compatibility or something]
Okay: Yes, save Prop or Figure as File > Save As > Figure/prop BEFORE saving mat files etc.
Save such to location [suggestions not written in stone] My Library > Props > kaotkbliss > whatever subfolder name for the product you want.
Save mat files [File > Save As > Materials Preset] to My Library > Props > kaotkbliss > ditto [same as whatever you put above] and then maybe one more subfolder called "Mats".
If making both 3Delights and Iray shader material presets, keep them in separate folders in that Mats folder.
For figures such as the clothing:
File > Save As > Figure/prop > whatever name you want for the item ...
Save to: My Library > People > [the name of the figure to wear the clothing] > clothing > [choice: either your name and then subfolders OR product name and then subfolders if/as required]. And again one more subfolder for "Mats".
It is important that any texture images be applied only/ever from the Runtime > textures > whatever subfolder they are coming from ... so that the mat files write up nicely without making calls for people's computers. [check esp. if sending anything over the bridge to/fro Hexagon because Hexagon sends back mixed up texture images].
Hope this helps.
Ok, thank you! That helps a lot :)
Here's a new question.
I have part of the outfit that's made of pieces of parented objects. How would I save that so it all loads as 1 item? When I select all the pieces and save as asset/prop, it only saves 1 item, not all of them. (it's a wing set made of a null that's parented to the chest, 2 connectors ro attach the wings to the armor, 2 engines, 2 engine flames and 4 wing pieces)
After saving each item as a prop, load them on the figure and save as a Wearable Preset.
Ahhhh, I see. Thank you :)
Look under Packaging on this page http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/publishing/start
If you create this all within Daz Studio so it is all being saved with My Daz 3D Library, then the references will be correct and your folders set up correctly for distribution. You can then keep the original folders in your Daz 3D Library for use and, externally, make a copy of your folders to place in your Zip.
You do not need nor want a "Content", "My Library", or "My Daz 3D Library" in the zip file. Having those just leads to nested content when the user extracts the whole zip to their library instead of just the files and folders that are inside those leading folders.
I can't seem to get this to work right :(
When I set up the wings, it loads whatever they are parented to as well. Even if it's hidden when I save as wearable preset. I tried saving as a preset witout the figure, but then I can't load it until I load one of the props that belong to the item. When I do this, then I end up with 2 of that part, also for some reasonrandom parts of the wing set don't load in the correct position.
I tried to change the null to a group but that isn't helping.
*edit* I got the wearables preset worked out. I had to close and re-open daz for it to straighten things out. It's not what I was thinking, but it works and that's really what matters in the end.
So I think I've got most of it down. The only problem now is that everything has absolute paths. I packaged everything up and moved it over to my main library, then deleted from my testing area but everything is still looking at the testing area. I didn't see any options for making things a dynamic path, so how do I fix this?
It will save with relative paths if the files it is referencing are in listed content directories. You'll need to edit the .duf's to replace the absolute paths with relative paths.
It must be Daz studio still reading old files somewhere (even though I've closed and reopened it) as I looked at the dufs in my package and the paths all start with /data
I disagree with this as do some other content providers who have stated so long time ago ... causing less confusion for the receiver to find the "main folder" and then simply merge all the other folders into their corresponding places.
For eg. if I released a folder called "props" how would you know where to put it? Could be under My Library > Props : My Library > Runtime > libraries > Props : My Library > People > Genesis > Props ... etc.
Given the number of beginners and experts with ideas of their own, it's rather "not a good idea" to simply unzip contents of any zip folder into any program's content dungeon. Best to unzip and run scanners, look and see what was supplied ... still remember the time I found all the real props etc inside the folder for the weblinks [professional packed that way too, doh ...] ... And yes, we do not want "nested" "content > content" or "My Library > My Library" and believe or not people send out packages like that too ,,, one as I recall had about 3 "My Library"s ... in opening the zip first and checking, easy to find the right one and copy/paste the contents [data/People/Runtime] into the one "My Library" on the computer.
If it is a Poser Prop folder then it should be in Runtime/Libraries in the zip other it is not packaged properly it is the makers fault for doing it wrong.
Well this is definately not right :(
I got everything saved as asset/prop
Zipped it all up
took it over to my main daz library and unzipped it.
deleted the original content.
Had to clear my database completely and rescan to clear out the old refrences.
Now it only picks up the scene subset of the full armor I created and saved into the zip as well (Which all loads up fine...). None of the individual items are being found in the content library.
Nothing made to be in a Poser Prop folder is going to be saving files to "data", that's D/S content. D/S does not natively make Poser Props.
Well I hope you did not empty the trash so you can get back the "original content" you deleted.
To move stuff out or hide it does not mean delete it. Simply take it out of the Daz Studio content folders and put it someplace else on the computer where D/S will not find it.
In your saved zip folder, open one of the .duf files with Notepad [a text editor] of the "individual items". Near the top of that file should be written the exact location of where it is to have been placed.
In D/S sometimes one has to "right-click" and "refresh" to get new folders and content to appear.
If you have copied the contents of your zip into the main "My Library" [i.e. merging data with data, People with People, etc.] then in D/S it should be appearing where you put it, in the Content Library.
If you download one of my recent props you can see what I'm talking about. There are 2 main folders to be copied over, one called "data" and the other "Props".
I packed up the 3 folders I created in the top level (data, materials, and scenes), extracted it to the daz default "my library".
The saved scene preset shows up in content library and loads just fine. The individual items won't show at all but if I do "file->open" and browse to them, they open fine as well.
I've completely reset and rebuilt my database as well as did the "scan known directories for files" They just won't show :(
I can pm you a link to one of the packages if that would help
Okay. Have no idea if this will post, am getting a "bad gateway" message from the forum's software.
Ha! It posted and now the forums are back. I got the link and have replied ... kaotkbliss is going to be fine :-) Just needs to save a few files to some certain location and save that folder too.
Oh, I had a post all ready to send, but never sent it :O
Too bad there isn't a 1 click - pack everything button :P
I'll get this down eventually.
Yes you will ;-) Hang in there.
edit to add a couple of pictures that might help
Ok, so it looks like my problem was simply improperly placed duf files :)
I moved them from the data folder to people->genesis 2 female->clothing
and everything worked perfectly :) thank you Patience and everyone who has helped me through this :)
Basically for anyone else who is struggling
a. create a new folder outside any mapped directories for daz so you have a clean workspace
b. map this new directory in daz
then
1. have your items loaded into daz
2. click File->save as->support asset->figure/prop asset
3. now a filesave dialog pops up, this is where it wants to save your duf file so save it in your empty workspace to
people->figure it's made for->type of item->creator name->package name->item name
4. a new save box will pop up (as in the screenshot above) filling in the product name and creator name etc. will create new folders in the data folder with the dsf geometry for the items. I use the same vendor and product name for all the items in the group so they all go to the same folder.
5. save your materials and such (I've not learned textures yet as most of my items so far are at least 90% shaders so saving a mat preset gets most of it for me)
When you are all done, zip up everything inside your workspace (should have a few folders in there now data, people, materials and I always save the full outfit as a scene subset so you could have a scene folder there as well)