Help ASAP please -moved MY DAZ LIbrary to an external hard drive , now lost
Wonderland
Posts: 7,056
in New Users
Sorry, someone explained it to me once, but I just didn't get it.... So My Daz Library is now on an external hard drive. First I want to install more into via DIM, then find it in DS and also in Poser... Thanks in advance!
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In DIM, click on the gear (settings) in the upper right > Installation tab, click the + sign in the lower left to add a new path, then set the Current path to the new one.
In DS, if you use custom Categories/tags/metadata export User Data before moving the library. After moving the files, go to Edit > Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager and change the path for BOTH "Daz Studio Formats" and "Poser Formats" (And "Daz Connect Data" if you use that), then Re-Import Metadata.
Deleted
Thanks but I already deleted the old library after copying it to the external hard drive. I was trying to upload just newer product and directed it to the new My DAZ Library but it is automatically installing everything, but as a bunch of separaste zips, not installing them where they are supposed to go... It's installing everything including old V2/V3 stuff and not letting me choose. I'm afraid I'll just have a huge amount of zip files at the end...
That sounds like you changed the download location, not the install path.
How do I change the install path? Thanks My library is just being filled with tons of zips!
The DIM settings has 4 tabs, 2nd is downloads, 3rd is installation
I know, but it is installing as zips
That's just downloading the prducts, not installing them.
I know, but it says it is installing them....
Well, something is happening.... I think I forgot to check delete package when done or whatever that says. Question 2: how do you det Renderosity products into DS? I'm on a Mac and have a special installer that that helps you get the runtime folder in the right place in Poser without replacing the whole folder. I have some DS cpmpatible content from Rendo, but have no idea how to get it in DS.
For some reason, nothing is working for me... Just bought a lot of DS only content and can't even install it since I moved My Library to an external hard drive. When I try to add a light or camera, the whole image disappears. Can't figure out how to replace a simple material in the surface tab! Help!!! Just bought a bunch of DS only content because I love the lRay renders and was able to figure out how to do a simple render, but now everything is wonky... Any DS users in LA?????? Thanks...
So let's start with:
1. What system do you have? Platform, OS, Graphic Card.
2. Are you using DIM, Connect, both, neither? If using DIM, have you pointed it to your location on the HD? There are instructions in the Connect FAQ for working with other locations.
3. Can you do a screenshot of your UI so we can see the set up? Show a before and after of when you add the camera.
4. Same tih the surfact tab, what are you working with, what are you trying to change, where are you looking for the materials?
System in jpg attached.... Yeah, using DIM. I moved MY DAZ LIBRARY to an external hard drive. I thought I was just installing one order, but it took it upon itself to install every order I ever made starting with V2. It's still installing. It's putting zips in my DAZ library though. I got impatient and opened DS. Some things are there, some are still downloading, others are supposedly installed but not showing up. Even before I moved my library, whenever I clicked on the camera or light panel, the screen would go blank. I'd do a screen shot but I'm doing a sample render of a dragon that somehow showed up in my smart content. Most of my smart content right now has empty squares with triangles and exclamation marks. I'm doing a render of the dragon right now which is coming out quite nicely. I added a distant light and pointed it at him but didn't know how to delete the existing default light.
In the surface tab there are a million nodes, in Poser, you pick the top one and can browse for any .jpg and use it as a material for that section of clothing or whatever, but I couldn't figure out which one worked that way in DS.
It seems like only some things are being installed as smart content (the ones checked in DIM) not sure why others aren't.
I can submit more info as soon as the dragon finishes rendering, but I am impressed how good he looks, even though I really didn't know what I was doing when I added the light but it seems to help a great deal. But I don't know how to delete the defult lights. Sorry, for all the questions, but Poser was just so intuitive for me but I'd really like to learn how to use this because I do like the renders and the ability to create younger characters more easily and autofit, assuming it works, haven't gotten to that yet! Thanks in advance for your help, I will have lots more questions!
Heh, what are you still doing on Yosemite? You don't like to update? :)
Always best to not open DS while downloading things with DIM. That's one of the nice things about Connect. I can download and keep working in Studio. Not to mention, if there are updates, it only downloads the necessary files and not the whole product, again, like with DIM.
Are you not rendering with Iray? You meantioned distant lights. I know people use them in Iray, but I find the use of HDRs and the photometric lights to give much better results...jmo. With regard to the lights. If you are in Iray, the default lights are the headlamps, which in Iray, you can turn off by going to the Render Settings tab. In the general tab, at bottom, you'll see Auto Headlamp. You can choose "When no lights in scene, or Never. Personally, I have sets from Dimension Theory ( http://www.daz3d.com/iradiance-studio-hdris-for-iray and http://www.daz3d.com/iradiance-hdr-mesh-lights-for-iray) which contain what he calls a "headlamp blocker" which works great cuz often disabling the headlamp makes the scene go black. I can highly recommend his products; I use them all the time.
You're saying surface tab, but if you're looking at nodes, sounds like you mean Shader Mixer? I tend to use the Surface tab materials since that is more intuitive for me, but you may find working with nodes more comfortable.
Funny how each person's sense of intuitive is different. Poser began to drive me nuts and Studio was more intuitive for me. Everyone finds what they grok with. :)
Yeah, nothing that I downloaded while DS was open downloaded correctly. What is DAZ connect? I’m just trying to figure out how to add my own material—i.e.: a jpg. file that I can use to replace an existing file, either on clothing, a cover of a book, painting, etc… In Poser, you just replace the existing image with your own. I can’t see how to do that in DS. Why can’t you use a distant light in lRay? What light should you use? Isn’t there some script that just says “Delete all lights?” And why isn’t the view on the screen, the camera angle? When I go to the camera pane, the image disappears, so you can’t see anything… I just bought a ton of DS stuff, I really hope I can figure all this out… This is the most unintuitive program I’ve ever seen… Now that my DIM downloads got screwed up, do I have to start all over? It says V7, etc… is installed but I just get blank squares with triangles with exclamation marks… This is SO FRUSTRATING! I want this to work! I want to use all the product I just purchased, but nothing works!!! Arrrrghhhhh!
I’m still on Yosemite because people who upgrade have had problems with certain programs and tons of issues, 1 star in the App store! And they are having problems connecting to older external hard drives and I have a ton of external hard drives and can’t risk not connecting….
Really want to figure out DS, but this is WAY harder than I expected!
"Yeah, nothing that I downloaded while DS was open downloaded correctly. What is DAZ connect?"
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/65509/daz-connect-faq#latest
"I’m just trying to figure out how to add my own material—i.e.: a jpg. file that I can use to replace an existing file, either on clothing, a cover of a book, painting, etc… In Poser, you just replace the existing image with your own. I can’t see how to do that in DS."
This should be no different than Poser as Poser objects are also dependent on UVs for the textures. If the cover of the book uses one image for it's cover, all you need to do is replace it in the surface tab.
This should, depending on your UI layout, be in the icons at the top. I've marked the Surface selector. http://prntscr.com/an28v8 If the book is a lone surface, you should be able to click on the surface selector, then the book cover. http://prntscr.com/an29rs In the Surfaces tab, look for your model and drill down to its surfaces...look for diffuse. Here, you see, when I hover over the existing texture, it tells me where it is. If you left click on the small texture icon, it will give you a list of the textures used plus the option to browse. Navigate to the texture you want to use and choose it to replace the one you have. I recommend that you look at what other maps are used on your object to make sure if it's using any correlated bump or specular, for instance, that go with the diffuse color.
"Why can’t you use a distant light in lRay? What light should you use? "
First, try to remember to give me all the information I ask for. Remember I asked if you were using 3DL or Iray. It will make a difference. You can use distant lights in Iray, but the lighting will be very different than what most non-PBR renderers do with distant lights. I just have found that you get better lighting using an HDR, especially if it's not an interior. And if it is an exterior, sunlight can be used. PBR means physically based renderer, which is what Iray is, and it lights things just like you would in the real world.
"Isn’t there some script that just says “Delete all lights?”
There may be, but I am not aware of one.
"And why isn’t the view on the screen, the camera angle? When I go to the camera pane, the image disappears, so you can’t see anything… "
Do you mean if you select the camera? Going to the camera pane, to me, means going to the camera parameters and options. Are you creating a new camera? What options do you choose for it when you make it. I tend to set up perspective kind of how I want to view things, then I create a camera with the option to "Copy Active View" so it duplicates Perspective. I then select that camera in the View Selection dropdown and adjust the camera how I would like.
"I just bought a ton of DS stuff, I really hope I can figure all this out… This is the most unintuitive program I’ve ever seen…"
Most times when I hear people say this of any program, it means, "it's not working as I expect or what I'm used to". The more you fight and don't surrender to just learning how the program works, the more frustrated you'll get. This is new to you. Expect it to be new, different and ask the questions you're asking. Also look for information in the threads. The NU forum, which is what you're in, is good because we have community volunteers in place to monitor and help you. There are also sources such as this:
"Now that my DIM downloads got screwed up, do I have to start all over? It says V7, etc… is installed but I just get blank squares with triangles with exclamation marks… This is SO FRUSTRATING! I want this to work! I want to use all the product I just purchased, but nothing works!!! Arrrrghhhhh!"
You shouldn't have to start over, but you may have to do a few things to get things going correctly. I'm going to ask one of the CVs to come in and try to assist you as I need to do something.
"I’m still on Yosemite because people who upgrade have had problems with certain programs and tons of issues, 1 star in the App store! And they are having problems connecting to older external hard drives and I have a ton of external hard drives and can’t risk not connecting…."
Understood. I'm what they call a Super User, at least that's what IT guys call me...lol. I use a tremendous and varied amount of programs. I have tons of HDs. I have had absolutley no problems with El Captian. I'm even on a Macbook Pro and not a desktop.
"Really want to figure out DS, but this is WAY harder than I expected!"
Take a deep breath. If your run-on paragraphs are an indication, you're making yourself over-anxious. :) First let's get your DIM sorted or possibly Connect. Let the CVs help you. Watch the videos. Take breaks between things. You don't have to do it all in one sitting, as much as you may want to. ;) Go watch those videos for a while and then come back and see if the CV got in with some additional advice. Ok?
Ok, I've also merged your two threads as they were basically covering the same ground with two different people. Now it's easier for everyone to manage with one thread.
I don't want to open DS now because DIM is still downloading every product I've ever bought since I think 2005 LOL... I'll send a screenshot of what happens when I go to the lights/camera panel later or probably tomorrow, but it's basically a blank grey screen, nothing is on it.... The Distant light looked great so far, but it was just one character, not a full scene... Still sooooooo much to learn. They really need to make a manual... But thanks for all the help here but unfortunately, unless it's described in terms of Poser, I still have a problem getting it... Ummm, I don't even know what a CV is... :( You're right, I just want to dive in and create art! Soo many hurdles to get through first though... But thanks for the help!
For some reason, I can't even get an image to upload when I try to attach a file under browse, it just says "uploading" but doesn't. And I couldn't get my PC coupon to work either. I think my computer is rebelling... Anyway, here is a render I did Monday with Photoshop post, before I tried to to anything more complicated than a portrait LOL, but you can do some amazing realism in lRay... http://www.daz3d.com/gallery/#images/112505/
Ok...for the DIM and installed items we will need screenshots of
1. Your mapped content folders...Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager.
Expand both the Daz and Poser format sections.
2. The two tabs in the DIM Mike talked about...the 2nd and 3rd.
Typically, when you think you have things installed and they come up with boxes, it's because the directories aren't properly mapped.
Ohhh... I didn't know about preferences... Well, right now 11 years of content is downloading so I don't want to screw it up, I'll probably wait till the morning to check back in. Thanks :)
Here's an overview of the surfaces tab
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/surfaces/videos/surfaces/start
If DIM is downloading and installing something you don't want you can click on the X next to the item and it will cancel the download, you can always download and install it at a later date.
OK, I still can't get things to install correctly.... And the DIM keeps getting disconnected from the web but has downloaded a ton of content, but not showing up. How do I use DAZ connect? Thanks.
And yes, things are downloading, slooooooowly, but eventually--until it disconnects from the web for no reason but still not showing up in DS per the other attachment...
Ok...in the shot of the Content Directory Manager, you need to click on each '+' next to each item (Connect, Daz, Poser) so they are fully expanded and post a picture of that.
Then in the DIM click the gear in the upper right corner...and select the Installation tab...and post a screenshot of that.