Concerns Over uprgading from 4.6 to 4.9

StevieD

    I Always seem to get screwed when I update software.  I usually have to spend weeks/months trying to fix things that get lost or broken. Sometimes never completely recovering properly.  I am a producer not a computer software enthuseast. I have a love/hate relationship with computer software.  I don't play with it. I use it. Experimenting is not at all fun to me, it is just necessary.  

  That being said I have a real fear of updating from Daz Studio 4.6 that I am currently using to 4.9. I'm starting to see assets coming out that I would like to use but are only 4.9+ compatable and I assume some new features are really advantatious as well.  So,,,  I don't know.  I don't play with the software. I produce with the software. I use it because I'm a one person production and it's farely easy to use to get the ""look"" I want or need. You dial up a charector or prop you need, adjust it to make it unique or look particular and go from there. That's where I take over. I don't need to make models or locations, per se. That's why I like it.  

   I have many animation projects currently in production, with many, many elements in them, some as many as a hundred figures or more in a scene with thirty or more animated objects going on or planned per scene. I have worked on some scenes for over a year some quite over a year. I don't nececcarily use smart content as such. I certainly don't use the smart content browser, or instalation processes. I do everything manually and I'm fine with that. I use some very old Daz content, Poser content and some content purchased out side the Daz/Poser umbrella and adjusted to work over the course of time. Come to think of it, I have adjusted most surfaces and other things associated with particular items, no matter what it was or where I purchased it from, even some of the newer smart content. All of these adjustments MUST carry over if I open the projects in a new working enviornment or else I can't continue on. It's all just too vast.

   I am very worried that if I make the move I will lose whole scenes, animations or individual oblects that I will never be able to use again or have to work for weeks to get maybe back to where I was just a short time ago. I'm worried that things I did will not work or change the way it works or how it looks.  Since I adjust almost everything, I can't afford to start over again, even to recover the look of everything sitting together. The smart browser doesn't attract me because it won't work for everything I have. I just want the actions and output, especially the look and animations, work the way I expect them or like they used to.  As you know you really can't tell until it is all rendered and some of my stuff takes weeks to render. 

  What do you think? Will updating be just to unreliable? Will I loose things and actions that were set up in the old version when it opens up in the newest version? Should I just stay with what I have untill I get through everything I have started? That might be years. In that time, I won't be buying much new content. I can tell you.  I often ask for advice on the forums but now I'm sure advice I get might work for 4.9 not 4.6. I 'm concerned about that as well. I must tell you I am terrified to update and if I don't, I might be left way behind but I can't afford to lose all the work I have acompleshed so far.

Is this consern warrented? If it is, coulld I ever go back? What advice might one give being in this position?

Thank You,

Steve

 

nicstt

Well, I don't like Connect; I don't trust DRM products (in general no because from Daz), so although there aren't many available; so not many are encrypted, Connect itself changes things, due to it being used to implement the DRM system.

I made sure any SQL components were not installed, or were uninstalled (via DIM) and I don't have that issue. There are some out there using Connect who are happy with it - there are a number like me who don't like it's DRM component.

If you do decide to upgrade, and disable the SQL parts, you'll get a pop up every time you start Studio, which you can just click ok for.

How much of an issue you'll have is hard to say; but why not try beta, it won't have any affect on your main installation. Just backup stuff first.

It's also possible that there will be a new version soon (4.10 or 5 I mean); so may be worth downloading beta, and storing like I do, or some method you prefer. (I have backups of 4.8 stored seperately. and earlier versions too.)

Tobor

You can install the beta (not release) of 4.9 and it will sit along side 4.6, as it doesn't share the same folder hierarchy. That would at least allow you to test things. But the moment you install a release of 4.9, out goes 4.6.

I have a very unusual folder organization, which is by project or project type, and I use Poser as much as I use D|S. So I need complete control over all the runtimes I use. I don't miss Connect or Smart Content, and my unique organization of things doesn't require either. There's never been any encrypted content I've wanted, so I've never been tempted there. So, it *is* possible to use 4.9 "your way" and completely without any of the content management features, though you need to take specific steps to make it happen.

For things porting over -- you basically start fresh. While you can copy some settings files, I don't know if 4.6-4.9 is compatible. Other things like runtime directories have to be done over. These are stored (on Windows machines) in the system Registry, of all places, rather than in an easily editable or copyable file. If you only have a couple of runtimes it shouldn't be too bad to add those back in.

Oso3D

I happily use 4.9 without ever using Connect, and it's taken no particular work on my part other than remembering to keep an eye out for Encrypted only stuff.

Whether your upgrade will be smooth, I have no idea, but you can definitely use 4.9 without Connect.

 

Roboman28

Concerns Over uprgading from 4.6 to 4.9. Well back up your 4.6 installation so you have always got something to go back to. Then try updating. In my case I ran into problems but it depends on your database history. Daz writes upgrade scripts which works for most users but not all. Unfortunately potential upgrade problems are a thread in their own right.

nicstt

You could back up the registry.

Warning: there can be a very real risk with messing with it.

But find the sections shown in the image, beta or not. There will be a number of entries, including Daz 3D Library, and possilbly others; right click on the studio4, or Studio4PublicBuild, select export, and when saving make sure "Select Branch" is checked before clicking save.

If you want more info ask, and I'd check to find out if there any issues about in using 4.6 registry settings with 4.9 before you do it. You could edit the appropriate parts, but I'm not posting how, I don't want to risk someone making a mistake and messing up Daz, or potentially something worse.

BeeMKay

Certain scripts and some stuff don't work beyond 4.6, like some features of AOA lights. Also, 4.6 uses Valentina database, while 4.9 uses Postgrsql.

I would opt for the Beta installation, too. Best of both worlds.

StevieD

Thanks to everyone.

Tha Beta sounds like a good idea. I forgot to mention that I use it on a Mac.  That's bad news about the AOA Lights because I use them a lot although not always. 

 

I'm not sure I know what the " SQL parts" are. I also don't know what the difference between "Valentina database, and Postgrsql" is.  I never got that deep into it. I asume it means the way they store the files but how and why they are different and what consequences might occur doesn't mean much to me and what I should do with them. I'm sure I should but just working the software is tuff enough for me. I'm not sure I understand how to disable SQL parts, either. 

Thanks again. I still don't know what I'm going to do, yet. You buy things then another version comes out and the things you paid money for, all of a sudden don't work. Very annoying. Isn't it?