Learning Carrara 8.5 Training Video... "Thiiiiiiiis close"....
WsCG
Posts: 391
So, I'm on the verge of taking the plunge and purchasing the Learning Carrara 8.5 video series.
I'm checking out the preview videos, and I really like the approach and detail being given for each subject, and think it'll be a good investment. I have the funds available (tax return!), but still, $99 is a sizeable investment for me, and I don't spend money like that frivolously (seriously, you should see me fretting over pressing the "buy" button when upgrading my PC... It's pathetic lol).
So, I was wondering if others here have bought the videos, and can give me some insight, or their opinions on the quality of the course overall? Do you feel like you grew substantially by following these lessons? Do you feel like the course pays for itself (if not monetarily, in terms of knowledge and ability to achieve and create things you want more quickly than you would have otherwise, etc)?
Any considerations or caveats I should have in mind?
Should I stop worrying and just do it?
In case it's a concern, I'm not going to hold anyone responsible if it ends up not being all I think it will. My money, my choice, my responsibility :p. I just want to get some feedback from people who are familiar with it, rather than just going by the samples and product details on the shop site.
Thanks!
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Comments
It depends on your learning bias.
Some people prefer reading the words in a manual. They feel lost when an instruction video goes by at a pace which causes them to have to keep rewinding. For those folks, there is a very decent Carrara manual available.
But that's not my bias. Give me video any day. To me, video lessons are the next best thing to having someone giving me guidance in person.
If you prefer video, then get Phil's course. If you have already watched the free introductory lessons he offers, and you felt at home with Phil's style of instruction, then it is a no-brainer.
Are you serious about learning Carrara? It's a very deep program. Even with the best instruction, it will take a long time to master. If you are serious, then what are you waiting for?
I started Phil's program a few months ago. It was my first major Carrara purchase. Best decision I have made so far in this 3D venture.
All that said, you still have to apply the knowledge. For me, that means watching the vidoes - DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE DOES - and spending hours trying out the various combinations that he skips. Beware the mindset of watching as many videos as quickly as possible, in order to "learn faster." In my experience as a professional teacher, it doesn't work that way. On occasion, I have spent 10 hours further exploring the topics he covers in a single 5 minute video. Again, the program is DEEP.
Good luck!
I have the all of Phil's videos and I really enjoy them.
You can get a better deal when they go on sale and soon they will have the March madness sale and you never now if any or all of his videos will be in the sale.
Hi, folks... Thanks for the advice/thoughts!
I definitely prefer videos when they're well done and suit my learning style, as you can see exactly where they're going, what they're clicking on and, if the instructor is good, they'll explain what they're doing and why they're clicking on what they are, etc. The "why" is really important to me as I don't learn well just by pure memorization ("just do what I do"). Phil checks those boxes for me in the ones I watched.
When it's difficult to find good videos, or they're of poor quality, or outdated, etc... then I'll turn to written.
Well now you have me wondering if I should wait for that March Madness sale. When about does that start?
I don't mind spending the full amount on the videos, honestly. I see it as an investment that will benefit me down the road, in terms of a creative outlet and, who knows... maybe even in terms of paying work once I'm skilled/experienced enough and feel my work is worth it.
Well, I'll sleep on it and make a decision in the AM. Getting tired, and I'm not going to be watching any videos tonight anyway.
Anyhow... thanks again for the feedback!
Annnnnd... Bought it :p
So, digging into the first series of videos now. Mostly overview and very, very basics, but I already like the pacing and set up.
I have all of them except for the new one by PhilW, himself (not through Infinite Skills) yet - but will have it soon.
I watch them a lot - sometimes just for fun, other times I'm cruising to the topic I need to get a better understanding of something specific. And the working files are also great to add to the browser.
Here... I wrote a short article:
I have a few "Babble-sessions" recorded on my YouTube channel about various things Carrara-related. In this endeavor I have received quite a few requests for more - some for specific things - which is actually why some of those were made in the first place.
I have to say... I don't really care for my tutorials that I've put up so far and am endeavoring to make new improved ones. Much more on-topic and to-the-point and no more distracting background music/sounds, etc.,
I also have a few (as do others) articles written at Carrara Cafe - a Daz3D supported webspace specifically for Carrara users to hang out... Sweet, eh?!!!
However, those things are just tips and tricks. Yes, I find that it's important stuff - that's why I record them. But if you really want to get into "Learning Carrara", digging into a plethora of the different tools and features that you now have at your disposal, I have to suggest that you grab the Infinite Skills instructional courses, hosted by our very own Phil Wilkes.
I have his complete works and, even though I consider myself an advanced user, I still really enjoy running through his courses - either start-to-finish or by selecting just a few - and get into some good ol' Carrara know-how. Here's the thing:
Carrara has a Massive amount of features and tools. Funny how it's specific combination of functions is unique to itself, isn't it? I'd think that more software companies would want to have all of these wonderful benefits under one roof... don't you? Hmmm.
All of this stuff can be really daunting if we try to just dig in and try and figure how it all works all at once. Like anything else, each of these things takes a measure of practice and experience to truly gain those skills and have them sunk into our muscle-memory.
So while it's really fun and beneficial to go through each lesson in turn, I find that the stuff that I need to know 'right now' sinks in really well at the time, while some of the other things might be wonderfully understandable at that time, but when I finally get around to trying out those features, a good recap from my personal instructor is just what I need to succeed.
I also often put him on just for the entertainment value of it - while everybody else in the house is watching crap on the TV! LOL
*Note that you don't need both "Learning Carrara 8" and "Learning Carrara 8.5" - as the latter is the same but with updates regarding new features of version 8.5, so if you already have the former, you may get just the 8.5 updates via the "Learning Carrara 8.5 - New Features Supplement". Very nice of Phil to suggest the upgrade option to Infinite Skills... and it was really nice of them to comply ;)
Check the link (click the image) and scroll down the page to see the Table of Contents. This course is INCREDIBLY useful to any Carraraist, new, used or old. It covers a wonderfully detailed look at Carrara as a whole - with perfect demonstrations to drive the topics home.
The working files are also a wonderful addition to the Carrara browser! I download the working files and add them to my own special "PhilW" category in my My Objects browser, and I'm often glad to have those examples there - not just to see what he did, but quite often just to save some time and load in a project which helps my specific needs!
If you don't already know how to create your own custom browser in Carrara, I've written the following article for you:
Your Carrara Browser
Making great stuff isn't as cool if you can't remember where you put it. Let's get some good habits going right from the start
Right from the start he gets us into the processes of UV Mapping, including UV unwrapping with seams and pins. This is essential for any model maker to learn and fully understand. What good are models if they can't look right in the end, right? When it's a good opportunity within the course to revisit UV Mapping... he does. Very well executed.
The models that he shows us how to build are very nicely done, with full explanations and details along the way - and he provides them in the working files which, again, work great as working examples, but also as valuable content! The Sopwith Camel airplane (shown on the Cover art) he makes within the course is absolutely stunning!!!
He also covers many other techniques and tips that really help take us to those next levels in our projects. We could be satisfied with the wonderful country cottage scene he teaches us to build. But Phil continues on and builds some beautiful field grass, forms it into clumps and replicates it to specific parts of the terrain! He leaves no stone unturned - even the ones that he makes in Carrara! ;)
Particles examples, making clothing three different ways for V4 (applicable to any figure), taking us into PhotoShop or Daz Studio when appropriate to complete the instruction... and a Lot Lot More! I'm sure you'll agree that any and all of these course are worth a LOT more than what they cost. It was the cost that kept me away at first. I was embarrassed that I waited so long once I finally took the plunge. He even teaches us how to create HDR images!!! Highly recommended!
Again, the working files are also a wonderful addition to the Carrara browser!
My rendering habits have forever changed after taking this course.
Like all of his courses, this one doesn't skimp on education or entertainment. Phil is perfect at delivering a good solid foundation of skills needed to really understand Carrara, which gives each of us something special according to how we use it.
He covers the intricacies of indoor lighting and rendering, along with a bonus tip of a very ingenious method of making quick models to fill the scene - even if you don't model! I don't want to ruin the surprise, so I can't tell you what it is... It's cool, though and it works great!
Building shaders for realism, setting good default rendering and scene settings, exterior scenes, human portrait rendering, and a wealth of information about all of the various light types available to us. He takes us through shading a model of a car to stunning results, he takes a simple scene from Carrara's native browser and, by creating all new shaders, lighting and environment elements, turns the thing into a masterpiece - with added post work examples in PhotoShop! A real treat, this course is!
Yes... everybody runs Carrara in different ways. We have our favored methods, we have our own agendas and workloads and workflows...
Phil's lessons aren't so much: "This is what you do", but more "Do this and this will happen", which adds to our overall knowledge, which makes us all better at whatever we do when we sit behind Carrara.
Thank you, Phil Wilkes
You Totally ROCK!!!
Love ya, my friend and mentor!
Thanks for buying it! I try to frequent these Carrara forums so if you have any questions once you've watched some, feel free to ask, either me or the many other more experienced Carrara artists will be happy to help!
You're gonna love it for years to come!
Hey thanks!
I'm on the bit where you're adding Victoria 4 and working with that.
I do have a couple questions, for whom ever would like to answer.
1. I'm watching the video about adding Poser/Daz Studio content via adding Runtimes. When I've tried adding Runtimes, Carrara couldn't find any. Instead, I've added the content by adding folders to the Content tab. Everything loads and seems to work just fine. Poses can be added, clothing goes where it should, with a little bit of clipping, though I think it's because the clothing I'm using is intended for a different generation of Daz characters than I'm applying it to (this aspect of the Daz universe still confuses me a bit).
Anyway, the main question is, are there drawbacks to adding the content "manually" as I did, versus adding the runtimes as in the video? Or is it all the same in the end, and everything should work okay regardless?
2. In my Install Manager, I have "legacy" versions of different things alongside non-Legacy versions (e.g. "Genesis Ranger Legacy", "Alruna" Legacy", etc.). Should I be using one version or the other?
Other than that, everything makes sense and I've learned a lot of great, useful tips even for just navigating the interface, etc. I love how easy the modifiers are to work with. Doing some of those bends and twists in other programs requires a lot of setup and fussing to get them right. Looks like Carrara does a lot of the heavy lifting work for you, which is nice.
Thanks!
1 - yes, sometimes the automatic scan for Runtimes doesn't locate what you have and you have to add them manually. There are two types that you can add - a Poser style Runtime where everything is contained under a top level Runtime folder, and a Daz Studio content which will probably be where all your Daz Studio content is kept ("My DAZ 3D Library" and that has a Runtime as a sub-folder). If you add both, you can use both directly, with the exception of Genesis 3 figures and one or two other exceptions but that is the most major. And once you have added them, there is no difference to having added them automatically.
2 - I don't really know on that one - I would be tempted to choose one that has a Legacy option, download each and see which works best (although it is quite possible that there is no difference in the way they behave in Carrara).. Maybe others will have experience of that?
Ah okay. I don't have DAZ Studio installed at the moment, which is probably why I don't have runtimes being found. Should I install that? Does it come with some good content included to use in Carrara that's otherwise not available? I try not to let my HD get cluttered with software I'm not actively using, but I can install it if it provides more content to work with.
And while I'm at it, I know at some point it was explained to me what the different generations of the Genesis characters were, and what the different named sets belong to (Victoria, Michael, etc). I tried searching through my past posts and can't find the post/thread now. Figures.
Ultimately, I want to set up a basic "palette" of characters, skins, hairs, etc. to draw from in my scenes, but I don't want to have an enormous library to sift through every time I want to add something. Let's say I'd like to have 1 of each gender, maybe a clothing/prop sets (fantasy, sci-fi, etc), a couple hair options, and a selection of morphs to start with. Just enough to learn the workflow, without drowning in options. As I get more experienced and feel more confident/comfortable with how everything works, I can add more options. But for now I'd like to apply the K.I.S.S. principle :p.
So, what would y'all recommend to start with as an absolute "basic" character setup?
Disregard.. should have its own thread.
I think that you might be doing things the hard way. To me it is best to install Studio first, as Carrara and Studio share the runtimes (it took me a while to understand that) and when Studio is set up properly, there is not much left to do in Carrara.
I have a small SSD, and a large storage drive. Carrara and Studio are on the SSD, while all the DAZ content goes on the storage drive. Works great.
Use the DIM exclusively. Not only does it save you a lot of hassle, you get the addeded benefit of using the Smart Content tab in Carrara, which allows you to search alphabetically for installed content. Very useful if you get confused by runtimes.
Studio comes loaded with lots of content which can be used in Carrara. So, another reason to install Studio first.
Congratulations on getting Phil's tutorial. A great decision!
As for choosing which characters to start with, that is a very personal decision. Generations 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all pretty robust. Since Carrara comes with generation 5 characters (M5 and V5) and respective content already installed, that might be a good place to start.
Hi, Unified,
Thanks for your feedback/advice.
Just tried the way you recommended, and still getting "no valid runtime found" in Carrara. Also, I don't think I've ever seen V5 or M5 pre-installed in all the times I've installed it, and I'm installing all the Native content for DAZ, and for Carrara (8 Native, 8.5 Native and 8.5 Pro Native).
The only way I can get characters to work is by manually adding the folder for them.
Just took these attached screenshots after following your advice, and reinstalling everything with DAZ Studio irst, etc. Also took one showing the Runtime folder as it was installed by default.
I have "DAZStudio Content" selected when trying to add the Runtime. The only thing I did differently was to create different folders for the different content types, for organizational purposes, per Dartanbeck's linked post above.
So, for whatever reason, this just doesn't want to work on my computer. This is my 6th attempt at reinstalling things in different ways, including the absolute base installation, and it's still not working. Kinda getting tiresome, to be honest. I feel like I'm trying to troubleshoot DAZ's software for them.
For a program that does such a great job of making otherwise complex modeling tasks simple, DAZ has done an abysmal job of adding/importing content. It should not be this difficult. Look how many resources there are on adding Poser/DAZ Studio content, linked in this thread and provided elsewhere, just to help people to get it working, because it certainly hasn't only been me dealing with this. Yet none of the suggestions or walk-throughs work. That's a problem. I'd call it an Achille's heel at this point. There shouldn't be this many "gotchas" to figure out, or hoops to jump through. DAZ really needs to look at this pipeline and fix it, especially since they advertise "content sharing with DAZ and Poser" as one of Carrara's highlights. I kinda doubt dealing with this mess is what people are envisioning when they read that. I'm not just ranting here to be ranty, I've done UI and QA testing on software before, and this kinda mess would never have made it into live production.
Why not just set it up where, when you first install Carrara, it can either autosearch for *any* Poser or DAS content - not just Runtimes - or allow you to locate the folder(s) manually. Then it goes through that/those location(s), finds all relevant content, and adds it to the Content tab or Runtime tab, or whatever. Then, if you should add more content, you just use that Update Folders feature, and it does so. That's the way many/most other programs handle it, and it's nice and straight-forward, easy and effective. It's like they completely over-thought this whole thing, or had too many chefs in the kitchen when designing it.
Hmm, for a Poser Runtime, you should have a folder under that called Libraries, which in turn contains folders for Character, Pose, Props, etc. Yours seems to lack the Libraries folder.
For Daz Studio content, it would expect to find at least a People folder for your figures, and that isn't there. I think you putting the figures in separate folders is confusing it.
If you use DIM to install stuff, it will create the right structures for Carrara to recognise content.
I am using DIM. I've been using DIM 100% for everything.
I don't have any Poser content installed. Everything is coming through DIM, and is what's included on my DAZ account. So, that would (should?) explain why there's no People folder....
Also, that there's not a people folder there *this* time *might* be because of how I set it up this time. In past attempts, though, I've let it put everything exactly where it wanted to, and it still gave me the same "no valid runtime found" error.
So it's something the installer is doing wrong, during installation. I'm saying this with 100% confidence at this point, because last night, I did a clean install and literally let DIM put everything in its default locations. I didn't change anything. It still didn't work.
Anyone live near Saugerties/Kingston NY and wanna come here and help me get this working? I'll put up coffee and go grab some cake or something lol. I'm at a complete loss over this. I've never seen such a poorly implemented and/or tested system before, at least not in commercial software.
As a separate thought, because I'm seeing a bit of it around here...
I'm not angry or hostile in saying this. Just a bit frustrated and discouraged...
I'm getting the sense from several replies, that folks are just assuming "oh, well it works for me, so it's something Mitovo's doing wrong", and not considering that I am doing things correctly, and something is awry with the installer and things aren't setting up as they're supposed to. I'd ask those people to please set their incredulity aside and accept that it very well *could* be an issue with the software itself.
As it is right now, people are stuck on "Mitovo's doing something wrong", which is preventing the discussion from moving on into the territory of "Okay, Mitovo's doing everything correctly, and it should be working. So why isn't the software setting things up correctly?" - which is where it really should be heading by now, but isn't.
Based on some of the questions being asked, and comments being made, I can tell there are people who aren't reading my posts thoroughly before replying, because the things they're suggesting or asking are things I'd addressed already. It's kinda disheartening to read.
Please when you respond, be a bit more charitable, and give me more credit as an intelligent person who's worked on and with, and built, computers over 20 years, has installed and run all variety of software, has been a QA Tester for a software company, actually knows what they're doing, and can follow instructions.
Please, when I say "I am following the instructions provided" and "I've tried letting DIM install things to their default locations, not changing anything, and it's still not working", accept that I'm not lying or confused or whatever. Don't turn around and suggest that I should use DIM, or that I should make sure things are installed to the correct place, etc, when I've already said I was doing those things. That tells me "they haven't even read what I wrote and are defaulting to defending the software", or "they read what I'm saying, but think I'm lying to them".
Thank you.
Legacy files are for previous Daz Studio versions 1,2,3... unless you're using daz studio 3 or lower,. you can select all files of that type and HIDE them
If you're using DIM to install stuff,.
It should be getting placed in the " User / Public / Public documents / My Daz3D library (default location)
(In DIM you can right click on any installed product and see where it's installed to)
If carrara cannot automatically find a RUNTIME folder,. or a LIBRARY folder,.
Point Carrara to that USER/Public/documents "MY DAZ3D LIBRARY" folder
Don't add folders manually unless you completely understand what folders you're addigng and why.
First,. in Carrara ,.. Please remove any content folders you've added manually.
Add your Daz3d Library folder from User/public documents
this will show up in carrara as Two different types of content.
You should see a (My Daz3D Library,. ) and a My Daz3D Library RUNTIME )
Both of these contain content,.
The RUNTIME,. should have figures created before Genesis
hope it helps :)
See, I appreciate that you're trying to help 3DAGE. Sincerely.
Still, this is an example what I'm alluding to in my previous post.
I've tried everything you suggest here, and have indicated as much throughout this thread. But you're still telling me these things as though I hadn't.
I've tried specific set-ups based on some users' suggestions. They didn't work.
I've done full 100% default setups with nothing changed. It didn't work.
I've tried installs with Carrara by itself. Didn't work.
I've tried installing DAZStudio before Carrara. Didn't work.
I've tried installing Carrara before DAZStudio. Didn't work.
I've tried pointing to the Library folder in the Public MyDocuments folder - and provided screenshots showing this. It didn't work.
Nothing is working. If key folders are missing from the Runtime folder or elsewhere, especially in a 100% default installation, it's because the respective installer failed to create them. It's not because I'm somehow incapable of clicking on a "Next" or "Install" button.
I've tried and explained all this, but people are stuck on this idea that somehow I'm still not doing these things. Do you think I'm lying to you? Do you think I Photoshopped those screenshots I've posted? Come on.
Please.. Please... Please... drop the whole "it's something Mitovo's doing wrong" thing already. Stop saying "You need to do "X", when I've already said "I did X and it didn't work". It's not helpful, and it's becoming obnoxious and insulting now.
The problem is not at my end at this point. It's something going wrong with the software/installers. Whom ever can't accept that and move on from there, please don't respond anymore to this thread, because you're only adding fuel to the frustration.
I'm trying really hard to not get pissed at anyone because I think y'all are cool people, and I know you're trying to help. But this repeated pattern of me saying "I did X and it didn't work", only for someone to come back and say "you need to do X", or asking if I did, is infuriating.
Thank you.
Overall.. I really wanted to get this sorted out and working so I wouldn't have to deal with it in the future when I start working characters into my projects. But, it's leading to nothing but aggravation, so I'm going to drop it for now, and just focus on learning the rest of the program instead. Thank You again to those who've offered suggestions. I know it was well-intentioned and genuine and I appreciate that.
We just need to move on from "what is Mitovo doing wrong" to "why isn't DIM/Carrara/DAZStudio installing things it's supposed to be, where it's supposed to be, even in a 100% default installation". Until we do, there's nowhere this discussion can go but in circles.
Ok,. so you're saying that installing Daz Studio (without anything else ,... Didn't work .. what does that mean,?
what didn't work ?
you're also saying that installing Carrara (didn't work)
it didn't install any files,... or you don't see any content ?
If you've installed everything to it''s default location,. IT should be located in the following folders
Carrara : Program files / Daz3D / Carrara
Daz3D studio : Program files / Daz3D / Daz Studio
Content files : USER/ Public document / My daz3D library
Logic suggests that if there was an issue which caused the installer to install product into the wrong location, then it would effect All users,. All installed content,. and every customer here would have experienced this.
that's not the case.
We're not offerering random thoughts,.. Guessing badly,. or trying to attack you,. we're sharing our own experience ,.
we have nothing to gain by insulting anyone,. or accusing them of misunderstanding,.
what we do need,. is to confirm specific details of what where when why.
It's hard to help if you just say "it didn't work",
and if you're also trying multiple methods,. WHY,. keep things as simple as possible,. this is made to be as simple for the user to install as possible.
DiM Should only install files to where they've been specificallyy created to be installed.
Q: Have you right clicked in DIM,. and checked the location of those installed content files,. then gone into carrara and tried to point the content browser to that specific location ?
Best to just read the thread from about the 9th post in, my response to Phil. Read the thread from there. Read others' replies. Everything you're asking has been addressed and discussed.
"Logic suggests that if there was an issue which caused the installer to install product into the wrong location, then it would effect All users,. All installed content,. and every customer here would have experienced this."
With all due respect, that's a fallacy and, frankly, lazy logic. It's an extension of "well, it works fine for me/others, so it's obviously not the software". Every user doesn't have to experience something for it to be an issue. That goes for all software, not just DAZ products. Not everyone's computer is exactly the same. It could be a conflict with other software. Could be hardware related. It could be missing runtimes (not the DAZ ones), etc. It could be incompatibility with something else running on the user's computer. It could be any number of things, and that's what I'm trying to move on to, but people, like yourself, just will not acknowledge that it could be anything *but* something I'm doing wrong during setup.
I don't think the situation can be made any clearer than a complete default installation not setting everything up correctly. When I'm doing a default installation, and almost literally all I'm doing is clicking "Install", and "Next", and otherwise not changing a thing, a single path/destination, etc... and it's still not setting up correctly, it's more than a little ridiculous to say 'well, it's something Mitovo's doing wrong". You may as well say "Mitovo is too stupid to use a computer" at that point.
In my searches, here, on Google, etc... I've seen others posting and asking about the same, or similar issues. So it's not just me experiencing this, at all. I'm, perhaps, more vocal or persistent about it, but I'm certainly not the only one.
When I say "it's not working", I mean... Carrara is not recognizing the Runtime folders that are being installed by default. Someone has stated that certain folders have to be there but aren't. I've indicated that I don't know why, because I've done the default installation and for some reason the Installer isn't creating those folders. I've tried following suggested tutorials that show other ways of setting it up, and those didn't work either. That's what I mean by "it doesn't work". I mean DIM/Carrara is not installing, recognizing and supporting this content as it's supposed to be.
The end result I'm going for is to be able to install DAZ content and have Carrara properly detect, recognize and support it, as it's supposed to without me having to jump through hoops. I'm expecting it to work as it's advertised and reported to. So far, despite hours spent yesterday, and so far again today of me doing uninstalls, reinstalls, searching, asking, explaining, taking screenshots, reading, etc... nothing is working.
This is why, when people are saying I need to do something I've already said I did, or when you suggest that "if it was a problem with the software, all users would experience it" (a round-about way of saying "It's not the software, it's you"), it's incredibly frustrating and insulting.
I'm going to ask again... if you're going to remain stuck on the "It's something Mitovo's doing wrong", and continue asking questions I've already explained and answered in this thread, then I'm going to ask that you just not waste either of our time, and not reply any further to this thread. Thank you.
In the meantime, I'm going to hang this up, and just move on with my plan from last night.. just install Genesis 2 stuff, which seems to work fine if I add the folders manually, and move on from there. Perhaps I'll try this whole mess again down the road, and maybe I'll have better fortune. For now, it's a dead end.
On content :
Since we're dealng with two software applications here,. I want to clarify what we're talking about when we mention "Content"
Carrara content : The "Native content" files which are part of Carrara.
These should install into the same Program folder structure as the main carrara application,. (program files / Daz3d / Carrara )
Carrara's Native content fikes should install example scenes/ shaders/ scene wizards,..
They are a different type of content from DAZ studio or Poser content files.
Daz Studio / Poser Content :
When any user installs Daz Studio,. It creates a folder structure for it's user content files.
this folder "MyDaz3D Library" ,. also includes a folder called "Runtime". (to support older content)
To add this Daz/poser content into Carara's browser,..
You should point Carrara at the MAIN folder (MyDaz3d Library) and it'll find the Daz Library,. it should also find the Runtime in the same location.
In the "Add Folder" option in carrara,. you have a choice,. Content library,. or Runtime,. Searching to locate a Content library will not show runtime folders,. it'll show a "content library"
Daz3D uses it's own name for this library system,. but to provide support for older "poser type" content,. it also still uses the "Runtime" folder strucure.
Use the option in carrara to add a "runtime" (it's in the exact same directory (Mydaz3d library))
If you have installed software,. and tried to Run that ,. and it's crashing your system,. or not loading / working,. then it would be best to mention that specifically.
If that's the case,.. i'd need some system spec to help further.
If you've installed Carrara,. and all it's "Native content" files,. and you don't have Daz Studio installed,. you also don't need to ADD a runtime or content Library.
Carrara is a stand alone 3D suite,. which can also importDaz /Poser figures if you want to.
If you've installed carrara and it's crashing on loading,. or freezing your sytstem,. then again i'd need specifics about your system to help futher.
but that's not what you appear to be saying above.
the software seems to be functioning,, ,. the difficulty is in adding Daz Studio /Poser content to carrara's content browser.
issues installing content,. is the reason DIM was created ,. to simplify and standardize the instalation process.
However,. it allows to user freedom to "Customize" that process,. if they understand what they're doing,.
if you're not,. then use the default locations.
if you're saying that DIM is not installing content files,. or placing files in the wrong location,. can you specify what files your installing,. and where they're being installed to.
First we need to clarify specifically where DIM is installing your files.
we need to also clarify whether those files are Carrara specific content files,. or general Daz3D / Poser content files.
Once you know those locations,. adding those files to carrara should be straight forward.
Mitovo, I'll start by admitting that I don't know what is going wrong but please don't hold that against me because I'm trying to recall what changes took place in DAZ's content management over the past couple of years.
I only have a vague recollection, unfortunately, but am posting this in the hope that perhaps someone with better knowledge of these things can elaborate.
There was a database system which ran when DAZ Studio was being used and it was replaced with something else. I'm not sure if the new system was called Valentino or whether that was the name of the old system.
If I recall correctly, there was a period when Carrara users needed to avoid upgrading to the later system.
Then, if I recall correctly, We were able to go ahead and use the new system. Now, when Carrara is running, DAZ's content database system also runs alongside.
But since then I believe that Carrara users were advised not to install the very latest DAZ Studio because of some other update in that version that Carrara can't handle. I remember, at any rate, that I made a note to myself that I shouldn't install the latest DAZ Studio but maybe there was some other reason for that not related to Carrara. (The anti-piracy measures?)
Thank you for reading this even though it is more vague than some very vague thing. But most people here will have installed everything at a time when everything worked OK for them. Your experience seems to expose problems that none of us had to deal with. You are using the very latest DAZ Studio and Carrara. Perhaps a support ticket may need to be raised.
Just to say that I posted the above before seeing that 3dAge had offered excellent specific advice.
Mitovo,
The responses you are getting here have nothing to do with insulting you, or denigrating you as being stupid. Rather, they are designed to uncover the problem, through the (merciless) pursuit of specific details.
Everyone here appreciates the efforts you have made so far. And when you ask for help, everyone here HAS to assume that you are misunderstanding something about setting up the program (it's easy to overlook something). Of course, it could be that you have a software or hardware issue that nobody else has, but based on thousands of questions asked on this forum, the odds of that are pretty slim.
3DAGE is the master of details. He (twice) asked you a very specific question which you have not answered. When you say that DIM has installed everything to the default locations, exactly where is that? In case you don't already know, when you right click on a specific installed file in DIM, it will open a tree of choices. In the 9th choice down, it says "Show Installed Files." Left click on that, and it will show you exactly where that specific file is installed.
One correction - I incorrrectly stated that Carrara came with V5 and M5 "installed." I should have said "bundled." Sorry about that. My only excuse is that I make more errors when I post late at night.
What to do:
Select the "Library" folder
Click Okay
Don't double-click Library folder, just select it. It IS a valid Runtime folder, in two ways. It is a valid runitme folder for "Content" and it is a vlaid runtime folder for "Runtime", so it needs to be added to the Browser twice, which DIM usually does by default when we install Daz Studio before we install Carrara 8.5