Can you transfer or copy the DIM installations from one computer to another? Also be poss to make ba

spaceray2005_e908957707

Hello, I was going to make a total new fresh start with Daz Studio 4.5 and begin to install everything again using the new DIM (DAZ Install Manager) and so it would be better and easier for me.

what happens with DIM when you want or have to change your computer? Do you have to start again from zero in the new computer?

Can you make a backup of the DIM registry, or files and also the content already installed and copy all to the new computer and keep from that point on the new computer?

Or is not possible to transfer DIM registry and files, and content already installed from one computer to another?

And even if you are not going to change to another computer, what happens if your computer breaks down? Is there some way to make a backup of DIM files and do not loose all the instalation registry and content already done?

Thinking that sometime soon I may be possibly changing and upgrading my Windows 7 to Windows 8 and change also the main C: hard drive, I was wondering if I begin now to start installing products using DIM and then later I could be able to transfer or copy all those content installed to another computer or other hard drive, AND that also ask if DIM would be installed in that other computer and KEEP registering and installing in the new computer from that point and do not have to start all over again?.

I am asking so i can decide if I can begin now to make it or I should wait until I change my computer and then start from the new computer if the DIM files can´t be copied to the new computer.

I have searched already in the forum and with google but could not find the answer

Thanks very much for your help

Chohole

Thread title edited so that it doesn't break Forum formatting.

It is better to have a short, informative thread title and ask the question in the post.

Thanks

Martin_C

I can't answer your questions entirely, especially since I'm on Mac where file structures are still a bit different, but - in a nutshell - you can change/backup/modify/restore DIM installs as long as you don't mind to do a bit of file editing/hacking.

On Mac the magic folder sits in /Users/Shared/DAZ 3D/InstallManager/ so I guess the same stuff will be on Windows wherever the-shared-files-for-all-user-accounts is located.

Inside there is one sub-folder called /ManifestFiles/ with lots of .dsx files, each for every package that you installed.

If you open one of those files with a text editor you will see what DIM actually does... do not try to edit any of the cryptic entries, because that would be exactly what breaks the magic link between your install and the DAZ shop.

However, the interisting line looks like this:

This line can be easily changed to any other location (as long as that new location exists).

So if you need to change the basic location of your Runtime(s) one day, you would need to batch-change all of the orginal entry(ies) in these files to point to the new spot.

It might be a good idea for DAZ to include a feature like this to the main GUI one day - including a way to filter/sort the "installed" pane by destination (which is currently the most missed part by me).

In the meantime you would need a very good text editor to do this batch-job on the .dsx files, like TextWrangler (free from www.barebones.com), and you have to be very careful if you're not familiar with stuff like this.

As far as backups are concerned - keep the downloaded .zip (and their smaller .dsx versions of the download folder) files on archive (the download folder can be re/set by the DIM GUI at any time) and make sure that this "magic" /DAZ 3D/InstallManager/ folder (see above) is within your regular backup scheme.

rbtwhiz

Martin_C said:

...It might be a good idea for DAZ to include a feature like this to the main GUI one day - including a way to filter/sort the "installed" pane by destination (which is currently the most missed part by me)...

Install Manager > Reference Guide > User Interface (UI) > Filter Field > Advanced Filtering # Scope Selectors # Path

Martin_C

Hey - great & thanks... didn't know that :-)

However... I'm happy to use that in future (because I'm an olde software developer and fiddle with grep patterns all day long anyway... hence TextWrangler), but I have a certain feeling that 99% of the ordinary Poser/DAZ Studio Users may feel a bit uncomfortable typing things like "path::rx::ci::^((?!.*(Public)).*)$" in order to get what they want... (*)

The DIM GUI already defines a set of destinations that you can pick from the install popup, so I'm confident that it would be a great addition to a great tool (I don't subscribe to the various negative posts about DIM here, it is a great tool) if there would be a simple popup that displays the destinations (that are registered and stored already anyway) and then just a) sorts and/or b) filters for them.

PS (*): I would even go as far to suggest that these 99% will even believe that I made up "path::rx::ci::^((?!.*(Public)).*)$" right now myself for a joke here and not that it actually is one possible pattern that you need to type for the job... :-)

rbtwhiz

I was/am not indicating (or even implying) that this was all there is, or all that is planned... I simply replied to the statement that I quoted. A way to filter the Installed page by destination, accessible within the GUI. Instead of making you wait for "one day", I pointed to a resource that provides details on how to accomplish that today, or yesterday, or last week, etc. The page I linked to is titled "Advanced Filtering" quite on purpose; i.e. at this stage, it is intended for the advanced user. Over time certain things will be made easier.

Because something is possible does not mean it is required. It isn't required that you use Regular Expression syntax, it is possible to use it... if it helps you to accomplish the task at hand.

Everything installed to the D: drive: (simple)

path::D:/

Everything installed to a path that contains "Public", case-insensitive: (simple)

path::Public

Everything installed to a path that ends in "Public", using explicit [case-insensitive] Wildcard syntax: (less simple)

path::wc::*Public

Everything not installed to a path that contains "Public", using case-insensitive Regular Expression syntax: (advanced)

path::rx::ci::^((?!.*(Public)).*)$

Martin_C

Sounds as if I have slightly upset you with my response... apologizes, and I sometimes forget that English is not (at all) my native language, so I should be careful with irony... and better add a lot more smiles. Like this :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) Ooops... eh... see what I mean...?

So no, I didn't mean to upset you, nor did I complain against DAZ. As a matter of fact, I was praising DAZ for DIM and I mean it. I now install 10 packages in the time that the old installers took for 1. And it goes to the Runtime that I actually wanted it to be, and not into one of the 7 different "default" locations that were changing in the wind of thyme...

All I was saying (in the wrong thread, at the wrong time) was - "How about this suggestion? Wouldn't it be nice if...?".

A long time ago, for Poser versions long forgotten, I wrote a little tool that was helping people, and I remember that some folks liked it... it actually did few things that couldn't be done with a text editor in (let's say) some 2 hours (each)... But it did it with one click and within seconds and it was smart... I learned at that time that a huge majority of Poser (and later DS) users were artists that didn't want to be bothered with technobabble. All they wanted to do is "art"...

So this was a suggestion for "those" (if they are still around, or if the new folks are just like the olde folks). No offence. No criticism. Peace. Love & Pancakes. Over and Out. Smiley :-)

rbtwhiz

No offense taken. I'm not the least bit upset. I understand what you are suggesting. I even agree... it could be simpler/friendlier. I was simply clarifying... since my initial response was rather brief. I was taking a short break from working on Install Manger, noticed the thread and decided to respond. And on that note... I'm back to do more of that; work on Install Manager. :)

namffuak

SpaceRay said:

Hello, I was going to make a total new fresh start with Daz Studio 4.5 and begin to install everything again using the new DIM (DAZ Install Manager) and so it would be better and easier for me.

what happens with DIM when you want or have to change your computer? Do you have to start again from zero in the new computer?

Can you make a backup of the DIM registry, or files and also the content already installed and copy all to the new computer and keep from that point on the new computer?

Yes. If you keep all the installers in the download directory and copy them to the new system they will still show as ready to install. To
copy the 'installed' status you need to copy the installed manifest files from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles to the new computer.

And even if you are not going to change to another computer, what happens if your computer breaks down? Is there some way to make a backup of DIM files and do not loose all the instalation registry and content already done?

Thinking that sometime soon I may be possibly changing and upgrading my Windows 7 to Windows 8 and change also the main C: hard drive, I was wondering if I begin now to start installing products using DIM and then later I could be able to transfer or copy all those content installed to another computer or other hard drive, AND that also ask if DIM would be installed in that other computer and KEEP registering and installing in the new computer from that point and do not have to start all over again?.

As long as you have the installed manifest files in the correct place DIM will know what has been installed. If you keep all the installers (both the zip and the manifest that comes with it) DIM will know what is available to install as well as what has been installed.

Given the speed that DIM installs items, you may want to pull your order history down and get used to things on the existing box and then consider re-installing on the new system.