Install Manager question
svodvarka_fece0bfdf0
Posts: 10
Hello. I just purchased a new PC specifically so I could run Daz Studio 4.5. So, I needed to reinstall all the Daz items I purchased over the years onto my new PC. I was able to do so for most of the items using Install Manager (IM.) However, for those items not available on IM yet, I had to log onto the Daz website and reset my downloads. But those items installed are not being read by the DAZ 4.5 program. Daz cannot locate them, even though I had them downloaded to the same directory as the files that were downloaded using IM. The only way to access these files is to use the "Import" feature from the file menu, which I do not like doing. I also noticed that items installed with IM are each accompanied by a corresponding "Daz shared configuration file" which is a small bluish gray icon with the letter "D" in it. When I reset my downloads online to install manually without using IM, these "shared configuration" files are missing. What is the reason for this and what can I do to get the program to locate my files that were installed without using IM? Are these missing "shared configuration" files what is preventing Daz from finding content not installed using IM?
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Comments
If you are using the Smart Content tab to find files, sometimes files don't show up there if they don't have the proper metadata. There is also a Content Library tab (Window/Tabs/Content Library) that you can use to browse for files directly.
Make sure you're installing content to the same location (or that DS has both locations specified). The configuration file just tells Install Manager what it needs to know about the product; DS doesn't use it at all. Did DS prompt you to import metadata for the item not installed by Install Manager?
Do you mean "download" or "install"? The DIM downloads the .zip files to one location (which you can change), then unpacks and installs their contents into a D|S content location (which you can also change). The old manual files are the same, you download the installers to one place, run them, and that places the files somewhere else.
Note that the default DIM installation location is not the same as the default content location for a pristine newly-installed D|S4. You should change one or the other so they match. (I can see why DAZ did it this way, but the way they've done it has confused a lot of people into "can't find content!" panics.)
1. I am using both the content library tab and the smart content tab and neither one can find what I installed the old way.
2. I am installing to the same location that IM installs to. That's E:\Content Folders for DAZ and it's not prompting me about metadata.
3. I meant "install." And I can't "run" anything that I install the old way. All it does is download it to the same place, unzip it, but there is no file to click on that says "run."
It sounds like your Content Directory Manager might not be seeing everything, you might need to tweak the settings. Open it (right-click on the Content Library tab header), open all three categories and post a screenshot here.
See attached screen shot.
What are some of the products that aren't showing up?
Chain mail tunic for M3, Lancelot, and The sword in the Stone. I stopped trying after those 3 products would not install or could not be found if it did install.
Can you search in Windows for the file
Mail-tunic-trans5.jpg
and give the full path to it if it exists?
E:\CONTENT FOLDERS FOR DAZ\chain-mail-tunic\Content\Runtime\libraries\Pose\Camelot-Char
That path isn't listed in your screenshot. You need to install to one of the content folders you have listed there.
Here's your problem. You're installing manually to the same place DIM saves its downloaded installers. Which is not the same place as where the DIM places the unpacked contents of those installers. You should be installing to one of the locations in the Content Directory Management screenshot you posted. I don't think it matters which one, if I were you I'd choose the one that's already got the most stuff in it.
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!
If you open one of the manually downloaded zip installers, you'll find everything is in a /content/ folder. The contents of this folder should be put into one of the folders noted above — the folder "Content" is the folder "My Library" in D|S4 and "My DAZ 3D Library" in DIM. Yes, it's confusing. No, no-one knows why DAZ did it that way.
While I very much appreciate all your help with this issue, it is very difficult to resolve via forum messaging back and forth. Would it be possible for you to walk me through this over the phone? Before I mess everything up even more? I can e-mail my phone # to you. What's your e-mail address? I'm in New York so the best time to reach me is between 6 - 10 PM EST. Thanks.
Scott
You're in NY? Sorry, I'm several timezones to your east across that big puddle, making a phone call impractical.
Just noticed one other thing that might affect your situation. Looking at the path for that .jpg you searched for:
E:\CONTENT FOLDERS FOR DAZ\chain-mail-tunic\Content\Runtime\libraries\Pose\Camelot-Char
If you open up your /content folders for DAZ/ folder, I suspect you might find a separate folder for every product you've installed, which isn't going to work.
The quick way to fix this would be to open two Explorer windows (looking at your actual files, not inside D|S) one window showing one of the paths (as mentioned upthread, just pick one) from the Content Directory Manager, the other showing the path above as far as /Content/. All you need to do is drag the contents of the /Content/ folder into the CDM location. There will probably be a "do you want to merge folders" query, go ahead and OK this. Repeat for every product named folder you have in the /content folders for DAZ/ folder. That should get everything into one of your mapped content locations.
I don't understand how to do what you are saying. Also, why is there always an accompanying file called "Manifest" every time I download something? Do I need that file?
Also, what is the big puddle you are referring to? The Atlantic Ocean? You are in Europe?
OK, I dragged all my Camelot files into E:/users/Scott/documents/daz 3d/studio/my Library/data/auto_adapted and clicked "yes" to have them merged. That did not work either. Daz still can't locate the files.
Sorry. Nothing seems to work. I have an international phone plan. Is it OK for me to call you? You could send your phone # to me via e-mail? My e-mail address is [email protected].
See attachment. It looks like E:/Content folders for Daz IS the place that DIM places it's unpacked contents on the installers. Otherwise, what am I looking at here?
I'm in the UK. And given your problems, I think you'll need help from someone with a bit more explaining-techie-stuff ability than I have. Anyone else reading this thread?
Er... that isn't one of the locations you have set in in your Content Directory Manager, so it didn't work — for the location you used, you should have stopped digging after the /my Library/ folder. And the /data/ folder is one of the locations you should never, ever touch manually unless you really, really know what you're doing.
About the "manifest" files, they're used by the DIM to keep track of what you have already downloaded. You can ignore them for manually installed stuff.
Edit: just saw your posted pic. What you're looking at there are the downloaded .zip files put there by the DIM. The unpacked files that the DIM extracts from those .zips are in one of the CDM locations, probably the one ending with /My DAZ 3D Library/.
OK, let me take a stab at this.
Back to basics. There are TWO directories that are required. The first is the directory that DIM downloads to and installs from - I call it the 'download/install' directory. The second is the directory that Studio expects to find the content in - the 'content' directory. These should NOT be the same.
So - pick a directory for DIM - I'm a firm believer in simple is better, so I would suggest E:\DIM\Downloads. You can move the installers you've already downloaded into this (everything that starts with IM in your snapshot).
Then you need a directory for the Studio content. Historically this was called 'content' for DAZ Studio and for Poser it would have contained the 'runtime' directory. Current Studio terminology calls this 'My Library'. For starters, then, I would suggest 'E:\Studio-4\My Library' as the directory. Configure DIM to use this as the 'install to' directory in DIM.
Start by installing the Genesis Starter Essentials to this directory with DIM. Then start Studio. Click on the 'Content Library' tab, then click on the little box near the top right with the small triangle and horizontal lines in it. Then click on 'Content Directory Manager' about half-way down on the menu.
Click on the 'DAZ Studio Formats' line and then click on 'add'; browse to the 'E:\Studio-4\My Library' directory, highlight it, and click on 'OK'. Then click on the 'Poser Formats' line and then click on 'add'; browse to the 'E:\Studio-4\My Library' directory, highlight it, and click 'OK,
Then click 'accept' at the bottom of the pane.
Now shut down DAZ Studio and restart it. You should be able to see the Genesis Starter files in the 'smart content' tab at this point.
Just a note about namffuak's instructions.
"Right-click on the ‘DAZ Studio Formats’ line and then left-click on ‘add’; browse to the ‘E:\Studio-4\My Library’ directory, highlight it, and left-click on ‘OK’. Then right-click on the ‘Poser Formats’ line and then left-click on ‘add’; browse to the ‘E:\Studio-4\My Library’ directory, highlight it, and left-click ‘OK,"
If you right-click you get an option to 'add base directory' - you can click on that and follow the directions for clicking on 'add'; left click works as I described (unless this is something that got modified in the new beta - in which case, my apologies, as I'm running the beta on the system I tried this on).
Thanks to all of you but I only have once shot at getting this right. Would it possible for one of you to walk me through this over the phone? If so, I will send you a private message with my phone #. Or if you wish, I could call you. Just send me a private message with your phone # and let me know what city and time zone you live in so I don't wake you up at 3 in the morning.
Scott
OK, I think I finally got the Camelot "content" folder where it should be but DAZ still doesn't read the files that are inside the folder. See attached screen capture. It looks like it recognizes the folder but nothing that is inside of it.
That folder contains the texture jpg's -- they shouldn't be visible, and the fact that the folder is (and the Runtime folder itself) means your content folders aren't defined correctly. Only the folder containing Runtime should be listed as a content folder.
The material presets to apply them should show up in "Poser Formats > [content folder name] > Pose > Camelot-Chars" if the content folders are defined correctly.
ETA: in that latest screenshot it looks like you changed the content folder from ...\Studio3\Content to just ...\Studio3
Then how do I define them the correct way?
Your screenshot here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewreply/303801/
Will someone PLEASE just call me to resolve this problem??? I've been struggling with this same problem for nearly 2 weeks. I'm obviously incapable of fixing this and I'm never going to be able to fix it on my own or via Forum postings. I need phone support!
Administrator, my content folders are defined the same way now as they were when I posted that screenshot. I didn't change them.