[Question] on DAZ Install Manager software (so-called DIM)

Atanacius

Hello there.
​- don't know if it will be clear..

​Heh, well, I start:

​I use always Manual Download for download my purchases and install them into my own special-for-occasion created folders.
​(like: Poses for G3F - DAZ Format)

I do not use DIM then I install manually all my purchases..
​(the issue for me is how the way DIM when installing products is "organizing" through a physical folders the installed products, not my taste: it's like a folders & files warfare !)

Also, I love backup my ZIP purchased files!

Anyway... I'm coming to a way where...

I have plenty of content acquired from the last months.
​I noticed that some are updated, and some not..  (for those downloaded past months/years)

​Since I can't know which are updated/not updated (in real time) in DAZ3D website (no notifications, even by email, no notifications), I think some of my products installed manually must be updated, but without knowing which.. it's a way difficult task!

​THEN, I want know if DIM (if I install it) can find ALL METADATAS installed (I keep them in my manually installed products), and JUST tell me if a product I have installed has been updated and then must be re-downloaded and installed.

​.. I mean, is there DIM can only check which products are updated and NOT force-install updates them ?

OR.. not ?

​Thanks for answers :)

Daywalker Designs

As long as you've retained the default file naming of the downloaded files, yes. Otherwise, no. And even if you have retained the naming, there is no guarantee that you will always know about updates, because some things that have been updated don't always show that way.

fixmypcmike

I gather from your description that you save the zips of the products you've downloaded manually.  I think the simplest way to do what you want is as follows:

1) Install DIM, but don't download anything yet.  DIM allows you to work in Offline mode.  On the "Ready to Download" tab, make sure "Install after Download" is unchecked, and on the "Ready to Install" tab, make sure "Delete Package Once Installed" is unchecked.

2) Click the Settings (gear icon) in the upper right.  On the Settings > Downloads tab, make sure the Downloads folder is a convenient place for you (e.g. not on your C: drive if that has limited space), and that only the software you use is checked in the download filters,  On the Settings > Installation tab, you're going to set up a "dummy" or "holding" location which ISN'T your actual content location -- it can be the default location if you don't use that location, or you can add a new location.  If you add a new location, make sure you set "Current" to that location.

3) Copy all your saved zips to the Downloads folder.

4) Click the refresh icon at the top.  The products in those zips will show up in the "Ready to Install" tab.  Check the "Show Details" box in the bottom right so you can make sure the "Content Files Install To" is pointing to the dummy location.

5) Check the box next to "Products" at the top of the product list to select them all, and click the "Start Queue" box in the lower left.  DIM will install those products to your dummy location,

6) Since those products are already installed, you can go ahead and delete everything in the dummy location.  DIM now has a record of what it installed so it can check for updates.

7) Delete the files in the Downloads folder (or move them back to wherever you save your zips, if they aren't copies.

8) Now click on your account name at the top so DIM can go online and check if you have updates or products you haven't downloaded.

9) For each product that shows as updated:  download it with DIM and install it to your dummy location.  SInce you have the previous zip, you can compare them to see what has changed.  Then you can add/delete/replace the files you need to in your self-organized content folder.  When you're done, delete anything left in the dummy location, and move the zip from the Downloads folder to wherever you save your zips.

10) For any new products:  download it with DIM and install it to your dummy location.  Then go to the dummy location, rearrange the files and folders the way you like them, and move them to your content folder.  Then move the zip from the Downloads folder to wherever you save your zips.

Atanacius

Fixmypcmike said:

I gather from your description that you save the zips of the products you've downloaded manually.  I think the simplest way to do what you want is as follows:

1) Install DIM, but don't download anything yet.  DIM allows you to work in Offline mode.  On the "Ready to Download" tab, make sure "Install after Download" is unchecked, and on the "Ready to Install" tab, make sure "Delete Package Once Installed" is unchecked.

2) Click the Settings (gear icon) in the upper right.  On the Settings > Downloads tab, make sure the Downloads folder is a convenient place for you (e.g. not on your C: drive if that has limited space), and that only the software you use is checked in the download filters,  On the Settings > Installation tab, you're going to set up a "dummy" or "holding" location which ISN'T your actual content location -- it can be the default location if you don't use that location, or you can add a new location.  If you add a new location, make sure you set "Current" to that location.

3) Copy all your saved zips to the Downloads folder.

4) Click the refresh icon at the top.  The products in those zips will show up in the "Ready to Install" tab.  Check the "Show Details" box in the bottom right so you can make sure the "Content Files Install To" is pointing to the dummy location.

5) Check the box next to "Products" at the top of the product list to select them all, and click the "Start Queue" box in the lower left.  DIM will install those products to your dummy location,

6) Since those products are already installed, you can go ahead and delete everything in the dummy location.  DIM now has a record of what it installed so it can check for updates.

7) Delete the files in the Downloads folder (or move them back to wherever you save your zips, if they aren't copies.

8) Now click on your account name at the top so DIM can go online and check if you have updates or products you haven't downloaded.

9) For each product that shows as updated:  download it with DIM and install it to your dummy location.  SInce you have the previous zip, you can compare them to see what has changed.  Then you can add/delete/replace the files you need to in your self-organized content folder.  When you're done, delete anything left in the dummy location, and move the zip from the Downloads folder to wherever you save your zips.

10) For any new products:  download it with DIM and install it to your dummy location.  Then go to the dummy location, rearrange the files and folders the way you like them, and move them to your content folder.  Then move the zip from the Downloads folder to wherever you save your zips.

Ah, will give a try, thanks @Fixmypcmike !
You understood me ! Thanks for took this time to wrote me the steps of your idea!

 

 

Daywalker Designs said:

As long as you've retained the default file naming of the downloaded files, yes. Otherwise, no. And even if you have retained the naming, there is no guarantee that you will always know about updates, because some things that have been updated don't always show that way.

Hum.. Not sure to well understand what it should named as updated or not.

​I mean, I downloaded (take an example) this product: Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)
Always by example, keep in mind that I purchased this 2 months ago.
​So I downloaded the ZIP file and stored it in a folder named "My Purchases\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)\IM00033123-01_FayetteHairforGenesis3Females.zip".
​Now... Admetting there is an update..

​Is DIM can detect it (EVEN if it wasn't installed by DIM) ?

Or not?

​(also, by referring to the naming conventions, you're talking about if UPDATE are on the way, the ZIP filename will change like:
IM00033123-02_FayetteHairforGenesis3Females.zip
​Or it's only the "Manifest.dsx" that change like:

DAZInstallManifest VERSION="0.1"
 GlobalID VALUE="64280b3c-c4c4-464b-8049-04725d05e861"/

TO

DAZInstallManifest VERSION="0.2" <--- is this line changed or the second one, or none of those lines ?
 GlobalID VALUE="64280b3c-c4c4-464b-8049-04725d05e861"/

Sorry to ask this, but it's just my thinking, so, want know if I'm right or wrong..

​(also thanks for your answer, much appreciated!)

fixmypcmike

The GlobalID is what DIM uses to tell if there's been an update.  The -01, -02, etc after the product SKU in the zip name is for products that have more than one zip (for example, a DS version and a Poser version).

Atanacius

Fixmypcmike said:

The GlobalID is what DIM uses to tell if there's been an update.  The -01, -02, etc after the product SKU in the zip name is for products that have more than one zip (for example, a DS version and a Poser version).

Ah yeah, ok, thanks for the precisions! :)

Atanacius

@Fixmypcmike, your method is very efficient, but.. where I can see in "Installed" tab in DIM the term "There is an Update for this Product", since, all I can see for the product I tested is "Uninstall" ?

​Otherwise, for listing, it worked greatly!

Thanks again, I will waiting for your answer !

MelanieL

Atanacius said:

@Fixmypcmike, your method is very efficient, but.. where I can see in "Installed" tab in DIM the term "There is an Update for this Product", since, all I can see for the product I tested is "Uninstall" ?

​Otherwise, for listing, it worked greatly!

Thanks again, I will waiting for your answer !

In case Mike is not around for a while: no the updates will show up under the "Ready to Download" tab in a section at the top labelled "Product Updates".

Atanacius

MelanieL said:

Atanacius said:

@Fixmypcmike, your method is very efficient, but.. where I can see in "Installed" tab in DIM the term "There is an Update for this Product", since, all I can see for the product I tested is "Uninstall" ?

​Otherwise, for listing, it worked greatly!

Thanks again, I will waiting for your answer !

In case Mike is not around for a while: no the updates will show up under the "Ready to Download" tab in a section at the top labelled "Product Updates".

Oh Superb, it works !
​Thanks also @MelanieL :)

​Have a nice day !

MelanieL

You're welcome.

I used to manually download and manually install too, but it got so hard to tell what I'd downloaded, what I'd not, what had changed since then, ... that I switched to semi-DIM.
Now I use DIM for all my downloads onto my laptop, because my 3D/rendering machine is not internet connected. Then I back them up onto an external drive and copy them all across to my main PC  where I run DIM in offline mode with a whole series of content libraries for different kinds of content. Not as quick as just letting DIM go wild, but I too like to see what is where.

Atanacius

MelanieL said:

You're welcome.

I used to manually download and manually install too, but it got so hard to tell what I'd downloaded, what I'd not, what had changed since then, ... that I switched to semi-DIM.
Now I use DIM for all my downloads onto my laptop, because my 3D/rendering machine is not internet connected. Then I back them up onto an external drive and copy them all across to my main PC  where I run DIM in offline mode with a whole series of content libraries for different kinds of content. Not as quick as just letting DIM go wild, but I too like to see what is where.

Yeah, I understand, that's how I see the things.
​The fact is I like having my content organized how I want, DIM just... install not organize by Types.
​I mean, I have a folder for "Outfits textures",  "Skin or Characters Textures", "Jewelry", "Scripts", "Morphs or Characters Morphs", "Environments", "Poses", "Props", "Hairs" ...

I like then when I installed a product organizing like that (hope this can helps you?) :
​
​For Organizing a purchased product:

1) Purchase a product
​2) Create in my backup folder a sub-folder for it, like: "NameOfMyProductPurchased\"
​3) I download manually the ZIP files, and..
​--- (3.a) Save all products images from DAZ3D store page, store it into my previous created-folder named: "NameOfMyProductPurchased".
​--- (3.b) Save web page from DAZ3D store page as a PDF (as it it's useable offline for references of what it required and what it is precisely).
--- (3.c) Save some galleries images created with that product (I find them via DAZ Deals Firefox Extensions by Ati and Overdrawn). (I just save 2-3 images), and which product has been used by its author (indeed I just save them for references, not any other uses!)
--- (3.d) Save the page link (simply as a shortcut to the store product page on DAZ3D)
​4) Now I have my purchased item correctly organized. It's pretty possible to search through files/names within Windows 10 search box! ;)

For Installing a purchased product:

1) Take by example Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s), I have in my backup folder a folder named as: "Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)".
​2) It's a hair product, so, I install it into my self-created folder named: "Hairs"..
​3) Now I have a folder named: "Hairs\", if it's not yet done I create two folders named as:
--- (3.a) "productInfos"
​--- (3.b) "ReadMe's"
--- (3.c) "Templates"
4) I unzip ALL the ZIP content as it would be unzipped (respecting the structure of DAZ3D format, I have a special organization too for Poser product as I purchased Poser PRO aswell).
​
It's now installed!
 

For Organizing my Installed product:

1) Remember my product installed before? Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s), aswell my Backup folder containing all zips, images, pdf and link ?
​2) Then...
​--- (2.a) I store ALL IMAGES OF THE PRODUCT (I do not include Galleries Images this time) into my previous-created folder named: "productInfos".
​------ This look alike now to that structure: "productInfos\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)\" containing all the products promos Images! (quick-reffering is possible now!, just by typing in Windows 10 searchbox: *.png or *.jpg for referencing all images !)
--- (2.b) I store THE PDF PRODUCT'S PAGE and the STORE PAGE LINK OF THE PRODUCT (I do not include the true Readme's files in that folder) into my previous-created folder named: "ReadMe's".
​------ This look alike now to that structure: "ReadMe's\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)\" containing link and PDF store product page! (quick-reffering is possible now!, just by typing in Windows 10 searchbox: *.pdf for referencing all PDF pages !)
--- (2.c) I store THE TRUE README'S THAT IS THE ONE INCLUDED IN ZIP FILE(S) OF THE PRODUCT into my previous-created folder named: "ReadMe's\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)".
​------ This look alike now to that structure: "ReadMe's\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)\" containing aswell now the readme included in the product! (quick-reffering is possible now!, just by typing in Windows 10 searchbox: *.txt or *.html or *.htm for referencing all TRUE README PRODUCT informations!)
--- (2.d) If the product come with a Template useable I store THE TEMPLATE (not for all, just for some I want texture myself) OF THE PRODUCT into my previous-created folder named: "Templates\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)".
​------ This look alike now to that structure: "Templates\Fayette Hair for Genesis 3 Female(s)\" containing templates files (not useful for all people I admit).)

Related to backup folders.. I indeed de-stock on an external Hard Drive (if the target is full, I purchase another Hard Drive then ^^)
​By my method, it's always clean and browsable also on the backup folder :)

​It's how I organize it, but now with the semi DIM method for "see if product has been updated", I can quickly know if my product needs a replacement with a up to date ZIP re-downloaded (by DIM) files :)

​I really not said it's the best organization possible, since it's based only on how motivate you're when it is related to organizing your purchases/installs/reference..
But I use now my method for years, and I must admit, it's really efficient for me !

​Have a nice night/day :)