Can the Content Library tab be programmed to show links?
Lyn Buchanan
Posts: 33
i'm sure that I'm not the only one having major problems with Daz 3d's file system. But here's an idea that might make it simpler for everyone: Is there a way that the DAZ programmers can make link files show up on the Content Library? That way, instead of having, say, a piece of jewelry that fits 5 different characters, we can put the jewelry files into one character's folder and links to it in the other characters' folders. Some of the files take up a lot of disk space, and making copies for each character it fits takes up a lot of disk space. Making links and having them show up in each character's folder would save a lot of disk territory. Can this be programmed into the DAZ programming?
Is there a way we can already do this?
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
You can already do this by using Categories.
You have to set it up yourself, I have done it for several Hair items, and they appear under each respective character, but there is still only one set of physical files, it is all done in the database.
You can save your created categories, and reimport them if anything happens to the origianl database. That is the only way I know of.
You don't need to have multiple copies of the files. You can install the files into a single runtime, then create multiple references (links, essentially) to it through the Content Library.
For example, I install my content into C:\ContentX. In the Content Library, I locate and select one or more files within that folder, then right-click on the selection and choose "Categorize" from the mouse menu. Then I can browse to and put a checkmark in front of the new Content LIbrary path(s) where I want the new reference(s). You can also create new subfolders in your Categories folder while categorizing.
It is also possible to copy an entire folder and all it's subfolders in order to create new references. ( Unfortunately I don't see a way to create references TO the references, so while multiple copies of the content in the Content Library are only referring to a single set of files on disk, it does mean if you wanted to change all those copies, you'll still have to either change all the references or delete and re-create the tree of references. I think I already put in a feature request for that a while back, but don't remember for sure.)
Yes you can do this via making catagories yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_nnPf8nCcc4
Greetings,
Categories only work if your CMS stays up. Since mine crashes 100% of the time on all machines I try to use it on, I'm kinda SOL. :( I wish they'd implemented bookmarks w/o the CMS...
-- Morgan
Just shows how fickle computers are. In all the time CMS has been part of Daz Studio only once did I have issues. Since then when I upgrade I always manually uninstall CMS first and never had an issue.
Greetings,
I had zero issues with CMS also, and loved it, until I started using DIM from two computers (three, actually, but only two ran DIM) against a shared 'My Library' directory. Now it crashes constantly, and I have (checks quickly) 78,873 log files in /Library/DAZ 3D/Content Management Service/vlogs.
-- Morgan
p.s. In the time it took me to write this post, it added 14 new log files...
Humm I don't use DIM and never have or could it be down to a shared Library. I have no idea really.
I had zero issues with CMS also, and loved it, until I started using DIM from two computers (three, actually, but only two ran DIM) against a shared 'My Library' directory. Now it crashes constantly, and I have (checks quickly) 78,873 log files in /Library/DAZ 3D/Content Management Service/vlogs.
-- Morgan
p.s. In the time it took me to write this post, it added 14 new log files...
Something badly wrong there!
I reinstalled the CMS on the 14 May, and that is when my VLogs start, there are 25 of them, dating from the 14 May til now, the last one is this morning about 20 minutes ago when I logged on. I use DIM almost every day, and I use CMS for my Categories at least on a weekly basis, VMS does not stop at all.
If I were you, I would investigate this, there is something very badly wrong.
I conjecture that one of the reasons DAZ handled it this way (using CMS and their own content directories) is that the program runs on both MAC and PC--not separate versions for each. And each has different systems and methods of handling files natively.
I personally would rather use an embedded explorer window to deal with my content. I could then do my own shortcuts. But even more important to me is I could arrange my folders and/or their contents by last modified date. That is something sorely missing in Studio. The 'New' flag continues to show if you've never loaded the product. I mean you can have something installed today and something installed three years ago that both claim to be 'new'.
How is this done?
I'd like to know because a few weeks ago I created a new category called 'FAVOURITES' so I could keep my Poses, Expressions, Hairs and Skins together. Now, today, I notice that all the Skins and all the Genesis Hairs, Expressions and Poses (though not the M5 and V5 General Poses, for some reason) have disappeared - though the Gen 4 stuff is still in place.
Very strange.
You need to use the drop-down menu in the Content Library pane, Content DB Maintenance > Export User Data.
It will create a file called UserData_1.dsx in the My DAZ 3D Library\Runtime\Support folder
Thanks.
It's a bit puzzling why this isn't done automatically, though.
edited and removed by user
This is fantastic. Thanks to everyone who answered. I still don't like or even begin to understand the reasoning behind Daz' file structure, but this will give me the way I need to organize things so I can use them.
What file structure? Runtimes or naming conventions?
Mainly the file locations That is, why do they put the main file in one directory, the textures for it in another, the templates for it in another, the .obj file in another, etc. Why can't they just put all the files for a single model into a single directory?
Paths in DS/Poser are relative to the base location (e.g. the folder containing Runtime), so if the geometries and textures were in the same folder as the item, you couldn't rename or move the folder. You also couldn't use the same geometries and textures in another product without duplicating the files, and textures account for most of the file size.
Good question and one I cannot answer with 100% accuracy but for many things to be Poser compatible, Non Genesis products the structure had to be Poser freindly and since Daz3D and Daz Studio's inception gave DAZ3D the rights to use Poser formats it made sense to stcik with it. The Runtime libraies are part of how Poser sees the content. I think this is why User defined Catorgries came to be.
For more technical answer see mikes post above mine. :) That is a better answer than mine.
Many thanks. I know that DAZ had to keep with the Poser file tree structure, but until I found out about the categories, it was one of the biggest bothers about DAZ (and Poser). I now have to wonder who the genius was at Poser who developed such a fractured file structure instead of just putting in links or relative path references. Surely it made sense at one time to someone.
Anyway, putting things into categories seems to ease my troubled soul and make life a pleasure again. A big "thank you" to those who wrote in about it.