No Carrara native content installed
Deej_232931
Posts: 26
Howdy all
Just installed Carrara 8.5 (Pro). Numerous problems going on with it, but one of the strangest is that none of the 'native' Carrara content installed. Normally I'd expect there to be scene wizards and some nameless generic stuff to be present in the content browsers; none of that (present in the earlier versions) is showing up. It let me add my Poser content runtime, and I'm presuming I'll be able to add the Daz Studio runtime once I locate it, but I can't figure out how (or from where) to add all that Carrara stuff that ought to be there. I've already uninstalled it and reinstalled it in hopes of getting it to prompt me to let it look for and install its own wizards and content; no such luck.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many thanks!
Davey
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the content is in a seperate download from your account... check in there for it
or if you have an earlier version of Carrara installed just copy the native content directory over into the new installation..
When I asked a similar question question, I was directed to this web page. I'm no tekkie. But I followed the directions exactly, and had no problem.
If you don't follow the directions, and don't use the Daz install manager, you can still succeed, but it will be more exciting. :)
heh...
...and you'll gain a bit more understanding of the innards of carrara that will serve you well for as long as you use it, so consider it more of an investment 'adventure', rather than a one-time hassle. Knowing your data-runtime-libraries is a really valuable skill, esp. when bringing in content from other arbitrary sources (e.g. freebies, or Poser content, etc.). Everyone packages things differently, so knowing how to Carrara-ize things can be *really* fruitful when you need something to work in Carrara.
One 'big idea' I wish I'd known earlier in my Carrara days (daze?), was that some content needs to be 'closer' to the program (shaders, plugins, etc.) and located in a very specific place that Carrara expects to find that stuff. Other more-traditional content can be kept in separate folders (runtimes/libraries - with a specific structure) that are located most anywhere your computer can browse, and 'added' to Carrara's browser when needed (e.g. for a project). This is a good thing to know when your data collection gets large enough that you want to divide it into 'sections' like humans, animals, cars, spaceships, buildings, etc. Knowing where stuff can be located is an extension of the 'adventure'!, but generally makes sense once you get a feel for the program and environment.
let us know how it goes!
--ms
(edit to clarify/extend)
Seriously? I despise the Download Manager and try to use the standalone installer, but still have to use the DM to install the program's Native Content? This gives new meaning to the term "retarded." *sigh*
Working my way through the instructions now. Yeah. Went directory diving. Found numerous things that looked like they'd been installed for the program, but none of them were showing up and none of them were things like Scene Wizards or standard stuff (including things I remember from RayDream Studio days), so I was still puzzled. Still, most of the responses above were helpful and are getting me going; hopefully the program proves workable once I get this stuff going (IF I can get it going; still working out issues with Tech Support, which is toilet-paper limp in terms of interested in solving the problems...).
Thanks, all. Shall let everyone know how this winds up.
Dj
I don't believe that native content requires DIM install, although one can use DIM install if desired. In my product library, Carrara's native content includes files for manual download and install. There are separate files for Carrara 8 native content and for Carrara 8.5 native content. Download and install both.
(EDIT: I used DIM to install Carrara 8.5 and the native content. However, in the past, I installed older versions and native content manually).
(EDIT 2: There appears to be a third native content for 8.5 Pro in addition to the aforementioned 2)
I'm with you on not using/depending on the DIM. I *do* use it to install/manage plugin-like products that may do pre/post processing within the program/app directory, but I never use it for content. I also completely disable the CMS/postgres engine.
All of my content is manually extracted, reworked, and manually migrate/merged with my runtimes. I have helper scripts to help, so it's not so insane as it may sound. Perhaps that's part of why I don't render as much as I like... heh., too much time organizing data to actually use it?
Others may have tricks that I would be glad to know, but as far as I can tell, Carrara expects some certain content-ish things and its plugins to be in its program directory's 'data' and 'Presets', and plugins directories, respectively, which I don't think can be redirected to other locations using Carrara configs (but probably doable with 'links' in windows). The rest of your 'normal' content can be structured as DAZ or Poser style Content/Runtime folders and added to the Carrara content browser (you probably know that, but some newbies may not...).
Yeah, I'm quite happy to manually move things around, as I didn't find the CMS or DIM to be at all helpful with customizations, and especially with non-DAZ content from non-DAZ sites, and fully half of my content is probably (terrabytes by now) not from DAZ. If I do everything manually, I learn it, remember it, and it's always where *I* think it should be (topical), rather than under a vender folder that means little to me 4 months after I've bought and installed something.
That said, if the vendor packaging was designed the way *I* happen to think (topical categories) and if DIM worked on non-DAZ stuff, I actually think it would be a really handy tool. Many swear by it. I prefer the P3DO tool as a data manager/browser for that reason, although it is creaking under its age - but apparently a DS/duf upgrade is in the works.
just another person's perspective...
--ms
Hi Deej
You can manually download and install the zip files for Carrara and it's native content from your account pages.
the carrara native content should be installed into the same location as Carrara,. since it's part of the main program,. (just split up for easier downloading)
If you understand the structure of the program,. then it's fine to do it that way,.
If you're not,. I'd honestly advise using DIM to download and install the files for you
For other "additional content" (included with carrara ) :EG Daz3D bonus figures content,.
NONE of that should ever be installed anywhere near Carrara.
All poser/Daz content should be installed into the content Library/Runtime folder, for those applications.
problems and issues with Carrara are probably going to be answered faster here than with support.
Hope it helps :)
Alas, all the fun is going out of Carrara... <sad_face>
3DAge: I had to go to a different machine to use Download Manager to download my content; it still won't run on the WinXP one. Got it. Could look into all the zip files to see where DLM wanted to put them; mostly not where I wanted them. None of them really contained a clue where to put the native content, but what I considered the Carrara Native Content (the scene wizards, the little throwaway clip art and so on) and what DAZ considers the native content (Poser figures and their ilk, mostly <pained look>) are two very different things. I found the stuff I was trying to find in the zip file with the program installer. Where for some reason it just didn't install when the program did. Alas that none of it was made clear anywhere.
Diomede: as it turns out, none of it required the DLM (the non-DLM installer didn't bother to install the real 'Native Content' that I was talking about, leading to the problem), which was a good thing as the DLM's still not running on the XP machine.
Mindsong: See above comments about the sheer stupidity of the DLM. There. Maybe that's out of my system now. *sigh* I used to be a directory diver; I taught myself the directory structure for Poser, way back in the day, so I could find where to rearrange things to better find content (around bone-headed narcissistic vendor ideas of directory structures), and I really need to get back into that. DAZ Studio made me swear off that, but I'm pretty sure I can get back into it.
That said: the original installer for Carrara failed to install the "native content" that I was talking about (the silly clipart and the scene wizards and things like that; the stuff that Carrara's not really fully-functional without, not the silly Poser/Daz figures), and I had to look in the zip file for the program itself to find 'em. As it happened, that led me to look to a backup of an earlier program to see what was missing. Put some stuff back in place like that, fired 8.5 Pro back up, and hey, presto! suddenly it was working, or working better; it's still got problems tech support's not really working hard to fix.
But that particular issue's out of the way. I'm headed back to that installation web page to read some more.
Thanks, everyone; learned a lot, and most everyone was helpful and friendly. :)
Davey
carrara native content zip is a simple drag and drop!
no dim, ding,
by default, it goes to the same folder with your carrara.exe
you can put carrara content where ever you like, just have to tell the browser tray where it is with the add folder button.
if you need more help will gather some screenshots for you
i add separate "carLib folders for all the extra sets i have, like howie scenes. separate from the 'native' content.
there are 2 native content zips,
one is just skullcaps for dynamic hair. lol.
Hey Deej,
Apparently you've got some good history ("directory diver", I like it...), so it's good that you're aware of the chaos that lurks within many of the runtimes... heh...
That said, remember how cool it all is, once you get it all set up... Keep pushing a bit more - almost there.
FWIW, I only use the 'exe' installers to install the main program(s) (DS/Bryce/Carrara, etc.) anymore. Almost all DAZ *content* is distributed in 'zips' these days (except for a few relics), so (from what I gather) most of us just unzip 'em into a working folder (empty), look around at what we've got and move the things that we can move to the places/folders we like within that package's Runtime/My Library, and merge the result on top of your target runtime. Not too crazy relative to what you've apparently done in the past. I suppose the only change you might not have noticed is that all content is now zips, instead of those silly exe content installers of the past.
I *do* use DIM religiously to do all of my zipfile product library *downloading*, and never have it 'delete zips after installing' (an option), even though I don't use it to install much. By doing this, you have a complete collection of your DAZ zipfiles that you can keep safe as originals, and then copy working versions elsewhere to reorganize and/or break... without fear.
as Andy says, be aware that some plugins and 'special' stuff may best be installed w DIM, but I would recommend manually doing content, considering your history and awareness of how things work in runtimes.
Lastly, A note about DAZ's newer 'runtimes' ('Content' or 'My Library' - same thing) - Carrara can deal with the DAZ style 'Content' directories (almost like poser runtimes, and in-fact often contain runtimes) now, and the only thing I really leave alone in the 'My Library' or 'Content' folders (same structure) is the 'data' directory. the 'data' directory is kind of sacred, as its structure is apparently expected to look a certain way by the various product publishers, and moving things will probably break the scenes/presets that us Users are supposed to see. I just leave it alone unless I'm doing careful and intentional surgery on an item.
cheers,
--ms
Carrara is actually fully functional without the scene wizards and example shaders/scenes and "bonus" content,. it's just completely empty at that point
you can create a new empty scene and start working. you'll just nedd to build what you want from scratch,. pretty much like any other 3D suite.
The Public beta versions were released as the main app only,. no content/scene wizards.
Programs like Poser or DS which rely on using pre-made content,. (no ability to create from scratch) are pretty much useless without some content to get you going.
Regading folder structure,...
renaming folders to suit what you want is the single easiest way to break stuff.
that's why Daz Studio introduced the "categories" feature,. it allows the user to create virtual categories and populate those with whatever content you want to organise..
rather than physically renaming folders, or files.
Hope it helps
i move stuff all the time.
carrara is installed to my E drive under e:\CA85
it really depends on whether the files you're moving have direct links to other files and folders.
in the case of Poser/Daz3D content,. most of the "products" are split into individual files (model, textures, shaders) and each of those components go into very specific folders.
in the case of your own models and scene files,. you can move them wherever you want as long as they aren't dependent on finding other files/folders, eg: texture maps, models etc.
as far as the main "program folder", it's not dependent on any folder structure or naming convention,. so you could call that folder whatever you want,. nothing is looking for a specifically named Carrara main folder,. but if you rename folders or files within that main program folder,. then you're in a mess.
I have several Carrara versions on my C: and G: drives, and I have files/folders on three other drives,
this:
and it's not at all obvious what's being directly linked. DAZ's new library structure seems to keep the 'must be here' stuff under the 'data' folder. Poser runtimes have a couple of 'sacred folders', and to be honest, I'm not familiar enough with the native Carrara presets structure to know how easily they can be broken (yet... ;^), as I usually reference Poser and DAZ libraries.
up above, I mention tips on 'moving' stuff around, but I have to agree with 3DAGE's warning.
Additionally, when products are updated, I have to reconstruct and re-merge the new files into my non-standard runtimes. kind of a pain...
what he said
Similar here.
Reworking content folders can be managed with some finesse, but it might be wise to consider if one wishes to manage data or render cool scenes. I make the wrong choice far too often..., but man, my data is clean... lol.
--ms
i still fuzzy on relative paths in car files. ?
i like to save a copy of carrara environment scenes with all internal.
the carrara tabs seem to know the difference between car and cbr files lol
no real reason to separate them in the file structure.
shader folders i've added, shows up in the shader wizard dialog.
poser can find and an obj file in the same folder with it's cr2, in poser7 days dunno about 11.
cant remember the relative path syntax, could find an example in the poser legazy content.
wishing there was something to convert a folder of poser handposes to carrara native format.
pretty sure it would be a .cbr file