DAZ Content Problems with Carrara

FractalDimensia

I'm not sure if others are having problems getting all their content to work with Carrara, but I seem to be having more than my fair share of difficulties. I'm actually going systemically through all of my content, documenting issues, and then organizing them by types of problems. I sent a request for help to DAZ, but after 6 days, I'm still working with the same issues. So, in a sign of complete desperation, I'm taking it to the community of experts to see if you can guide me through this maze. In other words....

--->>> PLEASE HELP!!! <<<---</p>

The problems cover a full gambit of things, but rather than dumping the entire list on this thread all at once, I'm going to go at it piecemeal. It is very likely that many of these problems I am having are the result of just a few errors on my part.

So, here is my current setup.
1) I completely uninstalled all DAZ products (D/S and Carrara notably) and content.
2) I let DIM do all of the installation. Below are screen shots of the configuration settings I used for the installation.

I am running Windows 7 x64 with all updates installed. I have been running C8.5 x64.

I realize that maybe using DIM is my mistake. And if so, then maybe someone can tell me if/how DIM can be used without completely messing up the file and folder system DIM dumps content into.

Okay, I'll add posts that show the problems I am currently having....

FractalDimensia

First problem:

I have a number of content items that show up in the "Smart Content" tab, but when I click on the entry, there are no images presented. They appear to be empty.

See the attached image as an example, along with the results of scanning for the content on my C: drive.

Here is a list of some of the items that are doing this:
Aranmenel
Audacious for Defiant
Dahlia Garden
Dark Warriors for GIS
Duke Hair for Genesis
Journeyer Scout for Genesis
LB - Asiatic Lily DS

(I have purchased these items and DIM shows that these items were downloaded and installed.)

kakman

To show up in the Carrara 8.5 Smart Content Tab (or content tab for that matter) the STUDIO content must be .dsf or .duf. Of the products you listed that I could find in the store Aranmenel, Audacious For Defiant and Dark Warrior for GIS are ALL either .dsb or .dsa.

I have Duke Hair for Genesis and it DOES show in my content tabs in C8.5.

Dartanbeck has written about the DIM in the forums and has some very specific guidelines that he recommends. Give me a few minutes and I will reply here about where those posts and/or threads are.

Overall though, DIM can be finicky.

kakman

Dartanbeck has a “Sticky” called “Carrara Information Manual” that can lead you through a variety of threads and posts.

I know that one of the most important things he has mentioned is that you should install all NON-DAZ Genesis and Genesis 2 content in a different folder from the one that you used the DIM for.

For myself I ONLY use the DIM to install Genesis and Genesis 2 content purchased from DAZ. Nothing else goes into those folders.

Furthermore, according to Dartanbeck, you should NOT attempt to customize or re-arrange any folder that has had content installed to it using the DIM.

FractalDimensia

kakman said:

Dartanbeck has a “Sticky” called “Carrara Information Manual” that can lead you through a variety of threads and posts.

I know that one of the most important things he has mentioned is that you should install all NON-DAZ Genesis and Genesis 2 content in a different folder from the one that you used the DIM for.

For myself I ONLY use the DIM to install Genesis and Genesis 2 content purchased from DAZ. Nothing else goes into those folders.

Furthermore, according to Dartanbeck, you should NOT attempt to customize or re-arrange any folder that has had content installed to it using the DIM.

Thanks, Kakman, for the response. As far as I know, I don't have any non-DAZ G or G2 content. And I have not mucked about inside "My DAZ Library" or any other folder containing DAZ.

I'm beginning to think I will need to completely clean my entire PC of any DAZ folders, uninstall all my stuff, and start completely fresh. I kinda hate the thought of doing that. No telling what it will do to the stuff I now have. But nothing can be worse than what I am dealing with now...

WendyLuvsCatz

some of those items are best just loaded old way from the content browser not smart content.
You only need smart content for genesis stuff like the Duke hair.
You can browse for .duf files using import too as I often do.

kitakoredaz

Your DIM setting seems have no problem. (it seems perfect default and install right steps)

I install contents by DIM for daz studio,and I use smart contents for Carrara too.

then, some of missing "Product" icons are not DIM problem.

"Duke hair" and "Journey Scout for Genesis" are
one of built in contents for daz studio, and are packaged
as "genesis starter essential contents." (Product name)

But DIM install meta-data for these prodcuts with product category as their original name .
there is no referrence to each files of these product name.
(they are reffered with genesis starter essential kits)

you may find duke hair , in smart content>Categories>hair>short
or in smart content>product>genesis starter essential kits.
(you may need to serch around,,, many files are packaged as one)

And , kakman mentioned already,Carrara can only show and load files which written by
native dson format files (dsf, duf only) about daz studio contents.
(though it can read poser file type)

unfortunately, Aranmenel texture sets for Royal Elf for Genesis:
•DAZ Studio 4 Material presets (DSB)

Audacious for Defiant
•DAZ Studio 4 Material presets (DSB)

Dark Warriors for GIS
◦DAZ Studio Material presets (DSA)

( Carrara user need to save these material preset as duf by daz studio 4.6. ^^; if you hope to load them in carrara)

then about Carrara, I feel there is not many meaning to use smart content pane. (IMO)
you may better use Conent pane.

because Cararra can not read meta-data compatibility .

I think Carrara just load and show all items which have meta-data and written by DSON format,
but meta-data meaning is to serch items easy by using compatibility not directory of installed.

I believe, if you only use Carrara, the current smart content view is just annoying you.
(though I use daz studio, so that I remember which category I need to serch in smart content,)

I know some user like to separate daz directory for genesis and other figure etc,
maybe it make them easy to find contents by contents tab.

but I use only one root contents directory (Myribrary) for daz studio, and poser for all figure.
poser runtime is sub directory for Ds contents root (Myribrary).

about poser format files ( cr2, pp2, hr, pz etc,, )
just serch items by "mylibrary Runtime" in Carrara contents pane.

DSON native files have never been installed in Runtime.
and poser files can never seen in smart content, they are installed under runtime (sub directory)

you only need to tell Carrara, where is your runtime folda,(for poser contents)
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/artzone/pub/software/carrara/beginningsetup/beginning_setupc8
(How to add the runtime section, )

and daz contents root directory (for native dson format )

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/carrara/8_5/userguide/finding_loading_and_organizing_content/tutorials/smart_content/start

FractalDimensia

Gez, this is really good information. Thank you Wendy and Kita!

I have been staying away from using the "Content" tab because it looks and feels like such a cluttered mess. I prefer to have things more organized, or at least being in control over how I clutter things up! I have never felt like I have that option in "Content."

I guess I'll just have to suck it up and live with it.

evilproducer

The Content tab is basically all runtime file structures. It's only as cluttered as your runtimes. Which, if you're like me, is pretty damned cluttered! ;-)

When I come across something I like, I do my little tweaks to the shaders (if need be) and save it to my Objects browser under an appropriate existing directory, or one I created myself.

I can't speak to Genesis, but in my experience, they load faster when saved in Cararrara's native format and loaded from the Object browser. At least that's the way it is for the mill4 figures and earlier and your standard Poser type figures and props.

FractalDimensia

evilproducer said:

The Content tab is basically all runtime file structures. It's only as cluttered as your runtimes. Which, if you're like me, is pretty damned cluttered! ;-)

When I come across something I like, I do my little tweaks to the shaders (if need be) and save it to my Objects browser under an appropriate existing directory, or one I created myself.

Thanks, EP, for the suggestion. I was "hoping" some of the problems I am having were things I could tweak and have them suddenly vanish. I think that was a major misconception. LOL.

Seriously, someone (a.k.a. Dart) or some group should take this one on and put together a clear description (or set of options) about setting up the content folder. I know Dart has some of that in his guide, and I GREATLY appreciate what he has, but the guide I need should have a step-by-step description. Sadly, I once was very technical and computer savvy, but all I want to do now is make renders and animations, not learn a whole system of techno-jargon. I guess that was ANOTHER major misconception. LOL. :)

Thanks.
FD

evilproducer

It's really about organizing your Poser style runtimes. The Content browser just points to the runtimes.

Some people organize their runtimes by character, such as V4, M4 etc. and some carry it even further by also organizing their runtimes by character clothing, such as having a runtime for V4 clothes and a different one for M4 clothes. Maybe one for props. etc.

Carrara will auto detect the runtimes the first time you launch it, but you can remove them from the Content browser and load them manually. They will appear in the order in which you load them.

Myself? By the time I understood what the hell a runtime was, I already had a big mess. For me, it's just easier to create folders I can load into my Objects browser and save the things I've loaded and modified to the appropriate directory in my Objects browser, such as different characters, clothes, fully clothed characters, animals, etc. that I'll want to use again. They load faster, and if I've already fixed texture issues or applied custom morphs or poses, they're all ready to go. No muss, no fuss.

kakman

evilproducer said:

Carrara will auto detect the runtimes the first time you launch it

If you allow Carrara to “auto-detect” them, but you do not have to.

but you can remove them from the Content browser and load them manually. They will appear in the order in which you load them.

You can however change the order in which they appear by editing the preferences.txt file located (for Windows) in the Users\your name or id\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Carrara 8.5 folder.

evilproducer

kakman said:

evilproducer said:

Carrara will auto detect the runtimes the first time you launch it

If you allow Carrara to “auto-detect” them, but you do not have to.

but you can remove them from the Content browser and load them manually. They will appear in the order in which you load them.

You can however change the order in which they appear by editing the preferences.txt file located (for Windows) in the Users\your name or id\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Carrara 8.5 folder.

Perhaps I should have said Carrara will ask to... It still amounts to essentially the same thing. If you don't wish to allow Carrara to auto-detect, you'll have to add them yourself- in which case, you can add them in the order which you prefer.

Yes, you can. I don't have a ton of runtimes scattered everywhere, just a few hugely bloated ones, so it's easier for me to remove or add them manually, rather than try and edit a text file where I could screw up the syntax.

kakman

evilproducer said:

Perhaps I should have said Carrara will ask to... It still amounts to essentially the same thing. If you don't wish to allow Carrara to auto-detect, you'll have to add them yourself- in which case, you can add them in the order which you prefer.

However, the presets folders that you add end up at the bottom of the list AFTER the Carrara native content presets. The ones that I like at the top of list are my own.

Yes, you can. I don't have a ton of runtimes scattered everywhere, just a few hugely bloated ones, so it's easier for me to remove or add them manually, rather than try and edit a text file where I could screw up the syntax.

That is why I add them manually first and then just “move” them around while editing the preferences file.

And, I was just adding this to the thread as general information, it was not directed at you or anyone else specifically.