Now Available, DAZ Studio Pro BETA (4.6.2.23)!
DAZ_Brian
Posts: 345
DAZ 3D is pleased to announce the next public version of the DAZ Studio Pro BETA - version 4.6.2.23!
Another BETA, so soon?
Yes. We want to provide access to builds that fix issues you may have encountered in the General Release, earlier and more frequently. Obviously we realize that there are users who don't have an interest in using BETA software (see below). However, we also realize that there are many who are willing to use BETA software in order to gain access to fixes and/or new features, earlier.
What is a BETA?
Despite our best efforts, DAZ 3D cannot possibly test the software under all possible conditions. So, we are providing this version of the application to the general public in order to uncover problems that were not discovered during internal/private testing. We expect that there will still be problems and we hope that when users encounter any problems, they will report them to the Bug Tracker so that they can be validated, prioritized and fixed.
As with any software classified as being in the BETA phase of development, you should expect to encounter bugs. Any bugs you do encounter while using BETA software can vary in terms of severity, from minor features that do not work correctly to problems that cause your computer to crash. Before choosing to use BETA software for production purposes, you should decide whether the benefit of new features and bug fixes provided by the BETA version outweighs the risk of instability you may encounter.
What is new in this version? Do I need to update my copy?
The 4.6.2.23 version resolves several issues and implements many improvements since the 4.6.1.17 General Release. More detail on specific fixes/changes/improvements can be found in the Change Log, which can be viewed online within the Documentation Center portion of our site. All new downloads of the DAZ Studio Pro BETA product (SKU: 12000) will be of this version.
Public BETA 1 (4.6.2.23) highlights are:
1) Added a clear [DSON] cache button to the preferences dialog
2) Added functionality to Morph Loader Pro that allows splitting a GeoGrafted export into separate morphs for the individual mesh contributors
3) Added an option to restrict influence in the weight map smoothing dialog
4) Fixed a bug in the Hierarchical Material save filter to handle Geometry Shells
5) Fixed a bug in the Hierarchical Material save filter relating to the inclusion of parent data regardless of checked state
6) Fixed #DS-169/CS148257: Fixed delta save for legacy content when multiple figures of the same content are in the scene
7) Added a script to fix problematic legacy scene files with more than one of a given figure; available via this CS Knowledge Base article
8) Fixed #DS-143/CS145252: All textures where being converted to JPG during OBJ export; added an “Original Maps” option; “No Maps” option now prevents maps from being written; paths no longer write out using quotes
9) Fixed #DS-179/CS152340/CS152232: Fixed a crash in ERC Freeze when rigging or hidden properties were involved
10) Optimized ERC Freeze
11) Fixed #DS-174/CS152086: Fixed a crash related to the Scene Selection popup on Mac
12) Added support to content manager* for shortcuts (PC)/symlinks (Mac) of files; *used by the Content Library pane
13) Optimized the Content Library pane to better handle folders with many subfolders
Has the Genesis Starter Essentials, or the Genesis 2 Female Starter Essentials, content packages been updated too?
No, the Genesis Starter Essentials and Genesis 2 Female Starter Essentials content that is provided with the product has NOT been updated beyond what is currently available with the General Release.
How do I get the latest version?
If you have previously added the DAZ Studio Pro BETA product to your account, launch Install Manager, log into your account and type "DAZ Studio 4.6 Public Beta" into the filter field to filter out anything else. Then simply download and install as you would normally.
Optionally, you can locate, download and install the BETA from the Product Library [once you are logged into your account] by entering "DAZ Studio Pro BETA" into the text field near the top left of the page and clicking the "Filter" button, or by clicking here. Then, simply click the "download & install" button.
If this is your first time downloading DAZ Studio Pro BETA, simply follow this link, click the "Add to Cart" button on the page and then follow the checkout process.
*Note: This BETA version is not available as a standalone installer. It must be downloaded and installed using Install Manager. This does not impact the General Release, which will be made available through Install Manager as well as a standalone installer.
Can I have the General Release and the BETA installed at the same time?
Yes! You can now have both the General Release and a Public Beta (as well as a Private Beta, for those involved in that endeavor), of the same major version, installed at the same time. Please be aware that the settings for each of the builds are now stored independent of each other. This includes mapped content directories, layout, style and style colors, among many others.
What about the plugins I have?
The DAZ Studio 4.5 SDK has not changed in any way that is binary incompatible, which means that any plugins created for a previous version of DAZ Studio 4.5.x should continue to load and function. That said, as with any new release, there is always the possibility that a plugin has had bugs fixed or features added, so the latest versions should be downloaded and installed if they are provided.
Plugins that are currently built/produced by DAZ 3D will provide a separate package specifically intended for the BETA. 3rd party plugins that DAZ 3D creates install packages for will be updated to allow simultaneous installation into the General Release and the BETA builds. These packages will display as "Product Updates" within Install Manager once they have been updated.
Is there any documentation?
Yes, some documentation is located here.
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Comments
YAY~ So glad the wait is over. Hope the ERC Freeze issue is truly a thing of the past.
Now about that eye dropper tool we've all been wanting?? :ahhh:
YEE HAW, ERC Freeze is not only fixed it's super duper fast now! THANKS DAZ!
Wanted to ask about this:
2) Added functionality to Morph Loader Pro that allows splitting a GeoGrafted export into separate morphs for the individual mesh contributors
So is there a way to tell MLP to split morphs on a figure? Say I import a FBM or PBM morph for Genesis and I want 5 morphs made from that, one each arm, one each leg and torso. It would be nice to have such functionality!
This splits a morph among grafted figures (tail, wing, replacement legs, etc). It does not split a morph on the same figure. Studio does not currently ship with a way to split a morph on a single Tri-Ax figure.
This splits a morph among grafted figures (tail, wing, replacement legs, etc). It does not split a morph on the same figure. Studio does not currently ship with a way to split a morph on a single Tri-Ax figure.
Yea, I understand that. But please add it to the list! THANKS!
What do the '*'s signify?
I clicked the link but couldn't find the change log for this version. Does the above mean what I hope it means? :)
"content manager*" indicates that there is a footnote. "*used by the Content Library pane" is the footnote.
"Content Manager" refers to an important component of the DAZ Studio API. Not to be confused with the "Content Directory Manager" which is a script/dialog that provides visual access to a specific portion of the data handled by the Content Manager; i.e. content directory mappings. Also not to be confused with the "Content Management Service" or "CMS" which is a related but separate database service that deals specifically with metadata associated with files that are ultimately sent to the Content Manager for opening/importing. The support of shortcuts (PC) and aliases/symlinks (Mac) for files being at the Content Manager level means that in addition to the Content Library pane being able to handle them, they can also be used by scripts and plugins.
-Rob
Kudos. I would expect nothing less than full integration. You guys are great designers.
Greetings,
Wait...so I could build essentially a 'bookmarks' folder that was visible in Content Library which just had symlinks to my most commonly used content folders? Is this totally new (I can't believe I never tried it!) or is it just that it's newly (now) supported in scripts and plugins?In trying it out in the current stable version, the Content Library seems to ignore soft links; they don't even show up in the listing, so I'm guessing this is a fully new feature.
-- Morgan
Appreciate the compliment and confidence, Spit.
Yes, completely new to 4.6.2.x. This was not supported in earlier builds... be that in the Content Library pane, in scripts or in plugins (assuming they passed paths to the Content Manager for opening/importing and didn't manually resolve them using other means).
Notice that I've specifically indicated "files" and not "folders". That understood, yes... you can now create a 'bookmarks' folder that is visible in the Content Library pane (assuming its within a mapped directory) which contains a bunch of symbolic links (aka shortcuts, aliases, symlinks, soft links, etc) to your most commonly used files in their respective canonical file paths and the Content Manager will resolve the link and act as though it were the linked file.
-Rob
Greetings,
Interesting...probably a deep technical reason it couldn't resolve symlinks to folders...?
Still, I'll have to play with this.
-- Morgan
It says "We expect that there will still be problems and we hope that when users encounter any problems, they will report them to the Bug Tracker so that they can be validated, prioritized and fixed" However, clicking on the link takes me to the Help Center. So where is the Bug Tracker now?
Just file a support ticket/Submit a request. :)
Oh gods, shoot me. Shoot me now. I read MLP as My Little Pony ... ;)
Oh gods, shoot me. Shoot me now. I read MLP as My Little Pony ... ;)You have discovered our secret. That is the magic behind how Morph Loader Pro works. :)
So I installed the beta using Install Manager and it installed as a separate app independent of the General Release. However, I no longer have any of my settings. How do we get the the beta to load all settings including the Workspace Layout (which I spent a fair amount of time on)?
It says "Plugins that are currently built/produced by DAZ 3D will provide a separate package specifically intended for the BETA" I can't find any of plugins specific to the beta (e.g. GenX, Dynamic Clothing Control). Do we have to wait for something to show up later as an update in the Install Manager?
If this is your first beta, try reinstalling the plugin through DIM - if you previously installed with an installer uninstall it first, after making sure a DIM version is available.
If you want to copy your layout, you need to copy the actions, layout, menus and toolbars .dsx files from C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio 4\ to C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4\ C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\Studio4 Public Build\ - at your own risk.
Since the previous beta was pretty much bug prone for me anyway (CMS wise) I thought: "It cannot get worse, might as well try it". What I really like in this beta version is the speed improvement in the content library handling. Moving / duplicating folders etc. is veeery fast - and I don't got a that huge content folder really, but lots of different hierarchies with specific themes and folder duplicates in many places.
I like it , so far everything working as expected without issues at last with the tools I needed mostly , also much faster .
ERC freeze works like a ghost you don't even notice it is done .. and fast loading of the Property Hierarchy :-)
the only thing is that the GOZ was inactive under the IM .. ? any idea how to make it work now with the beta ?
You don't have a new download for GoZ labeled "Public Build"?
Yes but it said ( Inactive ) and don't want to download not via account or via IM I have the other from the last build but the Beta version is Inactive
Ok I tried again and this time it downloaded and installed as well :)) still it was Inactive but the IM did the job correct .. thanks
Yea, you'd need to grab it through the DIM app itself. Package dates on both 32/64bit GoZ Public Build is 10/10/2013
it allowed me to install it only via DIM app , and working :) since under the account there was not download link
I think that's common for the beta stuff, since the beta of Daz Studio itself can only be downloaded through DIM.
Okay, thanks. That worked for the most part. GenX, for example, doesn't appear to have a DIM install. Also, it has its own directory under AppData.
I am curious who DAZ targets with this approach to beta. The 1-2% of people who don't care how their workspace is set up (or if plugins work)? Like Genesis, the concept of a isolating potential defects into a separate build is a good one. However, also like Genesis, the execution of the concept is wanting...
anyway to DL this without DIM? my production PC is off-line at home for the foreseeable future, I have a connection at work and DIM has been in a holding pattern for the last 15 minutes on my Mac at work
oops, double post, but I closed out of DIM and restarted it, it's DOA again.
Okay, thanks. That worked for the most part. GenX, for example, doesn't appear to have a DIM install. Also, it has its own directory under AppData.
I am curious who DAZ targets with this approach to beta. The 1-2% of people who don't care how their workspace is set up (or if plugins work)? Like Genesis, the concept of a isolating potential defects into a separate build is a good one. However, also like Genesis, the execution of the concept is wanting...
DAZ got a lot of flak for not allowing the beta to co-exist with the release version from people who had projects in flight they didn't want to disrupt (think PAs). The only recourse used to be installing the 32-bit beta on a 64-bit machine, and that limits some of the more aggressive testing. The concept is that the ONLY shared resource for the beta out-of-the-box now is the CMS. This keeps the beta from causing issues with the release version AND gives the beta a clean slate which helps the development team when problems are reported.
And you can fairly easily copy your customizations to the beta if you want - and as near as I can tell, they will persist from beta to beta once you do.
Well, this only tends to reinforce the notion that DS exists primarily for vendor product development. I don't "think PAs" at all. Vendors are not the only people who have projects in development. Any diminishing of our workspace is a disruption in our workflow. If DAZ makes the beta for vendors, they should not make this a public beta. Instead, they should release it privately to vendors.