DSF file vs DSA file
Sylva1n
Posts: 0
Hello,
in which case should I use a DSF file rather a DSA file?
For exemple, what are the differences between a Character DSF file and a Character preset?
thanks,
Sylvain
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I've read this article DSON File Format.
I understand the aim of DSF files, but I still wonder about Daz Script.
In which case is it better to use DSA?
thanks
.dsf (.duf in DAZ Studio 4.5) is just data, and is the officially supported format going forward. .dsa (and .dsb, .ds and .dse) are scripts - they actually have the instructions for asking for options and for making changes - and they have been deprecated, no long the officially supported method. .dsf/.duf will not work in older versions of DS, but being data they will work in other applications such as Carrara (or even Poser and other third-party applications) once importers are available, unlike the scripts which require the DS scripting engine. On the other hand because they are code scripts can be hacked to do things that the dsf reader isn't set to do.
A .dsf character file will load Genesis, dial the required morphs and apply the chosen texture set, a .dsa character preset only dials the morphs and applys the texture, so you need to have the figure in the scene to be able to use it.
The .dsa is also backward compatable, if you create something for say V4/M4 then anyone in an older version of DS4 or even DS3 can use it.
There is another difference. The DSF (or DUF) will load the character with the specific values in the dials set as defaults , while the DSA will keep the defaults as original fror genesis (zero), also, the DSF will bring in new limits you might have set to the character bones and the DSA won't.
Honestly, I don't like that the DSA has been deprecated as I enjoy the versatility of both formats, I'm using DSF (DUF now) to store my major template with limits and morphs defaulted to values that are common to several characters, and the DSA to load in specific characters over that template.
Tralen - What version of Studio are you using to write DSA files? I have a project that incorporates DSA files. Or what was the last version of Studio to write DSA files?
Figured since this thread was started I'd ask my questions here rather than in a new thread.
(edit - the assumption in the questions below is that I am using DS4.5 and up exclusively rather than earlier versions of DS. I do also use Poser)
1 - I have older DS files in my DS folder that were in the .dsa format
example for James for M5 - in the installer version 1.1, the body was
01 James Body INJ.dsa
along with the PNG
the new installer version 1.2 that just came out updated to the DSON format is, of course
01 James Body INJ.duf
instead of the .dsa file and along with the PNG.
Is there ANY reason to keep the dsa files in the folder along with the .duf, or should I just be deleting them? Would they even still work if they're left there along with the .duf files?
2 - I have a lot of Poser files in my Poser runtime which had .ds files so that the DS mats would be used instead of the poser mats.
And, I think Richard created a script to create a .ds file alongside a cr2 or pp2 file so you could have all the items in the same location (instead of having one place for your Poser files and one for the DS files), but if you're using DS it would use the .dsa file instead of the cr2 etc.
I figure this still will work, but am I understanding correctly that from now on, a .duf file will take the place of the .ds and/or .dsa file in any of these circumstances?
If I AM understanding correctly, is there any reason to update those files, and, if the files are updated by Daz to be .duf files, again, would I delete the old .ds./.dsa files?
Hope this makes sense. I've tried searching to find the answer to this but wasn't very successful...
Is it my understanding that what now would be done is that you would opent this stuff up in DS
.ds/.dsa/.dsb/.dse files still work. If they've been replaced with .duf you can delete them -- currently they'll both show up in DS 4.5 (I put in a feature request to hide the .ds/etc files when there's a .duf file). The only reason to keep them would be if you still use DS3, or if you have the content on a network and some computers accessing it use DS 4.0.
Thanks, Mike :) That's a good idea to be able to hide them :)
The DS/DSA/DSB files your using to load the CR2/PP2/HR2 with wont be updated, as those will have been done by you rather than by DAZ.
Makes sense. Part of the question is whether there's a point in creating .duf files for those to replace the ds/dsa/dsb, but probably it's just not worth it since they already HAVE Poser files that work.
I have a product that I want to be backwards compatible with DS3 users- however, as the material files are saved as .dsa with the matching .png, they are not showing up in DS3 Advanced under the proper folders. It's getting very frustrating, and I've received some help but I'm at my wit's end.
I have files for Poser Pro 2010 that work fine.
I have .duf files when I saved the material preset in Studio 4.6, and they work fine (so far).
I have .dsa files with .png files for Studio 3 Advanced that don't show up in the menu at all. I made a blank pz2 file to match the other two in hopes that it would help, but so far it's a no go. They show up now, but nothing loads into Studio onto M4. I tried making pz2 files of the dsa files, changing only the mt section in the format to figure, and some worked, some didn't.
Any tips on what I may be doing incorrect?
I have inj/rem files for M4- no issues.
I have the old runtime folder set up for the DS3 files:
Runtime>Libraries>Character>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4 (Inj/Rem-all work)
Runtime>Libraries>Pose>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4 (One set has the mt6 files changed to the .pz2 with Figure replacing the MT section-half work. Another folder has all of the mt6 files changed to blank pz2 files and none work. Yet another Armor folder has all of the dsa with png files and none show up in the menu at all.)
Runtime>Libraries>Textures>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4
For DS 4.6
Content>Runtime>Libraries>Characters>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4 (Where all of my .duf files are, and I noticed that the png files that go with all have the same thing going on... Armor Base.duf.png What is that???)
My Library>Runtime>Libraries>Character>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4 (Inj Files)
My Library>Runtime>Textures>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4
So you are loading the items from the Poser library and applying the .dsa material files? You can't (readily) load content with a .dsa, just modify it.
Nope.
I started with M4 base and applied the textures to him manually in Studio 4.6, tweaked them until they were where I wanted them in the surface tab, and tried to save the files for distributing. I want to save the material files for not just the 4.6 users, but the previous versions back to Studio 3 as well as Poser.
So I have Poser files.
I want material files for Studio 3 (So previous version users can use the product as well).
I want material files for Studio 4.6.
Hence the working in 4.6, using the .dsa file extension to save the materials as well as the .duf.
I just can't get the .dsa files to SHOW up in the menu, or when they do, to upload the textures.
not sure what the heck I'm doing wrong, but this issue has my teeth itching. I had no issues on getting the character material settings saved for distribution on the 3 Advanced version, why the issue now with 4.6???
If I can't load character material files/settings with .dsa, what do I use? How do I save the files so others can use them? I've been through so many tuts, my head still hurts. Though most have been taken down, or the links are now broken...and more than a few that have survived are now upgraded for Genesis.
.dsa files should work. Where are you saving them?
I have the .dsa files, with the .png files in the following format:
DAZStudio4>My Library>Runtime>Libraries>Character>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4
and
DAZStudio4>Content>Runtime>Libraries>Character>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4
AND
DazStudio3>Runtime>Libraries>Character>DarwinsMishap>Armor M4
So, I'm trying everything that I can in the blasted tutorials. When they did show up (in the Content path), only half worked. When I saved them, I made the folder for Armor in the path prior to saving so they'd freakin' work and made the .png files with the same names (of course). I'm not a new user here... Seriously.
I'll update more when I get home- I'm not at the computer that has the files. Thanks, Rich, for answering me at least.
I understand it is bother work to offer product for many version ,, and different aprication,,
but , dsa,dsb need to be saved out of poser runtime dirctory, I think.
My DS 4.5 can not show the ds files saved in runtime directory.
(though sometimes there are ds files with .pz or mc6 material files for daz studio user,,
but I can not see these ds files in poser directories)
When I save preset (script) file as dsa, I need to make another folda for the assets,
out of poser " runtime" , in daz contents directory.
But it seems usuall for ds 4 user. when I serch dsa material preset, I never serch them in poser directory.
when I bought some V4 clothings, the product installed ds files to
\Mylibrary\People\Victoria 4\Clothing\productname,,
there are usually only material presets for cr2
And the clothing.cr2 are in runtime directory.
I know,, it is not simple way to find assets and material.
so that, daz offer meta-data and categorize,, to find assets easy
without serching around actuall file path.
Either save outside the Runtime folder or make sure there's a Poser format file (empty or one for sue in Poser to do the same job) in there with it - MyMaterials.duf or MyMaterials.dsa, MyMaterials.mc6 (for DS4) or MyMaterials.pz2 (for any version of DS) and MyMaterials.png.