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Best saving practice?

KimberSueKimberSue Posts: 353
edited December 1969 in Daz Studio Discussion

Hi, I made material for a dress but the material files can't be located the jpg and pngs on another computer.

I was wondering, what the best saving format is these day?

I've always used

File>Save as>Support Asset>Figure or prop Asset for clothing
File>Save as>deprecated>material presets for the material

Then I package the data, people and runtime/textures folders.

I was wondering if I should not be saving as File>Save as>wearable preset and File>Save as>material preset?

Thoughts?
Thanks
Kimberly

Comments

  • KhoryKhory Posts: 3,854
    edited December 1969

    Hi, I made material for a dress but the material files can’t be located the jpg and pngs on another computer.

    I don't think that the issue is how your saving so much as where the files that are being referenced are located. Where are you placing the jpgs before you save the material preset? Best practice is to put them in a file in runtime/textures/yourname/productname that is within your main studio library. For example my files go in MY DAZ 3D Library/runtime/textures/khory/productname.

  • SpottedKittySpottedKitty Posts: 7,232
    edited December 1969

    It's also important where you're saving the materials preset file. There are two ways D|S stores the pointers to the texture image files; as a reduced path only giving the location inside your content folder, or giving the complete folder path to the texture files, as it exists on your computer.

    The first way is correct, as it works no matter where the content folder is — many people use different content locations, so if you use the full file path, anyone else using that materials preset has a moderately high chance of getting "can't find file" errors because that folder exists on your computer, not on their computer.

    The way to save these presets properly is to do it in the Content Library tab. This only sees the locations you've defined as "containing content files for D|S", when you do this any presets containing folder paths will be of the proper type. If you save using the File>Save As menu and save to somewhere outside your content location, any file paths will be the incorrect complete path.

  • KimberSueKimberSue Posts: 353
    edited December 1969

    Khory said:
    Hi, I made material for a dress but the material files can’t be located the jpg and pngs on another computer.

    I don't think that the issue is how your saving so much as where the files that are being referenced are located. Where are you placing the jpgs before you save the material preset? Best practice is to put them in a file in runtime/textures/yourname/productname that is within your main studio library. For example my files go in MY DAZ 3D Library/runtime/textures/khory/productname.

    That is how I've always saved stuff. The same file directory your said.

    The only thing I can figure is I set up my own runtime folder for stuff I make so it easier to zip up the files. While all the data when I said the dress is in the data file of my clean runtime folder with only my designs in it. For some reason it isn't working. It shouldn't matter what runtime I save them into as long as the file format is correct and I've check that a zillion time today.

    Thanks, I guess I'll trying saving the files into my large runtime folder.

  • srieschsriesch Posts: 4,241
    edited December 1969

    Also make sure you save your .duf scene into a mapped content folder. If you save it into an unmapped content folder it will still save, but if I remember correctly the data will get written to whatever your first DS native mapped folder is, not the folder you save it into. So if you then copy the folder you saved it into to another machine, you aren't copying everything, you are only copying part of it. (I'm not sure, but I THINK you can correct it by just resaving it on the original machine after mapping the missing folder.)

  • KimberSueKimberSue Posts: 353
    edited December 1969

    SpottedKitty said:
    It's also important where you're saving the materials preset file. There are two ways D|S stores the pointers to the texture image files; as a reduced path only giving the location inside your content folder, or giving the complete folder path to the texture files, as it exists on your computer.

    The first way is correct, as it works no matter where the content folder is — many people use different content locations, so if you use the full file path, anyone else using that materials preset has a moderately high chance of getting "can't find file" errors because that folder exists on your computer, not on their computer.

    The way to save these presets properly is to do it in the Content Library tab. This only sees the locations you've defined as "containing content files for D|S", when you do this any presets containing folder paths will be of the proper type. If you save using the File>Save As menu and save to somewhere outside your content location, any file paths will be the incorrect complete path.

    I thought by setting up a clean runtime folder, adding that runtime folder to the content library, making sure to pick the runtime folder when saving the dress that it would be easier to zip it all up after as one package as a dress, materials and poses I'd made that go with the tight dress but I'm guess it didn't work. I going to go back and resave it all to the main content folder.

    Thanks for info, it's very helpful
    Kimberly

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Tip: for made content...

    Create a Full new content folder with a name like My DAZ ITEMS..
    so you have this..
    My DAZ ITEMS
    ..Runtime
    ....Geometry
    ....Libraries and all the Poser Folders

    Now MAP that Folder to DAZ Studio as Both formats. This is now the Content folder(s) that you work in and from. Place your Texture files in My DAZ ITEMS>Runtime>Textures>Whatever and all the rest. You then Build Save and every thing to this content Library only. To Distribute you Copy all files and Folders Below the Top folder that holds any content and ZIP it. You now have fully working content with all the Proper relative paths. Ready to Sale or add to a Free site.

  • KhoryKhory Posts: 3,854
    edited December 1969

    Ready to Sale or add to a Free site.

    As much as I wish that were true I think renderosity still requires that the products be improperly packed with a content folder as the top folder. It is possible that they have changed it but I know the last time I submitted there I had to repackage to add the content folder. And yes I absolutely realize this means nothing unpacks properly for anyone who has any of the newer library names.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited April 2014

    If that is needed you just Paste the Copied Folders into a Folder and Zip it. Ta Da, your ready. I may not Publish often but I know how.

    I have Published two old things and one for DS4.5+ I have also worked with other FreeBe makers on several packs.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • KimberSueKimberSue Posts: 353
    edited December 1969

    Jaderail said:
    If that is needed you just Paste the Copied Folders into a Folder and Zip it. Ta Da, your ready. I may not Publish often but I know how.

    I have Published two old things and one for DS4.5+ I have also worked with other FreeBe makers on several packs.

    I usually do the copy and paste then zip. I'm so busy right between a work, my store and local scholarship fundraiser that I'm helping with that I thought I'd try and save myself some time by saving to another folder without so much stuff to hunt through to find all the bit and pieces to copy and paste. My mistake. :)

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    KimberSue said:
    Jaderail said:
    If that is needed you just Paste the Copied Folders into a Folder and Zip it. Ta Da, your ready. I may not Publish often but I know how.

    I have Published two old things and one for DS4.5+ I have also worked with other FreeBe makers on several packs.

    I usually do the copy and paste then zip. I'm so busy right between a work, my store and local scholarship fundraiser that I'm helping with that I thought I'd try and save myself some time by saving to another folder without so much stuff to hunt through to find all the bit and pieces to copy and paste. My mistake. :) Hmmm... try the new Folder idea but only build the Runtime folders that you will use. Then you will only have the DAZ created folders and the Made folders you know you made to deal with. And will still have the proper relative paths in the finished files. I actually do it that way, I only create the Runtime folders that will be needed. Not a full folder structure. I suggest a full folder structure for those that are just starting out as content creators. Then they are ready for any type of item at the very start. Even Poser type files if wanted.

  • BejaymacBejaymac Posts: 1,897
    edited December 1969

    The "Wearable" preset will save your DSF asset files in the "data/auto_adapted" folder, and you really don't want them in there, so stick with "figure/prop asset" for saving all mesh in DS4.

    Open your DSA files in a text editor, they are in ascii format so you will be able to read them, find where your textures are listed in them and check the pathway, chances are they will have the drive letter at the start of the pathway.

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