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Please Share Your Methods For Finding Content.

HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
edited May 2020 in Carrara Discussion

I just downloaded everything to a new hard drive that I have ever purchased at Daz - I used Dim to install it.

I now have 590,086 files in 81,670 (roughly) folders on my DAZ Runtime drive. 

It's a lot of stuff to hunt through and I hoped people might share what methods people use to find their content?

I haven't been able to get Smart Content in Carrara to recognise much of it at all so have resorted to other methods to find my content.

None of them are perfect. (Yet)

 

  1. Locate32 is a free program which will help you find anything on your drive.

So say I am looking for a candlestick - then I type into Locate 32's find tab and presto I have a list of candlesticks that are on my PC.

 

I can open an image file stright in PHotoshop from Locate 32, or I can open up a runtime folder and if it's a figure - go to Libraries>Character, select the candlestick cr2 file and drag and drop it into Carrara.

If it's a prop I go to Runtime>Libraries>props and drag the required pp2 file into Carrara. Unfortunately it opens a new Car file - so if someonone knows how to stop it opening a new car file please let me know :)

I can also drag an image into Carrara and once in Carrara I can save it - not sure of how this is an advantage - am open to suggestions!!

 

2) P3DOexplorer has paid and free versions - apparently it's great for organizing your runtimes. I've just started using the paid version and am still figuring out the best way to use it.

Works in Carrara Poser and Daz Studio.

You tell it where your runtimes are and you can navigate to them pretty quickly (you can allocate favourite runtimes as well).

You can do the same drag and drop into Carraa as with locate 32 but everything is much better organised as it is designed to work with runtimes.

For example _ can tell it to search Carrara runtime for candle.

One thing I cannot do is drop a material onto an obj/figure in Carrara.

 

Another plus with P3DO is that you can point it at a Carrara file and it will list everything in that file. Not just textures, but also all of the figures and props and tell me what runtimes they are from.

(See above image)

So for example, say I wanted to use a Barbarian outfit but can't remember what runtime it is in then I can use P3do to locate the Car file it was originally used in and it will tell me what Runtime it is in.

 

I can open that Runtime in a new window from within P3DO and drag and drop the Cr2 file into carrara - rather than have to find the runtime within Carrara itself.

 

 

3) Poser

Poser 11 has just updated it's search engime for Runtimes and it makes Poser a great plugin for Carrara.

I can get Poser to search for Candlestick but I can also tell it to look for figures or props etc. (see below pic - I still havent mapped all my runtimes to Poser so there are less Candlesticks)

If I right click the correct candlestick Poser gives me a choice of going to the correct Runtime within Poser or opening the containg folder in Windows explorer.

If I stay within Poser I can drag and drop the figure from Poser straight into Carrara (If Carrara is open).

That's a plus! (we still get a new Carrara file alas). I can't however drag materials into Carrara.

 

4) DIM itself - Diomede recently opened my eyes (thanks!)  to the fact that you can right click a product and it will tell you where it's files are. !!

If you left click the runtime in the window that comes up it will take you to that folder in Windows Explorer. You can then drag and drop into Carrara.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Post edited by Headwax on

Comments

  • StezzaStezza Posts: 8,050

    I use UltraSearch

    very fast and usually get what I'm after and where it is yes

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    Stezza said:

    I use UltraSearch

    very fast and usually get what I'm after and where it is yes

    ah thanks for that! looks good - I think Locate32 makes a data base of your files = not sure. 

     

  • StezzaStezza Posts: 8,050

    I think locate32 uses windows indexing which is slow compared to ultrasearch  cool

  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,579
    edited May 2020

    Will have to check out Ultrasearch.

    Normally I use a combination of Windows Explorer, P3DO, and the file index within the programs themselves.

    As I have a large content I generally do at least a render a day which also keeps what I have stashed away in the memory banks of my old brain a bit.

    Content 1.png
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    Post edited by Bunyip02 on
  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,198
    edited May 2020

    Everything

    https://www.voidtools.com/en-au/

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    edited May 2020

    ah thanks Wendy Stezza an Bunyip02. I'll checkout the void tools as well

    I used to know all my content (well a lot of it) when I worked with Carrara every day but now it has got out of hand. 

    I only just discovered the drag and drop the other day!!

    Any ideas as to why Carrara let's you open an image file?

    Bunyip02 what advantages do you find with P3do that I might have missed?

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,579

    Thanks for the tip about drag and drop. I also tested drag and drop of a DAZ file into DAZ Studio and that works as well !

    P3DO - I have a lot of imported files into Carrara that I have saved as Carrara files, P3DO allows me best to explore those files. Also I have quite a few .DAZ/.DSA/.DSB files in DAZ Studio that I can't access in Carrara, being able to explore those files and decide if I want to open them in DAZ Studio and save them as a DUF file works with the way I operate.

  • DiomedeDiomede Posts: 15,165

    Some great tips and links to free utilities.  Would never have thought of the drag/drop method.  Thanks, folks.  If I've bought something from Daz's store, I install it with DIM and search for it with DIM.  I installed non-Daz stuff in a separate directory and I install stuff I make myself to a separate directory.

  • 3drendero3drendero Posts: 2,024
    edited May 2020
    DIM can export to a csv file to Excel or LibreOffice Calc. For Calc I downloaded a plugin to import the DIM screenshot to each row/product. Gives a decent overview that you can add your own tags like Carrara or Terrain or Skankwear and so on, to help you filter out whatever theme or item you need.
    Post edited by 3drendero on
  • Steve KSteve K Posts: 3,233

    I don't use DIM. I just download the purchased zip file and put it in its own folder.  The folders go into larger folders - Poser, Carrara, VUE, etc.  Then I use Windows Explorer & Ctrl-F to search for keywords.  The vast majority of my purchases (318GB) are Poser Runtimes, which I link via Carrara's browser.  

    I really like P3DO, but use it mainly to preview mocaps.  The latest upgrade has a great new feature, expanding the preview window to contain the full range of the mocap motion, i.e. the figure doesn't move out of sight which previously required a lot of zooming and panning and re-starting.

  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,533

    The way I do it is without a "search".

    I use DIM to install to custom runtimes that I create into fairly broad categories, but it still makes finding things pretty easy for me - even after all these years, though I still enjoy using DIM right-click method when I get stuck actually figuring out what the content's folder name is.

    The following (old) article is one I wrote about how I install my content. Note: I still install ALL of my DUF stuff to the My Daz3d Library (default), which is kind of a garbled mess. Since they QA so heavily at Daz 3d, I'm utterly amazed that they let artists install content in such arbitrary location - but... oh well.

    Daz Install Manager - Installing Custom Poser Runtimes
    Basic walkthrough of designing your own custom runtime structure

    Then I use this method for storing my Carrara items to my browser. Came up with the idea back then, still love the system today

    Your Carrara Browser
    Making great stuff isn't as cool if you can't remember where you put it. Let's get some good habits going right from the start

  • StezzaStezza Posts: 8,050

    I purchase content from other places other than Daz3d so DiM is useless that's why something like UltraSearch is ants pants or mossies cossies yes

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    Bunyip02 said:

    Thanks for the tip about drag and drop. I also tested drag and drop of a DAZ file into DAZ Studio and that works as well !

    P3DO - I have a lot of imported files into Carrara that I have saved as Carrara files, P3DO allows me best to explore those files. Also I have quite a few .DAZ/.DSA/.DSB files in DAZ Studio that I can't access in Carrara, being able to explore those files and decide if I want to open them in DAZ Studio and save them as a DUF file works with the way I operate.

     

    Diomede said:

    Some great tips and links to free utilities.  Would never have thought of the drag/drop method.  Thanks, folks.  If I've bought something from Daz's store, I install it with DIM and search for it with DIM.  I installed non-Daz stuff in a separate directory and I install stuff I make myself to a separate directory.

    Thanks Bunyip02 for that and Diomede for the Dim eye opener - yes the drag and drop method is a plus. Ironically you can drag and drop from Poser to Carrara but you cant drag and drop from Daz Studio....

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    3drendero said:
    DIM can export to a csv file to Excel or LibreOffice Calc. For Calc I downloaded a plugin to import the DIM screenshot to each row/product. Gives a decent overview that you can add your own tags like Carrara or Terrain or Skankwear and so on, to help you filter out whatever theme or item you need.
    3drendero said:
     

     thanks for that tip - always knew I had Excel for something :)

     

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    Steve K said:

    I don't use DIM. I just download the purchased zip file and put it in its own folder.  The folders go into larger folders - Poser, Carrara, VUE, etc.  Then I use Windows Explorer & Ctrl-F to search for keywords.  The vast majority of my purchases (318GB) are Poser Runtimes, which I link via Carrara's browser.  

    I really like P3DO, but use it mainly to preview mocaps.  The latest upgrade has a great new feature, expanding the preview window to contain the full range of the mocap motion, i.e. the figure doesn't move out of sight which previously required a lot of zooming and panning and re-starting

     

    .

     

    thanks SteveK  -  though I'd already downloaded most stuff I wanted by hand - mainly used DIM in case Covid killed off Utah if you get my guist. I think you are the reason I bought P3DO - thanks for the heads up on that one

     

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    Dartanbeck said:

    The way I do it is without a "search".

    I use DIM to install to custom runtimes that I create into fairly broad categories, but it still makes finding things pretty easy for me - even after all these years, though I still enjoy using DIM right-click method when I get stuck actually figuring out what the content's folder name is.

    The following (old) article is one I wrote about how I install my content. Note: I still install ALL of my DUF stuff to the My Daz3d Library (default), which is kind of a garbled mess. Since they QA so heavily at Daz 3d, I'm utterly amazed that they let artists install content in such arbitrary location - but... oh well.

    Daz Install Manager - Installing Custom Poser Runtimes
    Basic walkthrough of designing your own custom runtime structure

    Then I use this method for storing my Carrara items to my browser. Came up with the idea back then, still love the system today

    Your Carrara Browser
    Making great stuff isn't as cool if you can't remember where you put it. Let's get some good habits going right from the start

    thanks for that Dart - great links. Yes I installed all my M4 stuff eg in seperate directories via DIM first. Then I changed the name of the file that DIM references so it thought I had downloaded anything at all and that meant I could download it en masse.

    Kind of backfired now as I have 4 V4's and though I hid three from Studio I cant export V4 M4 and the older generetaions from Studio to Carrara as the OBJ files wont come across. Any ideas on this welcome.

     

     

    Stezza said:

    I purchase content from other places other than Daz3d so DiM is useless that's why something like UltraSearch is ants pants or mossies cossies yes

    Gees you Ozzies talk funny :)

     

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985

    Just tried Ultrasearch works like a rocket

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985
    edited May 2020

    Here's a good one for finding and loading textures quickly in the shader room.

     

    You might have noticed that unfortunately Carrara lacks access to your "Quick Access" folders in Windows Explorer.

     

    Whereas Windows Explore and P3do etc can easily access folders you want.

     

    So... here's the method:.

    1. Open up p3do or windows explorer or the search engine you use to find files.
    2. Go to the folder with textures you want to use.
    3. In Carrara select an (eg) obj you want to create a textured shader for.
    4. In the shader room under Multichannel cursor down to colour and select "texture' and click "load".
    5. Like a good chap Carrara will go to the last folder you accessed a shader from.
    6. With Carrara make a new folder somewhere on your hard  drive. Name it something really good (I use 'scrap' a lot)
    7. Now go to P3d0/windows explorer/Ultraserach etc. S
    8. Select the texture you want.
    9. Drag it into the folder you just made (as you cant copy the path unfortunately and paste it into the directory you want carrara to look in? - I dont think you can)
    10. Select the texture and, presto, Carrara will load it up.

    Advantages - you can use the more modern search abilities of p3do etc. Also all your textures for your carrara file are in the same folder.

    Disdvantages: you get an extra copy of the image texture.

     

    This also works when you want an HDRI in Scene>Backdrop, when you want a jpeg for Scene>Background, when you want to use amn image map to make a terrain etc.

     

     

    Comments on this method welcome :)

     

     

    Post edited by Headwax on
  • Bunyip02Bunyip02 Posts: 8,579
    edited May 2020

    In my Carrara folder I have sub-folders for HDRI's and Textures

    In my Scenes/Misc folder I have sub-folders for all of my extra goodies that I have hoarded - ooops I mean collected

     

     

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    Carrara files 2.png
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    Post edited by Bunyip02 on
  • DartanbeckDartanbeck Posts: 21,533
    Headwax said:
    Dartanbeck said:

    The way I do it is without a "search".

    I use DIM to install to custom runtimes that I create into fairly broad categories, but it still makes finding things pretty easy for me - even after all these years, though I still enjoy using DIM right-click method when I get stuck actually figuring out what the content's folder name is.

    The following (old) article is one I wrote about how I install my content. Note: I still install ALL of my DUF stuff to the My Daz3d Library (default), which is kind of a garbled mess. Since they QA so heavily at Daz 3d, I'm utterly amazed that they let artists install content in such arbitrary location - but... oh well.

    Daz Install Manager - Installing Custom Poser Runtimes
    Basic walkthrough of designing your own custom runtime structure

    Then I use this method for storing my Carrara items to my browser. Came up with the idea back then, still love the system today

    Your Carrara Browser
    Making great stuff isn't as cool if you can't remember where you put it. Let's get some good habits going right from the start

    thanks for that Dart - great links. Yes I installed all my M4 stuff eg in seperate directories via DIM first. Then I changed the name of the file that DIM references so it thought I had downloaded anything at all and that meant I could download it en masse.

    Kind of backfired now as I have 4 V4's and though I hid three from Studio I cant export V4 M4 and the older generetaions from Studio to Carrara as the OBJ files wont come across. Any ideas on this welcome.

    I can only assume that you're hiding the correct V4 runtime - the one with the default Geometries folder.

    One must be careful when reorganizing Poser content or it will break. That's why I make all of those additional runtime structure folders in my Runtimes article. Some things like poses, for example can be moved around without consequence. Most, however, cannot!

    Like Stezza, I have a bunch of stuff from places other than Daz 3D. So let's take a look at how I got ALL of my V4 stuff onto my new machine:

    1. Used DIM to install all of my Daz 3D content for V4 into the new V4 library
    2. Copied my older V4 runtime to the new one - telling it to skip duplicate files

    I guess P3DO can actually allow one to truly move (Poser) things, but I've never used it for that.

  • HeadwaxHeadwax Posts: 9,985

    thanks for that Dart,

    Poser finds V4 fine, as does Studio as Does Carrara - the problem is that when I save her as a duf and tgry to bring her into carrara there is no no obj!

    Studio manages to open up the duf again with trouble -

    has me perplexed :)

    as we say in Oz, it's up the duff

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