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anyone know if this works with manually installed content from Daz and other stores? Or does it rely on meta-data?
I tested it with a freebie character from Renderosity. I just copied the content to the correct locations. It was then usable using DAZ Studio's Content Library pane. However Turbo Content did not show the character until I added Meta Data (using https://www.daz3d.com/content-wizard)
Thanks for checking.
Oh well, I'll put it off for now (Content Wizard looks useful - I'll have to get that at some point too).
I can recommend Content Witard. I am able to manage all my stuff from other sites really well. Some of them get better metadata by Content Wizard's algorithm than some of the new releases we have seen lately.
I'm on Windows 10 latest version.
I can recommend both. I don't use smart content at all but I do use the Turbo Content. If I don't find what I am looking for then I go prowl through folders or use Product Manager. If you use Content Wizard to install you can add the meta-data for the product so it shows in Turbo Content.
2004 I assume? I'm currently testing on 1809, will try to get it tested on 2004 ASAP...
OK, tested on Windows 10 / 2004 and no problems here. The only things I can think of is causing this are problems with TLS on your system, corrupted or missing NET libraries (it requires NET 4.6.2), or a password with special characters. You could try an alphanumeric password (at least 7 characters) for testing in case the program may have problems with certain special characters.
I find it hard to find the content right after I bought it, let alone months later. Most content is buried under the author name, and the objects have an acronym so search isn't useful. There is, however, some charm in randomly exploring your archive, looking for old gems you forgot about long ago...
In case anyone wants it, LibreOffice has all the functionality you would need for simple spreadsheet tasks such as indexing content, and it's free and runs everywhere.
I'm with Google when it comes to these problems - don't spend time on meticulously organizing, but on having a powerful search tool.
I'm using a tool that searches all my DAZ library files as I type, and it often comes up with hits that I would never ever find by clicking through a hierarchy tree.
DAZ search works so-so for 'clean' products, but sometimes you need search expressions ("guy or male not female"). Sometimes you want to include messy stuff that you downloaded somewhere from amateurs, plain .obj files, and so on.
(Tip: external software can call daz.exe with a .duf file as an argument, then DAZ will merge it into the open scene)
Thanks, that's very cool.....
Base figures and characters were quite challenging for me over the years, so what I do now is create catergory for specific base figure/character, and unload previous, from content library. So, V4, G2, G3, fashion, hair, etc.... are no longer in content library. I know I can use G3 content for G8, but also clutters library.
In categories, I only have characters I use frequently 2-3 max, within G8 category I add subcategories, environments, props etc.... oppose to creating seperate categories. I keep very simplistic, what I use the most. Example, I use Stonemason, Zeddicus, Kindred arts, Zevo alot. All there content is in G8 environment subcategory. I use Iray ghost lights, LI Incadescent alot for lighting, etc......
As for freebie props, I use windows folder, and import props to DS. I use details, which states which props I use the most. Any props prior to 2019 I delete, means I don't use em. No sense in keeping props not used since 2014. Also, content are always improving yearly.
Goodness, I remember days, I was constantly clicking all over the place, searching, using content library search, etc..... Those day's are gone.....
I use evernotes, together with its webpage snipping tool. When I purchase things from Daze, I go through the product library, click to the product page and take a snapshot using the snipping tool. Then I tag it with pertinent tags that are both broad and narrow. For example, a futuristic outfit might be tagged: Female clothing, sci fi, future, gadgets, G8.
It is a bit of a pain, but it goes quickly and I at least have pics of each purchased item. Sometimes I will take more than one snapshot of a purchased item when there are promo pics that I might want that will show more product detail.
After I use a product, I sometimes go to evernote, find the product, and then add a note. For example: "great eyeliner," "not easy to work," or "great male eyebrows." If I wasn't lazy, I would do more listing of props.
What I like about using evernote: pictures, anything I clip is searchable (if a word is mentioned on the clipping, a search finds it), the link to the product itself is also available, and yay for tag searching.
The below is an example of what I got when I searched for the "sci fi" tag. It is a broad tag, so it pulls up clothing, environments, spaceships, etc. and it pulled up 693 items. If I wanted a narrower search such as spaceship, that would net me fewer hits. Because I clicked on the first item, it shows up larger on the right hand side. If I click on the Daz link about the big picture, it takes me to the product listing at Daz3d. I believe there is a way to export to pdf and print, but I have not tried that and it may not be practical for those who have a lot of items in their library.
*edit - I think evernote calls the snipping tool a clipping tool. I have it as an extension in chrome so it is right on the toolbar.
I am one of those crazies that manually organize everything before it even touches my library. First, I have one library for g8f, one for g8m etc etc. I don't even install props and scenery until I need them into a temporary library. My clothes I break into catagories, sometimes the clothes will end up in more than one catagory folder if it fits more than one, duf files are lightweight so it doesn't really matter much with space. I have real world, fantasy, underwear, bathing suits, armor and kinky time catagory. I make sure all addons end up in a subfolder of the base. I eliminate all folders that don't have a reason for being there. I eliminate data files I don't need, like g3f versions if it is included. I also get rid of all the 3delight stuff. Then I rezip it for reinstall, or making it easy to add an addon if one comes out later or whatever. It's extra time in the beginning, but saves me time finding stuff I need for scenes.
Now I think about managing the promo images with custom tags and Exif metadata like a gallery of photos in XnView
To everyone who are using the page links to manage content, they look great but what happens if Daz change their website structure again? I've ran into that problem before...lol.
I built a content manager app for myself as my graduate project in grad school using Java and MySQL but later went to the Brilliant Database and built it there. It's the same program that the old and outdated 3D Content Creator program was created with.
The only thing I hate is that there is no thumbnail catalog I can make, so maybe I will retool my graduate program for this purpose.
In my case, if the page is moved, I still have the information as to the product name and all the pictures of the products. I rarely need to go to the product page. Still, I'm always looking for better ways to manage content.
I maintain a directory structure of images. These images are either promo images snipped from a webpage or my own images rendered directly from content. So I have Outfits/G8/G8F etc. When I buy new content I make a point of rendering images of hair/character/outfit/whatever and filing under the relevant directories, often the same image in several places to save time.
It's very useful. I have a large 4k monitor and I can view (for example) all my G8 or G2 hair in seconds using the standard windows file viewer.
Nice tool. It has flaws, though:
- Importing product data from DIM export csvs result in a .NET exception, no matter how you choose to export (Windows 11 22H2).
- Deadlocked on DAZ content, useless with other providers. Let's face it, Renderosity and other sites have almost as much content as DAZ do. Not supporting those makes your tool a waste of time.
- VERY manual tool. It should have a wizard to get setup for basic functionality (content management, getting local install packages etc.).
- NEVER write a tool that only expects people to be in possession of purchased items only. 90% of people have so-called "non-purchased items" and they purchase it if they use it commercially.
- Your product downloader is EXTREMELY slow compared to other tools that exist but aren't updated (specifically the tool called DAZ Content Manager which could do this:
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2019/11/476783_dcm-asset-gallery.png
Notice it supports all product vendors, not just DAZ. It also scrapes all information about products, SKU etc, and it has an extra feature to find downloads on known sites as well (which is not something I'd ask for).
The primary problem with your tool is that it's a compiled utility, not easy to update, you cannot get help from others, scrapers will fail often, and it's just generally slow. The tool named DAZ Content Manager was written in Java and it is easily five times faster than yours. Also, it's a web application.
@PPehrson would you mind posting the link to this DAZ Content Manager?
I can't seem to find it anywhere.
It doesn't import DIM CSVs, but the manifest files generated by DIM when installing your products (those in DIM's ManifestFiles folder). And you only have to import them if you want to store them in the database also, otherwise you just set the path to the ManifestFiles folder once, and that's it.
As for the rest, yes it has its limitations, but it does the job for me which mainly is collecting data, so take it or leave it. But after my experiences with the DAZ and the Renderosity product managers I think I'm done with writing software that depends on other people's websites or software. It's a nightmare of constant updating (in 8 years now) when they do something that breaks the programs, perhaps unrecoverably. Not to mention the staggering lack of data consistency in the 3D content world which can drive you nuts sometimes.
So I'm seriously considering stopping selling the DAZ and Renderosity product managers, and then refund or compensate those who already have purchased them in some way.
Instead I'm considering writing a general content database which can import data from the other programs and other sources, as well as manually. Mostly because I need one myself, to have all my stuff in one database (I agree that's how it should be). I practically never use free content anyway and the small amount of content I have from other sites than DAZ and Rendo isn't a big deal to import manually. But no collection of data from websites, too much of a hassle with getting that to work and maintain it (which is probably why the other programs you mention are no longer being updated).
@PPehrson I think I know what you mean now with the CSVs - it's the Tools > Manage File Data feature you have tried. That is actually an experimental feature currently supposed to be hidden which I somehow forgot to hide after working on it. Now that it's been exposed here's some documention for its current features and how to import data correctly:
https://taosoft.dk/software/pm-daz/help/Manage File Data/index.htm
I've always wanted to do this. Right now I have two sets of propos living under the "Environments" tab, a single item orphaned in its own "Genesis 8 Females folder, and a Gen 8 hair that installed itself alongside Gen 3, 8, and 9 instead of in the Gen 8 folder where it belongs. I'm sure there's others (vehicles are a mess, that's for sure).
But I've always been afraid that Daz won't be able to find or load anything if I mess around with it...
I am so thankful that Taoz has taken the time to develop this. It is the ONLY package that I have found that automates what can normally be a very tedious and time-consuming process. I appreciate the continuous effort that goes into keeping this thing working with the store changes that occur from time to time. I do hope there will be a exporting/reporting feature added at some point. I have this idea about creating a flip-book of my Daz library that I can't seem to forget about. This would have to be an automated process as I have a bloated library that I began in 2006. In any event, the modest price tag for the paid version is a true bargain in my opinion. I also look forward to the next Rendo iteration of Product Manager so I can update my database.
Thanks Taoz!
If _ANYONE_ has 'gone the extra mile' towards helping folks keep track of their 3D wares, it's been Taoz (A.K.A. "Rich".) I have bought/used his various programs for the various sites for years!!!
One couldn't ask for better customer support and I doubt ANYONE has as much patience as him, trying to chase down/rectify every nuance these sites have thrown at him (without any heads-up/assistance, as far as I know,)
I would hate to see these programs retired Rich, but totally get it if that happens. If/when you build that monolithic database program, I'll be your first customer!!!!
Thank you,
Ray
I use Microsoft OneNote. When I make a purchase, I clip the page to OneNote (there a browser app) into my 'New' folder. Once I've played around with it, it gets moved into the appropriate catagory. It really help me stay organized. There are downsides (slow, freezes regularily) but I use it as a reference so I don't type too much in there.
I use the Daz-Deals plugin, which allows you to add comments and/or hashtags to any product in the store. Then you can use your product library with all the pictures to quickly organize them using a single click to add the hashtags, it's really quick and simple So I use tags like #outfits_fantasy, #places_scifi, #props_weapons, #christmas, things like that. And of course you can put multiple tags on an item, so it works well for me, and I have over 10,000 purchased products in the store here from the last 20+ years.
I use Evernote which has a browser clipping tool. I use the clipping tool on each product from my product library and give them tags. Tags are the best feature for helping me find things. So, for example, if I clip a female outfit, I tag it w "female clothes" ' futuristic" 'glasses". Then when I want futuristic clothing I pull up that tag or female clothes etc. the image and product names get pulled up an can be scrolled through like going through a magazine. You can also add notes like "good eyeliner" etc. labor intensive if you have to go back and catch old products, but manageable if you do it as you go.
Thanks for the kind words Ray. The whole thing is quite complicated and uncertain right now, apart from the constant update thing there are other issues. Current sky high celectricity prices here (up to 10x normal sometimes) have prevented me from doing much computer based work for months now, new EU rules for software sale are more or less forcing me to shift to a subscription based plan (which most people seem to hate), etc.. So which way things will go is hard to tell right now.