Saved Files and the 'data' directory in multiple locations.

PDSmith

Simple question: For those that know me, know I work on multiple graphic novels at a time. I'm wondering about a file save issue and the DAZ Studio data directory in multiple locations more specifically.

Some back ground information, I use E: drive as my content drive and saving. DAZ Studio the program is located on C drive. everything is up to date. CMS doesn't work (don't ask, I've tired and talked to Richard about it plenty of times.)

Now here is where my question comes into play

My graphic novels and random images are saved in the follow locations, does this have an internal effect on how DAZ studio loads and continues to work, locates files and later saves files? Just follow along and you'll get the gist of my question in a second.

Graphic novel locations are saved as follows.
e:\content\Virus
e:\Anime Trek
e:\Star Trek TOS
e:\Star Wars
e:\content\Jade
e:\Barrissoka
e:\Content\Tabitha
e:\Themie and Hope
e:\Star Gate
e:\Mirror Star Trek (inside this folder is a separate folder for each Mirror Universe Graphic Novel and it's currently up to 11 sub-directories.)
and random images are saved in e:\content

All content is loaded as DIM sets up on E: as well as my Poser based products but in specific folders to keep things separate (e:content\Female Outfits, d:\content\Male outfits, etc.....female skins, male skins, sets, A3 etc.)

All the save directors have the DAZ Studio 'data' directory and have redundant saves and as of recent I've found Genesis is taking up to 7 minutes to load just as the gray body. Would this be part of the problem? And am I looking at a potential FUBAR accident with Daz Studio?

I'd like to save space but also keep things separate and organized. Is this possible, if so, how?

I'm running a 4Tb E: drive but at last check could save up to 300Gb if all the data directories were merged, but I'm quite aware this would hose up things terribly.

Suggestions?
-Paul

ZarconDeeGrissom

My apologies if this isn't much to start with. Back up what 'You' created, somewhere other then on the computer. Directory tree in full, just to make it less painful, if trimming the HDD usage goes south.

Your work at Deviant art is really good, and I would hate for you to lose it. Especially before I get a chance to right-click and save what is at deviant thus far.

I try to keep things simple here, and had to migrate the DIM install paths to it's own drive. That was easy tho. Uninstall the packages except Daz Studio (it's what I have, no hex installed yet). change the paths, then tell dim to put the stuff back.

I don't keep the temp zip folder on the same drive as the content folders. That has saved me some, thus far. I don't dare tuch "My Content" yet, in fear of it going south, or unrecoverable.
(EDIT)
My setup after figuring out how to force dim to install stuff on another drive, Daz Studio was easier and more cooperative. I just changed the paths in that settings window in studio. DIM I had to delete the old entry for it to get the message.
C, Boot and my content still lingering there (I don't have much).
D, temp zip stuff, and other things non daz.
Y, All Daz3D content library, nothing else.

My experience moving stuff. I accidentally uninstalled Studio in the process.
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewreply/688404/
Before I didn't actually do up the Metadata, I just saved it and daz put it in the DB, this time I did ALL the metadat.

Mattymanx

Mattymanx said:

What about file paths in save files? Are those absolute or no? I have been meaning to merge my older DS3 content folder with my DS4 content folder for better semetry

Thank you

The entries in the CMS will be absolute, but the paths within a scene file will be relative (as long as the thing linked to is in a content directory, of course).

sriesch

I can't answer your question, but I can provide some minor insight about multiple data folders. It is my understanding (although I could be misunderstanding) that when you save a scene to a content folder and DS feels the need to write to the data folder, new things get added to that content folder, however DS continues to look at any existing data folder files wherever they were created before. So a scene saved in one of your content folders could potentially be looking at any number of data folders in zero or more of your other content folders as well, and if you copy a scene as a starting point and add to it, then later delete that first folder (with data subfolder), you will also break your 2nd folder that is still referencing it. (Easy to test with a new scene and a copy of it and a delete.) Presumably based on this if you moved your data folders, that would also break your scenes.

This is assuming you just do a normal "save as", I think you can save as an asset to get it to write everything to one known folder, but this will then duplicate your data folders every time, rather than referencing older ones.

However, I'm under the assumption that one can force DS to recreate a deleted data folder, although I forget the exact steps (creating a new scene and then loading each of the missing objects, then something). IF this is true, and get confirmation elsewhere before trying, MAYBE one could clean up junk by simply deleting it, then going through this recreation process for every single scene. Sounds like lots of work, and I have no idea if any of your data folders are actually "extra", or if it would just put them all right back (either where they were or in a new spot).

PDSmith

Matty,

Thanks for the cut and paste, I'll try a few mergeing but still wonder why DAZ Studio creates a data director into each save file/work directory, and will that have an effect when I go to load an older file if I went and deleted all the duplicate 'data' directories. (yeah I"ll make back ups!)

-Paul

Spit

PDSmith said:

Matty,

Thanks for the cut and paste, I'll try a few mergeing but still wonder why DAZ Studio creates a data director into each save file/work directory, and will that have an effect when I go to load an older file if I went and deleted all the duplicate 'data' directories. (yeah I"ll make back ups!)

-Paul

First a point of information: The order in which the content directories are listed in Studio's Content Directory Manager (I access it via Content Library tab menu) is the search order when loading content. This is important if you have 'duplicate' entries with slight modifications in more than one.

You can test what will happen by temporarily removing one of the directories from the list in the Content Manager, applying that change, then try loading an older file. (I'd close and re-open Studio after removing the directory from the list and before trying to load up the file you choose to test just in case.)

In fact, before you do any actual deleting and merging it might be a good idea to do that for most/all of them.

Actually, are all those content directories with a data folder actually listed in the content manager? Did you have Studio hunt down directories itself or did you do it? If they're not listed I think they're invisible to Studio when you load stuff unless the locations are hardcoded in the files (and I haven't a clue about scene files internals).

Edit: So the test might not be a real test. You many have to rename a directory after being sure it's not (or no longer) listed in the Content Directory Manager list to do the tests. Oh, and keep track of what you did. :) that gets me all the time.

PDSmith

Spit said:

PDSmith said:

Matty,

Thanks for the cut and paste, I'll try a few mergeing but still wonder why DAZ Studio creates a data director into each save file/work directory, and will that have an effect when I go to load an older file if I went and deleted all the duplicate 'data' directories. (yeah I"ll make back ups!)

-Paul

Actually, are all those content directories with a data folder actually listed in the content manager? Did you have Studio hunt down directories itself or did you do it? If they're not listed I think they're invisible to Studio when you load stuff unless the locations are hardcoded in the files (and I haven't a clue about scene files internals).

Edit: So the test might not be a real test. You many have to rename a directory after being sure it's not (or no longer) listed in the Content Directory Manager list to do the tests. Oh, and keep track of what you did. :) that gets me all the time.

To answer your question, yess all those folders I mentioned at the opening of this thread has a data folder in them and for the Mirror Star Trek folder the data folder content is huge! but for some reason a lot of it is duplicated in the d:\content\data folder.

I made each folder to keep my graphic novels separate, Daz just went and loaded data directories to each one. I'll try your method tomorrow. and thanks for the suggestions.
-Paul

Richard Haseltine

If the asset does not exist when saving a scene then it will be created in the Data folder of the content directory you save to, or in the first content directory if you are saving outside your content directories. Any existing assets (such as the files for Genesis) will not be duplicated, though, as long as they haven't been modified.That helps to keep things together - you can back up the directory with the project and it should have all of its unique files included. Any existing assets (such as the files for Genesis) will not be duplicated, though.

When creating an asset the options dialogue will allow the specification of the base directory to use - in general I think it makes sense to use an other wise empty location, and to place all textures and to save all user file in that location too, so that you can zip the whole product up in one go (and then, if desired, merge it back into your main content directory).