Several Issues: DIM Install Path, Smart Content not found, Using 64bit vs 32bit, Beta version

HeavyD

I am lost enough that I am debating whether or not I should uninstall Carrara and all of my content and start over. Can someone help me enough so I can decide?

1. How do I know if I am currently using 8.5 Pro Beta? (Knowing will help me with the next question, I believe.)

2. My Smart Content tab shows no content. I am very confused about the Postgre vs the Valentina settings and can't find them in my Carrara 8.5 Pro preferences. Also, for Smart Content (SC), do I need to be working with a figure that utilizes SC for its related items to be active?

3. Where are the basic Genesis 2 figures in the Content tab?

4. I was told I can have both 8.5 Pro 32bit and 64bit installed on the same PC at the same time and switch between them for different projects (I want to use the Alpha Channel render in the 32bit) but I can't find the 32bit version on my system (am I seeing it but don't realize I am?).

5. What is DIM's default install path? I think I changed it and now new downloads are not showing up in my content tab. Since starting to use DIM I have forgotten how to do manual installs. And some of the settings in DIM I didn't understand when I changed them so now I really messed things up, I think. I am not experienced with where the content should be installed like Libraries, Geometries, Textures and the like or even where Runtimes should be placed.

Any input that will get me back on track will be greatly appreciated.

Jonstark

I don't use DIM myself, I prefer to download the .zip files and manually install, so it's hard for me to answer precisely, but I do know that there was a conflict in the postgre settings for the last iteration of 8.5, and smart content tab is empty for me. I've heard anecdotally from others who are using the latest beta that it does show the smart content, but takes time to load I think (?) and for that reason isn't all that useable. If you don't see anything in the smart content tab, you probably don't have the latest beta (there's a thread at the top of the forum that should have instructions how to get the absolute latest version, if that's what you're seeking)

All your Studio content (Genesis, Genesis2, etc) is going to be in the Content tab under 'My Library' and you can drill down, find and load from there if you need.

Should be able to download both the 32 bit and the 64 bit versions to your computer and use them both, I believe, though I haven't done this myself. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will wander by to give some tips.

Dartanbeck

I was having trouble getting Smart Content working at first - in the new beta - and it turned out that most of my woes came from already having the previous versions of things working, and I relied too heavily on an automated queue to install everything.
When I came in on this little laptop, which didn't have any of this software installed before, I just used the DIM to install the new beta Carrara, Postgre, DS 4.7, and a bunch of content, and Smart Content (using Postgre) just worked beautifully right from the start.

Anyways, this page from the Beta Release thread contains my notes on how I've got it working on that machine which was running the legacy database and such, and will likely have the right clues that you need to get Smart Content up and running.

I am so used to using the standard Content tab, like Jon says, I really don't find the Smart Content tab to be all that useful. But I've seen Mike Moir use it in a tutorial as he went into it to find a conforming object that h made for Genesis... he seems to get around i it just fine - it depends upon how you like to find your content, I guess. But t seems that once the database fills into Carrara's Smart Content tab, that the wait is over and the database works like a charm. It just takes an understanding of how to actually use it to find what you're looking for.

The fact that they've added the new Postgre database system to a beta version of Carrara leads me to believe that they are likely going to tweak the Smart Content tab in Carrara to work much better - more like how it works in DS - at least that's what I hope. Again, I don't really need it. I have grown accustomed to just knowing where my content goes when I install it. But I just hope that they can make this thing behave the way they envision it working... it will probably be really slick when they're done.

As for DIM:
I actually like using DIM! It makes content organization upon install super simple and super fast!
Afterwards if I decide to relocate any of my stuff, I just go through my list of installed stuff and select everything I want to move and hit the Start Queue button, which uninstalls everything selected. Then I have all of that stuff either ready to download or ready to install, either way is the same. Then I make my new location using DIM, select it, select all of the stuff I just uninstalled (and anything else I want to, for that matter) and hit the Start Queue button on that tab. Super fast, and it keeps the needed data in DIM for further updates, deletion, moving around, whatever. It’s just a dream for me.

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Good luck on this... I think that, if you go to the page in the above link and read through what I've done via DIM to make sure that Postgre was working properly, you should be able to troubleshoot your way to get it working for you.

Bratpiper

Way to check if using Beta: open Carrara, click on the Daz logo (left of the file menu)
Click about Carrara... If you get: Carrara 1.5.1 Pro build 12 you're using the Beta version.

My experience... I installed the Beta alongside my 8.5 Pro that had manually installed database. Had to install the DIM version since there is no alternative option! The smart database never worked but I kept using manually for some time. Then one day, many of the morphs on the Parameter tab just stopped working. No idea why and I was not able too fix it!

That bought me close to the point you seem to be at right now. My decision was to go with the Beta alone as I'd been using that alone since it came out anyway. Backed up my databases and removed all Carrara programs. Went to DAZ and installed the beta + all content using DIM. Took a few hours but all went smoothly and I now have stuff on the smart tab, but it's layout does not meet my mindset so I still use the normal Content tab. Had this set up for a few weeks now and at least the system feels more responsive.

As a rider I just bought some stuff today before the sale finishes and finally got Michael 6 (free). I still feel happier downloading these items items manually so I can keep copies on a backup drive. It is then very simple to add these and install via DIM offline (Just declare a folder and dump them in there - press the reload button and DIM will see them). You can also add non-Daz stuff in manually and it works too.

My own conclusion is NOT to have two versions of Carrara on the same PC (even if on different drives!). Daz may say that this is OK, but my experience is that it isn't. As Datanbeck commmented, I too am really impressed how fast and simple it is to install or uninstall stuff using DIM. Previously I often spent ages modifying files to get then to work when installing manually, now loving DIM!

Not understanding why you need 32 bit too though, I use 64 bit Carrara on Windows 8 and have never installed 32 bit (don't really use alpha render myself though I think I may have to learn, just to use Carrara hair with Luxus. It is there in the 64 bit render settings though, it annoys me that I have to keep switching it off - together with other things like file compression when saving! Really do wish Carrara was more configurable, but that's another topic).

Good Luck!

Diomede

@Bratpiper, I am so glad that you shared your experience. I had everything working just fine (I don't use smart content, but the tab was working - I prefer the old content tabs). I do use the DIM similar to Dartanbeck. But my C: drive is very small so I install everything to my D: drive. Then we had the update from Studio 4.6 to 4.7 and the Carrara Beta. I have both the Carrara reg and the Beta installed. Now I am having strange file reference problems. First Carrara couldn't find its own Daz haircap and now Carrara's object browser won't keep track of a shader stored in Carrara's shader browser. A skin shader by Ringo loses track of the texture maps it references in the same folder structure as the Studio content (others have reported that as well). Very strange and random-seeming.

After some investigation, a DAZ content drive has appeared on my C: drive. Not sure if it was put there during the Carrara Beta installation or the Studio 4.7 installation, but I know I didn't put it there. Carrara is occasionally losing track of elements that are NOT in that C: drive DAZ content folder even though all of the programs are installed on my D: drive.

So, you say you have only the Carrara 8.5 Beta running now, and the problems seem to have stopped. I wonder if it is related somehow. I may try uninstalling both Carrara's and Stui 4.7, making sure the C: drive folders are removed, and then reinstall everything making sure the D: drive is the only content location and see if that works.

I'm on Windows 8.

Other thread is here
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/53948/

Diomede

Hmmm, just checked the preferences for Studio 4.7 and Carrara 8.5 regular. Carrara references the C: drive for the scratch disk. Studio 4.7 references the C: drive for the CMS.

The following thread from the commons could possibly be related.

http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/53945/

Bratpiper

Just to say I did have a lot of other funnies before my crucial issue, just didn't want to go into a saga about it.
FYI I have an SSD C drive so my Daz Library is installed on D: drive. Studio, Carrara, and CMS are also installed on Drive and both use the same Daz Library - also have Poser Libraries on D drive that Studio and Ca both also reference. Ca scratch disk is also on another drive (not C).

Before I reinstalled Carrara I think I had bits of Valentina and SQL Databases (didn't really know what I was doing when I first installed the Ca Beta - too used to doing my own thing in older Poser days). I suspect that may have had a hand in the final collapse. As I said I uninstalled / removed everything Carrara, CMS and Daz library - didn't touch Daz Studio itself though.

When I reinstalled from DAZ site using DIM I just gave it the same name and location as the old Library for data and told it to install CMS and Carrara to D drive. I guess it just installed the SQL db alone? Its basically a hands-off experience, just let it do it's own thing and everything works.

Hope you get sorted.

Mythmaker

I'm DS.4.7 and C8.5 pro user Win7.64bit with latest DIM. I joined Carrara a few weeks ago. I have DS and Carrara installed in C drive, DIM in D drive, and custom content in a 3rd drive.

Here's my experience, not scientific. What I've learned:

DIM's installed path can be set to any drive of your choosing.
Smart Content: Files: Default remains a hit and miss in Carrara. I don't bother with it.
Smart Content: Categories: Default is consistent enough for quick access to content.
Smart Content: Products is reliable enough, but I don't locate stuff using names.
Most reliable way to access your content is still via Content tab: My libraries. The traditional way.
DIM installs/ reinstalls bought content to Carrara with no issue. Do not install ANY plugins or add on programs using DIM. Manually install them from Account page.
Make sure DIM preference and settings is properly set up.
If a particular content acts funny, uninstall/reinstall that using DIM. It's relatively painless.
DS 4.8 prefers Postgre. C8.5 Pro prefers Valentina. Uninstall Postgre from DIM alone will mean Valentina is now used. Your confusion is justified. We all are.

For custom content that is not store bought:

For me, post Carrara installation, Genesis loads differently from different content library. Some have extra group null, some registered custom morphs and pose controls saved in DS, some don't. I stick with the one that does.

For DS rigged figures to show up properly and consistently in Carrara, best save them to the drive with DIM installed. It *seems* DIM drive is the most "prioritized" drive. No idea if this is temporal or permanent for Carrara users. I now stop saving my DUF files to my custom content/ 3rd drive (my biggest drive), and stick only to drive D with DIM, which is not a big drive.

Hope that helps a bit.

Bratpiper

Note that Carrara 8.5 Pro *Beta* prefers Posrgre and will install only that if you use the routine I did above.

I think that is why ditching Carrara Pro 8.5.0 and loading only Carrara Pro 8.5.1 Pro Build 12 via DIM sorts everything for you. I know a lot of people don't like Beta stuff of any variety, but I've found the Carrara one to be rock solid for what I do.
You pays your money and takes your choice - as we English say ;-)