Help --- Please -- I cannot access my files.

TomViolaTomViola Posts: 103
edited December 1969 in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

I have been using DAZ Studio for more than 5 years. Over the past two years I have been creating graphic novels using DAZ. Two of my novels are available on Amazaon.com. I am in the middle of my third novel and I have been brought to a screaming halt. After more than 5 years of downloading characters, props, poses, environments, and other materials my laptop reached its max. So much so that it no longer operates. To solve the problem (or at least what I thought was a way to solve the problem) was to transfer all my files to another laptop using a terabite portable harddrive. That did not work. Now I cannot access any of the files I need to complete my graphic novel. I am using DAZ Studio 3.0.1,120.Windows 32 bit. (While I did download Studio 4, all my materials for my graphic novels are in Studio 3.) I get many error messages. Studio opens up with "No importer for file format can be found." In addition, I get message that indicate it call not find pieces of my items. I have all my content sources listed in my Directory. What am I missing or doing wrong.
Please help.

Comments

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Are you trying to open old Scene files? If you are you need the DATA dir form your old DS3 setup. You will also get errors if your Dirs in the DS3 Prefs are not in the same order as they were before. Some will tell you that does not matter, I find it does. I reDid my DS3 this year and had items missing untill I fixed the Add Dir order of my old content Dirs.

    I hope this helps you.

  • edited December 1969

    If you can't recover your old DATA directory, I'd suggest loading a scene and then clearing it without saving. Then open the log file from Help > View Log File... and look for the lines where it says exactly what's missing from that scene. To restore the missing data, reload the figures that are missing parts from their original cr2s into a blank scene and save it. You'll have to do this with every scene that claims to be missing parts, but you can keep saving over the same scrap scene. I lost my data directory to a hard drive crash, last July, and I'm still finding parts of things missing every now and again.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565
    edited December 1969

    To add a few details:

    If you don't have a backup of the old Data folder, you can recreate the Data by making a dummy scene with all of the items you need, injecting morphs if necessary, and saving the scene. You don't need to pose them or apply mats, just load them all on top of each other, save as a dummy scene, and then delete the scene afterwards.

  • TomViolaTomViola Posts: 103
    edited December 1969

    Thank you for all the replies... but I am not sure I fully understand. Over the years, I have downloaded a number of DAZ files nad programs nad updates. As such, I have several Content files. When I transferred the files to the portable harddrive, I simply copied and pasted everything. Sounds like you are saying that the missing piece in the data files. Should I copy and merge all Content filoes and copy and merge all Data files?

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565
    edited December 1969

    You can merge them or keep them separate, but DS will only look in the DAZ Studio Format content folders it knows about for the Data files. It will write new data files to the first, but it will look in the others if it can't find the ones it's looking for in the first.

  • TomViolaTomViola Posts: 103
    edited December 1969

    First of all... thank you, once more. I find I am halfway there... which is further than I have been without your help. As of a today, I have access to my saved scenes. This allows me to complete the new few ftames in my story. However, I am still not able to see all the object in the "Content" options for making new scenes. Any ideas?

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 97,433
    edited December 1969

    Where are you looking - Smart Content or the Content Library? If the latter, which folder are you using?

  • TomViolaTomViola Posts: 103
    edited December 1969

    Not sure of the difference. When I used to open Studio, I had a large arsenal of items: Figures, Poses, Props, and Environments. Now, my Content is fragmented and few in number.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565
    edited December 1969

    You're probably looking in Smart Content, which only shows items that include metadata (recent items plus some older items which have been updated). If you go to the Content Library tab, you can see all your content, under "DAZ Studio Formats" and "Poser Formats". If you used Categories in DS3, you can migrate those categories into DS4.

  • TomViolaTomViola Posts: 103
    edited December 1969

    Thank you all... success!!!!!! I appreciate everyone who helped. For me a lot was at stake.

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