Categories lost
Mr Rid
Posts: 40
Which file is categories info saved in? I had to resinstall to a new drive. My old content is backed up, and a cmscfg.json from "ProgramData\DAZ 3D\CMS" I also have backed up files that were in "Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library" if there is any categories info in there(?). But I dont know how to restore my old categories.
I also see that my Content Library is not seeing many of the content folders on the drive. How do I get Daz to see all the folders? Most content was not installed using the Content Manager. Re-import Metadata does not help.
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Comments
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When you try to Re-Import Metadata, the very first option is 'User Data', if that box is checked, then your saved user data shoul be reimported (assuming that you have previously used the 'Export User Data' option at some point previously to save it. Mine is in C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\Runtime\Support so yours should be there too?
The Content Library pane does not use or need Metadata at all, it relies only on the content paths being mapped in Edit > Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager, as BOTH Poser Formats AND DAZ Studio Formats.
Thanks for the reply!
"if that box is checked, then your saved user data shoul be reimported "
It is checked during import, but I still do not see all my content, or my Categories.
"assuming that you have previously used the 'Export User Data' option at some point previously to save it."
I have never used Export User Data. But surely it is not necessary in order for Daz to see all the content. And surely there is some kind of auto-generated index file that tells Daz where/how to see Categories each time Daz opens. What might that file be labeled?
I had backed up the whole "My DAZ 3D Library" folder and subfolders, and moved it onto the new drive, although that folder is now in C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\Runtime\Support.
"The Content Library pane... relies only on the content paths being mapped in Edit > Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager,"
The DAZ Studio Formats, and Poser Formats are mapped correctly. The secondary filepath below each of those shows as mapped to C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library... I assume is correct, and should not need to map to a subfolder there. When I click Edit, the filepath is actually mapped to C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\My DAZ 3D Library. Seems correct, but is not seeing all content or categories.
UserData_1.dsx is created when you go to the Content Library pane's menu icon and select “Content DB Maintenance” > "export user data". (It is created within the first mapped native DS content folder's support subfolder.) This is the file you would then back up and/or use to restore your custom Categories.
(I would guess that you are correct that DAZ Studio must keep this information somewhere else as well in order to be able to generate this file, but presumably it is not stored in a format or location that is directly or as easlily accessable or user friendly as then there would be no need for the exporting step... but I do not know for sure.)
The information is all in the database -- for PostgreSQL the database files are in the ContentCluster location (Edit > Preferences > CMS), for Valentina I believe te default location is in ProgramData. If your content locations are identical and you have those backed up you could try to restore them in order to export user data.
"The information is all in the database "
What database? What file name(s) am I looking for to copy over to the new install? My previous backed up install was DS 4.6.3, but it appears to have been using Valentina CMS. So I dont know if I am looking for a different file from whatever/wherever PostgreSQL would be.
"the database files are in the ContentCluster location"
The only Daz related files in my previous Program Data folder (and backed up) were:
1kb "dzInstall.ini" file,
6kb "dazstudio.dat" file,
1kb "cmscfg.json" file.
They seem too small to be "the database." These were already copied to the new drive, but make no difference.
In Prefs>CMS, the Cluster Directory shows "None," and when I click "browse" it defaults to C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4. But I still dont know what specific filenames I am looking for that should restore my content library and categories.
Thanks.