Categorizing my newly built library - Products with unmet Dependencies

Subtropic Pixel

I decided to carry on with my library problems here in "Technical".  Still arguing with myself if this should really be in the DS forum.  Anyway, here...the verbiage in this pic says it all.

I have no idea how this can be broken already; I haven't yet done anything that could break it. 

Edit:

Oh wait...maybe I know the answer.  Sometimes I download freebies even though I don't have a prerequisite product.  I do this knowingly, because I've adopted a "get them all now and figure it out later" philosophy when it comes to free stuff.  :) 

So maybe now I should be asking the question, "how can I categorize all products that are missing some prereqs, and put them into their own toybox for future reference?"  I kind of think it would be better if I leave them installed even though they won't function without their dependencies present.

Edit 2:  Changed title to be a bit more appropriate.

Richard Haseltine

Do you have the Big Cat 2 and the Griffin Wings installed? Where are they on disc?

Subtropic Pixel

Checking my library now...

Subtropic Pixel

Yep, it appears I have the wings but not the Big Cat 2. 

 

Looking at my account, I can see that I ordered them on or about Thanksgiving last November.  The invoice (not the "order") does show they were free, so this is precisely that case where I grabbed up the free thing.

So this is a case of "Not Working, But Not Expected to."

So, for organizational purposes, is there a way I can identify products in my library such as the Griffin Wings, and throw them into a category that indicates that "some" purchase or acquisition is needed before they're functional?

Tobor

I don't install dependent products to a runtime until I know I have all the core files. I keep them, as zips, in a separate folder. If and when I get them, I always first put them into a Testing runtime. Especially with free stuff (not free from the Daz store, but freebies available on ShareCG, etc.), there is less oversight in the packaging of the files, so file locations may be mismarked, the item may be missing files, and a zillion other things. 

While still in the Testing runtime, I may then move user-facing folders and files to organize them the way I prefer -- for example, move MATs from Pose (typical for a Poser install) to a folder under the character or prop.

Then from there it gets merged into a permanent runtime. Or sometimes tossed, if it turns out it's not very good.

That said, I've found that Daz only sometimes comes back later and gives away a core product when they've previously made an add-on or texture a temporary freebie. If it's something I really want, I wait until it goes on a steep sale, or I have an available PC coupon, or -- hope of all hopes -- they do another 60% off BYO flash sale deal. So I end up with a lot of orphans I never use. No sense installing these.

 

sriesch

If you have already installed them, you could just move them to a new category you create called "Requires additional purchases to work".  Or if you have already categorized them somewhere you don't want to loose, rename each of those categories with some kind of identifier (like tack "TODO" onto the end of the category name or something.)

Subtropic Pixel

Hi again!

Well, I probably have dozens of these, all obtained during various sales and giveaways.  The objective was always to get for free whatever I can whenever it's offered, and buy the dependencies at future sales or just when I have need for something.  At this time, all of the non-functionals are from the DAZ store (none yet from external sources). 

I guess I just need a way to identify them in my library, hopefully without requiring hours and hours of time spent scrolling through icons...yuck!  I suppose I'm looking for some sort of "dependency checker" that can produce a spreadsheet or other type of list showing each product, its dependencies, and whether or not those are satisfied or "pending".  That way I can put the dependencies into my wishlist in the store and maybe have a better chance of seeing a product go on sale and oh hey, I have 3 things already that will work with this!

Any ideas?

Richard Haseltine

It should be scriptable - I already have code that reads a user file and finds the asset file (or not) from my Duplicate ID fixing script so cannibalising that should be possible - it would just be a question of reporting somehow, or renaming the file or categoiry, if not instead of editing the asset file if it existed. However it's not something I'm likely to do soon.