Daz Studio 4.8 to 4.9
myutogaru
Posts: 60
I'm just wondering if all of my custom content will be automatically transferred to 4.9. I have a lot of files that I downloaded from renderosity and sharecg and other places like that, I'm just wondering if I'll have to manually transfer them or if it will transfer by itself. Thanks!
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Are you talking about having them in Content Library > Daz Studio Formats/Poser Formats (which will still work as long as the content directory locations stay the same) or items that you've manually categorized (in which case be sure to Export User Data in 4.8 first -- they should migrate automatically, but sometimes you need to Re-Import Metadata if something didn't migrate correctly)?
Don't do it. Mine worked fine and as of today, all of my poser content, freebies, and custom made characters are gone. They were there two days ago and I have had 4.9 for over a month. About 1/4 of my daz content disappeared from them as well. Also anything I purchased from other stores. Weeks and weeks of work. I just finished re doing it and its disappeared again.
I want 4.8 back please. I do not like 4.9 and cannot get my old content to work with it. I was tricked into updating somehow as I never chose to install the newer version. This really sucks.
Have you checked that your content directories are still set as before? Are you loading the content from the actual HD locations, though the Content Library ... Formats groups, or through the CMS, Content Library Cataegories and Products or Smart Content? Does "not working" mean not showing at all, showing but failing to load, or some other issue?
I've put in a support ticket and as you have already pointed out there are several threads covering getting the user defined content library to work with DS 4.9. One of the supposed solutions is to export and import the metadata which I have done several times without success. When I export I create 4 files called Userdata_N.dsx N=1,2,3,4.in the Runtime/Support directory. DS 4.9 will import those files from the same location. Does anyone know if the content library structure is in one of these? I import all 4. Having read the many threads I've tried all the suggested ideas and no-one has any new ones. I'd like to maintain compatibilty with the latest Daz if possible. Afterall Victoria 10 will be amazing. I've upgraded successfully from Daz 2.3 to 4.8 and if this caused hassle at least I could see that we were getting a better product. I think Daz 4.9 is the Windows 8 moment, the upgrade nobody wanted.
By content library structure do you mean the categories? If so, yes. 4.9.0.whatever could lose the Local User I've-forgotten-the-term, which meant that reimporting metadata would fail. The current 4.9.1 version fixes that so if you were using a slightly older version it may be worth updating and trying the reimport again.
When I export I create 4 files called Userdata_N.dsx N=1,2,3,4.in the Runtime/Support directory and yes it does create the categories information because you can look at it in a file editor. Files 1 to 3 are just under 30 Mb and file 4 is 10 Mb so I would guess 30 Mb is the maximum file size so you need to stitch multiple file together. So I guess the question is why cant 4.9.1.30 read this data and recreate the categories. May need an out and out techie and 4.9.2 to answer this. I've tried database resets and reloads of 4.9.1.30 but makes no difference.
Things looking more hopeful. Third time I reset the database and re-imported and now I can see things under categories. As well as my very hierarchical high level branches I have a few hundred scattered entries which I can delete. Then I can check a DS 4.8 PC against the DS 4.9 PC to see everything in place. Might need a bit of reconstruction. If everything OK I'll cancel the support ticket. Its 1am UK time and going to bed.
about user,, who Reset DB,, clean un-install,, and re-install postgre spl, and import user_data.dsx (which was exported from ds 4.8) not work for you,,
I think you need to offer support to give ds 4.8 installer. . then check , if ds 4.8 can re-create categories by imported your user_data.dsx.
If exported user_data.dsx already corrupted before,, ,, I think 4.8 can not import them correctly too.. if it could,, that means, ds 4.9 still have problem to migration user_data.
(though in daz studio,, we can not see them clear,,even though there are some problem on DB record, already)
this is one reason, why I do not like to keep all modify as several user_data.dsx.. then prefer to keep them as , usermade product data.dsx
it should be more reasonable,, user manage each data by each product or each projects, . as same as daz products.
even though there is poblem,in some product,, we can re-import them individually again and check them easy.
hope yours can remove the really depressed problem.
I ended up doing a complete wipe and re install and am building my custom categories from scratch. So far so good with the newest versions thought.
I have been spending all day researching a way around this problem. I have a solution but I have to delete line by line a few thousand extraneous entries and then compare DS 4.8 and 4.9 database for the few % missing entries to be restored manually. I have just over 5000 Daz products and maybe 30% more from other suppliers so It might take a few weeks if I'm lucky. Starting from scratch is not an option - just too big. I did notice however that the dsx files are XML formatted files which can be read by excel. Also I have a Poser database which uses a text type database so it would be possible to translate my Daz Studio database into Poser. I have spent loads at Daz over the last 8 years (hope my wife isn't reading this) and I think that when you buy into a system there is an obligation on the supplier to maintain compatibility however boring that may be. However the categorisation system is one of the most sensitive parts because users have invested alot of time in categorising so they can remember where all their products are. To change this twice in the space of a year is unreasonable. For the technically interested my solution below which I have also optimistically reported to the help desk.
Further Information
With DS 4.9.1.30 after resetting the data base and importing the database I saw some category information. However the directory structure had about 100 miscellaneous strands as well as the 15 organised branches. Worse however although the directory structures seemed intact many of the files at the bottom of the tree were missing.
I repeated this but with both the export and import carried out with DS 4.8.0.55. The directory structure had about 100 miscellaneous strands as well as the 15 organised branches - as before but importantly the files at the bottom were not missing.
CONCLUSIONS
1) The Postgre SQL CMS with DS 4.8.0.55 has no visible corruption but when metadata is exported the category structure includes extraneous information. The 4 dse files are to the correct XML format and look perfect with an XML editor or even with excel.
2) The import function of DS 4.9.1.30 is worse in that some (50%?) of the files disappear. If DS 4.9.1.30 imported like DS 4.8 I could probably recover the situation.
3) Please note I have 136 pages of 40 items per page and another 50% bought from elsewhere so forming from scratch not really feasible.
Further Information 2
1) I have 15 directory branches. If I export in DS4.8 and import in DS4.9 each branch separately instead of all 15 in one go then the missing files are not missing anymore. Well a few might be missing but the percentage is well down allowing a manual fix.
2) As well as the information I want I still get hundreds of extraneous categories. Deleting each entry is very tedious and is multiplied 15 times so a 1000 or so deletes required!. It would help no end if Daz would allow me to select many categories at once. Even if dragging and dropping was enabled like in DS 4.8 categories it would be a lot faster.
3) This situation is very similar to the Valentina to Postgre SQL fix I had to adopt. I fixed things but it took me 3 months. That was May to August 2015. Only a few months later Daz has changed the database AGAIN. So whilst I know I could fix things in a similar timescale or less is it worth it? as you have no respect for existing users and feel free to cause us hours of work that I would prefer to be doing pictures. Why cant DS 4.9 retain the Postgre SQL database for non-connect items as before?
Above took half a day to complete. The export and import metadata process is additive not replace. So if you cant get your categories across in one go you can do it by breaking it into parts but you need one PC with DS 4.8 and the other with DS 4.9.
My entire Custom Categories list is now spontaneously appeared. I have no idea what I did.
I see several locations though that are blank and it looks like all the Daz content went back to the categories they were originally assigned to.
Odd.
Well I hope the situation is less catastrophic than you originally thought as without back-up the chances of improving the situation are slim. Maybe your best bet is to work improving on what you have got. When you have restored things I'd get a big external drive and make back-ups either of the Daz Studio installation or selected directories as specified under this thread
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/75619/with-ds-4-9-is-the-content-directory-transportable#latest
nb The directories you need to transfer onto other PCs and those you need to restore your categories would be the same.
I carried out the steps under "further information 2" post above.
If you have a very large categorisation directory then exporting and importing metadata in one go will not work and many of the files (in the categorisation not on your hard drive) become lost. Breaking up your categorisations and exporting a series of files will work. Strangely importing the files one by one will work better than importing the same files all in one go!
This gives me the following insights into our storage libaraies.
When I could not update Valentina to PostgreSQL people said my Valentina directory was corrupted even though there was no evidence in operation. Likewise my DS 4.8 Postgre SQL showed no signs of corruption. I both cases I got around the problem by doing the import or conversion in stages. People need to understand that the import process itself is imperfect and though it might work in small cases wont necessarily work in large cases. Now that Daz has done 2 changes to the data bases within the space of a year I do hope that the next change wont be for several years!
there is a 4.9.1 already where is that, 4.9.0 is doing my brain in, oh wait Daz thinks I am a robot any way and I have to find all the palm trees.
Go to product library and put Daz Studio 4.9 in your filter and you should get 4.9.1.30
4.9.1.30 should be the version in DIM or the Product Library.
Hello,
I have a little problem with 4.9.1.30 like my blue highlights on new item is gone and usually when I save new scene from the old daz it shows new but now on this new version it not say new or sometime it will not save at all. Could someone please tell me how to get the blue highlights back and make the scenes say new?
You can't...it has been removed.
I liked the blue method best too. With 4.9 I find the easiest method is to load via the offline connect files route and then pick up the new load from the Products list and categorise from there. Sometimes they are not listed as Products so then I have to load to 'My Library' and find the new loads under 'Daz Studio formats' to categorize. I've never used the DIM route so its possible that provides a better solution. With DS 4.9 the 'Scan Known Directories for Files' no longer seems to work. At least newly saved files will appear under Default/Saved Files.
DS 4.9 was an imposition on the user offering hassle and no advantages. After using it for a week now at least I'm happy you can do everything you need to albeit using different methods. Daz controls most of the market and the most exciting developments are made under Daz so difficult for anyone interested in the hobby not to want to retain compatibility. Maybe DS 5.0 and Victoria 8 will be good. So like it or not I'm stuck with the Daz bandwagon.
You can use Group::New in Smart Content to show only items in the New group.
Sorry this is too cryptic. I went into Smart Content but this meant nothing to me. Also most of my content after going from 4.8 to 4.9 is marked as new anyway and there is no longer a mark all content as new button is there?
Spent an hour loading and categorising 4 products. Did the sep/sea file method. ie offline connect files. 3 Products showed up. CallaCascade Hair for Genesis 2 and 3 Female(s) did not show up in products. Then I noticed under C as well as the coloured files, the alphabet started again with greyed out files. So clicked on the greyed icon with install. Took an age to install again. (15 mins). Then the product showed with all the files Genesis 2 and 3 hair files mixed up which is no good for categorisation. Then I installed manually and picked up the files from Daz Studio formats. So from this and my posts above you can see that I need several goes to install and categorise my files whereas before just one method always worked. Can we have the functionality of Daz 4.8 back again? Its taking me twice as long to do this now. I suppose unless we stop buying your wonderful products you will tell us that this change has all been for the good.
Select all (or as many as you want to chnage), right-click, Group as>Desired group or None.
It sounds as if the CallaCascade faield to isntall, so you had to wait for a fresh download. That may indicate a fiel problem, or just a bad download.
If you go to the Products tab in Smart Content (which you should be able to erach by right-clicking on the item in the Content Library products list) and expl;ore that you should see the files grouped in their folders, allowing you to distinguish the two versions.
Thanks. Yes I can go Smart Products, Products, All, Sort by Install Date: Recent First.
This is a good method for most installs because all your newly loaded products will be at the top. Dont have to go through each alphabet character.
Where you have a product serving more than one character, e.g G2F and G3F, a manual install to achieve separation may still be the best bet, particularly as a keeps the directory structure so the main character file, poses and matts are kept separate. At least you have a variety of methods.
Bring back the blue highlights. Many threads and posters are asking for them. I keep hearing that they were 'buggy' but I never had a problem with them and no one has been able to give me an example of it either. That aside, I find it odd that DS is able to identify the new files, but not the folders they can be found in. Also, why if I am working offline and do not use the smart content pane, should I have to re-import metadata in order to see items I installed via DIM? Seriously, 4.9 has all but KILLED my love for 3D. Not exagerating. EVERY SINGLE TIME I open DS I find a new reason to get frustrated with it. Smart content with metadata was a good idea that was poorly executed and then forcibly put upon the users. It is only useful for the Genesis generations and even then it requires that we allow the author to dictate our content categorization schema! If there was a way to turn off smart content and metadata I would do it in a heart beat!
Can you PLEASE give a quick run through of how you are doing this? I am seriously loosing my mind over it.
You shouldn't. If items isntalled by DIM (and having metadata) do not appear in Smart Content then thats ounds as if DIM is not communicating with the Content Management System - one way that can happen is if you close DS, then launch DIM before PostgreSQL has finshed shutting down; it's best either to start DIM before closing DS, or simply not to close DS.