I am currently facing the task to reinstall DS4.5 with 1299 products.
Why the need to reinstall?
1) The metadata and Content Management System got corrupted during a fatal crash while metadata was queued to process:
After several fatal errors what seems to be the main engine behind DS4.5 the metadata has stopped working.
See this thread:
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/11759/
2) The speed of DS4.5 still seems to get slower the more content is installed.
The implementation of .duf files increased the working speed with DS4.5 a lot.
Nevertheless I still notice quite a lag when browsing smart content or the normal content database.
I have installed 1299 products that is 120GB of data in my DAZ documents folder.
3) Gen4 content without metadata takes too much time to browse and bloats the library structure.
All generation 4 content that is spread out over several folder locations like “files” “poses” and “props” is just not reasonable to navigate when one has 1299 products installed. The questions that rise while working with that old folder structure are:
Where is the figure?
Some figures are saved under a product name folder. Some figures are saved under the Published Artist folder. Some figures are saved in special categories like DAZ figures or are treated as add ons to V4, M4. In short it is really difficult to find anything without metadata when one has 1299 products installed.
Where are the texture sets to the product?
- Many names of the texture sets are not the same as the orginal products. Some are files under the texture artist name, some have the letters MAT in front of them or other initials.
Are there props?
- Some figures have props. Browsing back and forth between figures and props
With the time it takes to navigate that old contents file structure it seems not worth anymore to reinstall it.
3) New DSON installers
With 4.5 some content has been updated to feature the new .duf file type and the DSON format
4) Duplicate ID error
Many files have been updated to fix the duplicate ID error that was now triggered with the new DS 4.5 version
5) New metadata categorization system
The metadata team has after a year of trial and error now set fixed guidelines how they want to categorize all content.
Now tags for files are also improved to make the search function more useful.
What would help me in making this reinstallation of all content easier?
I am aware of this thread:
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/viewthread/3885/
and I am also aware that there seems to be an unofficial history manager that shows updates of DSON files and makes files downloading a little easier. But can a third party application be trusted? Is it not DAZ job to provide solutions for their customers?
Yes it is great that some community members took initiative but what is needed are offical reports by DAZ staff not somewhere scatter on the forum but in one easy to browse database
I) A browsable database of all my orders and files that shows the following information:
- a fast way to see all products that were updated since I last downloaded them
In the old store one could at least manually compare the dates by looking at the entries in the column “last updated” and “last downloaded”
- an indication if the product still has the .dsf or the new DSON .duf file format
- an indication if the product has “no metadata”, “old metadata” or “metadata that follows the new guidelines”
II)Feature request: DAZ Studio as an automated content management system
To me the main purpose of DAZ Studio is to find, browse and setup content to export to other applications.
- It seems that there is a limit to how much content can be handled. It seems 120GB is too much.
- It seems also obvious that having the latest files and updates for any software is crucial
Manually updating and downloading 1299 files is just insane. Every week new updates are released.
It is just not reasonable time management for creative people to spend their time downloading and installaing all day long.
To work efficiently it also seems reasonalbe to only have those files installed which are crucial for the current project that is being worked on.
What is needed is an automated system that has the following features:
- DS is used with an user account that has access to a personalized database on the DAZ server
- The user can browse the Database either directly in DS or online.
- The Database makes use of all existing metadata to search purchased products.
- The user can select which products are automatically downloaded and updated and which not.
- The user can choose if newly purchased product is downloaded and installed automatically right after the purchase or at the next scheduled installation and updating session.
- The user can select for each product if updated metadata is downloaded or the “User Data” metadata is kept
- The user can specify key products that are always installed on his system
- The user can assign products to custom temporary installation groups that download, install and uninstall quickly in the background when needed.
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All wishfull thinking? Well you cannot say that I did not tell you what I need. Now the question is if someone out there can make this happen.
I look at everyting from a global time management perspective. One company invest its money and the working hours of its employes to come up with a solution. Afterwards hundred to thousands of people all over the world can benefit because their time is not wasted anymore with unnecessary download, installation and update tasks that conflict with any creative mood.
Games on pc and console now download, update and install patches and subscribed addon content in the background. Homes are equiped with network cloud solutions where mobile phones, tv boxes, pads and pc are synchronized.
It should not be an unsolvable problem to come up with an automated system for DS.
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Does this all help to solve my current situation?
No. At the moment I am before the impossible task to reinstall the most import of my products again.
My goal is to start with products that were updated with DSON and those newer products that are following the new metadata guidlines.
If anyone can provide me with more lists which files were updated I would be greatfull.
I mean seriously, does DAZ not have an internal database where they keep track of all their products and their current update state?
Can you not make at least that information public allready?
In addtion there must be some timeline which products will be updated with DSON and which products if any will be updated with new metadata following the guidelines.
It would help the decision making process when to update and download wich products so much easier if that information was public.
Throw us a bone here. I am facing the task to install the most important of 1299 products again. I really do not want to reset them each individually to figure out which were updated. Really not.
