Digital Art Zone

AdamR001’s Default Categories Metadata

DISCLAIMER: This freebie is provided as-is without warranty, yada yada yada.  If it breaks, it’s not my fault.

WHAT IT IS: This is a structure for categorizing your content.  It is NOT the only way to do it.  It is NOT having everything pre-categorized for you.  It is just a structure.  It’s an idea, a place to start, and YOU are allowed to change it.

Requirements:
DAZ Studio 4.5.1.6 or higher is recommended, but any version supporting Metadata 4.5.x and higher should work.
Start from a *clean* categories.  Resetting your database prior to installing is recommended.

Caveats:
If you have your own category system, PLEASE backup your database or export your personal metadata prior to installation.  Copy the backup to a safe location.  Don’t overwrite your backup with mine.
If you don’t flatten your personal database first, some categories might not get created.  (E.g., in case of conflict) but in general it *should* be OK.
The ONLY pre-categorized content in this database are the special “deleteme.dsa” placeholder and the entirety of the Genesis Starter Essentials bundle.  No other products are categorized. 

Installation:
With DAZ Studio Running:
Unzip to a temporary location and copy the resulting files to any DAZ Studio native directory, but prefereably your primary one.  This is *usually* ~\My Documents\DAZ 3D\My Library.
Inside of DAZ Studio select the Content Library tab.
Left-click on the Context Menu at the top right of the Content Library tab and select “Content DB Maintenance”.
Select the checkbox next to “Re-Import Metadata”.
Click Accept.
In the resulting window make certain “UserData1 N/A” is checked.
Make certain “All Products” is checked.
Uncheck “Show Items as New Content” (optional)
Make certain “User Data Overrrides Product Data” is checked.
Click Accept
Wait.  This could take awhile if you have a lot of content installed already that has metadata.
Once the import has finished, go to Categories > Utilities, Scripts
Right click on “deleteme” and select “Browse to File Location”
In the resulting window, right click and delete the file “deleteme.dsa”.
Close the window and go back to DAZ Studio.
Click on any other category and then back to “Utilities, Scripts”.
Right click on the “Deleteme” icon which now should have a large yellow triangle with an execlamation point on it and select “Remove Orphanded File Reference.”
Done!  You should now have a clean set of categories to start categorizing your content in.  Explore it a bit, get to know it, change what you don’t like.  Have fun and happy organizing.

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* DOWNLOAD *
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Screenshots of the installation process are below.

With DAZ Studio Open… Go to the Content Library tab, left-click on the context menu

Select “Content DB Maintenance”,

then “Re-Import Metadata” and Accept, change the default options as shown… and accept

Wait a bit…

Now to finish cleaning things up…

Then delete the “deleteme.dsa” file!  Yes, really!

Now, back in DS, click any other category and then back to the Utilities, Scripts folder.  Right click on the now “missing” deleteme file and select “Removed Orphaned File Reference”.

Enjoy.

Here’s an idea of the structure you’ll be getting

Hope you were finished Adam.

Great stuff…I have downloaded ready for when I get back up and running. I hadn’t been using Catagories since leaving DS3 and moving all my content to a USB HDD but this will get me back to using them again, cheers much appreciated.

Just to clarify, this assumes everything is installed to the default location, correct?

Yes and No.

No in the sense that your application and content can be installed into any directory.

Yes in the sense that, at least with the Genesis starter essentials, the relative path of the products is expected to be default.  Since I’m providing no pre-categorization of any other content, you can mess with that to your heart’s content.  This is simply a category structure for YOU to populate.

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 08:41 AM

Yes and No.

No in the sense that your application and content can be installed into any directory.

Yes in the sense that, at least with the Genesis starter essentials, the relative path of the products is expected to be default.  Since I’m providing no pre-categorization of any other content, you can mess with that to your heart’s content.  This is simply a category structure for YOU to populate.

Firstly, thanks for doing this…

However, I’m a bit confused. If I have already set up my categories is there any point to me installing it? If I’m reading this post correctly I would then have to recategorise everything again?

I noticed also you have everything set up outside of default…what are the pros and cons of setting up there?

Hi Pendraia,

The point of this is for people are do not have a structure already or do not like the default Structure DAZ provides.  It is simply my response to an inquiry for someone complaining that they couldn’t find their stuff.   You wouldn’t necessarily *have* to re-categorize everything, but certainly if you wanted it in this structure you would.

Inside vs. Outside of “Default”... Yes, there is a point in setting it up outside of Default.  By doing so, I keep MY metadata completely separate from the DAZ Metadata.  All the default Metadata and hierarchy will remain inside Default so you get the best of both worlds.  A custom layout and the DAZ provided layout without any conflict.  As to cons?  Well, none that I can think of.  Except maybe still seeing “Default” in the main list.  That annoys me sometimes. :D

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 03:00 PM

Inside vs. Outside of “Default”... Yes, there is a point in setting it up outside of Default.  By doing so, I keep MY metadata completely separate from the DAZ Metadata.  All the default Metadata and hierarchy will remain inside Default so you get the best of both worlds.  A custom layout and the DAZ provided layout without any conflict.  As to cons?  Well, none that I can think of.  Except maybe still seeing “Default” in the main list.  That annoys me sometimes. :D

Hi Adam…

I thought it might be for people just starting out, thanks for the response.

Metadata…confuses the hell out of me. When you say your Metadata, are you talking about metadata that you have personally created?

I agree that the default is annoying I much preferred when they had the unassigned category. I also find all the folders that you can’t move or rename annoying. I think I’ve seen a fix for it but can’t remember where unfortunately.

Pendraia - 17 January 2013 03:38 PM

I thought it might be for people just starting out, thanks for the response.

Metadata…confuses the hell out of me. When you say your Metadata, are you talking about metadata that you have personally created?

I agree that the default is annoying I much preferred when they had the unassigned category. I also find all the folders that you can’t move or rename annoying. I think I’ve seen a fix for it but can’t remember where unfortunately.

Unassigned still exists!  You just kind of have to trick DS into letting you have it. 

The *best* way to do this is:

1) Open DS.
2) Install Content
3) Search Known Directories for New Files (Content Library context menu > Scn known Directories…)
4) Categorize your Content from Default > Unassigned
5) Content Library Context Menu > Content DB Maintenance > Process Metadata Queue

This avoids letting DS “Pre-categorize” new content AND still maintains the DAZ Default structure (anything automatically created in Default cannot be moved/deleted/etc.  Another “Pro” to organizing outside of Default).