Digital Art Zone

ETA: Categories ARE Metadata.  I’m abusing the Metadata system and the “Remove Orphaned References” function to create a bunch of new categories.

The categories that get created as part of the automatic processing of Metadata included with installs are just DAZ metadata, just like the compatiblity metadata.  It’s pretty much just anything that gets stuffed into the CMS database.

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 04:30 PM

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).

So if I understand you correctly…if I follow this process and categorise outside of default DS will not precategorise content?

Because when I did that in the past it still placed a lot of stuff elsewhere besides the unassigned folder which is why I started to categorise inside default…I had less to reassign.

My biggest bugbear is when new categories turn up that can’t be changed easily. For example there is a people and a figures\people having both is silly. I think I may try shifting it back to outside of categories…I really don’t like the way they have changed categories in DS4. I loved it in DS3…

So if I understand you correctly…if I follow this process and categorise outside of default DS will not precategorise content?

That’s correct.  It will, if you do the Process Metadata Queue, create those same categories *after* the fact however.  Skipping that entirely (and indeed, stopping it from happening at startup (there’s a checkbox on the screen) will prevent it from happening but it will also keep compatibility and “products” from populating.  That’s why another reason why you stay outside of Default.  Leave that to the DAZ land and pretty much ignore it.  Your personal categories should be outside of Default and they’ll be ignored when you (post categorization) process the metadata queue.

Because when I did that in the past it still placed a lot of stuff elsewhere besides the unassigned folder which is why I started to categorise inside default…I had less to reassign.

You shouldn’t have to venture outside of Default > Unassigned to categorize after scanning.  If you do, then there is something wrong with the way your Content Directory maps are setup.

My biggest bugbear is when new categories turn up that can’t be changed easily. For example there is a people and a figures\people having both is silly.

Agreed, but if you categorize outside of Default, who cares?  You’ll never see it or use it.

I think I may try shifting it back to outside of categories…I really don’t like the way they have changed categories in DS4.

I didn’t like it at first either, however, the new features, duplicating categories, figure compatibility, product-listing made a convert of me.  The key is to just stay out of the Default area except to use Default > Unassigned.

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 04:47 PM

So if I understand you correctly…if I follow this process and categorise outside of default DS will not precategorise content?

That’s correct.  It will, if you do the Process Metadata Queue, create those same categories *after* the fact however.  Skipping that entirely (and indeed, stopping it from happening at startup (there’s a checkbox on the screen) will prevent it from happening but it will also keep compatibility and “products” from populating.  That’s why another reason why you stay outside of Default.  Leave that to the DAZ land and pretty much ignore it.  Your personal categories should be outside of Default and they’ll be ignored when you (post categorization) process the metadata queue.

Okay…I wasn’t aware that I needed to be doing that. If I do that should I shift my categories that I already have first to outside the default area? Does it need to be turned back on at all? And does it stop me using smart content?

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 04:47 PM

Because when I did that in the past it still placed a lot of stuff elsewhere besides the unassigned folder which is why I started to categorise inside default…I had less to reassign.

You shouldn’t have to venture outside of Default > Unassigned to categorize after scanning.  If you do, then there is something wrong with the way your Content Directory maps are setup.

I don’t think that they are incorrectly setup see image below…

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 04:47 PM

My biggest bugbear is when new categories turn up that can’t be changed easily. For example there is a people and a figures\people having both is silly.

Agreed, but if you categorize outside of Default, who cares?  You’ll never see it or use it.

True…

adamr001 - 17 January 2013 04:47 PM

I think I may try shifting it back to outside of categories…I really don’t like the way they have changed categories in DS4.

I didn’t like it at first either, however, the new features, duplicating categories, figure compatibility, product-listing made a convert of me.  The key is to just stay out of the Default area except to use Default > Unassigned.

Well I’ll give it a try…

edited to add image

If I do that should I shift my categories that I already have first to outside the default area?

IMO, yes, you should.  If you don’t want the default categories interferering with your structure.

Does it need to be turned back on at all? And does it stop me using smart content?

If you don’t process the full metadata process, then yes, you might see issues with smart content.

I don’t think that they are incorrectly setup see image below…

I don’t see any issues either.  I’d need to see an example of something you had to go outside of Unassigned to categorize (assuming you follow the above process where you scan before accepting default metadata).

Hope you don’t mind me resurrecting this threat, but it looks like a related question. I posted the question in the DIM thread in Commons but it seems to have got lost

I’m trialing DIM installing to another folder with Genesis Starter Essentials (uninstalling from current folder, changing paths, etc. in Preferences). Got all that working but the files all appear under Default\Unassigned and in my Categories they are orphaned. Is there a way of changing the base path for all my orphans at once? If not it is back to plan A, installed to My Library and Content directories.

Thanks

Hey Adam,

Nice script there. 

I have a question for you.  I recently converted over one of AprilYSH’s Betty Hair and then redid and created new MATS saving them out in the few file format.  I was able to get the hair to show up just fine in the Smart Content folder but when I load and click on the hair it won’t show the newly made MATS.  How does one get those to show up in the Smart Content area?  I’m slowly beginning to like Smart Content but this is an annoyance I hope to overcome. 

Teach me! 

I think what Adam is telling us is apropos only for those who do not use DIM and was written prior to the new utility. The DIM processes metadata WHILE installing so you don’t have an opportunity to change anything before import of metadata.

Unless default>unassigned done once will take care of it. That part I see is key, but I don’t quite understand how. It’s still a bit of a black box to me. So I could be totally wrong.

Another poster in another thread wrote me a little tutorial.  It did the trick for me.  Got all my mats showing up with the matching figure.  YAY

Spit - 18 February 2013 08:19 PM

I think what Adam is telling us is apropos only for those who do not use DIM and was written prior to the new utility. The DIM processes metadata WHILE installing so you don’t have an opportunity to change anything before import of metadata.

Unless default>unassigned done once will take care of it. That part I see is key, but I don’t quite understand how. It’s still a bit of a black box to me. So I could be totally wrong.

Thanks Spit I understand that DIM processes as it installs, but this should also be relevant if you moved your content onto, say, an external drive. I am just looking for suggestions on how to change the base path enmass, or ideally just the orphaned files base path (which is where DIM comes in). The only way I can see is going into every folder in my categories and changing them, which would be a long and tedious job when what I want to be doing is rendering. I need to decide which way to go because I want to install these possibly updated files next weekend so I can get back to important stuff

I’m not quite sure what you’re after 3Dreamer.  Changing the base path of an item is pretty easy (you can see how it’s done in my tutorial on moving DS4 from one computer to another).  However, the base path is only the bit before the content/runtime directory.  After that, the relative path must be maintained for DIM to manage the install.

Does that help?

To use DIM and still be able to do custom categories the easy way (via scanning known directories), this is what I do:

Start DS.
Select Poser Formats on the content library pane.
Start DIM.
STOP the CMS service.
Use DIM to install.
START the CMS service.
Select categories
Scan known directories for files.
Categorize from Unassigned.
Repeat until done installing.
Use Content DB Maintenance to Re-Import Metadata.

Thanks for that Adam, what I am trying to avoid is the ‘Categorize from Unassigned’ bit for all my content again, if I could change the base path on all the orphaned files at once - since everything is installed to the default path - that should fix the entries, or it at least did for the couple of individual files I tried. If there is no obvious way of changing that I’ll have to go back to the drawing board about how I install everything. Think I might be back to installing over the current folders again. Thanks.

Hi Adam

i followed your steps to set up the content database you posted.  First my content is being installed to E:/3D Content so that is where I put the 3 files from your zip. Also in that folder I have subfolders that I started installing content to.

I followed all the steps until I got to the part where it says
In the resulting window make certain “UserData1 N/A” is checked

I have no check box under userdata to check so I went ahead and followed the next step then where it says to

Once the import has finished, go to Categories > Utilities, Scripts
Right click on “deleteme” and select “Browse to File Location

I have no deleteme there

and nothing new has showed up in my content library…wht am I doing wrong|?  Do I have to turn off the CMS prior to following these steps?

So I have now deleted the files I installed so far except for the Genesis Starter Essentials