Digital Art Zone

Whoops, all gone.

I started a fresh install of DS4.5. To see how the “new” categories work I first installed the V5 and M5 bundles. I then went on to install all new items that were updated to the DSON format because as far as I gathered those products are also updated with “new” metadata.

Now that I got a basic understanding ot the new categories I was able to quickly “recategorize” some old metadata according to the new roles.

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If there are no files left in the former “Presets” category it means all products are completly converted.

If there are no more files left in the “unassigned” category it means everything is placed in a fitting category.

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The “unassigned” category is where I found some left overs that do not really seem to fit anywhere:

- Some products have icons that just serve as a separating / structuring in the content library.
- Some products use icons to place information how the product should be used.

Like for example:
Leon Morphs, Leon Skin, Leon Eyes

Some other products also have some small files with information on them how to use the products.

If I leave this files in the unassigned category the option to quickly check if I added metadata to all files goes missing.

I checked the list of proposed categories on page one.

Would it be in line with the new guidelines to add those files to

Default/Utilities/Documents
Default/Utilities/Documents/Labels

Or were those intentioned for other things?

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Attached: Screenshot of my current state of the unassigned category

Whoops, all gone.

cridgit - 13 October 2012 05:24 PM

6. I understand why we’ve split Materials/Accessories and Materials/Wardrobe as well as Materials/Environments and Materials/Props but as a metadata creator I’m finding this a little impractical.

I am currently in the process of adapting texture sets to the new metadata guide line standards and that is also the part that slows me down the most.
Guess I could live if all Materials of a clothing product would just be assigned to /Wardrobe. If it does not add any added value why take the extra time? But only the future can tell if that lazyness would have some drawbacks.

@ Backwards compatibility of DSON / CORE products with unconverted texture sets

After having installed the DSON CORE versions of V5 and M5 pro bundles the following things can be observed

1) It would have been rather more confortable if all available texture sets would be updated at the same time as the products.

2) Having DSON products with new metadata and texture sets with old metadata has the drawback that one cannot see all material options at the same time.
In the Surfaces Tab its only possible to have either the new categories “Materials/Wardrobe, Materials/Accessoires” or the old “Preset/Materials/ProductName” selected.

3) Some Texture sets are not anymore compatible with the DSON CORE product versions because the name of the sub root compatibility base was changed.

I noticed this for several products:
- Genesis Ranger and Genesis Ranger Textures
- Sexy Silky for Genesis and Sexy Silky for Genesis Textures
- Scifi Bunny for Genesis and Scifi Bunny For Genesis Textures
- Starla Hair and Starla Hair Colors
- Epic Wings and Epic Wings X-pansion (In this case the using of two different compatibility bases is inconsistent over all pose, material and animation files)

Is there any reason why one would need to make new root or sub compatibility bases when converting products to DSON?

If not it would seem useful not to do so when not all texture sets are also updated at the same time with consistent use of the new compatibility base names.

Whoops, all gone.

I am now tweaking met-data for Aiko3 (because,, DIM,,, do not offer every product,, so,, I missed some product delete meta-data,,
and re install original from old installer,,

then I like to keep rule (official) so,, I hope to set meta-data category in default new categories,,

but,, about INJ morph files,, how you categorize?
there is no categories which seems to much.

I check again and again, new daz recommend categories
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/dson_spec/format_description/metadata/categories/start

Now daz remove preset,, OK,, so that,, INJ and REM files are how categorize ?
(Of course I know,, I can new category as I like,,
eg morph injection etc,,  but,, I want to keep guide line)

kitakoredaz - 14 February 2013 05:30 AM

I am now tweaking met-data for Aiko3 (because,, DIM,,, do not offer every product,, so,, I missed some product delete meta-data,,
and re install original from old installer,,

then I like to keep rule (official) so,, I hope to set meta-data category in default new categories,,

but,, about INJ morph files,, how you categorize?
there is no categories which seems to much.

I check again and again, new daz recommend categories
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/dson_spec/format_description/metadata/categories/start

Now daz remove preset,, OK,, so that,, INJ and REM files are how categorize ?
(Of course I know,, I can new category as I like,,
eg morph injection etc,,  but,, I want to keep guide line)

They should be in:
/Default/Shaping/Inject
/Default/Shaping/Remove

Apply is for morphs presets which change the shape when they are applied, while inject is for morphs inject and which needs to be dialed to have effect.

thank you much,,,

  I found it ,after ask here   (did not check well,,, sorry ^^;)

mm,, but,,, sometimes we need ,,,check new meta-data default category again,,,,,
I think,,  so,, it is ok ^^;

Personally I am quite happy with the official metadata DAZ has been providing lately.
For characters, clothing and vehicles everything now seems almost always accoring to the guidelines:

Added more examples and updated the suggestions.

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There seems to be one huge area that seems to be rather inconsistent with categorization and file types used:

Environments vs Environment props

It tried to have a look at products released lately to get an understanding how those items are “officially” categorized.
I do get the feeling that depending on staff there are very different systems used.

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Product examples:

http://www.daz3d.com/new-releases/vintage-for-west-park-ablutions

All individual files are set to the type “actor” and are categorized as
Default/Environments/Architecture/Interior

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http://www.daz3d.com/new-releases/modular-ruins

All individual files are set to the type “props” and are categorized as
Default/Environments/Architecture/Exterior

There seems to be two different kind of categorization systems going on when in one case all items are set to file types “props” and in the other case all are ” actors”.
Nevertheless both products just categorize everything as Environments and place nothing in the prop categories.

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Another example is

http://www.daz3d.com/dms-circle

Here the sets are placed in

Default/Environments/Architecture/Exterior

All props are placed in

Default/Props/architecture

While here a distinction between Environments and props is made the officially available “props” cateogries are not used:

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/dson_spec/format_description/metadata/categories/start

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3 examples - 3 different systems of “File Type” and “Categories” used. All updated / released in the last few weeks.

I am aware that sometimes months pass between packing up the product and the release to the store.
So it might be that internally on one system has been agreed.
There reality may be that there is just not enough staff / time to release only products with updated metadata that matches the official guidelines.
Nevertheless the downside of this is that for customers not yet familiar with metadata it might be very difficult to see the benefit of it all when there does not seem to be one coherent system used.

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Suggestion:

Personally I feel like presets that load a whole scene should be placed in

Default/Environments
Default/Environments/Architecture
Default/Environments/Architecture/Complete
Default/Environments/Architecture/Exterior
Default/Environments/Architecture/Interior
Default/Environments/Cityscape
Default/Environments/Effects
Default/Environments/Landscape
Default/Environments/Skydome

The file type of scene presets could be “set” for everything placed in the Environment categories.
Maybe it would help to rename the file type “set” to “Environment”.

This would made the distinction easier:
If its not a complete scene then it must be a single “prop” and therefore be placed in the prop category.
If there is a preset to load for example 10 chairs it would still make more sense to put it in props.
If it is a preset to load 10 chairs a table and counter without walls its somewhat a grey area between sets and props
If it is a preset to load 10 chairs a table and counter with walls and floor then it can be said it is a complete interior and can be added as “set to the environment cateogires.
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For building scenes from individual props there could be detailed categories used:
For example:

Default/Props/Electrical
Default/Props/Furnishings
Default/Props/Industrial
Default/Props/Landscape
Default/Props/Lights
Default/Props/Machinery

Here it might be helpful if addtional information is added to the documentation what kind of files go to what category.
For example what is industrial?
Where should one place items like walls, doors, windows?

The file type of “props” should be “props”. Personally I feel like “Actors” should only be Figures or transportation items.

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At the moment it seems there is not really made a difference between full scene files and environment props that could be used to build scenes.

I feel like it would be great if also some addtional categories could be found for environment props so that building scenes from scratch by combining different props from different scenes would become possible very quickly.

I understand that the team is very busy at the moment with quite a lot of different tasks. But if some time opens up in the schedule having another look at how Environments props are categorized might provide useful for the future.