Understand DAZ File/Content Structure
ebergerly
Posts: 3,255
I decided I'm going to finally buckle down and figure out the DAZ content file structure. Big job, might take all weekend. It sure gives me a headache. I searched all over for tutorials, but most are old, pre-DUF explanations that don't seem to cover the important stuff.
So, since I just installed a new copy of D|S on a new computer, I have a good place to start to see how DAZ configures the file structure right out of the box.
And from what I've seen, it configures default directories as follows:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents:
- DAZ 3D/Install Manager
- My DAZ 3D Library
- Installed DAZ format content
- Folders are directly mapped to, and appear in the Content Library tab, under My DAZ 3D Library
C:\Users\(your name here)\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio
- My DAZ Connect Library
- DAZ raw content files ??
- My Library
- Empty when D|S installed
- Folders are directly mapped to, and appear in the Content Library tab, under My Library
- Render Library
Now there may be more, but these are the big two, especially since I don't care about Poser content.
So, it seems off the top that the PUBLIC directory is the default location where DAZ sets up its DIM-related stuff and downloads the content to. All of your .DUF and related files are there. I think.
On the other hand the PRIVATE directory (in your personal Documents folder), is where you can put your renders and whatever else you want (My Library). These start out empty when you first install D|S.
Now, the wrinkle....
In the PRIVATE directory, under My DAZ Connect Library, there's some "cloud" folders which have a lot of cryptic sub-folders that also have content installed. I think. But if the data is really on the cloud, why is it on your hard drive?
So it appears content, or at least portions of content, are stored in two locations. Headache #1.
So the next big question I have: IF I want to install 3rd party content from, say, Renderosity, what is the best location to ensure it will be picked up and tracked and easy to categorize in the Content Library/Smart Content? Do I install in the PRIVATE or PUBLIC directories? Headache #2.
Thanks.
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Comments
Also, I think I figured out why I was having so much trouble with Content Library, not seeing any icons for stuff I knew was in those folders on the HD. Apparently Content Library only recognizes and displays PNG's?? I have a bunch of JPG's in those folders but they don't get displayed in the Content Library view.
And it also ignores the "data" and "runtime" folders on the hard drive under "My Library"?
Ahaa !!! No wonder it was driving me crazy. Nobody mentioned this. Or maybe my computer has some issues?
Nothing shows up in either icon or list view...strange
The Cloud folder is for products installed using Daz Connect. It isn't keeping the files online, they're installed to your hard drive.
BHy default, you use the public My Daz 3D Library only for DIM, and the private My Library for anything else, including content from other sites. You don't have to do things that way. And some content, like the old generation 4 figures, needs to be in the same content folder as the base figures, so if you install V4 using DIM, you need to put all V4 morphs there.
If you're seeing folders with just jpg's, something isn't installed right, as those folders shouldn't be visible. What is displayed is the content in formats that DS loads, e.g. DS and Poser formats. If there's a .png with the same name then the png is displayed; if there's a png that doesn't match any loadable content, it won't be displayed.
Data and Runtime (and also ReadMe's) are special folders. The Data folder doesn't contain user-facing files and the files and folders under Data don't appear inside DS. The Runtime folder is for Poser-format fies and, like Poser, only the specific libraries that are supposed to be visible are displayed, under "Poser formats".
Thanks.
I didn't know I used DAZ Connect, I just started DIM and let it do its thing to download my content.
So how is DAZ Connect related to DIM? Is it different content? I thought the same content was found in both locations on the hard drive (DAZ Connect and My DAZ 3D Library).
So I have some folders in My Library which have some download OBJ's with textures and stuff. Those folder names show up in Content Library/My Library, but they appear empty (no icons show up for any of the files).
This was the case for the installation on my old computer too, and I never manually changed any defaults.
So why does D|S even show these folders if they don't have any DAZ content files? What's the purpose of showing empty folders in the Content Library? Can I remove them?
I feel you may be over thinking it based on your previous DS use. I don't use DIM, smart content or connect so our experiences will be different. When I purchase a item from DS I use WinRAR to open it (see image). In most cases there is a CONTENT folder. This folder determines where I will extract it to. I hit the extract button and click till I find my DAZ STUDIO directory (in my case it is my documents/DAZ 3D/Studio) and then extract and the files fall into their respective folders. If you purchase DS items from Rendo or another store, you'll need to inspect the path because many times it is different from the DAZ default one and then you just extract to a temp folder and place them manually, takes a couple extra minutes, but at least you know what is being installed and where..
Now if I purchase a poser item from another store the path will be much different. being an older poser user for many years I have another folder with all my poser runtime directors and even some old DS content in poser format. V4, M4, creatures, props, Hair, generation 3 content, Miki content, Tera Yuki, etc. I have the path to this folder with all these runtimes mapped in DS so they are easy to find also.
So inside DS I basically have 2 paths to take to get to my content, DAZ Studio formats/STUDIO/ or POSER Formats/ and all my poser content
Thanks but I'm a big DIM fan. I just built a new computer, and using DIM to install all of my content automatically was heaven. It has a list of what I've bought, what's installed, very easy. I can't imagine doing all that by hand.
The thing I don't understand is Content Library. People seem to swear by it, but for me it's one big confusion. It mirrors the My Library folders on your harddrive, but doesn't show you what's inside unless it's DAZ content format. Just an unsorted, uncategorized version of Smart Content.
Mostly DIM and Connect can be sued to install the same files. Some things, such as the fourth generation Daz figures, won't isntall via Connect and some, encrypted Connect-only poroducts, won't install via DIM.
To have OBJ files show in a content pane you need to add the My Library as an Other Import Formats content library - if it isn't, right-click on the Other Import Formats header in the Content Library pane and select Add a Base Directory, then select the My Library folder.
The are some folders that contain files that are not 'user facing' files so there is no need to see them in the Content Library Pane, it has nothing to do with them being JPEG or PNG (PNG just happens to be the format used for file thumbnails) The paths in DIM and Studio are just the defaults, if want to change them you can (and I do) but you need to change them both in DIM and Studio.
Okay, I added it to Other Import Formats, but it just gives broken icons for OBJ files, but doesn't see any othe formats (JPG, etc.). Not sure I see the point.
I would think that JPG and other image formats would be included in Content Library so you can go there and add image textures in D|S.
But OBJ and JPG and other files are "user facing" aren't they? You can import OBJ, you can load JPG's into the Surfaces tab, and so on. What use is it to show folders in Content Library that you can't access?
If there's a .png with the same filename as the .obj, then it will be displayed.
You can add images in the Surfaces pane, but you can't double-click on a .jpg in the content library and have DS understand it. There needs to be a DS or importable-format file that tells DS how to apply the .jpg
So if you have folders in My Library which contain stuff that Content Library doesn't recognize, and aren't "user facing" enough, is there some way to make them invisible in Content Library? Since they're useless there, why have them?
I noticed there's a "Delete", but that also deletes it from the hard drive
You don't want them visible since there are not meant to be applied directly, they are linked to from the actual Studio/Poser file. If you have models from other sites that are just in .object format you should make a new library folder for them and in Studio's Content Directory Manager add the folder under Other Formats.
Again, what's the benefit of adding OBJ's, or anything else, to the Other Formats if DAZ won't recognize any non-PNG textures or icons? It will just say there's something there with that name. It's easier to just check with Windows Explorer.
I think what I'll do is make one folder for "Non DAZ Stuff" and stuff everything that isn't in DAZ content format in there to keep it out of the way in Content Library.
You might want to read this
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/24231/request-for-comment-content-folder-structure/p1
Or if you don't have access to that: RFC_Product_Building_v2.pdf
It is really helpful when you are creating content, also there are some content that comes in obj format.
A good bit of reading, but not everyone is PC+.
I just realized that this morning, and did a little updating of that thread and posted a PDF here, for people to Download. The one thing it does not discuss is the new Virtual Folders system, which Daz Connect uses. I am going to updated it this weekend while waiting for Renders.
I need to look at the New Comments, in that thread, and see if they anything changes in the Original, before I start Adding the bit about Virtual Folders. Remember this is an Request for Comment (RFC).
I also think I am going to add my Content Directory Manager PDF to this, and my Discussion on using Separate folders for Content Creation, for each Product.
Thanks for that. One thing I've noticed recently is that several of the other stores provide a development file structure similar to what you do for their vendors, so it's clear that the concept has been adopted as a standard without much protest by commercial content creators.
Actually, this was originally written in June of 2013, so it needs a bit of updating.
It does appear that most vendors have embraced it, which is good for the content consumers. It make is much easier for the consumers to find all the parts needed for their Products.
Since I wrote this Daz 3D has revised the Dream Home, so it is now under Environments > Architecture > Dream Home. So Daz 3D has embraced it also. But I wish they would do the same thing with a few other Product Sets, like the Carnival series, the Park series, Curious, and Moonshine's Drive Diner Products. those will come with time. (Anyone ever notice that the top of the Diner looks like the USS Enterprise 1701? Or is it just me?) But it isn't embraced by all the artists and the People at Daz 3D don't have the time to rebuild the file structure of all the Products as they come in.
One of the big things this still haunts the Content Library is Mizspellings and Misplacement. For instance, Under Landscapes there is "Millenium Enviroment" and "Millenium Environment"; when it is actually "Millennium Environment". There is a similar issue with "Multiplane Cyclorama" and even the Architecture folder has the issue, as I have an Architexture folder in Environments. As for Product misplacement, There are Props and Poses for various products which are under Props or Poses in the Library Root. For instance under the Pose and Poses folder are Pose sets for Dream House; and in the props folder are things that should be in the Environments folder, under their Product's Folder.