Why are cloud directories forced into saves?
DekeHedd
Posts: 15
Can someone please explain how to easily remove the annoying missing cloud directory references in save files. For some unfathomable reason studio 4.9 is insisting on using only resources from cloud directories. I only use resources in scenes via the content library (not smart content tab), but the program seems to insist on using the connect libraries only. I work offline most of the time and only ever use connect to see if there are updates, since DIM does not seem to be updated as frequently. Is it possible to force studio to use and reference only the paths where items were originally loaded from? Every single scene file saved in DAZ is polluted with the cloud directories, but none are originated from it. When re-opening old saved scenes, the locate missing items/objects/textures dialogue pops up because connect is not connected. This forces me to uncompress the saves, remove the junk references by taking out the cloud portion of the path, and re-opening - an inexplicable exercise in time-wasting. After saving, lo and behold, the unwanted cloud references are back.
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Comments
what happens if you save a scene with nothing in it?
no hdri dome loaded, no lights
Empty scene has no issue, I load "none" as default, and the default environment map loads from the program files/shaders directory. I find that once I load a character from the content library, as soon as I adjust anything in the surfaces tab, the dastardly cloud appears.
Personall, I wouldn't use Connect at all, even for updates, even if it means not having the very latest metadata on my content.
That sounds as if the Content Management System is not seeing the content installed through DIM. Do the items show as installed in Smart Content, or under products in the Content Library pane?
The items show in both, and the products are listed under the CL pane I only use connect to check for product updates, I usually work offline and only load and manipulate scenes via the content library. When I load V8 and apply materials via CL, the Sufaces tab references all point to the cloud directories despite being loaded from CL. I've tried resetting and re-importing the db, reinstalling CMS, but nothing... Any help or suggestions appreciated.
Connect installed items are in the cloud folder, however you load them. Connect/DIM have no connection with loading content through Content Library/Smart Content. You will see Updates in Smart Content only for Connect-installed items.
Hi Richard, please bear with me, or correct my misunderstandings. I understand that the connect items live in the cloud directory. I run a setup where the OS is installed on SSD, and studio and the content is installed on another drive. Post installing, I pointed the Content Directory Manager to this (non SSD) drive. I also set up connect to point to the same content library, with the understanding that it would live only in the data/cloud subdirectories of the content library. The connect directory is part of this content directory, so essentially, my entire connect directory is a duplication of the content library, replicated / duplicated in the data/cloud folder. When DIM installs a product, it installs the assets as a subset of drive:/contentlibrary/assetspecific, whereas connect would install everything within drive:/contentlibrary/data/cloud/assetspecific. In my understanding, the content library should then traverse the drive:/contentlibrary/assets for assets, and load and texture them according to the relative paths from the non-cloud assets, which from a DIM install would not include .../data/cloud relative paths. When looking at assets in either the content library pane or the smart content pane, I right click on an asset and execute 'browse to folder location', which confirms my understanding of where DIM stores items versus connect. Internally, though, studio seems to include data/cloud/asset to the relative paths of loaded items even though they do not initially include this path, or were loaded with it. Is there some configuration setting that controls whether connect should be considered as part of the relative path to assets? Traversing the product/asset hierarchy via script only return references related to the DIM view.
I'm not sure what you mean by drive:/contentlibrary/assetspecific - there aren't subfoldrs for each product installed with DIM as there are with Connect. If you have both installations, Connect and DIM, then DS will use the Connect to load the content
I don't think he's installed any content via Connect, but has pointed all content directory manager settings toward the place where he has DIM install content, including DAZ Connect. That might be part of the problem right there.
Sorry if I'm carrying on a bit... drive:/contentlibrary/assetspecific is meant to mean wherever in the hierarchy DIM decides to install the content, as opposed to connect which would install a folder per product. Do I understand correctly from Richard's comment that DS will select Connect content over any other? Is there a scenario where DIM and Connect can live together without DS choosing the Connect installs over the DIM?
If you don't install the content with Connect then DS will use the DIM-installed version. If you install both with DIM and with Connect then DS will use the Connect version.
Thanks all for clarifying.