Quuestions about Dim?
FWIW
Posts: 320
in The Commons
Hey so, does DIM like scan your whole harddrive and monitor like updates and things like that? Because I have two My Library's, one of which I keep for stuff I don't want updated. Trying to decide if DIM is worth it for me. Can you tell it only to deal with stuff in specific areas or no?
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
224 S 200 W, Suite #250
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
IT'S NOT!!, RUN, RUN, RUN FAR AWAY FROM IT!!
LOL, can you tell I don't use DIM.
lol, noted
Actually, I don't think DIM scans your hardrive at all; it just keeps track of the products it installs. So, if have manual downloads that DIM has never installed then they should show up in DIM as products "ready to be installed"
I have one library for DIM use only, and another where all my manually installed products reside. I've had no problems.
Dim keeps track of stuff that it has installed. It tells you when there are updates but doesn't download them unless you tell it to (at least mine doesn't. I installed Dim ages ago and I don't remember changing any settings to get this). It doesn't know about stuff you have manually installed, it just shows them as ready to download.
I don't know if Dim and Daz Connect talk to each other because I don't use Daz Connect.
There is a setting that you can use to tell DIM if something has been installed with Connect so it won't try to install it again, or so I would think.
No. The Content Management System only checks the folders where the databases are located.
You can create up to ten different libraries and set them up in the Content Directory Manager. I suggest to keep it at around five to make sure things still load fast enough.
Example:
- One library for DIM installations
- One library for Connect installations
- One library for products of other stores
- One library for things you created
- etc.
I prefer to install everything directly in DAZ Studio with DAZ Connect because this allows me to quickly install a selection of products from specific generations or artists.
I only use DIM to install software and plugins or pre Genesis content that is not available in Connect.
Example - How to install product selections with Connect
When you purchase the latest Pro Bundle you can also choose two last Generation Pro Bundles.
I do only want to install the product files of the current generation.
With Connect you can see at a quick glance which products you want to install.
- Hold CTRL and left mouse click on thoses you want .
- Right mouse click on the orange selection and install.
You can still browse products you have not installed with Connect in the available tab.
Install them later when you need them for a specific product.
compare:
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/69942/guide-how-to-search-for-your-content-inside-daz-studio-4-9
I try to keep the number of installed products at around 1500 to make sure everything that I need frequently loads quickly and to manage hardware space.
- - -
Hi FWIW
I do not use DRM or connect @ all. for a number of reasons. But I do use the download manager for some installs like plugins and Software updates. Other wise I manually install all my content ( I'm wwierd I want to see whats in what I am installing first and how they are installed), I found for my use its best to manually install if you are using alot of external hard drives for your content folders IMO
Dim does not scan your Daz computer install files like daz connect does. Dim only tell you what you have downloaded and installed in the past using the download manager.. Daz connect is DRM a digital right management app, added to Daz studio for new users & people that have a hard time installing, managing and finding their Daz content. (Daz connect does not work for third party content.) Dimm is not DRM it does not snoop your folders. , Maybe this is why DRM connect can tell you when there is updates of a product you have installed because its constantly checking sniffing your Daz install folders for content installed through connect every time you loggin. Connect its totally different install folder in your c/ drive documents , but you can change the directory in your preference tab under edit. But DRM is DRM , some people like it, others that have a good grasp of managing their computer files & programming usually don't like DRM messing with their drives for a number of reasons
When I use Daz download manager or Dimm I have a custom folder on my desktop just for daz dimm files and I install everything there first and move installed files to where they need to go in what external drive and make or move the meta data accordingly to match. . The main reason I do this is I have to many organized external hard drives(HDD) full of content that I would never let DRM mess with, Why you ask?! when I first installed daz4.9 as a upgrade from my 4.8 Daz connect totally screwed up my custom categories and meta data that I was never able to recover. and that was the last time I would be burned. because it had happen once before. from daz 3 to daz 4 ( yeah I've been here a long time) So like many users here I manually install everything, and I don't worry much about product updates. if the product I bought does not work as intended I submit a ticket for support. if I have a older product and like to see if it maybe update then I check it manually using the Daz Docs ( http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/00000_00999) and do a search, yes it s time consuming. but safer for my custom content folders. "once bitten twice shy"
this is just my way of doing things and my reasons for it , like I said daz connect was design to help new users to find their content more than anything as was dimm
Thanks, everyone. This really helped. I am enough of a control freak I think I will mainly stick to manual after all. Although the idea of having libraries set up for the various stores instead of two big ones is a great idea so I might do that too.
I install manually because I'm not satisfied with the amount of, or where the folders are put by the installer. Sometimes I get a misspelled folder that really annoys me and I'll merge it with the folder it's supposed to be in ;) I dislike having a ReadMe folder AND a Documentation folder, so I merge them. I can do that so long as I don't touch the data or the runtime folders. ;).
Laurie
Connect is not DRM. Connect can supply encrypted content that is keyed to the user's account, but content hat is available via DIM (or manual install) has never been delivered in that way and currently no content is delivered that way. Connect doesn't scan the hard drive generally, but it does I think check the files it has installed are present and up to date, showing an update as available if oen of those files is missing or different from the one on the server.
Daz Connect does sniff the daz install folder where dimm don't. Connect connects you directly to Daz3d.com server, where as Dimm is a separate standalone app not connect to the daz studio software and it does not sniff your folders for installed content
I'd call that digital right managed. But I guess I am wrong
What is Daz Connect? https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/65509/daz-connect-faq/p1
Daz Connect is basically your connection to Daz 3D. As your connection, it allows you to take advantage of a collection of new Daz Services. This list (which will grow over time) currently includes:
close enough ; )
Both DIM and Connect connect to Daz - otherwise they wouldn't knoww hat products you own. Connect in fact gets most of the files (encrypted) from a CDN, not diect from Daz, and gets only the key to unlock the files from Daz. Connect does not look at files it did not install, other than if you install a product you had previously installed via DIM in which case it will find the DIM files (from the database) and see if they are correct, so save downloading a fresh copy. That's not what people would usually mean by saying soemthing sniffed the HD.
Hi Richard ,
Please reread my comment, on multiple times on multiple comments I have made, I had never said it sniffed your whole hard drive, , what I said is it sniffs, checks or otherwise manage your connect files located in the daz connect file folder in your library. as it is stated in the forum thread i posted above unless that information is incorrect . Daz connect, does connect you directly to the daz store and product server for downloads and encryption. does it not? this is stated as a "convenience " to manage your content when you are signed in through the studio software in that above forum thread correct?, is that not managing your content files?
When connect was first introduced we were told it was to help people install & manage their content and to help reduce piracy by using encrypted content and a person would need connect to deliver the products to unlock it for one year. is that is not right? there was a huge Brew-Ha-Ha over it for a long time. I remember it well.
Now it been my belief Dimm or install manager is a standalone app & only connects to the product server, connect is part of the Studio software, Dimm is not, is this correct? , Dimm does not try to sell you content, nor does it manage your content once it has been installed with updates or new few products , at least Dimm never has for me. it will time to time notifiy me of new products placed in my download manager ready to be downloaded. , But Dimm has never told me when older content has been update, unless it studio software update & lugins . has something change to notify us of updates through dimm? . Daz connect see all your installed products that are delivered via daz connect in your daz connect library. Dimm is not aware if I move my installed files , Daz connect is aware when i move something manually, and will suggest the download for whats missing. correct?
I'm not trying to split hairs with your Richard , But Daz connect sniff, snoop or other wise watching your connect library when you are signed in through studio. Dimm does not sign in through studio, its is its own app.. Big, Huge differences.
It is hard to take you serious when you keep calling DIM (DAZ Install Manager) dimm. While I don't like Connect it no more 'sniff' files than DIM does in order to perform their jobs.
As I said, both DIM and Connect log in to your account (when working on line).
No. Some content was encrypted, after review that was limited to its first year of release after which it was available unencrypted (which is why there is currently no encrypted Connect-only content). The application needed to connect to validate, once validated it was possible to download an install package and a key that allowed the content to be installed and used in DS without its being online.
Neither Dim not Connect need to be on-line for day-to-day use, neither will update products without being told (though Connect will update metadata if it is on-line). Dim will show updated products though, when you log-in, in the Ready to Download tab just as Smart Content will, when DS is connected, in the Updates install state of the Products tab. DIM does track actual files, just the manifests folder, for good and ill - but Connect doesn't care if you move the files as a unit, as long as they remain in the correct relative location in a content diectory.