DIM installed content backup feature - useful for you ?
Mazh
Posts: 499
in The Commons
You have to install your content folder on a new HDD but you don't want /aren't able to copy it.
Plus you have not all of your content installed.
Imo it would be really useful to have something like a small database backup file where all your installed content is stored.
So if you have to redownload and reinstall your content, you can do that via a restore content folder from backup file.
Your opinions please...?
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Isn't that what the product library is? Sure it may take a little longer to download instead of copying from some storage media, but I'm fine with knowing I can download and reinstall my stuff if needed;)
I'm not certain whether you are asking whether it is a good idea to backup your content, or whether you are asking whether that capability should be built into DAZ Studio. If the former, then I would say yes - backups are never a bad idea. If the latter, I have no use for such a feature, personally, since I already have backups of my content and a variety of relatively easy options for doing so outside of DAZ Studio.
Yes, but if you have installed only 70% (e.g.) of your content, is there a way to restore your content folder exactly how it was before ?
This would only make snse (to me) if DIM was being run from a single machine, now with a new, additional, HDD on it, otherwise the question becomes moot. You can specify multile locations to install your DIM content to, so just create a new one on the new HDD. Or am I missing something?
As described in my first post / new HDD / no copying of your content folder/ having only a certain amount of your owned content installed.....
Re-read the opening post, still don't get it...
The point is that I want to download and install only a certain selection of files (the ones I've also installed in my old content folder).
Download and install everthing you own is easy as pie with DIM, but how do you just download and install your previous files ?
I've read somewhere that copying your old manifest folder brings up your "old" files in DIM "Installed Files".
Maybe this thread helps to clarify
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/303606/new-windows-10-new-dazstudio-installation
Is this on the same computer, or a different one? That is, are we talking about 2 separate occurences of DIM?
Same computer / new HDD / one occurence
Decided to replace my old disc which was about to fail...
I do confess I'm not understanding the question either but you con simply get a new drive, use something like CarbonCloner and copy everything to the new larger drive, replace it and everything would be exactly where it should be or you could get a new drive, format it as you like, reinstall the software where you like, instal a fresh spanking new copy of Daz Studio, move a copy of you Content folder where you like, move the ManIfest folder to its appropriate place, point Content Manager in Daz Studio to the appropriate folders and map the appropriate Daz Studio and Poser folders, point DIM to the appropriate folders. There is a script that will do a lot of this for you but otherwise the setup is 5 to 10 minutes work. Of course, you could just put the drive in and restore from backup....
It all depends on how things are set up, different setups require different ways for restoring things. For example do you have DS on one drive and the library on another, and your install files (zips) on a third drive? Have you moved the manifest files to a different location? Have you changed the path to the library at some point (this may affect the manifest files so some point to one path, others to another)? Etc.etc.
Ideally you design a particular way of setting things up, same paths to everything etc., and stick to that always. And have at least one backup of everything. I do that myself. Then it's fairly easy to restore everything if you need to replace a drive.
@ nemesis10
@ Taoz
Thank you
Okay, thanks for all your opinions, I'll try it one last time and then I'm off
1. Let's assume you have (just) one content folder on drive A and your manifest folder on drive B
2. You do not store the package zips after installation of the packages
3. You have only installed a selection of your owned content (e.g. 3000 items owned, but only 2000 installed)
4. Your drive A crashes and your not backed up content folder is gone forever, but your manifest folder on the other drive is safe
5. You don't want to browse all your content in DIM and check the things you'd like to install in your new content folder manually
Is there a (easy) way to create/ rebuild a content folder on a new HDD just using the manifest files ?
Remember: No stored zips, no backup, copying is not possible !
In the Installed tab of DIM, assuming you've told it where the existing Manifests folder is, can you select all of them and right-click>Reinstall All Selected?
So based on the above you have a working copy of Studio, a working copy of DIM and a working copy of the manifest files. No content or zip files from the original download. Therefore DIM should still show you which files it thinks is installed/not installed irrespective of whether the files are there or not.
The above scenario you mentioned where uninstalling and the files appear in the Ready To Install section will only occur where the original zip files are available. If not, as in your case, it will just go back to the Ready To Download section. So in my opinion the answer is no you can't do what you are looking to do in a straightforward way. The only solution would seem to me to be to make a copy of the manifest folder, which is after all only the files that are installed, uninstall all content in the Installed section, open the copy of the manifest folder and select the files that are there in DIM to reinstall. They will all need to be redownloaded though.
Hope someone else can prove me wrong to save you some hassle.
@ Haruchai sorry meant "Ready to Download" instead of "Ready to Install" and I also installed DIM and DazStudio anew
@ Richard, as I said, I've setup my paths, I see my manifest folder items in the "Installed" section, but whatever I select,
the "Reinstall-> All Selected" stays grayed
Normal DIM installation (checked items from the "Ready to Download" section) works without any issues with the selected paths
As I understand it Reinstall - > All Selected is looking to reinstall the already downloaded zip files.
I get the same. I download my zips to a temporary folder and then, after checking the install in Studio, I move them from the temp folder to my backup drive. This is why I know about the manifest files not reinstalling, I have all my zips backed up, just not where the manifest thinks they are. If I need to reinstall I move the zip back to the temp folder and it appears as Ready To Install.
Just noticed you can export your Installed list as a csv. This might help selecting what to reinstall.
Let's see if I understand what DIM is showing -
'Ready to Download' shows all the products you have NOT downloaded or installed and you are not currently interested in them. 'Installed' shows what you want to download and reinstall.
If so - select everything in 'Ready to Download', right-click on one, and click in 'hide all selected'. 'Ready to Download' should now be empty' Go to 'Installed' and select a few items (just to make sure this works) and click on 'Start Queue' to un-install. These should now show up in 'Ready to Download' and you can now proceed to download and install them. If this works as I expect you should be able to process the rest in whatever order works for you.
@ namffuak
Works as expected, really nice and constructive solution.
Thank you very much