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Altern8 Update: What’s it do?

TynkereTynkere Posts: 834
edited March 2019 in The Commons

As title implies, would like to know more about what the [Altern8] update does before I install it.  Because... 

Very important custom characters always look the same and recently had a scare with ones that used Altern8. 

Background:

Either Windows update or tech spt helping me solve duplicate product tiles (or both) messed up subsets using Altern8.  

Eyes looked milky in open GL.   Did they always look that way?  (IRay been acting squirrelly after a Win-10 update.)

Do scene and preview.  Both guys & gals: lacrimals render red, and lips were a pale pink.  Load some old saved files.  Same.  Load saved Altern based presets on them.  No luck.  Had to go pack to system restore point to get them back.

I want to be clear.  My questions are nothing against Altern8.  I think it’s a great product.  Just a little skittish after that recent scare.

1.) What does updating its metadata do exactly?  (If correct in understanding info @ DAZ readme)

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/read_me/index/51921/start

2.) Download the ‘old’ product as .zip and manually install if update causes issues with saved characters?  Or it wouldn’t matter because of ‘metadata’ is a user file?  (Would then have to do full system restore not just restore point)

Sorry if I sound paranoid.  90% of my renders feature the same “starring” characters, so I’d stand to lose a lot of work if redo from scratch.  

Thanks for reading long post.  Appreciate any information about the update.  As said, I’m not very good when it comes to this metadata/database stuff. blush

Post edited by Richard Haseltine on

Comments

  • FSMCDesignsFSMCDesigns Posts: 12,563

    As long as you don't save your scene, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to any of your content changing because of Altern8.

    I didn't realized there was an update since I never use DIM (or metadata), so thanks, and I'll let you know if there are any changes that might affect you.

  • TynkereTynkere Posts: 834
    edited March 2019
    FSMCDesigns said:

    As long as you don't save your scene, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to any of your content changing because of Altern8.

    I didn't realized there was an update since I never use DIM (or metadata), so thanks, and I'll let you know if there are any changes that might affect you.

    Thanks.

    Not sure I follow about saving a scene though.  They're stock characters I load from presets.  So lets say I load "Rita and Bill" both of which use Altern8.  Save the new scene as "Frame 3" -- work on it tomorrow, whatever.  Never had any trouble with it before.  Guess I'll play it safe unless hear from someone who has done the update with no problems.  Error probably just a coincidence, but as old saying goes.  "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

    best

    --Bruce

    Post edited by Tynkere on
  • 3Diva3Diva Posts: 11,287
    edited March 2019

    Hi, @Tynkere - They didn't tell me what the update is or what it does but according to the site Read Me it's a metadata update. I've downloaded the update and I don't see any difference in any of my presets or characters that use Altern8. So you should be safe to update.

    I guess @barbult has been talking with QA and asking for metadata changes: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/4414801/#Comment_4414801

    The Daz team does the metadata stuff, so that's out of my hands. As far as I can tell metadata only effects how Smart Content sees the files. So it shouldn't affect any of your characters that have Altern8 settings. :) And since downloading the update I've checked out several characters that I've saved with Altern8 settings and they all look normal.

    Post edited by 3Diva on
  • TynkereTynkere Posts: 834
    Divamakeup said:

    Hi, @Tynkere - They didn't tell me what the update is or what it does but according to the site Read Me it's a metadata update. I've downloaded the update and I don't see any difference in any of my presets or characters that use Altern8. So you should be safe to update.

    I guess @barbult has been talking with QA and asking for metadata changes: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/4414801/#Comment_4414801

    The Daz team does the metadata stuff, so that's out of my hands. As far as I can tell metadata only effects how Smart Content sees the files. So it shouldn't affect any of your characters that have Altern8 settings. :) And since downloading the update I've checked out several characters that I've saved with Altern8 settings and they all look normal.

    Thanks for reply.  In doing search for update, I missed the Lee8 announcement.  Have to pick that one up.  ;)  Assume ‘no mats’ could be used on Owen?  

    Anyway, not sure how metadata would mess with ones ones already created, but it was after a double whammy.  Win-10 update + DAZ tech spt (interestingly) having me export/import metadata via ‘Smart Content’

    Lot of trouble but in worst case, complete Windows restore rather than restore point.

    Will let know how update goes.  Great product and good to know you support it here at the forums!

    best

    --Bruce

  • 3Diva3Diva Posts: 11,287
    edited March 2019
    Tynkere said:
    Divamakeup said:

    Hi, @Tynkere - They didn't tell me what the update is or what it does but according to the site Read Me it's a metadata update. I've downloaded the update and I don't see any difference in any of my presets or characters that use Altern8. So you should be safe to update.

    I guess @barbult has been talking with QA and asking for metadata changes: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/4414801/#Comment_4414801

    The Daz team does the metadata stuff, so that's out of my hands. As far as I can tell metadata only effects how Smart Content sees the files. So it shouldn't affect any of your characters that have Altern8 settings. :) And since downloading the update I've checked out several characters that I've saved with Altern8 settings and they all look normal.

    Thanks for reply.  In doing search for update, I missed the Lee8 announcement.  Have to pick that one up.  ;)  Assume ‘no mats’ could be used on Owen?  

    Anyway, not sure how metadata would mess with ones ones already created, but it was after a double whammy.  Win-10 update + DAZ tech spt (interestingly) having me export/import metadata via ‘Smart Content’

    Lot of trouble but in worst case, complete Windows restore rather than restore point.

    Will let know how update goes.  Great product and good to know you support it here at the forums!

    best

    --Bruce

    Thanks, Bruce. :) Altern8 Lee 8 doesn't have any "no maps" settings like the original Altern8, but I did include several skin shaders with Altern8 Lee 8 that can be used on other Genesis 8 and Genesis 3 characters (7 base skin shaders, 15 skin shine shaders, and 12 SSS Tint shaders).

    I'm sorry you're having issues after the windows update, I read on the forum there was someone else who was having issues after the update as well, though I don't know if it's related to the issues you've been experiencing.

    Let me know how the update goes. Hopefully it goes smoothly - it went smoothly for me and I've not had anyone else tell me that it messed anything up, so it should be safe. *crosses fingers*

    Post edited by 3Diva on
  • SixDsSixDs Posts: 2,384

    Glad that I came across this thread. I don't use Smart Content, so I don't need the metadata, so I don't need the update. Thanks for the thread Tynkere and the clarification, Diva.

  • TynkereTynkere Posts: 834

    Happy to report all is well after update.  Guess it just had me a little nervous because tweaking eight characters with Altern and other products (body & face morphs, eyes, teeth, etc) took a *long* time.  Was *not* looking forward to having to go through that again, even if had saved most settings & took notes. 

    Thanks again for replies @Divamakeup, and best wishes on your products!

    --Bruce

    PS: I don't use smart content that much either.  Probably need to learn how to organize/add to it.  Use a spreadsheet to try to keep track of things.  Only have 900+  Can't imagine how people deal with thousands!    : 0 !

     

  • 3Diva3Diva Posts: 11,287
    edited March 2019
    Tynkere said:

    Happy to report all is well after update.  Guess it just had me a little nervous because tweaking eight characters with Altern and other products (body & face morphs, eyes, teeth, etc) took a *long* time.  Was *not* looking forward to having to go through that again, even if had saved most settings & took notes. 

    Thanks again for replies @Divamakeup, and best wishes on your products!

    --Bruce

    PS: I don't use smart content that much either.  Probably need to learn how to organize/add to it.  Use a spreadsheet to try to keep track of things.  Only have 900+  Can't imagine how people deal with thousands!    : 0 !

     

    Yay! I'm glad to hear that it went smoothly! :) 

    As for organizing, have you tried Custom Categories? Creating Custom Categories in Daz Studio is a hugely helpful way to organize and find your products, imo. laugh

    Post edited by 3Diva on
  • SixDsSixDs Posts: 2,384

    "Can't imagine how people deal with thousands"

    1. Bigger spreadsheets

    2. More and different spreadsheets

    laugh

    Actually, I'm not kidding. I have a master spreadsheet for free items, and another for purchased items. The free item one currently has well over 14,000 rows, with a backlog of entries that still need to be added, and the purchased items one is more-or-less up-to-date with only a little over 2800 rows. Then I have my sliced and diced spreadsheets that include both free and purchased items based on various categories for use when I don't want to wade through the big sheets. So I have sheets that are figure-specific, sheets that are for characters, sheets that are for clothing, for hair, etc. etc. All because there is absolutely no way that I'm going to actually place all that stuff in my content library at once, so it helps me know what I have and where to find it if needed on my file server.

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