Help with missing content
mythos_20
Posts: 5
Newbie here looking for help!
After a catastrophic BSOD on windows 10 while working on DAZ, I found out that my windows user profile was corrupted. After trying many things, I had to create a new user profile for windows and copy paste there the files from the previous (corrupted) user profile. I thought I had transfered everything, but when I started DAZ 4.12, only some of my previously installed content appears in my smart content pane.
I then went to DIM and changed the Content Database Base to the new location under the new windows profile. Then I did the same thing in DAZ by right clicking on the Content Library tab and choosing Content Directory Manager and editing the CMS cluster directory. There were still missing entries in the smart content tab.
I also did a Scan known directories for files, which found a looooong list of files form the old windows user profile (I haven't deleted it yet, but will do very soon). The problem is that the smart content tab still shows fewer items than it should.
I don't know where else to look for installed products, since the only thing that changed was the windows user profile. I didn't re-install windows, I didn't change any of the directories from before, so it should have been a simple edit in the DIM installation tab for the content database base directory and an edit in the content directory manager. Clearly I'm missing something or the BSOD in windows affected something more than just the user profile.
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Comments
Had you installed content with Daz Connect (that is, from within DS)?
Mostly through DAZ Install Manager. Not sure if it's the same thing. Like I said, newbie here :/
EDIT: So I tried a few things here and there and it turns out that the culprit for not showing all my items could be either: 1) the Filter by Context tick box (I have a love and hate relationship with it), or the original scan known directories for files didn't pick up everything the first time (!!).
The problem now, however, is that I don't know if I managed to get my missing assets because of the Filter by context option or because of the second scan. If it's the latter, then if I delete my corrupted windows user profile, I will lose them again.
What should I do?
I wouldn't use Smart Content, I'd use the Products list in the Content Library pane.
Content Library is not the most helpful feature. For me at least. I've seen a lot of tutorials about Daz where people use that, but the lack of straightforward categories there like in Smart Content makes me stay away from it as far as possible. I think smart content is one of the best features in Daz.
Anyway, do you think that I will once again lose the content I was missing earlier if I delete the corrupted windows user profile (where the scan known directories found a long list of assets) or were the missing assets due to the tick box for filter by context?
Since I copied everything from the old and corrupted windows user folder, I should have gotten all the Daz assets, right?
The Content Library pane will show all properly installed contentthat is in properly mapped libraries so it is the most useful feature when trouble shooting content problems.
DS can be kinfd of screwy when you manage to break the database (which I do a lot)
if you are in the Content tab, in the arrow-and-line dropdown menu is ' Content DB Maintenance' . Inside it is 'Export user data' and 'Reimport metadata'
In theory if you run the second option 'reimport metdata' it will locate the files buried in... I want to say Support? its been a while, and reload in everything to the database from that information. Hopefully.
Ideally before migrating a DS content library you would run ' export user data' thus making certain it has a nice fresh list to reload from.
Incidentally ... if you like and use Smart Content but are frustrated by its limitations, check out this very useful product by ManFriday https://www.daz3d.com/turbo-content
LM
/Runtime/Support is where the metadata files, including the UserData, live. Note that resetting the database and reimporting metadata will lose track of any content installed through Connect (within DS), though the files will still be in the Connect data library and DS should need only to compare them with those on the server (without a full download) to reinstall.
I understand that and I use it to make a non-Daz installed freebie to appear in the Smart Content, under its proper category. It's the lack of categories (Lights, Shaders, Figures etc) that keeps me from using it exclusively.
The thing is, I never migrated the database. Not to my knowledge, at least. Unless of course the database is found in the Windows User Profile folder (c:/users/[WINDOWS USER PROFILE NAME HERE]/...). If that's the case, then this is what I have to do to ensure I will once again have all my assets appear in the Smart Content even after I delete the old and corrupted windows user profile folder.
Is this the case though?