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2 computers 1 shared hdd

viluvuluviluvulu Posts: 72
in Daz Studio Discussion

I have 2 computers and was wondering if it would be possible to use 1 hdd, like a external one to share my content libraries on both computers?

Would there also be a way of cloning both the daz installs to show exactly the same content, even same scenes I'm working on?

 

Does Daz software have any settings for this? Or would I have to use cloning softwares and other types of headaches? :)

Comments

  • areg5areg5 Posts: 617

    What I did in my rigs is put duplicate DAZ libraries in each, which is certainly possible.  Basically copy My Daz Library and whatever runtimes you have to each computer.  Make sure in preferences the order of the libraries is identical in both rigs in content management.  My rendering computer is networked with the setup computer, and pulls the scene files from a shared folder.  I use ManFriday's render que.  It all runs fine. I imagine it is doable using an external drive, but I like redundency.

  • viluvuluviluvulu Posts: 72

    Thanks!
    If I would use an external hdd how would I set it up to run when needed?

    It seems a bit wasteful to have it in 1 computer if you always don't use both computers. Some routers have a usb port, could I wire it to the router?

  • areg5areg5 Posts: 617

    I've never done it. but you can try connecting the HD with the daz libraries up to one of the computers.  Then you need to set it up in the content mamger under preferences to that daz knows that is where the libraries are.  Make sure it works with the comp[tuer it's connected to.  Then you go to the second computer and open daz.  In the content manager there you do the same thing, point Daz to it, but you have to make usre that the 2 computers are proprerly networked, and many times you need to either turn off or adjust the Windows Firewall to let it go through.  Sometimes anivirus programs like Avast can also hold it up.  But it should work with some tweaking, I think.

    As for wiring it to a router, it depends on the router.  You may be able to set it up as an independent resource that way and have both computers network to it. I just thought it was more straight forward putting the library on both computers.  I also have it on my laptop.

  • LeanaLeana Posts: 11,026

    You can definitely have content on an external drive that you use on multiple computers, you simply have to point DS to the content libraries on that drive, and make sure the first DS content directory listed is on the drive so DS writes the data files there when saving a scene.
    Where it becomes a bit trickier is if you want to use Smart Content, or if you want to be able to install with DIM from any of those computers and have DIM automatically know what's already installed, as that means changing some other settings so that some of the technical folders used by the CMS and DIM are also on your external drive. Is that something you would want to do?

  • DrunkMonkeyProductionsDrunkMonkeyProductions Posts: 857

    It's actually way easier than you might think.

    All you'd need do is "Share" the drive on the network and map the drive in CDM(content directory manager) on both systems.

     

    Right click the drive, select "Sharing" tab, and click either the Share or Advanced sharing tab.

    You might need to adjust Permissions and Security settings, depending on O.S. and account type.

    Access the drive from the secondary computer, Explorer bar: \\(computername).

    Right click the shared drive and "map network drive", set the drive to the same letter as in the primary system.

     

    For mapping in CDM, you only need to map on one computer and then copy the ContentDirectoryManager.dsx file to the secondary.

    (user>appdata>roaming>Daz 3d>Studio4)

     

    For you assets themselves, you can either copy the My library folder over to it, or uninstall and reinstall to the new drive.

    If you've used DIM/Daz connect, i'd recommend the uninstall/install method.

     

    For saving options, save a file of the particular type to the new drive, and the subsequent saves will rediret to the new drive automatically.

    If you have any custom layouts, or other customizations, you may want to copy the entire contents of the Users>(name)>appdata>Roaming>Daz 3D>Studio4 over to the secondary computer.

     

     

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  • viluvuluviluvulu Posts: 72

    Thanks guys and thanks for the image guide! yes

     

    I haven't used Daz for a while now and have forgotten what things are called but I like to do everything manually. So instead of using the automatic install program I just download the zip and exctact it into my content folders. Then create new folders inside Daz and point the new content into those. That way I'm doing all the sorting in a way that don't confuse me lol

    Now I just need to find som type of switch that can connect my screen, mouse and keyboard to both computers. And a huge external drive.

    I'm also hoping to discover a way to grow money laugh

     

  • TheKDTheKD Posts: 2,674

    Sounds like what you want is a KVM switch, there are tons of those for sale. I was actually looking into grabbing one myself, never ended up getting yet though. I built my desk large enough for two monitors, and my keyboard draw is large enough for 2 keyboards, 2 mouses and my wacom.

  • BlueSiriusBlueSirius Posts: 86

    There is also another good option:

    https://www.sharecg.com/v/91237/browse/8/Script/Daz3D-Scene-exporter-Standalone

    Once i used to copy my entire content library to my 2nd machine and I viewed it as a backup. But it got slower and slower as the thing crept up in size.

    With the above script thanks to MCphylyss I'm refining my 2nd machine to a lean build of just assets that I used in scenes. 

  • DrunkMonkeyProductionsDrunkMonkeyProductions Posts: 857
    TheKD said:

    Sounds like what you want is a KVM switch, there are tons of those for sale. I was actually looking into grabbing one myself, never ended up getting yet though. I built my desk large enough for two monitors, and my keyboard draw is large enough for 2 keyboards, 2 mouses and my wacom.

    As an alternative to a KVM(Keybaord Video Mouse) switch, you can use remote management software, such as TightVNC.

    I'd recommend it less for working in DS and more for monitoring final renders and making minor adjustments due to the lag in response time that it can have.

     

  • CypherFOXCypherFOX Posts: 3,401

    Greetings,

    Use Synergy.  It's magic.  Not affiliated, just been using them for...a really long time.  And it really is like magic, after you get it set up.  Mac <-> Windows <-> Linux all as one stream of screens, sliding your mouse between, copy-and-pasting from one to the other.

    I also share a NAS between machines, but it's a lot harder because DAZ's DIM doesn't behave well between OS's. :(  It writes the parent directory to certain places, so some things are installed with /Volumes/Runtimes/My Library and others are installed with D:\My Library

    Wish it was smarter about that...  If both of your machines are the same OS, if you keep it mounted to the same location on both it should work fine.

    --  Morgan

     

  • TheKDTheKD Posts: 2,674

    I don't get it, how do you control more than one computer with the mouse and keyboard only plugged into one of them? It sounds like magic indeed lol

     

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