Why is there an update in DIM for ColorWerks Hair Shaders for Iray?

FrankTheTank

I just noticed a new update in DIM for ColorWerks Hair Shaders for Iray. But the PA passed away some time ago, and the product has worked flawlessly for me for years. I don't see any update mentioned in the readme file. Can anyone tell me what the update is for? I am hesitant to apply an update that could potentially change all the previously applied textures to my characters without knowing what the update addresses. 

TykeyStudios

I know that no matter what, when trying to install it, it freezes DIM. I have to close DIM in the Windows task manager. I finally hid it from view.

frank0314

It's probably just either a metadata update or a compatibility update. IDK exactly.

FrankTheTank

Not worth the risk of updating then. I don't even use smart content.

ChangelingChick

I was the one that did the update. There were some under the hood issues, and some problems that came up with the overlay mask presets with an update to iray a couple years ago. When it came up, he'd already started stepping away from 3D. If you don't have any problems with it, don't update (or backup your files before you do).

I'm not sure why it was freezing DIM for you. I didn't have a problem installing the files once they were packed up.

xyer0

It froze DIM for me too. I ended up having to uninstall the product, and now it won't install. I didn't put in a support ticket because tech support is like Vanilla Sky here.

IceCrMn

I'm not having any issues either.

I assume the freezing some are experiencing is from the decompression part of the install.

Colorwerks doesn't stall my DIM but the MMX Hair Textures product does while it decompresses all 23 archives, many of them are several GB in size.

 

I'd just wait it out and see if it installs.

I can post renders if anyone needs them.

Seems to be working just fine for me though.

memcneil70

If I remember correctly, I had a group of updates the day of that release. I had the last two, including it, going through and both downloaded, but another one stuck at like 99% installed for maybe 15 minutes when I forced DIM to quit. When I started it again, that product popped right into installed and the Werks package went through without issue.

But I am noticing more issues with downloading in the past year that makes me monitor DIM and sometimes only download and install one item at a time. Especially if an item is over 500 Mbs, much less 1 or 2 Gbs.

FrankTheTank

ChangelingChick said:

I was the one that did the update. There were some under the hood issues, and some problems that came up with the overlay mask presets with an update to iray a couple years ago. When it came up, he'd already started stepping away from 3D. If you don't have any problems with it, don't update (or backup your files before you do).

I'm not sure why it was freezing DIM for you. I didn't have a problem installing the files once they were packed up.

Thank you very much for the explanation. I'll take your suggestion, and uninstall and save the old DIM first just in case. I am curious to see how masks behave with the update.