The installation from hell ...
Pascal Comics
Posts: 137
Yesterday, my hard drive died and believe me, that's the kindest thing that happened to me in this horror story. I replaced the C: drive. Went well. I had backups of all my computer data so all I needed to do was re-install my apps. No problem until I got to Daz. I figured a fresh new install of Daz 4.9 right from the main Daz site would be a smart thing to do. I clicked on the 'Get Started' button and I got goose bumps from the excitement I was feeling from a potential fresh install. The click sent me to the Install Manager. No other choices. So I clicked on that and it made me sign into my account and then the nightmare began. Before my very eyes, the install manager opened and started downloading stuff. Not only the main program but all my content too. All the tabs were busy downloading stuff. There were content queues on every tab and I sat there numb and started to panic. There was no chance to tell Daz into which folders I wanted the content installed. I was sweating and getting heart palpitations and still the stuff came. I tried to intervene while all this was happening and told the database where I wanted the content installed and it told me I did something bad and I almost passed out. I clicked on the Daz program desktop shortcut while all this was happening and Daz opened and the layout was all dark and I tried to select the Hollywood theme where the interface looks chunky with big letters and lots of white areas like a Fisher-Price toy but the preview was still all dark grays with black lettering and it was impossible to read anything. Frankly, I didn't have a clue what was happening or why. I sat there watching the busy monitor feeling traumatized. I shut off the computer and did a System Restore. I LOVE SYSTEM RESTORE! So I'm ready to try again. Here's the behaviour I'm expecting:
1. Download Daz 4.9
2. Tell it where I want content installed
3. Download Install Manager
4. Install my content
Is this too much to ask? Please let me know how to do this. Maybe I should have downloaded 4.9 from my account but I'm afraid to try anything else until I get some help. TIA for any tips.
Brian
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Comments
Go to your product library, download the manual DAZ Studio program, then get the standalone DIM (there's a link at the bottom of the product page). Install both of those. That will enable you to pick and choose where things go.
OK, Simon, that's what I'll do. I created another System Restore point so I should be ok if the installation goes haywire. Thanks.
Brian
Once you have DIM installed make sure it and DS both know where content lives, then you can download/install as you wish. If you have enough backup media I'd suggest opting to not delete after install (a DIM option), then once done move the files from download location to backup media.
As I've said for years. "The problem with smart machines is that you sometimes, in order to avoid disaster, have to be smarter than they are.
Daz 4.9 installed OK and I told it where to install content. It's an internal SSD disk not on C:\ . When I installed DIM, it got busy immediately and locked me out from doing anything about settings. It's showing me all my content but that's it. We'll see what happens after it becomes non-busy.
You should have been able to clear the queue using a button at the bottom of DIM, then stop current downloads (which would be the only ones left) by clicking the x button next to them. My unerstanding was that this would happen only with new accounts that had opted to download DS (so it would automate the process) - since that doesn't apply to you I would ask that you open a support ticket to see if that might be a bug.
What is sorely lacking is an understanding as to what Daz is currently doing during the installation. Some simple pop-ups during the installation that says "Daz is now doing this or that ... " would be highly recommended. I can't imagine a new user or even an infrequent user not being struck dumb in how the installation is now being implemented. It could be maybe I'm getting too old for this. :-)
I have never experienced what you're describing, and I recently did a full reinstall of Windows and DAZ Studio on my laptop.
Well, the installation is over. All the content has been downloaded. Daz did NOT install the content where I told it to. Peeked in the folder and there was nothing there ... nada ... zilch. There's only a reference to that location in the database. All content went onto my c:\ drive under Users/Public/MyDocuments blah blah blah . Didn't really want it there. At least I know where everything is. Thanks for the input.
Brian
You need to set the installation location in DIM, too, not just in DS. Your installation went to the default location, it seems.
LOL!!! I'm sorry you're having trouble but I enjoyed your writing!! Thanks for sharing that
As mentioned above, you must tell DIM where to install content also...
1. Download DS 4.9 and install it
2. Tell DS where I want content located
3. Download DIM and install it
4. Tell DIM where I want content installed (same folders as step 2)
5. Install my content with DIM
DAZ needs to stop this recent automated crap, never let a stupid computer think for itself.
That's the problem. Once you sign into your account (and you MUST), DIM takes over your computer immediately and won't let you play with any settings until it's finished doing what it wants. I believe this behaviour is very new and those of you who have re-installed the software in the past may be in for a surprise the next time you try it. Then there's the triple EULA agreements you must "OK" giving Daz the right to go through your computer, find those treasure maps and diaries you've hidden and sell them to the highest bidder on ebay. (just fooling). Look, I can see this from the business side. You sell content and you want to lock it down. Understood. It's the implementation that sucks. There must be smoother and more subtle ways to do this. Locking the end user out of his/her own computer with no input or idea what's happening is not the way to go. But what do I know? Anyway, your Calais figure is stunning. I don't buy many characters, mostly props, but this was a beauty and I bought it when it first came out. Best to you.
Brian
(corrected quote - mod)Oh, I see... it's all so easy. Intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. It's just one more thing to know. I think I'll tackle my income taxes next.
I remember telephones that didn't even have a dial, just a crank.
It's all been downhill since then. 
(camel... straw... back)
You can start DIM, tick the 'work offline' box, and go into settings to make your changes. And I've never had DIM start downloading anything I hadn't explicitly tagged before clicking the 'start' button (and, as a matter of principle, I never check the 'install after downloading' box).
"You can start DIM, tick the 'work offline' box, and go into settings to make your changes. And I've never had DIM start downloading anything I hadn't explicitly tagged before clicking the 'start' button (and, as a matter of principle, I never check the 'install after downloading' box)."
Yes, this is correct but this thread is about the 'Install Routine'. As I said before, you may be in for a surprise if you have to re-install the software again. What's annoying is having the content dumped and locked to the C: drive upon installation and I say this because SSD drives are still expensive so you buy one with a smaller capacity and try to keep it free of content that should be on another drive like all other apps allow you to do. Anyway, maybe this is happening only to me through 'faulty user behaviour'.
Brian
Regardless of the DIM behaviour (and I still think it may be worth opening a support ticket as I don't think what you are reporting is how it is meant to work) if you want to avoid having things placed on your C: drive in future find the actual Documents (Photos, Videos etc.) folder in your C:\Users\You folder, right-click on it, select Properties, go to the Location tab and set the folder you want used as the default. DS and DIM would have respected that, other applications you install in future should respect it.
I'm still confused. I run the DIM installer, tell it where I want DIM installed, accept the agreement, and it installs. Then it fires up (because I left that box checked when I finished the install) - and it sits, with the login screen ready for me to log in - and I select 'work offline' instead, go into setup, and adjust my directories. I'm not seeing any automatic connect to store or download the world actions.
Me too; as I said in a previous post, I recently (less than two weeks ago, in fact) reinstalled DAZ Studio and DIM on my laptop and it did not try to download all of my content when I logged into it.
"I'm still confused."
I re-installed Daz 4.9 from my account. When I clicked on 'work offline' it would only install as Daz STANDARD . Only when I connected online, was I able to install Daz PRO. That's the way it was for me. I set the path for content to my other internal drive. Why in the world, after having done this, would I need to tell the content installer (DIM) where to put the files? Connected or offline. Do these two programs not talk to each other? Seems to me they have to. Anyway, I'm glad everyone else is happy with this install behaviour and feels it makes sense to them. Thank you all for your input.
Brian
It makes perfect sense, because that is how every software package I have ever installed on either Windows or Linux works; unless you explicitly tell an application where to look for the files, or where to install them, it will use the defaults provided by the developer.
They are two separate programs. DS (Daz Studio, don't just call it Daz because Daz is the company, Daz studio is the program) and DIM talk to the same database but they have independent options you must set. DIM is not just for DS, it is used for any content sold at Daz store and that can be Carrara, Bryce, Poser, Photoshop, etc.
If you want to use an installer that is integrated in DS then use Connect from within DS4.9 don't use DIM. :) eta: And if you do this, you must specify where you want Connect content to land too. I don't recall if that requires a special step... I've just had to deal with Windows onedrive and getting confused which one made me jump more hoops.
In any case, you have a valid point that the directory preference setting steps should be more obvious and explicit after installing these programs. :)
I'm on my desktop now and started up Studio to check... YES There is a special entry for Connect folder location specifically.
So IF you will use DS Connect, make sure you set that folder to your preference.
Here's the FAQ forum thread: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/65509/daz-connect-faq#latest
Here's how I have mine set.
And if you are already in session and chose to work offline, you can always get online by clicking Login.
Connect is more tightly integrated with DS than DIM, Connect is built into DS. So if you tend to buy from Daz 99% of the time only to use in DS (rather than other software like Poser, Carrara, etc) then Connect will probably better for you than DIM. :) Connect was a Big Deal in the DS4.9 upgrade... haha check out this marketing video (about a minute long)
deleted duplicate post
"DIM is not just for DS"
Good to know, April. It excuses some of DIM's behaviour but not all. How hard is it to get DIM to peek into the user's preferred content path set in Daz? But that's a moot point anyway if they're integrating Connect. Twenty years ago I used to eat this tech stuff up like candy. Nowadays, I just want a beer and doze off in front of the computer. Did I tell you that Calais was a beauty with that pale soft skin? Yes, I did. I just checked. Thanks for the input. I like you.
Brian
Goodluck with trying Connect! It's different again, the folder structure is weird if you're used to directly browsing files in the classic structure
I understand - I retired from a sysadmin position 7 years ago. It might help if I give you some of the background for DIM.
Pre-DIM you downloaded your purchase from the DAZ store - as a stand-alone installer. For each install you had to launch the installer, pick the target directory, accept the EULA, and click 'install'. The ONLY way to find out if a product had been updated was to re-download and re-install it. You got 4 downloads for any given product; if you needed more, you put in a support ticket and the support team enabled another 4 downloads. And the downloads did not resume if interrupted - you started over from scratch. Many people campaigned for zip files to replace the installers, and there was always someone asking if there could be an automated notification for updates.
DIM was designed to address all these issues (one of the most recent updates includes DIM installing product serial numbers when it installs the product - but you have to be online so DIM can access your serial numbers). But the developers did NOT want to take a chance on clobbering someone's carefully laid out directory structure, so they intentionally set DIM up with a different default directory . . .
I always look at where things will be installed - like I said, I'm a retired sysadmin - can you spell paranoid?
B-A-D S-E-C-T-O-R...
If you are off-line DIM cannot retrieve your serial number, so you get the basic version. If you recover your Pro serial number from your account (make sure it is the Pro one, if you had Advanced when that was a purchase option) you can enter it and have the Pro version installed off-line.