Can you provide insights into a better installation strategy?
Ron Knights
Posts: 2,501
I'm back to using DIM to install my content. But I have a hard time finding stuff if it's installed in PA folders, etc.
In the past I've copied the DIM default installation and then reorganized content to my liking.
That results in using up more hard drive space, and confusing things.
For awnile I copied the "facing" files and reorganized them to my liking.
But that practice breaks any possibility of autmatically incorporating any fixes for the content.
I tried using a "shortcut" function on my file manager. But that doesn't appear to work the way I'd like.
Is there an option within DAZ Studio which allows me to create "shortcuts" to my content?
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I literally categorize every single thing in Daz studio both from the daz store and from other stores. It doesn't break any links and everything updates as needed. I have a short thing on how I do that in this thread about halfway down the page. https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/65818/ice-dragon-art-wip-s/p18. ; I also have a tutorial in the daz store but you can probably get the gist from my forum thread.
I can find anything in my library in less than 10 seconds.
I skimmed through your information. I got easily distracted by the rest of the conversation.
Are you saying i can accomplish my organization goal if I categorize all my content?
Does all my content need to be in one large "installation" folder? Ex: Genesis, or can I have different installs.
For example, right now I have one install for Genesis and another for "DAZ Rest" (all the rest of the DAZ content).
The beauty of the way that I do is that you can do whatever you want in how you organize. I dont move any core files I make category files. For instance. I have each generation of Genesis and under each generation I have characters, clothing, poses, hair etc etc. and then I further break them down in to say, long hair, short hair, updo's. I also have jewelry, further broken down into necklaces, earrings etc.
Let me grab a screen shot of what I currently have for one of them
I've done this for every generation as well as animals, environments vehicle anything you can think of to categorize. And you can put things in multiple categories.
Thanks. I just finished a major reinstall of all my content. It took about two days. Weird.
This will be a great chance to start organizing without messing up the original install.
What does I make category files mean? Outside of Daz? Within Daz?
You make the Categories within DAZ Studio,
In the Content Library there is a section called Categories.
I'm having such fun now. This is such a good way to handle anything. I won't delete things by mistake.
I have far too many products to categorize them by hand. I was hoping files meant files that could be edited directly. Adding one folder at a time to 10 different categories across a thousand products is madness.
I thought things were going well. They weren't.
I created some categories from items such as "eyebrows," the folder itself appears, but not the content of the folder.
And other items show up just fine. What am I doing wrong?
I have a strange feeling of deja vu.
I noticed that the results of creating categories was sporadic and unpredictable.
I switched to DAZ Studio 2026 Beta, and so far everything seems to work fine.
Everyone has his or her own needs/ways to find content.
Most products from the DAZ3D store install via DIM with categories assigned. Changing some of the categories is difficult/not easily possible depending on how the vendor created the categories. Of course, you can always categorize an item into more than one category, if desired.
When I install content, I also look to see if there are any keywords that I can add to a product that will make it easier to find via a keyword search. For example, I may add the keyword room or building to an item if the word room or building is not in the name of the product. Then, the keyword search key::room or keyword::building will everything with the keyword used. One of the keywords that I most often is “scifi” which I add to products that may be named “sci fi”, sci-fi” since they won’t show up in a named search for scifi.
I prefer to work from the directory structure on the Content Library.
I have the People folder, and under that are folders for the different generations of Genesis characters, etc.
For the most part, the default installation from DIM works.
I have problems when the content diverges off to weird categories, goes into PA folders, etc.
I created my own database and my own categories, based on the ideal organizaton of the Content Library.
I am not moving any files. I simply have a system that allows me to create links back to each item. And yes, I did my entire 4 tb library by hand. It was worth it, in the fact that the time I save when actually working on a project is more than the time it took me to actually set everything up.
I have both the 4.24 and the Alpha 2026 and I only have to do the categories in one of them, it shows up in both. In real time lol.
When I have a spare second I will write out how I physically create the categories and how to add items to them quickly. I am working two jobs until tax season is over but I will do it as quickly as I can.
I recently decided to do a total reinstall, using DIM. Then I decided not to move any files.
That's why I use Categories now. My categories are really simple.
For example, I have one clothes category for every generation of character.
I don't bother breaking up into various categories of clothing, etc.
My organization is done. Now I will have fun.
Glad its working for you!
Unfortunately, I noticed many installed items did not show up in the Content Library.
I checked to be sure they were actually installed. I tried to copy the original files into the DAZ Originals folder. The files were already there.
So now I'm reinstalling everything. This time everything gets installed into the same folder. That should eliminate confusion.
By the way I tried watching tutorial videos on YouTube. I got nothing from them.
A few just rambled on, rather than getting to the point. One or two had didn't have any clear view of the screens.
I just got done reinstalling all my content again. Then I re-imported all my metadata.
Perhaps I should have done that first? Maybe the metadata was outdated because I had installed and uninstalled so much content?
I can find all my content now. So I can go back and redo Categories.
Yeah sometimes daz loses stuff..