Daz 4.5 no longer creating categories......

TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0

Not sure what has happened. I have been using the new Daz for a week or so now and everything was fine, but this morning suddenly, when I try to categorize my usual new products, it's simply not happening. It let's me follow the usual process but the items are not showing up in the new categories. Any idea what could cause this sudden change?

Comments

  • adamr001adamr001 Posts: 1,322
    edited December 1969

    I've run into this issue before. Ultimately it boils down to a database corruption but don't get too worried. It's recoverable. :)


    Here's what I did.

    Process 1: Data Security aka backup the databases.
    Close DAZ Studio.
    Stop the DAZ Content Management Service
    Backup your databases folder. (Just copy the whole folder to a new location).
    Restart the DAZ Content Management Service.

    Process 2: Exporting User Data
    Start DAZ Studio.
    On the Content tab go to the context menu at the top corner and select Content DB Maintenance.
    Check the next to last checkbox "Export User Data".
    Wait patiently. This process can take a LONG time. (it took my system almost 2 hours) and DAZ Studio can appear as if it is "not responding". Just leave it alone until it finishes.
    Exit DAZ Studio

    Process 3: Scary time!
    Make sure DAZ Studio isn't running.
    Stop the DAZ Content Management Service
    Delete the contents of the databases folder. @_@ Yes, that's right. Nuke it from orbit. kaput! Delete, gone. ^_^
    Start the DAZ Content Management Service. (You'll note that it recreates several files in the databases folder).
    Start DAZ Studio.
    It will prompt you to import metadata and you'll note it will also mention "User Files" in the list. Make sure those are checked.
    Let the import process run (it'll run about as long as it took the export to run, maybe a little longer).
    Breathe a sigh of relief as you note that almost everything appears normal.
    Scan Known Directories for Files.
    Breathe a sigh of frustration as you realize that, yes, some stuff didn't make it. This is the stuff where the corruption was (for me it was an entire tree of stuff).
    Recategorize and go.

    Process 4:
    Make regular backups of your DAZ CMS databases. ;)

  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Thank you so much. Scarey stuff but assuming it's all very doable. :)

  • adamr001adamr001 Posts: 1,322
    edited December 1969

    Yup, just have to be patient and careful. :)

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,049
    edited December 1969

    Export User Data only took 22 seconds for me. Does that mean I don't have much content, or I did something wrong? It also didn't tell me anything about where that user data export is stored. Do you know, Adam?

  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Ok one thing, umm where is the database folder?

  • cridgitcridgit Posts: 1,757
    edited May 2022

    Redacted

    Post edited by cridgit on
  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Thank you Cridgit

  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Hmm except I go to that folder.. and it's under it I do not see database under content management service

  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Found it but was in a strange place... Think Program Data rather than Program Files? Anyway, proceeding with export now. Is indeed going to take some time. Thanks all. :)

  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Ok things went mostly well except for when it got to the user files themselves. Then the program hung up and became unresponsive. Could the user files themselves be corrupted. I noticed a goodly portion of my categories are missing? Is there a way to just import in the user data files? Thanks again for the help :)

  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    All fixed, patience was the key Thank you so much. :)

  • adamr001adamr001 Posts: 1,322
    edited September 2012

    Re: 22 seconds: You may not have much in the way of custom data. My custom data was spread across 3 user files totaling 66.5MB in size. ^_^;;

    Re: Where it puts userdata: It puts it in the runtime\support folder of the first listed DAZ Studio Content library. For most people that'll be ~\My Library\Runtime\Support\ The files will be named "UserData_#.dsx" where # = 1,2,3, etc. Each UserData_#.dsx file will fill to approximately 30MB in size if it's full (650k lines long) before thee next UserData_#.dsx file is generated.

    Re: Location: %ProgramData%\DAZ 3D\Content Management Service\databases\ will be the default location for the databases folder on a Windows Vista/Windows 7 machine.
    On OSX: it's going to be /Users//Documents/DAZ 3D/CMS/databases/

    Re: Unresponsive. I tried to warn ya. ;)

    Post edited by adamr001 on
  • TinaLouiseCTinaLouiseC Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    LOl true, luckily remembering that saved my tush. Thank you so much :)

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,049
    edited December 1969

    adamr001 said:
    Re: 22 seconds: You may not have much in the way of custom data. My custom data was spread across 3 user files totaling 66.5MB in size. ^_^;;

    Re: Where it puts userdata: It puts it in the runtime\support folder of the first listed DAZ Studio Content library. For most people that'll be ~\My Library\Runtime\Support\ The files will be named "UserData_#.dsx" where # = 1,2,3, etc. Each UserData_#.dsx file will fill to approximately 30MB in size if it's full (650k lines long) before thee next UserData_#.dsx file is generated.

    Re: Location: %ProgramData%\DAZ 3D\Content Management Service\databases\ will be the default location for the databases folder on a Windows Vista/Windows 7 machine.
    On OSX: it's going to be /Users//Documents/DAZ 3D/CMS/databases/

    Re: Unresponsive. I tried to warn ya. ;)


    Thanks. My UserData is a single file less that 2 MB. It seems like I've created/modified a lot of metadata, but I guess that is all relative! I don't have lots of content yet. I've only been at this for a few months.
  • PendraiaPendraia Posts: 3,591
    edited December 1969

    adamr001 said:

    Process 4:
    Make regular backups of your DAZ CMS databases. ;)

    Having just run into problems with the cms myself(unfortunately your process didn't help as I couldn't get the cms to restart) and finally just gotten it working again...it strikes me that we need a thread in the beginners forum that details for new users the housekeeping they should be doing in order to not lose their database like I just did. Maybe a simple thread outlining what they should be backing up regularly and how...

    cheers

    Pen

  • White RabbitWhite Rabbit Posts: 231
    edited December 1969

    I stumbled upon this awesome information and will also be using it on my own DAZ CMS database as I have corruption according to the logfile.

    Thanks a million!
    :-)

  • White RabbitWhite Rabbit Posts: 231
    edited December 1969

    I just performed all the processes as detailed, and everything is looking great! Its fixed a lot of issues I was having such as the Smart Content not working and the Duplicate ID errors I was getting, thanks!

    One problem I still get though is related to the Genesis characters. When I load up Genesis, I get a popup error message saying, "Duplicate Formulas Found in Files. Make sure that the content is properly installed. See the log file for more details."

    Hmmm... as far as I can tell the content is properly installed? The log file is super-huge, and I can't really see anything that I can interpret as a problem? If I accept the error dialog box, the Genesis character finishes loading, but this needs to be fixed I am sure. Does anyone know how to fix this error please?

    Also, is it okay to delete the log file so it can start afresh? This might make it easier to see the errors if there are any?

    Any help would be very much appreciated!

    :-)

    Thank you.

  • adamr001adamr001 Posts: 1,322
    edited December 1969

    Duplicate formulas found refers to an error in the actual genesis morph data. There were a series of early products (including the original gen4 characters for genesis as well as a few other products). These products must be *uninstalled* and then the new current version installed.

    If you look at your DAZ Studio log, you can generally see which product is responsible...

    However, there's a nice wiki page on the DAZ Documentation site which lists them all and how to fix them. ;)

    http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/artzone/pub/software/duplicateformulaerror/start

  • adamr001adamr001 Posts: 1,322
    edited December 1969

    Oh, also, glad the process worked for the rest of your errors. :)

  • White RabbitWhite Rabbit Posts: 231
    edited December 1969

    Perfect! Thanks again. I am going to try that now.

  • linvanchenelinvanchene Posts: 1,303
    edited December 1969

    Thx Adam.
    I run into this problem and was following all suggestions and could not solve until I realized that I seem to have several databases location on my system:

    C:\ProgramData\DAZ 3D\Content Management Service\databases

    and

    C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\Content Management Service\databases

    Maybe the 2nd location is a leftover of an earlier studio version?

    - - -

    I followed the steps and manually deleted the files also in

    C:\ProgramData\DAZ 3D\Content Management Service\databases

    After reseting the database and reimporting the metadata everything seems to be working again.

  • adamr001adamr001 Posts: 1,322
    edited December 1969

    Yeah, the one in Program Files is not accurate for any current version of DS4.

  • MKeyesMKeyes Posts: 466
    edited December 1969

    Oh boy, I'm doing it... but so far, my database has gone over 8 GB heading for the recycle bin... real scary!

  • Bruno AcciolyBruno Accioly Posts: 22
    edited December 1969

    Ok...
    After all my hair became white I came across this thread.

    What I did was:
    0) Deleted all my content but Genesis Essentials;
    1) Open Windows Explorer;
    2) Made the Program Data folder visible (it is hidden by default);
    3) Entered Program Data/DAZ 3D/Content Manager
    4) Tried to delete the database folder (couldn't do it because the service was up and running);
    5) Killed the DAZ Content Manager service;
    6) Deleted the database folder (if there is more than one kill them both);
    7) Started the DAZ Content Manager service;
    8) Installed all my content again with DAZ Install Manager;
    9) Humbly looked up to Heaven and asked for mercy (this is important);
    10) Started DAZ Studio;

    Yes... it worked...
    Maybe it did because the 9th step (do it even in case of atheism).

    Have fun!

  • a_s_lorda_s_lord Posts: 33
    edited December 1969

    Pendraia said:
    adamr001 said:

    Process 4:
    Make regular backups of your DAZ CMS databases. ;)

    Having just run into problems with the cms myself(unfortunately your process didn't help as I couldn't get the cms to restart) and finally just gotten it working again...it strikes me that we need a thread in the beginners forum that details for new users the housekeeping they should be doing in order to not lose their database like I just did. Maybe a simple thread outlining what they should be backing up regularly and how...

    cheers

    Pen


    Thanks, this tread saved my noggin! A whole thread on the database would be useful (I'm too much of a noob to do that). Had CMS problems a few times so did some experimentation to see how backup worked. Perhaps a quick post here would be on-topic.

    The 'Content Library' tab' s context menu item 'Content DB Maintenance...' opens a 'Content Database Maintenance' dialogue and can be used for backing up and retrieving your 'Categories' which the database thinks of as 'User Data'.

    So,
    'Export User Data' check-box generates the Categories that you defined.
    'Reset Database' gets rid of all your categories
    'Re-Import Meatadata' re-loads your categories from 'User Data'. It opens another dialog with loads of check-boxes; make sure User-Data is selected.

    I can't find any automated backup options here so copying the folder (which could be hidden in ProgramData), as described in an earlier post might be the easy bet.

  • ssllavssllav Posts: 12
    edited December 1969

    In my case, the reference is simply not displayed.
    In the last version Daz Studio and CMS this not work.

    The steps described in the previous posts are correct.
    But in the latest version of CMS works differently:

    In installed by default:
    CMS creates a folder named "database" in which files are created with names:
    ContentDB.blb
    ContentDB.dat
    ContentDB.ind
    ContentDB.vdb
    master.vdb

    But if the folder was deleted and you re-start service and program, then there will be other names witout database folder, is:
    databasesContentDB.blb
    databasesContentDB.dat
    databasesContentDB.ind
    databasesContentDB.vdb
    databasesmaster.vdb

    Renaming files does not help.
    Folder categories stubbornly refused to show labels.
    Re-import User Data held for 5-10 minutes, but the program, not see links, and after the next restart CMS service, category becomes empty again.
    And of course, after restarting the computer, all folders and categories in Daz disappeared.

    In the end, after a couple of hours of playing with the program and restart the service did so:
    1) Remove replace the old folder database. - Restart CMS. (you can try save old database folder, but this may not work. In my case, the reference is simply not displayed. Folders were created, but left empty.)
    2) Run the DAZ and checked to Default category has been created in the Categories.
    3) Create categories and put in them links to the files.
    4) Export User DB
    5) Close Daz and Stop CMS
    6) Create or replace back folder with name "database".
    7) Run CMS and Daz
    8) Re-import User Data

    Let me remind you that the base at the time remained in the new files to the second variant.

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