Character Cataloging

3Diva · June 2016

The Mission -

Catalog All My Characters

The Reason -

Since starting Daz Studio about 3 months ago (at the time of this post), I've acquired more characters than I thought possible. The vast majority of them are freebies I've found and the vast majority of them are ALL OVER THE PACE - because for the longest time I didn't know how to properly install freebies. This means that I have characters spread out over 100s of folders all over inside my Daz Studio files.

The Execution -

This is a personal project I'm starting - to catalog all my characters. I'm going through all my files and creating reference images for my characters as I find them. Nothing fancy, just really quick renders as soon as I find each character, to give me a visual reference for future use when deciding which characters/actors I want to use in my renders.

Once I find them all and create reference images I'll create a database of the characters in alphabetical order, but for now I'm posting them as I find them - so these will be posted in no particular order (or rather in order of discovery among my files).

The Goal -

This project's purpose is two fold:

1) to help me see what all characters I have, because I have no idea how many characters I have right now lol

2) to help me to NOT spend any more money for a while. I'm hoping that by seeing the sheer amount of characters I've amassed it will help curb my desire to buy more for now. lol

I'll be starting out with characters found in my "Smart Content" then adding the ones I find in my Content Library files and more as I dig deeper in my freebie and Poser files. So here we go, my first batch of characters. I'll be adding more as I find them.

Genesis 1

Genesis 2

Genesis 3

Genesis 1 - Riley

Genesis 2 - Lilith 6

Tako Yakida · June 2016

Ambitious project! Being organized is definitely helpful! Keep it up!

3Diva · June 2016

Genesis 2 - Meridiana

Genesis 3 - LY Ashlyn

Victoria 7

Victoria 4

Victoria 4 - Aiko 4

3Diva · June 2016

Tako Yakida said:

Ambitious project! Being organized is definitely helpful! Keep it up!

hahah Thanks! I think the mission will keep me busy for a while - which is great because hopefully that will keep me from spending more money. lol

3Diva · June 2016

Victoria 4 - Astrid for S4

Victoria 4 - Ami for A4

Victoria 4 - Alesia

Genesis 2 - Chloe

Victoria 4 - Bombshell Beauties Joanie

fastbike1 · June 2016

Be careful what you wish for. I keep a spreadsheet with all my products. I have 342 Human(oid) figures (doesn't count things like morph packs), and 22 "creatures".

IceDragonArt · June 2016

I'm afraid to look. I just got done rendering my Genesis girls now I am working my way through Gen 2 then Gen 3 then Victoria 4. Gen 2 and victoria 4 scare me the most. I lost track several months ago....

3Diva · June 2016

fastbike1 said:

Be careful what you wish for. I keep a spreadsheet with all my products. I have 342 Human(oid) figures (doesn't count things like morph packs), and 22 "creatures".

Hahah Well I hope I don't have THAT many. I've only been doing 3D art for about 3 months. But I think it will be more than I expect. I went a little freebie character crazy when I first started for like two months straight did almost nothing in my free time except download freebies. lol :P

3Diva · June 2016

Ice Dragon Art said:

I'm afraid to look. I just got done rendering my Genesis girls now I am working my way through Gen 2 then Gen 3 then Victoria 4. Gen 2 and victoria 4 scare me the most. I lost track several months ago....

Oh gosh, I know! Victoria 4 scares me the most too. I found SO MANY free V4 characters!

3Diva · June 2016

Victoria 4 - L75 Hillary for A4

Victoria 4 - L75 Arisu for A4

Genesis 1 - Elka (freebie)

Victoria 4 - Angel

Victoria 4 - The Girl 4

FSMCDesigns · June 2016

Just an FYI the Art Studio forum would probably be a better place for this type of post

http://www.daz3d.com/forums/categories/art-studio

3Diva · June 2016

FSMCDesigns said:

Just an FYI the Art Studio forum would probably be a better place for this type of post

http://www.daz3d.com/forums/categories/art-studio

I considered that, but I don't really see these as art, just quick utility like renders to get an image catalog going of my characters. However if a mod wishes to move it to the art studio category I wouldn't object. Either way is fine by me. :)

thistledownsname · June 2016

I also started a similar project yesterday. None of your pictures are showing up for me, so I can't see exactly what you're doing, but I'm just rounding up an image from each one's product page and putting them together.

Greycat · June 2016

You’ve been at this for three months; I’ve been at this since 1999. I have over 500 custom characters; ever with four images per page the catalog is huge. It took over a year. I’m just saying plan ahead.

Kharma · June 2016

Thanks for posting your renders..as I am looking at them I'm saying to myself.."I have her..and her...and her, never rendered her but I have her...." lol

Ken OBanion · June 2016

I embarked on a similar project a few years ago, but I'm taking a rather different approach. I'm leveraging my background as an application developer-slash-systems analyst, and building a content management application, complete with database and a super-slick-looking UI. I'll spare you the techno-geek details, but I'm writing the thing to go all the way down to the file level -- what each product is, where it's installed, what files it is composed of, the content type (figure, character morphs, hair, props, textures, environments, etc.), genre (fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, steampunk, whatever)....

I concluded that I was going to have to do something drastic if I was ever going to get a handle on my content libraries. I've been accumulating content for going on twelve years now, for both DAZ Studio and Poser (and, to a lesser extent, Carrara and Bryce). It is scattered across no less than ten different runtimes, and consumes close to 800 gigabytes on my hard disk. I realized some time ago that I honestly don't know where half of my stuff is, as in which runtime I installed it to. (Hell, I no longer know what half of it is!) So I can definitely relate.

At least you're getting started early; I have over a decade of accumulated crap I'm going to have to wade through. (And yes, I went through my own period of 'freebie-bingeing' in my early days. Unfortunately, most of the archives were lost when I accidentally tripped over the signal cable on the external hard disk I had it all stored on, and dragged it off the desk onto the floor!)

3Diva · June 2016

thistledownsname said:

I also started a similar project yesterday. None of your pictures are showing up for me, so I can't see exactly what you're doing, but I'm just rounding up an image from each one's product page and putting them together.

Huh, that's odd that none of the images are showing up for you. What I'm doing is just putting the characters in a quick pose and a smile, slapping on a bikini or something else that lets me see most of the body shape and skins, slap in a HDRI for a background and render. lol I don't want the images too small so that I can't see any of the skin details, but I don't want them too big either so I'm going with the forum's "max" size (as told to me by a mod) which is 800 pixels on the largest size. That seams to be a pretty good size to get a full body shot in and still see some of the skin details.

3Diva · June 2016

Greycat said:

You’ve been at this for three months; I’ve been at this since 1999. I have over 500 custom characters; ever with four images per page the catalog is huge. It took over a year. I’m just saying plan ahead.

Wow! That'a LOT of characters. I plan on not letting this get TOO big as I won't be cataloging my custom characters for right now (just characters bought or found as freebies). I might end up doing my custom characters after, but we'll see if I'm up for it after the end of this huge project. lol

3Diva · June 2016

Kharma said:

Thanks for posting your renders..as I am looking at them I'm saying to myself.."I have her..and her...and her, never rendered her but I have her...." lol

hahah That's funny! I think I'd do the same thing if someone else did a project like this. I think I'd have to go down the list and see who all I have and who all I don't have. Just so I can say "yep, I have her", "oh I don't have her but she's on my wish list", "oh man, she's ugly, I definitey DON'T want her", etc. lol

3Diva · June 2016

Victoria 4 - Stephanie 4

Victoria 4 - She-Freak 4

Victoria 4 - Scotlyn

Genesis 1 - Stephanie 5

Victoria 4 - Primrose

3Diva · June 2016

Ken OBanion said:

I embarked on a similar project a few years ago, but I'm taking a rather different approach. I'm leveraging my background as an application developer-slash-systems analyst, and building a content management application, complete with database and a super-slick-looking UI. I'll spare you the techno-geek details, but I'm writing the thing to go all the way down to the file level -- what each product is, where it's installed, what files it is composed of, the content type (figure, character morphs, hair, props, textures, environments, etc.), genre (fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, steampunk, whatever)....

I concluded that I was going to have to do something drastic if I was ever going to get a handle on my content libraries. I've been accumulating content for going on twelve years now, for both DAZ Studio and Poser (and, to a lesser extent, Carrara and Bryce). It is scattered across no less than ten different runtimes, and consumes close to 800 gigabytes on my hard disk. I realized some time ago that I honestly don't know where half of my stuff is, as in which runtime I installed it to. (Hell, I no longer know what half of it is!) So I can definitely relate.

At least you're getting started early; I have over a decade of accumulated crap I'm going to have to wade through. (And yes, I went through my own period of 'freebie-bingeing' in my early days. Unfortunately, most of the archives were lost when I accidentally tripped over the signal cable on the external hard disk I had it all stored on, and dragged it off the desk onto the floor!)

Oh man! I can't imagine trying to get a handle on all that content. The Content Management Application sounds amazing. I would pay good money for something like that. There needs to be a better way to catalog items then what is currently used. An application to help orginize peoples files and products would be a HUGE seller, I'll bet.

I'd love to see something like Right Click on the item, a drop down menu shows up that gives a list like "Figure" "Prop" "Background" "Lighting" "Hair" "Clothes" etc - you put a check by the category that represents what the item is and it puts that item in a file or catalog with all other items that have been checked of that same type. I realize that you would have to do that for each of your items, but that would, hopefully, forever keep them in the right catagory for easy finding. You could then maybe farther catalog them from there, like within the FIGURE catalog maybe have seporate sub catalogs for GENESIS 1 figures, VICTORIA 4 figures, etc. I'd love something like that.

BurstAngel · June 2016

I Tried ... I Failed. Good Luck!

IceDragonArt · June 2016

divamakeup said:

Ken OBanion said:

I embarked on a similar project a few years ago, but I'm taking a rather different approach. I'm leveraging my background as an application developer-slash-systems analyst, and building a content management application, complete with database and a super-slick-looking UI. I'll spare you the techno-geek details, but I'm writing the thing to go all the way down to the file level -- what each product is, where it's installed, what files it is composed of, the content type (figure, character morphs, hair, props, textures, environments, etc.), genre (fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, steampunk, whatever)....

I concluded that I was going to have to do something drastic if I was ever going to get a handle on my content libraries. I've been accumulating content for going on twelve years now, for both DAZ Studio and Poser (and, to a lesser extent, Carrara and Bryce). It is scattered across no less than ten different runtimes, and consumes close to 800 gigabytes on my hard disk. I realized some time ago that I honestly don't know where half of my stuff is, as in which runtime I installed it to. (Hell, I no longer know what half of it is!) So I can definitely relate.

At least you're getting started early; I have over a decade of accumulated crap I'm going to have to wade through. (And yes, I went through my own period of 'freebie-bingeing' in my early days. Unfortunately, most of the archives were lost when I accidentally tripped over the signal cable on the external hard disk I had it all stored on, and dragged it off the desk onto the floor!)

Oh man! I can't imagine trying to get a handle on all that content. The Content Management Application sounds amazing. I would pay good money for something like that. There needs to be a better way to catalog items then what is currently used. An application to help orginize peoples files and products would be a HUGE seller, I'll bet.

I'd love to see something like Right Click on the item, a drop down menu shows up that gives a list like "Figure" "Prop" "Background" "Lighting" "Hair" "Clothes" etc - you put a check by the category that represents what the item is and it puts that item in a file or catalog with all other items that have been checked of that same type. I realize that you would have to do that for each of your items, but that would, hopefully, forever keep them in the right catagory for easy finding. You could then maybe farther catalog them from there, like within the FIGURE catalog maybe have seporate sub catalogs for GENESIS 1 figures, VICTORIA 4 figures, etc. I'd love something like that.

I do that now inside of studio in custom categories. It took me literally over a month to redo it when I lost it several months ago. Working on several hours a night and more than that on weekends. And I have only been doing this for 10 months....Works pretty well but its not perfect of course.

Ken OBanion · June 2016

One thing I did do was to create a spreadsheet that contains my entire DAZ Content Library -- or, at least, everything I have purchased from DAZ since I re-activated my Platinum Club membership, back in 2009. I use it to pull items for the Random Runtime Roulette Render (RRRR) contests. (And if you're unfamiliar with the RRRR, you really should check it out; there's a contest running even now, and they're just crap-loads of fun, with a delightfully zany group of regulars, prizes to be won (I'm actually one of the sponsors), and some really amazing art on display. The thread is here in The Commons....)

Anyway, back to my point (assuming that I even have one; I'm not so sure about that anymore): I now have an admittedly non-comprehensive 'inventory' of my content, in the sense of what I have acquired from DAZ; whether or not I have ever bothered to install it, or if I did, what runtime I installed it to, or even if I ever downloaded it in the first place (I have discovered that, in a number of cases, I never did!) are questions that my application is intended to answer.

But at least I have a picture of the sheer magnitude of the challenge I am facing, just to get a handle on things. Because, how can you use what you have, if you don't even KNOW what your have!?

3Diva · June 2016

Ice Dragon Art said:

divamakeup said:

Ken OBanion said:

I embarked on a similar project a few years ago, but I'm taking a rather different approach. I'm leveraging my background as an application developer-slash-systems analyst, and building a content management application, complete with database and a super-slick-looking UI. I'll spare you the techno-geek details, but I'm writing the thing to go all the way down to the file level -- what each product is, where it's installed, what files it is composed of, the content type (figure, character morphs, hair, props, textures, environments, etc.), genre (fantasy, sci-fi, contemporary, steampunk, whatever)....

I concluded that I was going to have to do something drastic if I was ever going to get a handle on my content libraries. I've been accumulating content for going on twelve years now, for both DAZ Studio and Poser (and, to a lesser extent, Carrara and Bryce). It is scattered across no less than ten different runtimes, and consumes close to 800 gigabytes on my hard disk. I realized some time ago that I honestly don't know where half of my stuff is, as in which runtime I installed it to. (Hell, I no longer know what half of it is!) So I can definitely relate.

At least you're getting started early; I have over a decade of accumulated crap I'm going to have to wade through. (And yes, I went through my own period of 'freebie-bingeing' in my early days. Unfortunately, most of the archives were lost when I accidentally tripped over the signal cable on the external hard disk I had it all stored on, and dragged it off the desk onto the floor!)

Oh man! I can't imagine trying to get a handle on all that content. The Content Management Application sounds amazing. I would pay good money for something like that. There needs to be a better way to catalog items then what is currently used. An application to help orginize peoples files and products would be a HUGE seller, I'll bet.

I'd love to see something like Right Click on the item, a drop down menu shows up that gives a list like "Figure" "Prop" "Background" "Lighting" "Hair" "Clothes" etc - you put a check by the category that represents what the item is and it puts that item in a file or catalog with all other items that have been checked of that same type. I realize that you would have to do that for each of your items, but that would, hopefully, forever keep them in the right catagory for easy finding. You could then maybe farther catalog them from there, like within the FIGURE catalog maybe have seporate sub catalogs for GENESIS 1 figures, VICTORIA 4 figures, etc. I'd love something like that.

I do that now inside of studio in custom categories. It took me literally over a month to redo it when I lost it several months ago. Working on several hours a night and more than that on weekends. And I have only been doing this for 10 months....Works pretty well but its not perfect of course.

Yeah, I'm totally attempting that right now - using the custom categories to orginize. It's working but as you said, it's such a slow process. Having to dig through all your files and get everything orginized is definitely a major undertaking. But I think it will be totally worth it when I'm done. I already can find things much easier and I'm only about half way done. lol

3Diva · June 2016

Ken OBanion said:

One thing I did do was to create a spreadsheet that contains my entire DAZ Content Library -- or, at least, everything I have purchased from DAZ since I re-activated my Platinum Club membership, back in 2009. I use it to pull items for the Random Runtime Roulette Render (RRRR) contests. (And if you're unfamiliar with the RRRR, you really should check it out; there's a contest running even now, and they're just crap-loads of fun, with a delightfully zany group of regulars, prizes to be won (I'm actually one of the sponsors), and some really amazing art on display. The thread is here in The Commons....)

Anyway, back to my point (assuming that I even have one; I'm not so sure about that anymore): I now have an admittedly non-comprehensive 'inventory' of my content, in the sense of what I have acquired from DAZ; whether or not I have ever bothered to install it, or if I did, what runtime I installed it to, or even if I ever downloaded it in the first place (I have discovered that, in a number of cases, I never did!) are questions that my application is intended to answer.

But at least I have a picture of the sheer magnitude of the challenge I am facing, just to get a handle on things. Because, how can you use what you have, if you don't even KNOW what your have!?

I'm going to be doing a spreadsheet too when I'm done getting all my characters logged and rendered. I really like the idea of the Random Runtime Roulette Render contests. I'm going to have look into that. It seams like it could lead to some interesting renders! lol :D Thanks, Ken!

3Diva · June 2016

Genesis 2 - Jenny (freebie)

Victoria 4 - Luna for A4

Victoria 4 - Willow for S4

3Diva · June 2016

BurstAngel said:

I Tried ... I Failed. Good Luck!

hahah Thanks! This is definitely something I need luck on - I have more characters than I though.

Sensual Art · June 2016

Though as much as I hate Connect I am starting to appreciate the flat folder structure (SKU-wise segregated) that Connect has currently. I guess that is more convenient from a maintenance point of view.

As far as cataloging is concerned what I would prefer is a tagging based approach rather than hierarchial folder based approach (aka Gmail mail tagging or the case with Stack Exchange family of sites) with an efficient indexing system that can suggest variations, similarities and commonly associated tag names. This could seriously boost search. The tagging approach also decouples the classification of items from how they are laid on the disk as one can modify the tags without actually worrying to move the associated files. Though Daz does follow tagging items on their website on which smart content search relies upon.

I guess the custom categories were provided just in case someone was not satisfied with Daz's classification of items but still had to rely on the hierarchial classification (which has its own disadvantages).

I can see that I am already talking into the features of an advanced CMS and to expect these features in Daz studio (offline) may require embedding a serious CMS functionality/product. I guess the move towards smart content is to provide such a means without embedding a CMS but that would be restricted to items available on the Daz website and require one to be online.

3Diva · June 2016

mrinal said:

Though as much as I hate Connect I am starting to appreciate the flat folder structure (SKU-wise segregated) that Connect has currently. I guess that is more convenient from a maintenance point of view.

As far as cataloging is concerned what I would prefer is a tagging based approach rather than hierarchial folder based approach (aka Gmail mail tagging or the case with Stack Exchange family of sites) with an efficient indexing system that can suggest variations, similarities and commonly associated tag names. This could seriously boost search. The tagging approach also decouples the classification of items from how they are laid on the disk as one can modify the tags without actually worrying to move the associated files. Though Daz does follow tagging items on their website on which smart content search relies upon.

I guess the custom categories were provided just in case someone was not satisfied with Daz's classification of items but still had to rely on the hierarchial classification (which has its own disadvantages).

I can see that I am already talking into the features of an advanced CMS and to expect these features in Daz studio (offline) may require embedding a serious CMS functionality/product. I guess the move towards smart content is to provide such a means without embedding a CMS but that would be restricted to items available on the Daz website and require one to be online.

I like this idea, but honesly the vast majority of the items I have trouble with cataloging is the non-Daz content (content gotten elsewhere). I do wish there was a better way to catalog inside of Daz, but for now I'm just using the custom files as best as I can. I really like your idea of a tagging system. The ability to tag and search effectively for tagged items would be a huge help.