Sick and TIRED of this. Content Managemt Keeps Shutting Off, No Smart Content, Over and Over

NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
edited December 1969 in New Users

Here we go again. No smart content. Keep re-installing 4.6. Content Management keeps shutting off. Reimporting metadata over and over, sometimes Smart Content magically appears. Need some help to get this program working like it should.

And NO, it never showed me any products under 1196, no matter what I did. That never got resolved.

With Genesis selected, it won't get off of "ALL" over in Smart Content, tells me to select something. I don't know what each of those things do in the database maintenance section, or the order to do them in. I did what Jaderail suggested in another thread and it still didn't bring back my products under 1196. (Had to do with condense database, reimport metadata, etc.) Didn't work. I want my smart content, and I want my products with metadata to show up.

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Comments

  • JimmyC_2009JimmyC_2009 Posts: 8,891
    edited September 2013

    It sounds like you may have a corrupted database.

    What I did, was to move the five database files to a new location as a precaution (prior to deleting them). I then uninstalled CMS, reinstalled DS to get the latest CMS, and on restarting DS, the database files are recreated. You now have a brand new set of DB files, and you can reimport Metadata, and follow all the other steps with a great expectation of success.

    I would give you the location of the DB files on my system, but they seem to be in a different place to everyone else's. Just look for ContentDB.vdb or master.vdb, and you will find them. There are five files in total. Move them for safety in case it all doesn't work (but it will), and give it a try.

    EDIT
    I am assuming that you don't have any Categories that you created yourself? If so, you will lose them unless you have a backup.

    Post edited by JimmyC_2009 on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited September 2013

    You just can't catch a break with this can you?

    Ever thought of just biting the bullet and ditching smart content? You can actually just split your runtimes themselves off into categories, since you manual install anyways. Then each runtime is like it's own category (genesis, gen4, vehicles, animals, enviro, etc).

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    No kidding. I just reinstalled the studio, reinstalled the essentials, checked to ensure the database was running, still had NO Products or Categories over in content library. No Smart Content.

    Jimmy, I did a backup per SereneNight's instructions (on our art studio thread. I shut off the database, exported to an external hard drive.) I only have a few hair folders set up.

    Let me ask some really brilliant questions because I'm not exactly sure how THAT relates to Runtime, etc.

    If I get rid of this stupid content management system that I currently have, does that mean I have to reinstall all my products?

    Okay, I have found the five database files (under Program Data) now what? When you say "uninstall" CMS, how do I do that? Deleting that Program File isn't the same thing as uninstalling, right?

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    And I've already made a copy to an external hard drive of those five databases. So I'm ready to uninstall. Didn't make that clear. :)

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited September 2013

    CMS is JUST the smart content, categories, and auto-fitting mainly (you may have to manually do the fit to > figure in the parameters without the CMS). You can turn it off and use the Content Library pane. None of your items will be removed.

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • vwranglervwrangler Posts: 4,808
    edited December 1969

    Vaskania said:
    You just can't catch a break with this can you?

    Ever thought of just biting the bullet and ditching smart content? You can actually just split your runtimes themselves off into categories, since you manual install anyways. Then each runtime is like it's own category (genesis, gen4, vehicles, animals, enviro, etc).

    Unfortunately, other parts of the system seem to need CMS. Transfer Utility seems to need it to figure out what items belong to which figure to make transfers, at least the way it seems to work on my system. Otherwise, you just get a lot of Unsupported/None options.

    Actually kind of timely, this thread. I tried a transfer that locked my system so thoroughly I had to deliberately crash/hard-boot, and when it came back, CMS crashed every time I started Studio. Perfectly happy when Studio's not running, though. Couldn't remember how to fix that.

    Let me ask some really brilliant questions because I'm not exactly sure how THAT relates to Runtime, etc.

    If I get rid of this stupid content management system that I currently have, does that mean I have to reinstall all my products?

    Okay, I have found the five database files (under Program Data) now what? When you say "uninstall" CMS, how do I do that? Deleting that Program File isn't the same thing as uninstalling, right?

    If you're on Windows 7, you go into the control panel, select "Programs and Features", and DAZ Content Management Service will be included in the list of programs. You can uninstall from there. Also, I think it has an uninstaller in the DAZ Studio folder in the programs list, but I used the control panel.

    You don't have to reinstall all your products, as long as you've been copying the files into Runtime\Support. It'll just pick up information from there.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    I figured out how to uninstall it, I did Administrator privileges then found uninstallers in the Content Management Service folder (can't remember which one.)

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    I just checked and Runtime/Support has the file (again they start at 1186, I still have no clue where everything before that disappeared to.) So right now I am downloading to reinstall version 4.6 (AGAIN.) If I recall, the only other things I need to reinstall would be the essentials for Genesis and the one for Gen2. I don't use photoshop with this computer.

  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited September 2013

    Products prior to that may not even have metadata, which are what those support files are for. They are pretty old products.

    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • vwranglervwrangler Posts: 4,808
    edited December 1969

    Novica said:
    I just checked and Runtime/Support has the file (again they start at 1186, I still have no clue where everything before that disappeared to.) So right now I am downloading to reinstall version 4.6 (AGAIN.) If I recall, the only other things I need to reinstall would be the essentials for Genesis and the one for Gen2. I don't use photoshop with this computer.

    Unless you want to do it to have a completely clean install or you've deleted them from your system, you DO NOT need to reinstall Genesis Starter Essentials or Genesis 2 Female Starter Essentials. The content was separated out into a different installer, and there were no differences between the starter essentials for the last 4.6 version and the current one. Since those are both big whompin' downloads, it might be worth waiting to see how they handle before you reinstall them.

    You also shouldn't need to reinstall any of your plugins.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    OH GREAT. It uninstalled the old version, now I am getting "Error creating directory C://ProgramFiles/Daz3d/DazStudio4bin

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    I just did it again and it appears to have gone through. Didn't do anything different. This is ridiculous. So I'm opening the studio up now. Stay tuned! (Already did the essentials.)

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    YIPPPEEE. It's working! My Products are back, Categories are back (including the ones I set up. Well, some of them. The last 2 hair ones I did aren't there in Smart Content, how weird is that.)

    Now let's see how long THIS takes to crash and burn.
    Appreciate your help folks. Doing this kind of thing is scary if you don't know what is what. Wouldn't have attempted it without you. VWrangler, hope yours works out for you too.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    Vaskania said:
    Products prior to that may not even have metadata, which are what those support files are for. They are pretty old products.

    I had some prior to that number, I'm sure. Mind checking and see what your smallest number is when you go into the database maintenance and click on reimport metadata to get the list to come up?

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    Well, I spoke too soon. Although the letters are there for Products, none of them have any content. The DAZ Studio Format is working and so is the Poser. I need that alphabetical listing so I can work on my categories. What a mess!

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    So I closed the studio, opened it, made sure the Content Management Service was running, and of course Products AND Categories are now gone. I think I should just take all of 4.6 off my computer. Something is screwing everything up.

  • vwranglervwrangler Posts: 4,808
    edited September 2013

    Novica said:
    VWrangler, hope yours works out for you too.

    Well, mine is easy, if time-consuming. I don't have any custom categories -- I don't even use the Category tree or Smart Content -- so once it's done reimporting metadata -- in THREE HOURS! -- it'll be fine.

    Novica said:
    Vaskania said:
    Products prior to that may not even have metadata, which are what those support files are for. They are pretty old products.

    I had some prior to that number, I'm sure. Mind checking and see what your smallest number is when you go into the database maintenance and click on reimport metadata to get the list to come up?

    For what it's worth, the smallest number on mine is DAZ_3D_308_Charger_Horse.dsx, but that was an update/reinstall to fix an issue, and it brought metadata with it. The oldest DAZ metadata file I've got is DAZ_3D_Flat_Top.dsx, which doesn't have a number. (I'm surprised it has metadata.) I think the only way you'll have low numbers is if you installed/reinstalled relatively recent versions in the last few months. If you did that and they aren't showing up, then there's probably still something wrong.

    So I closed the studio, opened it, made sure the Content Management Service was running, and of course Products AND Categories are now gone. I think I should just take all of 4.6 off my computer. Something is screwing everything up.

    You had Studio reimport metadata -- under Content DB Maintenance, under that little triangle flag thingy on the corner of the Content Directory/Scene menu panes -- and even the defaults aren't showing up? The metadata reimport, if you've got any quantity of items, should take AGES. It certainly shouldn't be done yet, unless you've got hardly anything.

    Your customized categories will NOT show up after you reimport metadata, however. There's some way of dealing with a damaged Valentina/CMS database to extract and reimport the information, but I don't know what it is. It's come up in the forum before, but I never paid attention, because I don't customize at that level.

    Post edited by vwrangler on
  • Lissa_xyzLissa_xyz Posts: 6,116
    edited September 2013

    Novica said:
    Vaskania said:
    Products prior to that may not even have metadata, which are what those support files are for. They are pretty old products.

    I had some prior to that number, I'm sure. Mind checking and see what your smallest number is when you go into the database maintenance and click on reimport metadata to get the list to come up?
    My lowest that's installed is #268 (my lowest owned according to DIM is 125), which is the Gremlin, but it does NOT have smart content. So apparently you can have metadata without smart content.

    Pay no attention to my ready to download tab. lol Most of those are PoserCFs for already installed Daz content.

    Metadata2.jpg
    1175 x 824 - 351K
    Metadata.jpg
    579 x 754 - 317K
    Post edited by Lissa_xyz on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    I've got probably 200-300 things, but it always reimports fairly quickly. What do the other options in the maintenance section do?

    I think I should trash this entire thing and start from scratch. Whatever I'm keeping is just messing up the entire thing.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited September 2013

    GEEZ I AM TIRED OF THIS. I shut it off, reopened, and Smart Content, Products and Categories are back. I give up. There is no rhyme or reason for any of this. If the database was corrupted, the fresh reinstall of the content management service should have fixed it. My studio is still loopy. I really don't want to invest too much time doing categories but I do know how to save them unless they go POOF before I get to it.

    EDIT: And yes, after I did the reimport metadata TWICE, shut the studio off twice, the items ARE back under the Products alphabetically. So if this happens to anyone else, try reimporting metadata a couple of times, turning off the studio in-between. Doesn't make sense, but the products are there- FOR THE MOMENT.

    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    Uh oh. I right clicked Categories, created a subcategory, and POOF. All my categories disappeared.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    One interesting thing though VWrangler- NOW my reimport metadata is going very slowly- like what you said it should be doing. It's not done yet, but the Products arrow has come back up (of course the screen is frozen while this is being done.) So I'll see what this round of doing that brings.

  • vwranglervwrangler Posts: 4,808
    edited December 1969

    Novica said:
    I've got probably 200-300 things, but it always reimports fairly quickly. What do the other options in the maintenance section do?

    I think I should trash this entire thing and start from scratch. Whatever I'm keeping is just messing up the entire thing.

    Unfortunately, since I'm in the middle of reimporting, I can't look to see what the options are. I know some of it deletes orphaned items -- items where you got rid of the thing maybe through deleting the actual file, but the reference stayed in metadata or Smart Content -- and it "consolidates references", whatever that means in this context, but I don't remember what the rest of them are.

    One interesting thing though VWrangler- NOW my reimport metadata is going very slowly- like what you said it should be doing. It's not done yet, but the Products arrow has come back up (of course the screen is frozen while this is being done.) So I'll see what this round of doing that brings.

    Yeah, when I said it was taking three hours before, I wasn't exaggerating. At that point, it had been running for just over 90 minutes and had reimported 47% of the metadata. I've got a deeper installation than yours, though, and I do remember that the first time I had to do this, the reimport wasn't terrible. But that was many many items ago, I think.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    39 minutes, at 66%.
    Now I'm wondering why it happened so quickly all those other times, and the products, smart content, and categories were there. Oh well, perhaps this time it will "stick." :)

  • KharmaKharma Posts: 3,214
    edited December 1969

    Novica, this is what happened to me too when I was having so much trouble organizing my categories. My products would be there then POOF ..gone. I uninstalled everything, made sure all remnants of files were gone, then reinstalled right from the beginning. It finally worked altho I gave up on categorizing till now. So far I've made a couple new categories and everythingis still there and working. I do hope this finally works for you

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    One thing I did notice- when you create a category, did you notice the black arrowhead went away, then if you added a product to the category (right click on a product>create category- then add it to the new category you just made- the categories will come back!

  • ben98120000ben98120000 Posts: 469
    edited December 1969

    I would recommend running Scan Known Directories for Files... (click with right mouse button on Content Library tab) in addition to reimporting metadata. In fact, I would recommend running scan every time something is added or removed from content.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    Good idea- didn't know that existed, thanks! :)

  • jestmartjestmart Posts: 4,449
    edited December 1969

    Simple solution, STOP USING SMART CONTENT. CMS is a temperamental POS that DAZ should kick to the curb. But if you are dead set on using it do not install in Program Files or the database in ProgramData. And start using DIM, at least download and install it (again not Program Files), it has the latest installer for CMS in a sub-folder so you don't have to re-install Studio every time you need to re-install CMS.

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    If Any user has content in Program Files or Program Files(x86) that is NOT allowed on XP or above. The OS protects those areas.

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