Beta for DazCentral, your new Content Manager

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  • Wildman oSWildman oS Posts: 121
    edited May 2020

    personally I can't see the point of this new 'central' installer

    DIM works perfectly well and the DIM screen display is far more compactly displayed

    the few 'extra' options provided could just as easily have been added to DIM

    I have never ever thought while browsing my DIM list 'oh that's a nice pair of shoes, I must immediatley start up DAZ and do something with them'

    I rather suspect DAZ is trying to bring back 'connect' in a different guise

    I have accidentally purchased 'connect only' items in the past and been too lazy to return them, but I have never used them

    in fact i have more often than not uninstalled them

    if this new system is trying to bring back connect (or central as the ONLY method of installation) then DAZ can look forward to losing a customer

    far from bringing new flexibility this new central will bring less, as noted in earlier comments

    I have many other hobbies which will happily fill my time

    Post edited by Wildman oS on
  • Noah LGPNoah LGP Posts: 2,556

    Although it's a beta, DazCentral become the official download manager. DIM link is removed now.

  • BradCarstenBradCarsten Posts: 856
    edited May 2020

    Richard Haseltine said:

    When I used Daz Connect, I found that I couldn't download the files on one PC, and then transfer them later onto my main PC, which meant that I couldn't create a backup of all my products. (I'm on a 2mb line so downloading takes forever,) 

    Does DazCentral allow you to simply move your entire library around, backup, restore, move it onto an external hard drive if you start running out of space, move it to another PC, when you upgrade etc like you can with files downloaded through DIM? 

    I guess this answers my question. it looks like we have to redownload our entire library. It seems like just another form of DRM to be honest. 

    Can I copy products installed using Daz Connect from one computer to another?

    The preferred workflow is to log in to each computer and install the desired products using Daz Connect

    I like to move files around on disk to organize them differently. Can I still do that?

    You cannot move files around for products installed through Daz Connect. You can change the drive and/or path to which products are installed using Daz Connect, but you cannot manually re-organize the files within the product.

    The FAQ entries relate to Daz Connect (the Install pane etc. in DS), not Daz Central. (And the Connect files are not encrypted, so you can back them up - but they will not load correctly through CMS-based views if you move them.)

    So so clarify then, if you use Daz Central to download files, does it use the connect format or the DIM format for saving files?

    Post edited by BradCarsten on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,219

    Richard Haseltine said:

    When I used Daz Connect, I found that I couldn't download the files on one PC, and then transfer them later onto my main PC, which meant that I couldn't create a backup of all my products. (I'm on a 2mb line so downloading takes forever,) 

    Does DazCentral allow you to simply move your entire library around, backup, restore, move it onto an external hard drive if you start running out of space, move it to another PC, when you upgrade etc like you can with files downloaded through DIM? 

    I guess this answers my question. it looks like we have to redownload our entire library. It seems like just another form of DRM to be honest. 

    Can I copy products installed using Daz Connect from one computer to another?

    The preferred workflow is to log in to each computer and install the desired products using Daz Connect

    I like to move files around on disk to organize them differently. Can I still do that?

    You cannot move files around for products installed through Daz Connect. You can change the drive and/or path to which products are installed using Daz Connect, but you cannot manually re-organize the files within the product.

    The FAQ entries relate to Daz Connect (the Install pane etc. in DS), not Daz Central. (And the Connect files are not encrypted, so you can back them up - but they will not load correctly through CMS-based views if you move them.)

    So so clarify then, if you use Daz Central to download files, does it use the connect format or the DIM format for saving files?

    DIM

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,219
    Noah LGP said:

    Although it's a beta, DazCentral become the official download manager. DIM link is removed now.

    Daz Central is the default for new users, but a search for Install manager still brings up https://www.daz3d.com/install-manager-info with a link for downloading.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,219

    personally I can't see the point of this new 'central' installer

    DIM works perfectly well and the DIM screen display is far more compactly displayed

    the few 'extra' options provided could just as easily have been added to DIM

    I have never ever thought while browsing my DIM list 'oh that's a nice pair of shoes, I must immediatley start up DAZ and do something with them'

    I rather suspect DAZ is trying to bring back 'connect' in a different guise

    Daz Central is the same underlying system as DIM, not Connect.

    I have accidentally purchased 'connect only' items in the past and been too lazy to return them, but I have never used them

    They will be available through DIM if you check, they have been there for a fair while now since all the Connect-only, encrypted content was released for DIM/non-encrytpted a year after its release and it has been considerably more than a year since the last such release.

    in fact i have more often than not uninstalled them

    if this new system is trying to bring back connect (or central as the ONLY method of installation) then DAZ can look forward to losing a customer

    far from bringing new flexibility this new central will bring less, as noted in earlier comments

    I have many other hobbies which will happily fill my time

    The aim of Daz Central is to make things simpler for new users, adding new features to DIM certainly wouldn't achieve that.

  • BradCarstenBradCarsten Posts: 856

    Richard Haseltine said:

    When I used Daz Connect, I found that I couldn't download the files on one PC, and then transfer them later onto my main PC, which meant that I couldn't create a backup of all my products. (I'm on a 2mb line so downloading takes forever,) 

    Does DazCentral allow you to simply move your entire library around, backup, restore, move it onto an external hard drive if you start running out of space, move it to another PC, when you upgrade etc like you can with files downloaded through DIM? 

    I guess this answers my question. it looks like we have to redownload our entire library. It seems like just another form of DRM to be honest. 

    Can I copy products installed using Daz Connect from one computer to another?

    The preferred workflow is to log in to each computer and install the desired products using Daz Connect

    I like to move files around on disk to organize them differently. Can I still do that?

    You cannot move files around for products installed through Daz Connect. You can change the drive and/or path to which products are installed using Daz Connect, but you cannot manually re-organize the files within the product.

    The FAQ entries relate to Daz Connect (the Install pane etc. in DS), not Daz Central. (And the Connect files are not encrypted, so you can back them up - but they will not load correctly through CMS-based views if you move them.)

    So so clarify then, if you use Daz Central to download files, does it use the connect format or the DIM format for saving files?

    DIM

    oh wow, okay. That's a pleasant surprise.  

  • twitch99twitch99 Posts: 81
    edited May 2020

    So stupid me downloads DAZ Central and installs it without reading the forums.  It says I need to install DAZ, so I do and for some reason DIM always adds an extra \DAZ3D\ folder in the install path.  So I move the DAZSTUDIO4 folder to the correct spot, then remove the second DAZ 4.5+ install path from DIM.  Now I see that DAZ Central has hundreds of my products from the DAZ store listed as Not Installed.  I start to install many of them and get a message that my D drive, where my DAZ content is stored, is running out of disk space.  It appears that DAZ Central is not seeing any of the products that are already installed via DAZ Connect and is now installing them in the My Library folder even though all the files are already in the My Daz Connect Library folder.  So now my already huge DAZ Library is even bigger.  751 GB in size.

    Now I read that DAZ Central is basiclly DIM with a pretty face.  At least DIM has a filter to not download and install DAZ Connect products, is that filter missing from DAZ Central?  Now that my Content Library is nearly double the size it should be, how can I un-install all the DAZ Connect products from My Library without lossing all my non-DAZ store products.

    Once again DAZ releases a new feature that is not ready for prime time.

    Any help on cleaning our all the duplicate prouct installs would be appreciated.

    Screen shots below of the STUDIO Properties in Explorer and showing a product in stalled in both the My Library and DAZ Connect folders.  Added DIM Downloads Selection options.

     

    DAZ Duplicate Product Files.png
    1102 x 558 - 50K
    DAZ Studio Folder Properties.png
    356 x 477 - 16K
    DIM Downloads Selection.png
    1067 x 1120 - 53K
    Post edited by twitch99 on
  • LucielLuciel Posts: 475

    One request!

    Instead of completely removing the option to download via DIM from completed sales pages, can we have that as an alternative option?

    Something along the lines of some "Or download via DIM" text under the button would be fine.

     

    Right now we have to manually open DIM to download via it, which is slightly irksome!

    As Central is intended for new users it makes sense to retain the usability for "advanced" users too.. laugh

     

  • DarkSpartanDarkSpartan Posts: 1,096
    edited May 2020

    After reading the thread, I'm going to take a hard pass on DAZCentral. Too many issues to hand out solutions for problem that didn't exist. Sorry, gang.

    Edited to fix name

    Post edited by Richard Haseltine on
  • BartlebyBartleby Posts: 56

    My experience is similar to twitch99 above.  I saw a new shiny thing on the DAZ store so I downloaded it without much thought.  

    Daz Central does not recognize that I have Studio or any content installed, it trashed DIM and blew up smart content in Studio.

    After wasting a couple of hours Studio is working again, I can install stuff through DIM but it does not recognise that I have anything installed now, and Central will not recognise that I have anything installed no matter what I set the paths to.  I have read this thread and tried what is suggested.

    I am one of those awkward people who does not keep my content on my C Drive, it is a relatively small SSD just for OS and key applications.

    If I could persuade either that I have Daz installed, I could uninstall the lot and start again.  My Daz Studio installation folder is:

    C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4 

    Where should I point Daz Central?  Setting the path to that location in settings did not work.

    Once I have it recognising that the application is installed I will work on content.

     

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,219
    Bartleby said:

    My experience is similar to twitch99 above.  I saw a new shiny thing on the DAZ store so I downloaded it without much thought.  

    Daz Central does not recognize that I have Studio or any content installed, it trashed DIM and blew up smart content in Studio.

    After wasting a couple of hours Studio is working again, I can install stuff through DIM but it does not recognise that I have anything installed now, and Central will not recognise that I have anything installed no matter what I set the paths to.  I have read this thread and tried what is suggested.

    So the manifests (the .dsx files from installing, not those that sit in the folder with the zips) are still there and you have retold DIM which folder they are in as the Manifests Archive? Have you reset the Content Cluster location in DS, assuming that it was non-default and that Daz Central set it back to the default?

    Bartleby said:

    I am one of those awkward people who does not keep my content on my C Drive, it is a relatively small SSD just for OS and key applications.

    If I could persuade either that I have Daz installed, I could uninstall the lot and start again.  My Daz Studio installation folder is:

    C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4 

    Where should I point Daz Central?  Setting the path to that location in settings did not work.

    Point it for what? That's the default path for Daz Studio itself.

    Bartleby said:

    Once I have it recognising that the application is installed I will work on content.

     

  • Wildman oSWildman oS Posts: 121
    edited May 2020

    Maybe I have not looked in the right places (but then again those places should have been more clearly indicated) to see a bullet comparison of what each of the installers (DIM, daz central) do compared to each other. If there isn't such a comparison (which I suspect) then it may be a good idea to make one IF central is SO much better.

    or even if you are simply trying to persuade existing DIM users to change installers

    Post edited by Wildman oS on
  • DigitalSteamDigitalSteam Posts: 299

    Ok... I downloaded it, it looks pretty.  I'm not 100% sure I grok the intended use - what this does that I can't do with DIM and the content pane in Studio - but I'm in.

    One thing that occurs to me is that, with the big, pretty thumbnails, if I could sort stuff by the categories the website uses - Places, Nature, Buildings, Interior, Exterior, Clothing, and so on - I think that would be very helpful for some stages of the creative process

  • SighmanSighman Posts: 56

    All I get is Loading... Loading... Loading... I have 13842 assets in DIM, but still, I'm not waiting 5 minutes each time I open the app.

  • If you're looking for feature suggestions, it would be useful to be able to filter by the same selectors used in the DAZ Studio Smart Content tab.

     

    Looking good for a beta version, though! Cleaner and better presentation than DIM. :)

     

  • I'm almost afraid to try this, but I know it is only a matter of time.  Question is, if I *TRY* DAZCentral, will I be able to revert to just using DIM again if it doesn't work out for me?

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,050

    I'm afraid to even try it, because of all the reports of DIM paths getting changed and people losing access to their content inside Daz Studio. I haven't seen anyone from Daz answer the question that was asked about whether these problems have been fixed.

  • Robert FreiseRobert Freise Posts: 4,247

    Doing best Wednesday Addams voice "Be afraid Be very afraid"

  • sojak72sojak72 Posts: 18

    "DazCentral",

    nice overview, big icons and finally a simple way to install your applications on a drive other then your main drive, I like that!
    But...

    How long does it take till "all" products, purchased through the Daz3d Shop, show up in DazCentral?

    I'm missing a lot products, such as:

    https://www.daz3d.com/iray-light-manager-pro

    https://www.daz3d.com/ultimate-iray-skin-manager

    Is there a reason that some products show up and others not?

    Will there be constant update on products where not showing up right now, but later on?

    Is there a public list where people can tell products, not showing up in DazCentral so that they can be added in DazCentral?

    Shall we make a list with products missing in DazCentral so that the support can fix the issue? ...better hope for something than for nothing... wink

    And may there be a better or a simple standard filter for products or a explicit search, more or less like the old instal manager.

    it is a pain, searching for on particular product, if don't know the name, but you do know wat it is doing.it may not be a problem if you have a couple of hundred products, but let it be a thousand or two or three thousand.

  • Well like others who do not have it on C drive it's borked. Says Daz Studio not installed and wants to install it somewhere but I am not sure I trust where.

    All content is 'Not Installed' and DIM says the same now.

    Opening Studio there is no Daz Connect showing and it looks like I have to redownload all my content. Nice thanks for that.

    And then I read it will put the downloaded content somewhere else and use double disk space.

    Like so many other I do wish I had read the forums and not trusted that it would just work. If I have to click install for each package to install it I will be a very unhappy bunny sitting here for hours. Is it limited to 6 concurrent threads like DIM?

    You really need a tester who writes test cases that cover different scenarios or are we doing 'agile sprints' aka chaos development?

  • Well like others who do not have it on C drive it's borked. Says Daz Studio not installed and wants to install it somewhere but I am not sure I trust where.

    All content is 'Not Installed' and DIM says the same now.

    Opening Studio there is no Daz Connect showing and it looks like I have to redownload all my content. Nice thanks for that.

    And then I read it will put the downloaded content somewhere else and use double disk space.

    Like so many other I do wish I had read the forums and not trusted that it would just work. If I have to click install for each package to install it I will be a very unhappy bunny sitting here for hours. Is it limited to 6 concurrent threads like DIM?

    You really need a tester who writes test cases that cover different scenarios or are we doing 'agile sprints' aka chaos development?

    It hasn't removed anything, but it does seem to reset default paths so if you were usign non-defaults you will need to revert them in DIM and DS - once that is done everything should be back to usual.

  • I can't use DAZ Central because when I purchase any new products, it forces DAZ Central now as the install method. HOWEVER, when you click the link to "Install product with DAZ Central" the page it pulls up is the DAZ Central Install page, and I already have it installed!! It never realizes that DAZ Central is installed on my system. 

    Am I missing something here??

    Please put back Install Manager as the option after a product purchase. Or at least the option to use either one until DAZ Central issues are worked out.

    Also, if you run DAZ Central from the Windows start menu, and then click on DAZ Studio on the navigation (left pane) it says DAZ Studio is not installed. What the hell. angry

    Was this thing just rushed to release???

     

     

     

  • Jock MacMadJock MacMad Posts: 2
    edited June 2020

    Well like others who do not have it on C drive it's borked. Says Daz Studio not installed and wants to install it somewhere but I am not sure I trust where.

    All content is 'Not Installed' and DIM says the same now.

    Opening Studio there is no Daz Connect showing and it looks like I have to redownload all my content. Nice thanks for that.

    And then I read it will put the downloaded content somewhere else and use double disk space.

    Like so many other I do wish I had read the forums and not trusted that it would just work. If I have to click install for each package to install it I will be a very unhappy bunny sitting here for hours. Is it limited to 6 concurrent threads like DIM?

    You really need a tester who writes test cases that cover different scenarios or are we doing 'agile sprints' aka chaos development?

    It hasn't removed anything, but it does seem to reset default paths so if you were usign non-defaults you will need to revert them in DIM and DS - once that is done everything should be back to usual.

    Thanks Richard. Well beats me what the Base Directory is then. It's not the DAZ Studio directory. It's not my old DIM directory. It's not the old Daz Connect folder.

    If I start Studio up and look in CMS all the paths are there and correct including the old Daz Connect one. No new ones. But no content.

    Post edited by Jock MacMad on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 23,050

    Why doesn't Daz Central look for a previous DIM installation on the computer and if it finds one, offer the user the option to use those paths and settings? New users wouldn't have an existing DIM installation, and Daz Central could do its default thing. For current DIM users, it seems like it could be a seamless transition if Daz Central would use the existing settings. Instead, Daz Central seems to be very disruptive for current DIM users.

  • xyer0xyer0 Posts: 5,639

    Whew! Dodged the Daz Central bullet. Very thankful.

  • von Hobo said:

    I can't use DAZ Central because when I purchase any new products, it forces DAZ Central now as the install method. HOWEVER, when you click the link to "Install product with DAZ Central" the page it pulls up is the DAZ Central Install page, and I already have it installed!! It never realizes that DAZ Central is installed on my system. 

    Am I missing something here??

    Please put back Install Manager as the option after a product purchase. Or at least the option to use either one until DAZ Central issues are worked out.

    Also, if you run DAZ Central from the Windows start menu, and then click on DAZ Studio on the navigation (left pane) it says DAZ Studio is not installed. What the hell. angry

    Was this thing just rushed to release???

    That sounds as if the needed file association isn't being set. Which browser are you using?

  • von Hobo said:

    I can't use DAZ Central because when I purchase any new products, it forces DAZ Central now as the install method. HOWEVER, when you click the link to "Install product with DAZ Central" the page it pulls up is the DAZ Central Install page, and I already have it installed!! It never realizes that DAZ Central is installed on my system. 

    Am I missing something here??

    Please put back Install Manager as the option after a product purchase. Or at least the option to use either one until DAZ Central issues are worked out.

    Also, if you run DAZ Central from the Windows start menu, and then click on DAZ Studio on the navigation (left pane) it says DAZ Studio is not installed. What the hell. angry

    Was this thing just rushed to release???

    That sounds as if the needed file association isn't being set. Which browser are you using?

    Thanks. I'm using the Chrome browser on Windows 10.

    I uninstalled DAZ Central for now. 

     

  • von Hobo said:
    von Hobo said:

    I can't use DAZ Central because when I purchase any new products, it forces DAZ Central now as the install method. HOWEVER, when you click the link to "Install product with DAZ Central" the page it pulls up is the DAZ Central Install page, and I already have it installed!! It never realizes that DAZ Central is installed on my system. 

    Am I missing something here??

    Please put back Install Manager as the option after a product purchase. Or at least the option to use either one until DAZ Central issues are worked out.

    Also, if you run DAZ Central from the Windows start menu, and then click on DAZ Studio on the navigation (left pane) it says DAZ Studio is not installed. What the hell. angry

    Was this thing just rushed to release???

    That sounds as if the needed file association isn't being set. Which browser are you using?

    Thanks. I'm using the Chrome browser on Windows 10.

    I uninstalled DAZ Central for now. 

     

    OK, but - if it works like DIM - should yu wish to go back to using Daz Central you may need to go into Chrome's preferences/settings and tell it which application to use to open a whatever file - I'm not sure what Daz Central uses, assumkng it's different from, DIM, and looking at an order page isn't enlightening.

  • GalaxyGalaxy Posts: 562

    DazCentral neither can see library items nor installed items. Example RDNA Falllands Vol 1, RDNA Winter Foliage etc.

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