[Released] Content Wizard [Commercial]

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Comments

  • Mark_e593e0a5 said:

    Content Wizard says it is 1.1, ordered and installed 2020-08-30, DAZ is version 4.12.1.118

    It is weird.  My version gives a lot more information (ignore the version 1.2, that is my internal version number as I work on bugs):

    2020-12-05 07:08:58.141 DEBUG: Installing Product to Daz Studio...
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.142 Installing Product to Daz Studio...
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.142 DEBUG: Version Number 1.2
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.143 Version Number 1.2
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 DEBUG: DAZ 3D
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 DEBUG: LOCAL USER
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 DEBUG: Renderosity
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 DEBUG: ShareCG
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 DEBUG: Verifying existence of Renderosity store: true
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 Verifying existence of Renderosity store: true
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.145 DEBUG: Verifying "Western Peddling Cart" product does not exist already
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.146 Verifying "Western Peddling Cart" product does not exist already
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.160 DEBUG: Creating "Western Peddling Cart" product (Store="Renderosity", ID="125825") in Daz Studio...
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.161 Creating "Western Peddling Cart" product (Store="Renderosity", ID="125825") in Daz Studio...
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.190 DEBUG: Building product metadata...
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.190 Building product metadata...
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.191 DEBUG: Support File is Runtime/Support/Renderosity_125825_Western_Peddling_Cart.dsx
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.191 DEBUG: SaveMetadataXML D:/Documents/My DAZ 3D Library/Runtime/Support/Renderosity_125825_Western_Peddling_Cart.dsx D:/Documents/DAZ 3D/Studio/Junk/
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.240 DEBUG: ExportProductXML [object Object] Runtime/Support/Renderosity_125825_Western_Peddling_Cart.dsx D:/Documents/DAZ 3D/Studio/Junk/
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.240 DEBUG: vendorName pamawo
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.243 DEBUG: Artists done
    2020-12-05 07:08:58.243 DEBUG: FileInfo Vehicles/PAMAWO/Western Peddling Cart/Material Iray/WPC Grocery and Supplies Wagon.duf [object Object]

    Well, anyway, what does your dsx file look like?  A common error is having the ampersand (&) in filenames and paths.  I am trying to stamp those out but that is often a commn error with CW 1.1

  • Found the issue, it was an ampersand well hidden in one of the scene files. Easy fix, though.

  • Mark_e593e0a5 said:

    Found the issue, it was an ampersand well hidden in one of the scene files. Easy fix, though.

    I am glad you found it.  I hope I will fix that issue once and for all in the next release.

  • RiverSoftArt said:

    Mark_e593e0a5 said:

    Found the issue, it was an ampersand well hidden in one of the scene files. Easy fix, though.

    I am glad you found it.  I hope I will fix that issue once and for all in the next release.

    If you need a beta tester, I have a handful of clothing items with ampersands in almost every file, the product name and almost all the directory paths plus the clothing helper morphs. laugh

  • Mark_e593e0a5 said:

    RiverSoftArt said:

    Mark_e593e0a5 said:

    Found the issue, it was an ampersand well hidden in one of the scene files. Easy fix, though.

    I am glad you found it.  I hope I will fix that issue once and for all in the next release.

    If you need a beta tester, I have a handful of clothing items with ampersands in almost every file, the product name and almost all the directory paths plus the clothing helper morphs. laugh

    LOL.  I will keep you in mind.  PM me your email address then.

  • Might have asked this already, but anyhow:

    I do have lots of products installed with Content Wizard. After the install I always created also the installer.

    Now as studio becomes slow with lots of installed characters and morphs I would like to use those installers with DIM to be able to install/uninstall from one location. My questions are:

    - Where to place the ZIP and the DSX Content Wizard creates?
    - Is there a particular naming convention for those files to work?
    - How do I make DIM aware of these files?

    Thanks!

  • SevrinSevrin Posts: 6,300

    Rod Wise Driggo said:

    Might have asked this already, but anyhow:

    I do have lots of products installed with Content Wizard. After the install I always created also the installer.

    Now as studio becomes slow with lots of installed characters and morphs I would like to use those installers with DIM to be able to install/uninstall from one location. My questions are:

    - Where to place the ZIP and the DSX Content Wizard creates?
    - Is there a particular naming convention for those files to work?
    - How do I make DIM aware of these files?

    Thanks!

    DIM will see the files if you put them in whatever folder is set up for downloads in your DIM settings, just like the zips made with the older Content Package Assist product.

    Names are usually like IM00064289-01_LakeishaHDforDarcy8.zip/dsx if there's only one zip.  Two alpha characters, the SKU padded with zeros to make 8 digits and the "_01" indicates file one of one.  With multiple files, you'd use "_02" for the second, etc.  No spaces, no special characters.  You can use the first two characters to identify stores if you like.

  • Sevrin said:

    Rod Wise Driggo said:

    Might have asked this already, but anyhow:

    I do have lots of products installed with Content Wizard. After the install I always created also the installer.

    Now as studio becomes slow with lots of installed characters and morphs I would like to use those installers with DIM to be able to install/uninstall from one location. My questions are:

    - Where to place the ZIP and the DSX Content Wizard creates?
    - Is there a particular naming convention for those files to work?
    - How do I make DIM aware of these files?

    Thanks!

    DIM will see the files if you put them in whatever folder is set up for downloads in your DIM settings, just like the zips made with the older Content Package Assist product.

    Names are usually like IM00064289-01_LakeishaHDforDarcy8.zip/dsx if there's only one zip.  Two alpha characters, the SKU padded with zeros to make 8 digits and the "_01" indicates file one of one.  With multiple files, you'd use "_02" for the second, etc.  No spaces, no special characters.  You can use the first two characters to identify stores if you like.

    Thanks @Sevrin!

  • That worked. Thanks @Sevrin

    What I've noticed. One needs to install and add metadata to get the installer file, right? Now I moved the installer to the DIM packages and at first installed "over" the already installed files. But if I do so and then try to uninstall via DIM the files (checked the people folder) stayed there. Probably as they have not been installed by DIM. So I deleted them manually, did a new install via DIM and everything is fine now.

    Is it possible to shorten those steps. Would like to move all installers from figures I purchased from other stores to DIM to be able to quickly install/uninstall whenever needed.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565

    Rod Wise Driggo said:

    That worked. Thanks @Sevrin

    What I've noticed. One needs to install and add metadata to get the installer file, right? Now I moved the installer to the DIM packages and at first installed "over" the already installed files. But if I do so and then try to uninstall via DIM the files (checked the people folder) stayed there. Probably as they have not been installed by DIM. So I deleted them manually, did a new install via DIM and everything is fine now.

    Is it possible to shorten those steps. Would like to move all installers from figures I purchased from other stores to DIM to be able to quickly install/uninstall whenever needed.

     

    To uninstall a product using DIM that was manually installed:

    1)  Install the product again with DIM

    2)  In DIM, go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Installation; at the bottom is a list of your content folders and their paths.

    3)  Right-click on the content folder path you used and choose "Fix Installed File Registry".

    4)  Now uninstall the product with DIM,

    Notes:  The reason you need to do it this way is because if DIM finds a file that already exists when it tries to install it, DIM assumes it's from another product that uses the same file.  It creates a file named "InstallManagerFileRegister.json" in that content folder listing all the files that are installed by multiple products and the number of products that need each file, so when you uninstall one product it knows there are other products that need the file.  "Fix Installed File Registry" rewrites that .json file using only the information in the ManifestFiles .dsx files, so it won't count files that were installed manually as a separate product.  There will be a bunch of error messages in the log which you can ignore -- since it only applies to content, ,dsx files for software and plugins get written to the log as errors.

     

  • ChumlyChumly Posts: 793

    Sevrin & Fixmypcmike...
     

    Thanks for your help... you guys are priceless!

  • Fixmypcmike said:

    Rod Wise Driggo said:

    That worked. Thanks @Sevrin

    What I've noticed. One needs to install and add metadata to get the installer file, right? Now I moved the installer to the DIM packages and at first installed "over" the already installed files. But if I do so and then try to uninstall via DIM the files (checked the people folder) stayed there. Probably as they have not been installed by DIM. So I deleted them manually, did a new install via DIM and everything is fine now.

    Is it possible to shorten those steps. Would like to move all installers from figures I purchased from other stores to DIM to be able to quickly install/uninstall whenever needed.

     

    To uninstall a product using DIM that was manually installed:

    1)  Install the product again with DIM

    2)  In DIM, go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Installation; at the bottom is a list of your content folders and their paths.

    3)  Right-click on the content folder path you used and choose "Fix Installed File Registry".

    4)  Now uninstall the product with DIM,

    Notes:  The reason you need to do it this way is because if DIM finds a file that already exists when it tries to install it, DIM assumes it's from another product that uses the same file.  It creates a file named "InstallManagerFileRegister.json" in that content folder listing all the files that are installed by multiple products and the number of products that need each file, so when you uninstall one product it knows there are other products that need the file.  "Fix Installed File Registry" rewrites that .json file using only the information in the ManifestFiles .dsx files, so it won't count files that were installed manually as a separate product.  There will be a bunch of error messages in the log which you can ignore -- since it only applies to content, ,dsx files for software and plugins get written to the log as errors.

    Oooh nice!  That is very useful! surprise Thank you for your help @Fixmypcmike!

  • The information @Sevrin and @Fixmypcmike provided is so useful that I want to include it in the manual.  Here is what I am writing.  Any suggestions?

    Managing your Smart Content

    After all of your hard work creating smart content for a product, you want to be able to use it again, whether to reinstall the product or install it on other computers.  The first thing to do is to perform BOTH steps in the How to Share Smart Content for a Product section.  This will create several important files.  The first file (from the first step) contains the information you have input for a product in case you find an error and want to correct it later using Content Wizard.  The new zip file contains the product and all smart content metadata needed by Daz Studio.

    It is highly recommended you back up the following files for every product:

    1. DSX File (Generated when you clicked Install Smart Content)
    2. Product Zip Files (Generated when you clicked Export Zip File(s) & Self-Installer)

    The following files are only needed if you want to fix any errors you made defining the Smart Content in Content Wizard:

    1. TXT Configuration File (Generated when you clicked Save Configuration File.  Note: do this AFTER you have clicked Install Smart Content)
    2. Product Icon Image (Defined when you click Change Product Icon)
    3. Original Product Zip files

    Using the ZIP Files on another computer

    To use your products with smart content on another computer, it is recommended that you use the Daz Install Manager (DIM).  Place your zip files in the downloads directory for DIM.  When DIM starts, it will find these files and allow you to automatically install them.

    Using DIM to Uninstall

    If you have used DIM to install your zip files, DIM will automatically uninstall the products as well. However, because CW must manually install the product before generating smart content, DIM will not delete the files from your content directories as it assumes that these files may be used by another product.

    To uninstall a product using DIM that was manually installed:

    1. Install the product again with DIM
      1. In DIM, go to Settings > Advanced Settings > Installation; at the bottom is a list of your content folders and their paths.
      2. Right-click on the content folder path you used and choose "Fix Installed File Registry".
      3. Now uninstall the product with DIM

    The reason you need to do it this way is because if DIM finds a file that already exists when it tries to install it, DIM assumes it's from another product that uses the same file.  It creates a file named "InstallManagerFileRegister.json" in that content folder listing all the files that are installed by multiple products and the number of products that need each file, so when you uninstall one product it knows there are other products that need the file.  "Fix Installed File Registry" rewrites that .json file using only the information in the ManifestFiles .dsx files, so it won't count files that were installed manually as a separate product.  There will be a bunch of error messages in the log which you can ignore -- since it only applies to content, dsx files for software and plugins get written to the log as errors.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565

    That looks good to me.

  • Fixmypcmike said:

    That looks good to me.

    Thanks for the review! smiley

  • Greetings!

    I somtimes hate this product but only since it runs into issues without an helpful information for me.

    Right now I try to install a product and generally it works.

    Everything is set, "Install Content" runs with no trouble. Analyzing had found lots of stuff and filled in the "Smart content"-tab too and then I try to "Install Smart Content" and it runs into an error: "Error importing product into Smart Content database"

    The result is, the 3 files within the correct folder where all the others land are there and when I search the product under "All Products" in my Smart content it shows up but it is in no sub-category.

     

    The thing is, it is not per se broken since I tried to install another product I had not yet installed before and it worked like a charm. No errors but everything perfect.

  • dmfrodoldmfrodol Posts: 4
    edited December 2020

    josermaldonadosierra said:

     

    LOCAL USER duplicates is a recurrent problem. I get duplicates doing my own metadata (by Rstudio script or by hand in DS), changing previous official metadata and creating custom folders and custom products. A random amount of files get duplicates other are fine, it is a crazy behavior.

    Erasing duplicate in content library erase the good reference also, but the good way to eliminate duplicates is into product tree:

    product --> L --> LOCAL USER --> select what you want eliminate --> right click --> Remove Reference

    Can confirm that this works. I wish there was a way to organize the content library by date instead of by name though, I have far too many files in there. Thanks for the trick though.

    Came here to find this solution, thank you!

    Post edited by dmfrodol on
  • Is the ampersand "&"-problem with file and directory names still present? Got me some idler & hitman collaboration products over at Rendo which use the "&" in texture subdirectories.

  • Seems not to be. Installed just fine.

  • Rod Wise Driggo said:

    Seems not to be. Installed just fine.

    There is still an edge case that causes trouble in the present released version (forget what it is right now).  I had been delaying submitting the fix because I was working with someone on another issue (opening editor on Mac), but I have been having trouble getting in touch with him.  I will try and submit the latest this coming week.

  • Rod Wise DriggoRod Wise Driggo Posts: 2,144
    edited January 2021

    Was that me (wanted to beta-test) or the guy with scripting experience ;-)

    Post edited by Rod Wise Driggo on
  • Rod Wise Driggo said:

    Was that me (wanted to beta-test) or the guy with scripting experience ;-)

    That was the guy with script experience.

  • Rod Wise DriggoRod Wise Driggo Posts: 2,144
    edited January 2021

    RiverSoftArt said:

    Rod Wise Driggo said:

    Was that me (wanted to beta-test) or the guy with scripting experience ;-)

    That was the guy with script experience.

    Well, then I hope you'll be able to get in touch soon.

    Oh, and an idea for some little extension to Content Wizard. How about an option to easily create stores? Had a script once which I've used to create "Renderosity" which I can now select via the DropDown. Would be cool to be able to do this for R'tica, Forender, DeviantArt etc. as well

    Post edited by Rod Wise Driggo on
  • Rod Wise Driggo said:

    RiverSoftArt said:

    Rod Wise Driggo said:

    Was that me (wanted to beta-test) or the guy with scripting experience ;-)

    That was the guy with script experience.

    Well, then I hope you'll be able to get in touch soon.

    Oh, and an idea for some little extension to Content Wizard. How about an option to easily create stores? Had a script once which I've used to create "Renderosity" which I can now select via the DropDown. Would be cool to be able to do this for R'tica, Forender, DeviantArt etc. as well

    You can edit RSSmartContentConstants.dsa in a text editor and change the StoreIDs and StoreURLs (and StoreZipPrefixes when the update comes out) constants to add more stores.

     

  • Rod Wise DriggoRod Wise Driggo Posts: 2,144
    edited January 2021

    Cool - looking forward. Had some heavy Content Wizard lifting today with installing most of the stuff I've got from the Rendo New Years Sale.

    Post edited by Rod Wise Driggo on
  • It's me again. The window fix still works wonderfully, but a few months back a new issue cropped up and I'm just now finding time to deal with it. Plus, another one that I just started having today. I'm using whatever version of CW DIM has most recently delivered.

    Problem 1: The utility no longer installs content properly, or indeed at all.

    I do all the necessary prep and click "Install Smart Content," which it ostensibly does. It gives me a pop-up saying that the installation was successful, except nothing gets installed. Content Wizard will generate and install the support files into the proper directory (assuming that it already exists, see Problem 2), so that the product shows up in the highest smart content level applicable (Wardrobe, Accessories, etc.), but it installs none of the other files. When I click on the product in smart content or the product library, it's empty. In the installation location, all of the support files end up in place but everything else gets ignored. A product can have hundreds of components and the script will always say that it's installed one item, with zero children.

    I've tried multiple directories and multiple vendors. They're all standard file structures for Studio, identical to ones that I successfully installed previously. When I analyze the zip files, everything shows up fine. I've also successfully installed things to the directories I'm trying to use with Content Wizard before and haven't changed any permissions. The only workaround I've found is to manually install a product, i.e. all of the files that Content Wizard won't install for whatever reason (literally everything but the support files), and then install the product as smart content with Content Wizard.  It does this in both 4.10 and the most current 4.14 beta, and did it in the 4.12 beta as well.

     

    Problem 2: The utility now comes back as having an error during installation and does not create any support files if Runtime/Support does not already exist within the library I'm installing to, and I cannot remember if it used to create Runtime/Support when it didn't exist.

     

    I've attached a log file for the two installations related to the first problem, where nothing installs and then what happens when I run CW after manually installing everything and just using it to generate the smart content info. Plus a screenshot of what I get when I use CW to install smart content without manually installing the product first.

    txt
    txt
    cw log.txt
    11K
    cw.jpg
    494 x 300 - 83K
  • PlatnumkPlatnumk Posts: 663
    edited January 2021

    Cora Regina said:

    It's me again. The window fix still works wonderfully, but a few months back a new issue cropped up and I'm just now finding time to deal with it. Plus, another one that I just started having today. I'm using whatever version of CW DIM has most recently delivered.

    Problem 1: The utility no longer installs content properly, or indeed at all.

    I do all the necessary prep and click "Install Smart Content," which it ostensibly does. It gives me a pop-up saying that the installation was successful, except nothing gets installed. Content Wizard will generate and install the support files into the proper directory (assuming that it already exists, see Problem 2), so that the product shows up in the highest smart content level applicable (Wardrobe, Accessories, etc.), but it installs none of the other files. When I click on the product in smart content or the product library, it's empty. In the installation location, all of the support files end up in place but everything else gets ignored. A product can have hundreds of components and the script will always say that it's installed one item, with zero children.

    I've tried multiple directories and multiple vendors. They're all standard file structures for Studio, identical to ones that I successfully installed previously. When I analyze the zip files, everything shows up fine. I've also successfully installed things to the directories I'm trying to use with Content Wizard before and haven't changed any permissions. The only workaround I've found is to manually install a product, i.e. all of the files that Content Wizard won't install for whatever reason (literally everything but the support files), and then install the product as smart content with Content Wizard.  It does this in both 4.10 and the most current 4.14 beta, and did it in the 4.12 beta as well.

     

    Problem 2: The utility now comes back as having an error during installation and does not create any support files if Runtime/Support does not already exist within the library I'm installing to, and I cannot remember if it used to create Runtime/Support when it didn't exist.

     

    I've attached a log file for the two installations related to the first problem, where nothing installs and then what happens when I run CW after manually installing everything and just using it to generate the smart content info. Plus a screenshot of what I get when I use CW to install smart content without manually installing the product first.

    This maybe a silly question,  but did you click on the Install Content button in the bottom lefthand corner before installing the smart content 

    Post edited by Platnumk on
  • Platnumk said:

    Cora Regina said:

    It's me again. The window fix still works wonderfully, but a few months back a new issue cropped up and I'm just now finding time to deal with it. Plus, another one that I just started having today. I'm using whatever version of CW DIM has most recently delivered.

    Problem 1: The utility no longer installs content properly, or indeed at all.

    I do all the necessary prep and click "Install Smart Content," which it ostensibly does. It gives me a pop-up saying that the installation was successful, except nothing gets installed. Content Wizard will generate and install the support files into the proper directory (assuming that it already exists, see Problem 2), so that the product shows up in the highest smart content level applicable (Wardrobe, Accessories, etc.), but it installs none of the other files. When I click on the product in smart content or the product library, it's empty. In the installation location, all of the support files end up in place but everything else gets ignored. A product can have hundreds of components and the script will always say that it's installed one item, with zero children.

    I've tried multiple directories and multiple vendors. They're all standard file structures for Studio, identical to ones that I successfully installed previously. When I analyze the zip files, everything shows up fine. I've also successfully installed things to the directories I'm trying to use with Content Wizard before and haven't changed any permissions. The only workaround I've found is to manually install a product, i.e. all of the files that Content Wizard won't install for whatever reason (literally everything but the support files), and then install the product as smart content with Content Wizard.  It does this in both 4.10 and the most current 4.14 beta, and did it in the 4.12 beta as well.

     

    Problem 2: The utility now comes back as having an error during installation and does not create any support files if Runtime/Support does not already exist within the library I'm installing to, and I cannot remember if it used to create Runtime/Support when it didn't exist.

     

    I've attached a log file for the two installations related to the first problem, where nothing installs and then what happens when I run CW after manually installing everything and just using it to generate the smart content info. Plus a screenshot of what I get when I use CW to install smart content without manually installing the product first.

    This maybe a silly question,  but did you click on the Install Content button in the bottom lefthand corner before installing the smart content .

    That is a very good question.  Before we look for other issues, did you click Install Content first?

  • Cora ReginaCora Regina Posts: 731
    edited January 2021

    RiverSoftArt said:

    Platnumk said:

    Cora Regina said:

    It's me again. The window fix still works wonderfully, but a few months back a new issue cropped up and I'm just now finding time to deal with it. Plus, another one that I just started having today. I'm using whatever version of CW DIM has most recently delivered.

    Problem 1: The utility no longer installs content properly, or indeed at all.

    I do all the necessary prep and click "Install Smart Content," which it ostensibly does. It gives me a pop-up saying that the installation was successful, except nothing gets installed. Content Wizard will generate and install the support files into the proper directory (assuming that it already exists, see Problem 2), so that the product shows up in the highest smart content level applicable (Wardrobe, Accessories, etc.), but it installs none of the other files. When I click on the product in smart content or the product library, it's empty. In the installation location, all of the support files end up in place but everything else gets ignored. A product can have hundreds of components and the script will always say that it's installed one item, with zero children.

    I've tried multiple directories and multiple vendors. They're all standard file structures for Studio, identical to ones that I successfully installed previously. When I analyze the zip files, everything shows up fine. I've also successfully installed things to the directories I'm trying to use with Content Wizard before and haven't changed any permissions. The only workaround I've found is to manually install a product, i.e. all of the files that Content Wizard won't install for whatever reason (literally everything but the support files), and then install the product as smart content with Content Wizard.  It does this in both 4.10 and the most current 4.14 beta, and did it in the 4.12 beta as well.

     

    Problem 2: The utility now comes back as having an error during installation and does not create any support files if Runtime/Support does not already exist within the library I'm installing to, and I cannot remember if it used to create Runtime/Support when it didn't exist.

     

    I've attached a log file for the two installations related to the first problem, where nothing installs and then what happens when I run CW after manually installing everything and just using it to generate the smart content info. Plus a screenshot of what I get when I use CW to install smart content without manually installing the product first.

    This maybe a silly question,  but did you click on the Install Content button in the bottom lefthand corner before installing the smart content .

    That is a very good question.  Before we look for other issues, did you click Install Content first?

    No, I didn't. There was nothing that ever implied that was necessary unless you wanted to skip the metadata.

    When I first started using the product, I looked at the user manual and there were two separate sets of instructions. One for just installing products that required you to load the zips and just click Install Content, and a separate one that had you load the zips, analyze them to categorize things, and then click Install Smart Content. The implication being that it would install the content but also generate metadata for it as it did so. There was no mention made of it needing to be a two-step process. At least, that's what the manual I've got installed seems to indicate. Basic installation >> add zip files, install content. Smart installation >> add zip files, analyze, check to make sure things are where you want them (the included instructions for moving things have never worked for me), install smart content.

    The first few times I used the utility, I breezed through a bunch of stuff just following the smart content part of the manual. I would load things from Rendo in, have CW analyze them, and click Install Smart Content. The files would be installed to the appropriate locations, the metadata would be created, and things would show up fully usable in Smart Content. Just a couple clicks, and only ever ran into bother when someone had used a non-standard structure. Then one day it just stopped doing that, first with a handful of vendors and finally with everything.

    Are you saying it was always supposed to be a two-step process?

    If so, that works just fine and it's definitely faster from within CW than outside of it, even with Studio's pondorously slow scene clearing. But now I have no idea why just going the Install Smart Content route worked at all for any period of time. If there's something linking the two processes in the manual, I'm evidently missing it or just too dumb to comprehend what it's saying (both highly possible). When I first read through it, they really did sound and ultimately behave like separate processes for a while there.

    Post edited by Cora Regina on
  • PlatnumkPlatnumk Posts: 663

    Cora Regina said:

    RiverSoftArt said:

    Platnumk said:

    Cora Regina said:

    It's me again. The window fix still works wonderfully, but a few months back a new issue cropped up and I'm just now finding time to deal with it. Plus, another one that I just started having today. I'm using whatever version of CW DIM has most recently delivered.

    Problem 1: The utility no longer installs content properly, or indeed at all.

    I do all the necessary prep and click "Install Smart Content," which it ostensibly does. It gives me a pop-up saying that the installation was successful, except nothing gets installed. Content Wizard will generate and install the support files into the proper directory (assuming that it already exists, see Problem 2), so that the product shows up in the highest smart content level applicable (Wardrobe, Accessories, etc.), but it installs none of the other files. When I click on the product in smart content or the product library, it's empty. In the installation location, all of the support files end up in place but everything else gets ignored. A product can have hundreds of components and the script will always say that it's installed one item, with zero children.

    I've tried multiple directories and multiple vendors. They're all standard file structures for Studio, identical to ones that I successfully installed previously. When I analyze the zip files, everything shows up fine. I've also successfully installed things to the directories I'm trying to use with Content Wizard before and haven't changed any permissions. The only workaround I've found is to manually install a product, i.e. all of the files that Content Wizard won't install for whatever reason (literally everything but the support files), and then install the product as smart content with Content Wizard.  It does this in both 4.10 and the most current 4.14 beta, and did it in the 4.12 beta as well.

     

    Problem 2: The utility now comes back as having an error during installation and does not create any support files if Runtime/Support does not already exist within the library I'm installing to, and I cannot remember if it used to create Runtime/Support when it didn't exist.

     

    I've attached a log file for the two installations related to the first problem, where nothing installs and then what happens when I run CW after manually installing everything and just using it to generate the smart content info. Plus a screenshot of what I get when I use CW to install smart content without manually installing the product first.

    This maybe a silly question,  but did you click on the Install Content button in the bottom lefthand corner before installing the smart content .

    That is a very good question.  Before we look for other issues, did you click Install Content first?

    No, I didn't. There was nothing that ever implied that was necessary unless you wanted to skip the metadata.

    When I first started using the product, I looked at the user manual and there were two separate sets of instructions. One for just installing products that required you to load the zips and just click Install Content, and a separate one that had you load the zips, analyze them to categorize things, and then click Install Smart Content. The implication being that it would install the content but also generate metadata for it as it did so. There was no mention made of it needing to be a two-step process. At least, that's what the manual I've got installed seems to indicate. Basic installation >> add zip files, install content. Smart installation >> add zip files, analyze, check to make sure things are where you want them (the included instructions for moving things have never worked for me), install smart content.

    The first few times I used the utility, I breezed through a bunch of stuff just following the smart content part of the manual. I would load things from Rendo in, have CW analyze them, and click Install Smart Content. The files would be installed to the appropriate locations, the metadata would be created, and things would show up fully usable in Smart Content. Just a couple clicks, and only ever ran into bother when someone had used a non-standard structure. Then one day it just stopped doing that, first with a handful of vendors and finally with everything.

    Are you saying it was always supposed to be a two-step process?

    If so, that works just fine and it's definitely faster from within CW than outside of it, even with Studio's pondorously slow scene clearing. But now I have no idea why just going the Install Smart Content route worked at all for any period of time. If there's something linking the two processes in the manual, I'm evidently missing it or just too dumb to comprehend what it's saying (both highly possible). When I first read through it, they really did sound and ultimately behave like separate processes for a while there.

    Step 1: Load Zip/Zips & click on Analyse

    Step 2: Check the Analysis that the metadata is/look correct (make adjustments if needed)

    Step 3: Click on Install Content 

    Step 4: : Click on Install Smart Content

    Hopefully this is of some help.

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