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224 S 200 W, Suite #250
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© 2024 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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You only ever need to run the script once per installation. You paste the result in the Target field of your shortcut properties.
To do it entirely without using the script, for Windows find the Daz Studio short cut in the Windows Logo menu, right-click on it>More>Open File Locations, and copy the icon to a new location.
right-click on the new short cut>Properties
In the Target text box add
-instanceName "MyInstance"
(using whatever name you like), then click Accept and double-click the short cut.
Doing the process described three posts up permanently (and transparently) restores application launching behavior to what it was in prior versions. The only underlying difference is that DS's temp and log files will no longer be found in their usual place (each instance gets a uniqely named temp file path for all its stuff that auto-deletes when you close the instance.)
Just another user that is using multiple instances of DAZ Studio.
Would like to see this change to revert back as is used to be without using scripts, special shortcuts.
Hey guys i'm using the latest version of Daz 4.12.118 and have tried both the powershell script and Richard's instructions of manually creating a new shortcut. And nothing is working. I had Daz installed on my D drive and tried both methods, when that didn't work I uninstalled Studio and re-installed to my C drive, but that time when I ran the script the text went red without asking for a "yes". And creating a re-targeted shortcut doesn't work for that either. Here's a screenshot of my shortcut. Help.
And I'm using Windows 10.
This is mine:
Target: "C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4 Public Build\DAZStudio.exe" -instanceName AnotherDaz -copyAppSettings . -copySessionUI . (There are periods in there)
Starts in: "C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4 Public Build"
That worked like a charm. Thank you!
What is going on please - Before I was rendering 3 images at once from different files now I have to wait each image hours. Please fix the problem we cant open multi insta and this is slowing down multi-file rendering...
What problem? The thread has already explained how to run multiple instances of DS.
I told from the start on, that the multiple instance "solution" from DAZ is a bad idea, after it's non intutive and will irritate people. And that's excactly what's happening.
Please DAZ, overthink your solution and make multi instancing easy and intutive.
It's perhaps easier to just create a shortcut to the executable, examine its properties, and add '-instanceName #' (without the single quotes) after the name of the executable in the "Target" field.
What do the -cleanOnLaunch true and -cleanOnExit parameters do? They obviously aren't there normally, and I get multiple instances just fine without them.
Edit: As in fact @RayDAnt said on the previous page :-)
With the -instanceName # extra arguments DAZStudio does start behaving like other SDI programs, e.g. Notepad; the first click on the taskbar icon opens the first instance, subsequently a click swaps to that instance. Right click on the taskbar icon brings up a menu which allows a new instance to be started. From that point left click on the icon shows little pictures of the two running instances; click on either to bring it to the front. This is the correct behavior. Not the desired behavior; the correct behavior, as defined by the UI of Windows.
It's a bug that DAZStudio uses fixed names (such as "r.png") in temporary directories; sprintf("%d.png", gitpid()), or better QTemporaryFile(). It's a bug++ that DAZStudio fails to exit after it has removed the main window, resulting in a single click on the taskbar icon doing nothing.
Moreover, I have a new problem due to the fact that they have forbidden to run multiple versions. Sometimes, after closing, Daz continues to hang in the Task Manager, and because of this, I cannot start the program again until I remove the task. Very "comfortably"
In my opinion, the ban on opening several programs at the same time is a mistake. But since developers can never admit mistakes, they will not return this feature until the last. And most likely they will never return it. I hope I am wrong.
Multiple versions at the same time is definitely possible, and I run multiple instances of the same version all the time. Sometimes users aren't great at admitting mistakes, either.
You mean creating a separate shortcut? It's not the same. Not even close. I should always keep in mind that the program should be run from the second shortcut. What if I need to run the program 3 or even 4 times? (This happens) Create a separate shortcut for each one? Is it convenient?
If there is a way to run version 4.14 several times using the same shortcut, please tell us how. Because I didn't find a solution, and crutches with multiple shortcuts look pretty pathetic for a normal program.
I also like the option where I can use RTX 30xx on 4.12. Because this is the only feature that has been useful over the past 2 years of updates.
I'm using 4.14 ... and an old 4.12 ... so I can open another one or two or three at the same time
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and it the past I have often rendered in one and worked in another.
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why a second or third instance.. so when I want to get something from an older scene file .. I can get it without closing waiting restarting opening new file, saving needed asset as subset and then closing waiting opening scene I needed the asset for than adding the asset.
takes a long time to type that in it's way quicker than closing daz.
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Can you believe I actually use photoshop and open up 3 or 4 renders so I can copy and stack them in one window. Think I've been able to do that sicne PS 1 in 1987
I agree. For example, I have a render running - this is the first version of the program. At this time, I want to prepare the next scene – this is the second version of the program. And I need to transfer some detail from another scene – this is the third version of the program. Previously, I worked quietly - I didn't even think about such things. But now I had to update due to RTX 30xx support, and it turned out that I was working "incorrectly"…
No, seriously. A solution with multiple shortcuts or multiple versions of programs looks as inadequate as possible. And judging by the fact that the problem is more than a year old, we will not see a normal solution. At a minimum, I will constantly leave requests for support. Although, as I said, developers are not ready to admit their mistakes.
you can suse the 414 for the rendering.. so it's a nusisance
but I worry about when my older cards 980ti and titanx aren't supported at all
And it's a big jump up to another 12g card.. I often push the titan to 11888m and I don't think one of the 11g cards will handle that
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of course I do have the option of not buying any assets for 6 mos and buying a new card instead.. hmm, actually sounds like a reasonable idea and all the current new stuff will be old cheap assets by then.
The magic is "#" - when DAZStudio runs it replaces it by a unique number, starting at "1" instead of immediately exiting.
Presumably other stuff could be put in there, for instance the action for "open" of a .duf file could be changed to use "-instanceName %file%" (or whatever the correct Windows syntax is), rather than the current extraordinarily annoying behavior where it closes the scene you were working on at the time. This would make it much faster to open scene files because it would not be necessary to wait the interminable time while DAZStudio closes the old one. I haven't tried any of this stuff, too much other stuff to work out (such as how to fix Iray shaders to work with Filament.)
A couple of words of warning; while at first sight DAZStudio behaves like a correctly written SDI application there are some weirdnesses. For example while "recent files" seems to be handled correctly; merged back to the global DAZStudio AppData, the directory of the last opened scene appears to be stuck forever at whatever you used DAZStudio without -instanceName last. Each instance has its own AppData directory, but I haven't determined yet whether that gets cleared when a given instance number is started or whether the instance mysteriously picks up settings from some other random previous instance. I also note that dForce kernels are recompiled once for each new instance; I don't know if that is a bug in 4.14 or if it is specific to using -instanceName.
I simply use an older version of daz and open that one in multiple distances instead. Works fine.
However I miss the ability to move several items at once. It has stopped working in my older versions too unfortunately.
If nothing ever goes wrong when you open multiple instances in older versions you are very lucky.
First time around (after upgrading to 4.12) I also ran into the Instancing issue, and resolved it by following the instructions above, ie. usign the Powershell script (simple download and run as Powershell) then editing the shortcut to reflect the -instanceName # parameter for daz as it started. That worked beautifully, until my computer died and forced a new Win10 (v 20H2) and Daz4.12.1.117 reinstall. It has not worked the second time. The -InstanceName # does not iterate *from a Shortcut*, and yet... the powershell script DOES still work each time to create a new iterated instance.
Because PowerShell scripts (*.ps1 files) are not intended to be double clicked or added to the Start menu, there is a simple work around.
For reference, the powershell script is, the 'normal' one supplied at page 7 in the zip file, and I retitled it "DAZStudio - Instance - PS.ps1"
It contains only the two lines of the original, customzed to the Daz exe file location:
$dspath = "D:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\DAZStudio.exe" #Change to your Daz Studio Path.
start-process -filepath $dspath -argumentlist "-instanceName # -cleanOnLaunch true -cleanOnExit"
Workaround:
Move the "DAZStudio - Instance - PS.ps1" file somewhere convenient (like your daz executable folder).
Create a shortcut to the .ps1 file, which will be called "DAZStudio - Instance - PS - Shortcut"
On the new Shortcut, Right click > Properties > Target. And in front of ".ps1" target location add:
powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File
'Target' will now read: powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "D:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\DAZStudio - Instance - PS.ps1"
... where the portion inside the quotes is the location of the .ps1 file on your computer...
Click Apply, OK
Now I can Right Click this new Shortcut and add it to your Start Menu, etc, and it will double click like anything else.
(If anyone tries to track down this file behavior, I'd comment further that I don''t know why the file parameters work via Powershell but do not work via the normal 'target' method. For giggles, I have tried the instancing from the Command (cmd) line also, and it does not work from there, instead detecting the "#" as an attempted filename to open, just as it does from the Target command. I have my guesses in the cause of this behavior being in Windows 10.)
No one is going to read this, but whatever, someone might, some time.
I suspect 99% of the problems people experience come down to the weird, nerdy, requirement for quote marks (" or ') in exactly the right context. When creating the shortcut it is essential not to include <<-instanceName #>> inside quote marks of either sex, but this is confusing; I deliberately used the third sex of quote marks, the European one, to quote "-instanceName #" in this context...
My own Windows upgrades tend to lag a but behind others; MS only pushes upgrades to systems when compatibility of all the installed hardware is assured (and even then they go wrong), and I never press the "check for updates" button, which is a key to MS that maybe they should offer an upgrade which they have been delaying. Think Jeeves offering advice to Wooster: Only if pushed.
On the command line it is essential to quote the <<#>> because, well, I'm not even going to explain why; if you want to blame someone his name is Bourne (and not as in the movies.) So you type something like:
$ ...\DazStudio.exe -instanceName "#"
It depends on exactly which command line you are using. cmd32.exe might not require the quotes; it's the one I normally use (on Windows, on the rare occasions I descend into the abyss of hell to invoke it), but most likely powershell (which I have never used) does.
Powershell or any equivalent batch processing program is able to solve a whole lot of annoying problems. Opening a new instance for a scene file rather than attempting to close the current one and calling the instance by the name of the scene so that you can't accidentally open it twice (the UI would suck but it would work). Opening instances with specific render and tone mapping settings is another example.
So to someone who isn't exactly good with modifying shortcut details ('target' & 'start in' parameters) and what inherently looks like computer 'code' to them, will the following solve this multiple instances thing- because I've been running 2+ (up to 12 at one point) instances with daz studio starting with 4.10 and currently have 4.11 (with no trouble mind you) and I want to see if I can't run 4.12+ on my system and utilize more of my dual RTX Titans, and eventually run the RTX 3000 series. I want this to be as simple as doing what 'jbowler' just stated; right click on the taskbar daz short cut and left click on the daz icon to launch another instance.
Target: "C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\DAZStudio.exe" -instanceName #
Start in: "C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4"
I honestly don't want to deal with scripts and whatnot because those have never been friendly to me. thanks.
EDIT: Since no one was willing to comment, I gave it a whirl and tested added the -instanceName # to the very end after the quotes. Thankfully it worked, but no extra steps should have been needed. (i opened 9 instances at once and saw absolutely no differences in the cache where Daz writes to.)
Then I checked backwards compatibility with a scene done in 4.11. It converted the environment and tone mapping into nodes in 4.15. When saved and reopened in 4.11 again, the nodes persisted. Then when saved and opened in 4.15, the nodes were replicated into new ones. Redundant and unecessary. Kudos to the developers for (mostly) keeping backwards compatibility, shame for adding in extra steps in two different areas. Now what we need is a version focused on fixing bugs and optimizing the program, not new features.
It seems that all the DAZ studio functions are not available in all instances.
I cannot use GoZ on a second instance. When I come back from ZBrush, the result is send to the first instance and not the second. Is it a bug or a normal behavior ? (studio 4.16.0.3)
It may be worth reporting in a ticket, but I suspect it is the expected behaviour for the same reason as one can have only a single version of GoZ for Daz Studio installed.
just a heads up on 4.20.x i used Target: "C:\Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4\DAZStudio.exe" -instanceName '#'
and it works
I hate typing out commands, that is why I posted my script on P7 of this thread. I also allow for the adjusment of execution priority and cpu affinity. I render in the background and do other things on my machine.
Guys, can someone write quite dumbproof how to start a second instance of 4.20 when I need directly to click on the DUF file (I modified the shortcut but often the file tree is complicated and it's much easier to start the instance by directly clicking on the file instead of browsing zillions of folders).
Thanks in advance.
Use the shortcut Wallace3D posted above and add the path to your file at the end.