Daz Studio 4.9 Beta Now Available..
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A thought just occured to me.
So far, the primary things that have failed on selling me on Smart Content and Categories are 1) I find the default categories a half step away from useless (they just don't match up with the way I think), and 2) it's a slow, annoying pain to organize stuff and add metadata. This is primarily why my reaction to "Why do it this old way" is "Because I like the old way" Switching to the new way is intrusive, and in some cases counter intuitive.
So if you really want to convince me that switching to Smart content, make creating Metadata and organizing by category easier and faster. And here's a tip - Some people actually work significantly faster with a keyboard than they do with a mouse. Even artist types.
And this is the key question that's been asked for days and has gotten no definitive answer. My gut is saying for the first time ever "Daz Soon" will happen sooner than ever before. The one time lots of us are hoping "Daz Soon" never comes.
I don't think so. The one thing management doesn't want to do is disrupt its revenue stream, and there is an excellent chance doing away with DM quickly will do that. Like it or not there are some people that will just not deal with DRM, there is going to have to be a period of time where they are going to have to weigh that impact. That and the issue with people using file structure to organize content who will refuse to use connect for that reason which as nothing to do with DRM. I do not believe it is going to be a quick (or easy) transition.
I didn't answer this time because I have answered it many times in the past, but this thread is heavy with speculation and accusation so I understand if it was missed.
Anything that you have already purchased will continue to be available indefinitely as unencrypted zip's. DIM will likely be around for years to come, it does require server resources to keep running so if it's usage levels drop to infinitesimal levels we may take those servers offline.To let you know how soon that may be, we would need to update Bryce, Carrara and Hexagon before we can take DIM offline.
Also we had a meeting and came up with a plan on being able to organize using files for Daz Connect. I am not going to share more about the implementation but we now have a definite plan that will allow Daz Connect installed content to be sorted around on the filesystem.
I can't guarantee that this will be in the release, or if it will come in a patch-release soon after the inital release but it is in the works.
That's good news, thank you all.
Excellent. As Richard says, good news.
That's pretty much the same as my situation. I know, I can create customised categories and juggle them to my heart's content, so I can match my current (working perfectly well, as it has since long before D|S4 came out, thankyewverymuch) entirely manual system, but there's one big showstopper standing in the way of my trying it out.
I've tried following the screenshots and tutorials posted here over the last few years. They just don't make enough sense to me — I don't think that way. I've just never seen anything as clean and efficient and easily understood as the plain vertical tree view for the Content Library tab introduced in the very first D|S version. I see folder hierarchies stretching off into the distance to left and right in a wide tab layout, or an overly vague Smart Content view, and I have no idea where I am and what I should be looking for, compared to my narrow content tab and perfectly clear folder hierarchy.
As long as that stays firmly in D|S's layout and content options, I'll be happy to keep updating to pick up all the newest shinies. But no longer than that.
It's a BIG HUGE fly swatter. Be afraid :)
I'm NOT installing the Beta. I may boycott the release version if it gets that far.
At what point does new content switch in format? The release version of 4.9? or ? I assume after that point old (current) content can be downloaded and installed with DIM but any new content will require 4.9+ and Connect (and by extension we must use Smart Content--pfeh).
Quite frankly I want to know how long I have left to purchase stuff from DAZ.
We have been told that there are no current plans to release content in Connect-only format.
That's a relief to hear.
That's a relief to hear.
On a side note, this quote system is kind of a pain to work with lol.
Ugh, sorry for double post, meant to edite the previous one.
Auto-update means even more restrictions on the user. DIM handles updates fine. And there have been times when I've moved files on purpose.
ex. I have two folders for Michael 4. When DIM came out I used it to install everything M4 into DIM-M4. Then I sorted it all the way I wanted (along with stuff from elsewhere) into Michael 4 and deleted from DIM-M4. I purchased a couple old M4 things and installed them there then moved them. Guess what there was actually an update to something M4 and DIM hunted through all its known runtimes but I had pulled the plug on the external. Update installed into DIM-M4 and I just hand installed it to Michael 4 overwriting the old files and noting any discrepancy.
Same with the Kids4 and Vicky4.
As for metadata why have it cluttering the database if it's useless and you don't use Smart Content anyway (I leave the Genesis stuff alone though heaven knows the main folders need it)?
So deleting the Support folders in the 'install' runtimes, resetting the db and re-importing is convenient for that.
Thank you Rawb! That's really good news. :)
Oh, just one more thing about the smarts of DIM. If you right-click on an installed file and select 'show installed files' but have moved its runtime or any of the files they are listed dimmed and italic. So you can tell at a glance if you want to do anything about it.
The developers are really really good but I read pages back (can't find it now) that they think it's kind of stupid for a user to want to move files. I suppose Smart Content and hunting for specifics is the only way they can conceive of working in Studio. I say stick to programming. I was a system designer back in the old days and I learned quickly that how I thought the user approached his/her task was not how they did or even wanted to do.
It's good to hear (again) that the team is taking the posts seriously and listening to the input. It is appreciated.
That's reassuring (for now). But 'current' is a nice wiggle word.
I actually thought we were talking about new DS DazConnect only files. And the answer to that has been basically nothing even in que right now. Hence my comment. LOL
Sorry if I mistook the original question.
Oh, my wild imagination is already seriously and thoroughly petrified.
Thank you!
You said this in the other thread, too. And I responded as well. I distinctly remember either DAZ_Jon or DAZ_Rawb saying that at some point the switch would be made, that new products would be released in Connect format only.
Dana
I'm just going to break from the pack and say: hell yes.
Not that its without bugs, but... this is what Smart Content was lacking... the breakdown, being able to see all the pieces of the product in one damn place not having to switch and switch and switch to find all the pieces of the product: set, lights, cameras, poses... now just grab the product and have it all there.
I'm sold. Thank you, now work out the bugs, please.
For those who want to get a feel for how much effort it will take to set up Categories to replicate a file-and-folder-on-disk system you're comfortable with, try this.
Start up DS 4.8 (not the beta). In Content Library, go to one of your custom content folders, e.g. Content Library > Poser Formats > My Freebie Library. Right-click on "My Freebie Library" and choose "Create a Category From" > "This Folder and Subfolders". In the Dialog box that opens, highlight "Categories" and click Accept.
Start with a smaller content folder -- for me it took a few seconds for a 1GB Runtime folder, and 4 minutes for my entire DIM-installed Daz Library.
Go to Categories, and you now have that customized file-and-folder arrangement replicated as a Category.
I have a question from the point of view of someone who has created her own folder system where I have put files where I want them and have renamed alot of them - Will DS 4.9 work for me or will I need to uninstall/reinstall over 6000 items? If I do have to uninstall/reinstall to go with this new content thing, will all my files then become encrypted (as in - would I need to re-download them all and at that point they would be encrypted)?
Or, will DS 4.9 work with my file system as it is? I am very concerned about this whole thing, I haven't ever had smart content work for me. If I stay with 4.8 I won't get the bug fixes and upgrades to the program itself so I guess I will need to upgrade - but will I be able to, without a great deal of trouble? Thanks for any advice or assurances - Cathy
I won't do a montly fee for any of this kind of stuff. I will be using the copy of of photoshop that I have for the rest of my life because I just won't pay a monthly fee. Right now, if I want to purchase something and i have the funds I do. If idon't have the funds then I don't. But if I don't have the funds to pay the monthly fee, then I can't access my content. And, if you multiply that $20 bucks a month for 20 years, that's a lot of content you could purchase. Same with games. I want a hard copy or I want a download to my machine. Call me old fashioned I guess.
You don't have to switch to Daz Connect, DS4.9 works with your existing file system the same way 4.8 does (once you tell it where the content folders are, of course). Even if you choose to use Daz Connect for new content you can leave your existing content as is.
Just so no one reading this thread gets confused, Daz Connect is not a subscription system.
This is the part I'm not clear about Mike. Somewhere in the FAQ there's a part about the data base being affected at some times and not others? Like if you do this in 4.9 it doesn't affect 4.8 but if you do that it does. I read it a few times and couldn't get it straight.
DS4.9 adds extra tables to the CMS database. The first time you launch 4.8 it migrates the information in the 4.8 tables into the new 4.9 tables (it doesn't delete the 4.8 tables, it leaves them for 4.8). The list of categories is shared, so if you create a category in 4.8 it will then show in 4.9, and if you create a category in 4.9 it will then show in 4.8, but the data on individual items is kept separate.
For example, DS4.9 creates a category under Default named "Lost and Found" for items which currently don't have metadata. If you then launch 4.8, you'll see that category listed, but there's no content in it, just empty folders. On;ly 4.9 will show content under Lost and Found.
OK thanks Mike :)
The database layout has changed a bit for 4.9 - so anything downloaded and installed by Connect, for example, won't be visible in th 4.8 smart content. But your existing content, and anything new installed by DIM will continue to work in 4.8 and 4.9. Just as a matter of pure caution I wouldn't try categorization in 4.9 with the expectation that 4.8 would see the same results - it is a beta, after all. If you look in the Studio log file for 4.9 you'll see entries about migration (Migrated x of y items) - this is 4,9 copying your 4.8 smart content into the 4.9 database tables.