Can I go back to 4.8 if I don't like 4.9?
Gator
Posts: 1,319
in The Commons
Just started playing with Studio, and thinking of installing 4.9 despite all the hoopla about it. It doesn't sound all that bad. But, if I don't like it can I remove it and re-install the with 4.8 installer I still have on my HDD? Or will be system or account be forever poisoned?
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Not a Mod or a Daz person, but I believe you can.
At least I hope you can. After thinking about it, while I have no incentive to upgrade (don't use Smart Content, not big on Iray, already pretty knowledgeable about how to install and find my stuff), I don't have much incentive *not* to upgrade either. Daz Connect scares me a little (Not because of the Encryption, but because of the reduced control over installation), but otherwise it seems to be the same old same old.
So I'm installing it now, and if there are tears and screams because it messed something up, I have every intention of reverting back to 4.8. I always keep the last 2-5 versions on my HD, just in case (and I never use DIM to install it either.)
Only if you have a copy of 4.8's and its installer stored on your system. Apparently once you install 4.9 it uninstalls the previous version. And once you've created a scene with 4.9 and saved it then that scene won't be useable by 4.8 even if you do reinstall it.
I've kept a copy of EVERY version of Studio since the Alpha versions of Studio before it was version 1 Wastes a lot of space in my archives but I'm a packrat, I can't help it.
Nice to know I'm not the only one!
This is incorrect, 4.9 doesn't change anything in the scene file, so there shouldn't be any problems with 4.8 loading it.
I believe people are going on past experience with switch from 3 to 4 and then to 4.5 where scene files in the newer version (especially 4) weren't useable in the previous version...but I'm pretty sure that since the scene format (4.5 on) that it isn't that much of concern? There haven't been any major changes like there were between 3 and 4.
Oh!
Yeah, I'd been bitten before so I hadn't tried lately.
what do we have to save as back up to be able to reinstall DS 4.8, can someone name the packages or is it just the I think 3 zip folders? The one for DS and the other two for default shaders and another one.
All the Starter Essentials packs should probably be saved, too...
I've downloaded the 4.9 installers but nervous about installing it. I'm another pack rat that keeps copies of my installers.
I do have questions but I'm getting a headache trying to sift fact from speculation in the encryption thread. I personally, don't see myself using the daz connect feature mainly because I have an extensive library I keep on an external hard drive and have custom folders so I can find my content. The only smart content type thing I use is the search feature. I personally don't want or need direct connection to the store, ads, or product suggestions. I get why some want encryption and I also get why some are against encryption. Instead of the good vs evil of encryption, I want to know how this feature impacts me as a consumer.
1. In 4.9, can I organize my library on an external hard drive with custom folders? (I also have a path mapped to a Poser content library folder also located on my external hard drive.)2. Can I for personal use, edit texture files?
3. Can I use my items in other 3d applications? If so, how many extra steps do I have to take to utilize my items?
4. Will my scripts still work? If any are broken, which ones?
5. Encryption? What is accessible vs inaccessible as far as editing? (Example, can I edit scripts? can I edit the object file in another application like hexegon?)
6. Can I get locked out of my content? Is it linked to my specific computer I have this copy of daz studio running on? Or is encrypted content linked to my account? If I close my account or daz closes, do I lose my content?
7. If I close my account, would I lose access to my content?
8. If Daz, goes bust is there a contingency plan to unlock content?
I'd save your current daz folder so you'd have the 4.8 version of genesis 2 and genesis starter essentials. I noticed when I downloaded 4.9 it said to also download these two items along with Photoshop 3d bridge.
1. Yes, you should be able to set the Connect content up to a different than the default location.
2. Textures are not encrypted, so nothing is changed. (It would be a logisitical nightmare trying to implement a new encruptable image format...)
3. Probably no extra steaps as all the former export options are unchanged.
4. Maybe...there is nothing in this release that should inherently break most scripts...but there are some that won't be able to do certain things with the encrypted content (but if you don't install the encrypted version, they will still work on the manual or DIM version...).
5. Almost all store bought scripts were already encrypted and have not been able to be edited for ages, so nothing changes there. No user (your own or ones from other sites) content is encrypted. 4.9 DOES NOT encrypt anything...it DECRYPTS pre-encrypted content. Also any current content that is downloaded (and future too) manually or by the DIM is not encrypted.
6, 7, 8. There is an 'offline' key and if/when Daz goes the way of a carnival gold fish, a 'poison pill' is being worked on (it is written and is in the testing stages, according to the devs), to decrypt, permanently, any encrypted content. In the beta threads, there was a lot of discussion on the 'strictness' the 'one machine' meant and exactly what/how to move it all to another machine...and the key...way too much to link to.
mjc 1016,
Thank you for answering my questions. :) I thought I read somewhere that daz connect would update and overwrite files making them encrypted. Then again, could have been some fiction I was reading mixed in with fact. That's why I wanted to ask in a quieter thread. Again, thanks for the response. Based on this, I think I'll back up my 4.8 content folder that is on my main drive and give 4.9 a try.
If you don't download the Connect version it will happily continue along with what is installed. One of the Daz guys explained it in one of those long, noisy threads...
Always first making a copy and editing it to create a different texture file I would do for personal use *only*.
I have had 4.9 Beta for some time because of it's fixes to IRAY along with a few other improvements and now 4.9 but do not use DAZ connect to download content for a number of reasons. I've not used the 4.9 Pro version but it is installed and deleted 4.8 Pro, wish there was an option to Not Delete 4.8 Pro since I always keep the older version until I test the new one for awhile.
A pack rat I am keeping older versions of everything on CDs or DVDs.
I have versions way back to 1.5, but for some reason I can't find the 4.8.0.59 files. The last version I have is 4.6. I am very leary of installing 4.9 without a way to go back to 4.8. There used to be a location where the older versions hung around for download, but I can't remember where that was. If anybody find out how to download the last version, I would really like to know.
I was told about an hour ago that "Only the most recent version is available." (fron Daz) So no way to download anything prior to 4.9 it seems.
I've downloaded 4.9 to a serperate folder, and all stuff downloaded since 4.9 went live will be in the same folder. All DIM downloads prior to that has been renamed (plus I've lots and lots of backups).
I'll be using a disk image to restrore my system once I've tried 4.9 - presuming I do decide to try it.
I've backed up various files - such as:
C:\Users\<YOUR_NAME_HERE>\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D
C:\Users\<YOUR_NAME_HERE>\Documents\DAZ 3D
C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D
(and the backups/downloads where you have Install Manager files - and others perhaps.)
E:\Documents\Daz 3D\InstallManager\Downloads 4-9
E:\Documents\Daz 3D\InstallManager\Downloads 4-8
(and once installed - various sub-folders in here)
E:\Documents\Daz 3D All Libraries
I keep the above as seperate backups, and have multiple copies on a serperate mechanical hard disk: a very large one.
Although having a backup is always a good idea, I just want to note on the record that 4.9 doesn't alter any of your previously installed products. Even the database stuff it does is done by making a new set of tables and importing in to there.
So while having a backup is good, just remember that 4.9 doesn't go all godzilla on your existing data and content.
Exactly, I tried 4.9 and 4.8 is still installed, untouched.
But 4.9 DOES go Godzilla on your custom content, as I've now posted in the other threads. After opening my 4.9 at least 25 times in the past few days, and all my custom content was FINE, it decided about half an hour ago that all of it would disappear and what didn't got scrambled around. (Rawb, this is the post with the screenshot. I'm sure you've seen it or would have shortly.)
However, all my 4.8 is fine so no worries.
Don't forget installers for plugins that aren't part of the D|S download — some are OK with any version after D|S4.5, but some (Dynamic Control, I'm looking at you) are locked to the exact D|S version they were released with and don't work on any other version.
It can be done, but it is a weapons-grade pain in the never-mind-precisely-where. I just did it, and it took all freakin' day! (I am currently enjoying a Martini in celebration of my victory. Because that's what I'm calling it.)
There is no easy way to do this, unless you dedicate a hard drive to install the program and all plugins to...and then a new one for the new version.
4.9 tried to over-write 4.8, no matter where I told it to install. I was hoping I could install both, but evidently not.
What are the DAZ Connect Offline and Authorization files?
Connect Offline are the content files to install Connect only products to a machine that isn't connected to the internet. And the authorization file is the 'key' to allow it.
Thank you.
I created custom categories in 4.7. I migrated to 4.8 without any problems. I put on 4.9 today and did OK when the connect screen came up. The few categories that showed up were weird and did not make any sense. My first category under categories was my main custom category. It did not show up.
Fortunately, I had created a backup of the hard drive, but I had never tested this one because my previous on died a while ago. Someone in a forum had suggested Meclium. I had used it for back up but not for recovery. It worked great. It is also free.
I would like to use 4.9 but I need my categories.
Try Export User Data in DS4.8, then Re-Import Metadata in 4.9.
+1 to this.
I think a lot of users have possibly been misusing the tools and saving their own custom categorizations as product metadata when they should be user metadata. Unfortunately this would have caused problems any time a product was updated in DIM, but in 4.9 it goes one step further and fetches all of your product metadata during your first connected session.
Approximately how large a file is the metadata for an average product, please? Just out of curiosity.
I have 3560 items, the metadata plus thumbnail totals 171MB, so average 49KB per product