Elor said:

Seeker Stock Art said:

Do you know of a good tutorial anywhere on that?

If you're still looking for one, quoting @memcneil70 from another recent thread about metadata:

memcneil70 said:

The best metadata tutorial I found that managed to get through to my brain was by SloshWerks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FQQ9uLhMSKQ. It is older and if you search on the web for 'how to install metadata in DAZ3d' you can come up with a variety of other offerings, some newer that I haven't looked at. They might be more relevant for you now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FQQ9uLhMSKQ

Thank you @Elor! Appreciate it.

@WendyLuvsCats, thanks again, yes, I know how to import OBJ at least, so this would work for sure, though it's always a hassle with the textures. Really interesting what you said about posing and such in Blender! I just learned that Blender now has an asset library as well, so maybe it's really high time to get more into it. What scares me off most is the lighting, I'm so terrible with this and I happily use all the kits I can get in DS for that.

@Gordig, of course, you're totally right, it's a MASSIVE set, so it's not expensive per se - and even on sale atm. It's just a high price for me right now, mainly because I had a cruel car repair bill this month already and fell for basically all the traps DAZ set for me during March Madness and beyond ;-) So I'm kind of reluctant to splurge so much. Especially when, looking at the single assets I keep seeing things that I basically own already in DS. But yeah, the sets are really really cool ...

I have an idea Unity versions are easier to get into DAZ than Unreal ones

I just never really figured out how to use Unity but the base meshes are usually FBX, it's the textures and materials that are tricky to bring pver

Getting stuff from Unreal into D|S is a lot of work but I do do it, exporting a gltf or glb file gets a lot of stuff textured into Blender as an intermediary which helps

the latest D|S beta has improved FBX import some things import with an animation take, however posing stuff manually doesn't work well, the bones end up weirdly pivoted

The kits you linked have obj, FBX and Blend files so should be easier to get into DAZ studio 

you might be able to autofit the clothes if you scale the figures to match Genesis figures 

you could pose and do this in Blender

Seeker Stock Art said:

Do you know of a good tutorial anywhere on that?

If you're still looking for one, quoting @memcneil70 from another recent thread about metadata:

memcneil70 said:

The best metadata tutorial I found that managed to get through to my brain was by SloshWerks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FQQ9uLhMSKQ. It is older and if you search on the web for 'how to install metadata in DAZ3d' you can come up with a variety of other offerings, some newer that I haven't looked at. They might be more relevant for you now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FQQ9uLhMSKQ

As of now I run everything past my possible purchases past my list of purchased items before any purchase.
Noting that that process is a Pain in the Lower Backside, It would be nice to have a way to Mark those things I have purchased at the other sites, so they are 

asbrainiac_d0d9ea3447 said:

Also, is there any way to grab the metadata, etc. for them so they show up in my smart assets?

The issue with the MetaData is that it has to be exact.
Did the Content Creator copy the files directly from the other site and hand them to Daz 3D unchanged?
OR 
Did the Content Creator go back to their working copy, load it up so they could cleanup on folder and file structure (so the product adheared to the Daz 3D folder and file structure standard) and export a new product folder, before submitting the product to Daz 3D and their QC team.

If the Former the metadata will work splendedly... But if the Latter the metadata will be broken and there is enough broken Metadate out their already we don't need to add to the problem.

This why I've always advocated for a User Base MetaData team, with a QC Team, and a repository for Product Metadata files.

I noticed that Daz has brought in some artists whose products I've purchased on other websites. Is there any way to synchronize them to my Daz account that I have them so I don't accidentally purchase them again? Also, is there any way to grab the metadata, etc. for them so they show up in my smart assets?

Not so long ago I had to reinstall all my assets. That's when I decided to correct all the misspellings, remove artist names and abbreviations from folders, correting all the 'lost and found' issues I can.
All this requires that two text-files in the downloaded zip-files are edited

Lots of work done. Still lots of work to do.
Next I'll update all my assets from other stores with metadata and make them installable wit DIM

Elor said:

memcneil70 said:

The best metadata tutorial I found that managed to get through to my brain was by SloshWerks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FQQ9uLhMSKQ. It is older and if you search on the web for 'how to install metadata in DAZ3d' you can come up with a variety of other offerings, some newer that I haven't looked at. They might be more relevant for you now.

I just watched it, and that video is exactly what I needed to understand how to do it

For now, I'll likely only change metadata to get all foot poses to appear in the Default/Poses/By Function/Fits category when I have a figure selected (some are either not linked to  the category or doesn't have the base figure among their compatibilities or both of course) because it's, right now, one of the most useful feature of Smart Content when I'm looking for a base pose for a figure, a base pose that's very likely to mess their feet poses and make a mess of their shoes.

So, again, thank you very much for sharing it

@Elor, you are most welcome. SloshWerks not only had some of the best products, but he provided this great tutorial for free and saved my crazy, over-organized brain. I hope others will review it and pass it on as well.

Mary

memcneil70 said:

The best metadata tutorial I found that managed to get through to my brain was by SloshWerks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=FQQ9uLhMSKQ. It is older and if you search on the web for 'how to install metadata in DAZ3d' you can come up with a variety of other offerings, some newer that I haven't looked at. They might be more relevant for you now.

I just watched it, and that video is exactly what I needed to understand how to do it

For now, I'll likely only change metadata to get all foot poses to appear in the Default/Poses/By Function/Fits category when I have a figure selected (some are either not linked to  the category or doesn't have the base figure among their compatibilities or both of course) because it's, right now, one of the most useful feature of Smart Content when I'm looking for a base pose for a figure, a base pose that's very likely to mess their feet poses and make a mess of their shoes.

So, again, thank you very much for sharing it

echristopherclark said:

jjoyner said:

echristopherclark said:

Wow, loving all of this sharing. Thanks, everyone. Regarding keywords, @jjoyner, is there a way to back those up in case you ever have to move to a new machine or whatnot?

Yes, there is. 

Wow! Thanks for this. I've been looking for a list of what to back up, especially so that I don't need to reinstall everything in DIM. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Yeah, as @jjoyner suggested, backing up all those key folders / content on weekly-basis is really a good as well as wise habit. You even can use some software to back them up to cloud or local by setting up background job.

Since I'm a heavy Smart Content user, I'd like to add one more thing: also back up cms database ( %appdata%\DAZ 3D\cms ) if you much rely on Smart Content, just in case... For instance, sth. like "keywords" is pretty useful, but you just need to back up the whole cms cluster folder, then you'll have everything safely kept. When you have a new PC and need to migrate Daz assets as well as cms, you never have to re-import metadata... yada yada, but just need to simply copy / paste the cluster folder from old PC to the new one. Migration can be quickly and neatly done within 5 mins.  

As for the OP related to "creating a database...", I just had the experience of that. I ever developed a program to manage Daz products (store + 3rd-parties) with Delphi nearly 4 years ago. But at the end of the day, esp. starting from the time when I used Content Wizard as well as had much better understanding of cms database + Smart Content, I found the program was totally useless... All my need could be met by cms + Smart Content then I thought I should've spent more time on my projects rather than "managing assets". It was not a game like Magic the Gathering, I had to have a software to manage the cards I owned...lol ~~

So still, I personally suggest that not waste your time on developing a database. Instead, learn how to well use Smart Content while focusing on your projects.

Richard Haseltine said:

The PAs wished to move their content across, releasing it in stages would have meant they were enjoying no sales at all for a potentially extended period.

So, instead, they will enjoy... a few bucks on the release and no sales at all in the long run, because customers are annoyed by lack of metadata, linked required products, or even something as simple as proper product descriptions? It's probably just me, but if I was making an entrance with my products somewhere, I'd rather put in the time to make it perfect and appealing to the customers.

No matter how you slice it or dice it, from my perspective the whole mass-migration was poorly done, hurt Daz's credibility as the store with the best standards, and ultimately, discouraged me to buy any "new" stuff from the PAs crossing over, and that bad impression will likely linger, especially when the whole thing argued as "it had to be done this way and it's actually unlikely that we'll attempt to fix it over time, sorry-not-sorry, deal with it."

Elliandra said:

If anyone hasn't picked up the MF Content Bookmarks from ManFriday it is super easy to use and let's you go right to whatever folder(s) you are forever using! I started using it shortly after it came out and now I can't go into studio without it as metadata and I are in a perpetual hate/hate relationship 

I made a quick picture reference tutorial for anyone who has MF's Bookmarks and wants to turn them into a Toolbar for easier access!

 I agree that MF Content Bookmarks is a great and useful tool.

However I have had some crashes while in DAZ 4.22 recently and have lost all my bookmarks.

Does anyone know how to save these like you do a Workspace Layout?  I have saved my Workspace layout but it did not save the bookmarks and now I have to reconstruct them in the script.

Thanks.

joanna said:

Richard Haseltine said:

Redoing dozens, in some cases hundreds, of pages and several teems that promo images at oen go would be an impossible task, so they are getting a one-time relaxation of standards. I don't know if there is a plan to at least add metadata over time.

Sorry, but if this was planned better or staggered, there wouldn't be a need for lowering the standards. "We're in a rush, so our customers will suffer" is not a good look either. This "welcome" promo will end eventually, but the messy pages without proper listings and missing information will stay, resulting in extra returns ("I didn't know there were required items" etc.) in the future and extra work for support that, if I understand, is already getting a lot of tickets.

The PAs wished to move their content across, releasing it in stages would have meant they were enjoying no sales at all for a potentially extended period.

I want to add something real quick that I just found out that might also be important for others to know: The Rendo vendor files as per DAZ distribution DO make the products show up in smart content, even if only in Lost&Found and without any icon or categorization. That I couldn't see them there at all before seems to have been due to Studio being stuck on the 'filter by context' setting at the time. It just did this again a moment ago, but this time I noticed, and managed to change it, and then I checked for the Rendo products once more, and lo and behold! There they were.

So - they are not being completely ignored by smart content, which is something at least. This way, one can do a real quick general categorization by hand basically. I always just use the 'product' tab and throw all the files together into the wardrobe or hair or whichever it is category, without making extra selections for materials and such. You can get there by rightclicking on the product in Lost&Found and choosing Create or Edit Metadata. Then select all the files of the product and chuck them into a category where you're sure to find the stuff. Hope that helps a bit for those struggling.

crosswind said:

anaximanes_2000 said:

crosswind said:

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

I suppose each time CPA generates GUID when it packs the file as IM package... so DIM could install the packages for times. But some issues can result in the failure of writing metadata to cms.. for intance, when installing first 3 packages, DIM lost cms connection. You can check the line items in DIM - Installed tab, if the database icons on the first 3 items are light grey, it means no metadata have been written to cms...

The GUID is genrated by the store and should not be changed without good reason (e.g. if it wasn't U(nique) but was double-assigned).

AFAIK, GUID can be generated (uniquely) by users with Content DB Editor. I use Content Wizard to install 3rd-party products. Content Wizard can also generate it.

Ok so I looked and I have owned COntent Wizard since apparently March of 2023.  Hopefully it will be easy for me to learn, (and as fast as Content Package Assist).  You say it can add third party things to my Smart Content and I already paid for it, so let me ask you this, have you ever had to reformat or migrate all your Daz stuff to a new computer?  Did all your thrid party stuff you used Content Wizard for still load right up in SMart Content?

 

EDIT: Can THAT thing be used to fix all my already hundreds of installed, Smart Content busted, 3rd party stuff?

It is easy to use Content Wizard...You can directly install products with it or generate IM package with it and install with DIM.

As for migration, of  course, three times since I started using DS from 2018. But before first two times' migration, I could only install 3rd-party products to Smart Content by using DS standart function of "Create a Product from..." 'cause there was no Cotent Wizard at that time...

In the 1st time migration, I used the way of "re-import...", I lost quite a lot of metadata especially the customized data. In the 2nd and 3rd migrations, I used the way of migrating cms database, quick, neat and all correct. Of course, the metadata of thousands of 3rd-party products were all installed and fed by Content Wizard.

However, as for the issue you have, it won't help... I'm afraid that you have to re-install the products or manually modify the metadata... As I said before, if you have old cms database, this problem can be settled within minutes...

Two things, please!  First off, because I have been trying to jump around and so all this, can you refresh my memory of the default storage path for the "cms database" just so I can double check.

And secondly, as far as the Content Wizard thing, do you have a good YouTube video that explains step by step how to install 3rd Part SMart Content?  Thanks again!

DAZ has now responded to my ticket on the matter - very promptly, I much appreciate that - and they've apologized and basically confirmed that there are too many new products for the employees they have to create metadata for, at least for the time being. The staff member who wrote to me said he would pass my request on but wasn't sure if anything was gonna come of it. He was really very nice and polite about it.

The situation itself, of course, is not so great, but at least now it's fairly clear. I will write back and suggest putting a tag or something on the products without MD, but I don't think they will follow this. As for myself, I really love Lully's clothes and the other things I bought, and I also don't want to see the PAs get hurt over this, so I'll keep what I've got and create new installers with Content Package like I did with 'normal' Rendo clothes. It's a bother for sure, but well. Spilled milk and all that I guess.

rcourtri_789f4b1c6b said:

joanna said:

Sorry, but if this was planned better or staggered, there wouldn't be a need for lowering the standards. "We're in a rush, so our customers will suffer" is not a good look either. This "welcome" promo will end eventually, but the messy pages without proper listings and missing information will stay, resulting in extra returns ("I didn't know there were required items" etc.) in the future and extra work for support that, if I understand, is already getting a lot of tickets.

At least with ex-RuntimeDNA content, it's easily spotted from the product page, and you know to expect that those items will not have proper Smart Content functionality.  Not updating those items for Smart Content made sense--almost all of it intended primarily for Poser, content from that era generally doesn't have Smart Content functionality, etc.  Reasonable decision.

Now, we find hundreds of items, mostly content intended for Daz Studio use, developed after Smart Content has been around for a few years, brought over from another brokerage, but not updated to current Daz content standards, with no notice of the non-standard nature provided to the end user/customer.  It wasn't impossible to update these products.  Of course, it would be time-consuming and expensive, perhaps impractically so, to update them, but all business ventures have costs.  

And then we have the issue of Daz prioritizing the PA over the end user/customer.  It makes short-term sense because Daz's share for a productive PA's work will be greater than the dollars made from even the most profligate of customers.  But that prioritization has long-term consequences.

Any product can be given Smart Content functionality by adding the proper metadata. It has nothing to do with how old it is or where it comes from. Getting it done, however, is a time-consuming process, if it is to be done properly.

Richard Haseltine said:

Magic Dragon 3D said:

PerttiA said:

If one fits clothing to a figure, autofit creates the active morphs to the clothing as hidden dials.
Have you tried fitting the other clothing to Everyday 2 and checking the hidden dials on the other clothing afterwards?

One would need to have the dials one want to transfer active, ir. have a value bigger than zero.

I really appreciate your answer, but unfortunately I don't know how to do this inside Daz yet, but I'll watch a tutorial explaining this part in more detail since I haven't done it yet. 

Load the two items of clothing, fit the one you ant to add morphs to to the one that has them (select the one to be morphed, use the Fit To button under Constraints in the Parameters pane). Now if you dial up the morph you want on the other item it will be projected into the fitted item. Unfortunately these generated morphs are not persistent, they don't save with the scene, so you will need to export the clothing item as OBJ (alone, no added parts sucgh as buttons on Rigid Follow Nodes, and at base resolution - the easiest way to do this is to make sure the item is selected and then in the OBJn export options enable the option to include delected items only). I would use the Daz Studio preset. name the OBJ to match the morph. Zero that morph and set the enxt you want to transfer, export it as OBJ. Once done Use the Fit to button again and select None, then with the item you want to add the morphs to go to Edit>Figure>Morph Loader Pro. Click the Choose Morph Files... button and select the exported OBJs, set the import preset to Daz Studio (or whatever you used on export) and click Accept. That should get you most of the way.

Thank you for your detailed explanation! I'll carry out these procedures on the clothes I have here and see what the final result looks like. 

Richard Haseltine said:

Redoing dozens, in some cases hundreds, of pages and several teems that promo images at oen go would be an impossible task, so they are getting a one-time relaxation of standards. I don't know if there is a plan to at least add metadata over time.

Sorry, but if this was planned better or staggered, there wouldn't be a need for lowering the standards. "We're in a rush, so our customers will suffer" is not a good look either. This "welcome" promo will end eventually, but the messy pages without proper listings and missing information will stay, resulting in extra returns ("I didn't know there were required items" etc.) in the future and extra work for support that, if I understand, is already getting a lot of tickets.

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

I suppose each time CPA generates GUID when it packs the file as IM package... so DIM could install the packages for times. But some issues can result in the failure of writing metadata to cms.. for intance, when installing first 3 packages, DIM lost cms connection. You can check the line items in DIM - Installed tab, if the database icons on the first 3 items are light grey, it means no metadata have been written to cms...

The GUID is genrated by the store and should not be changed without good reason (e.g. if it wasn't U(nique) but was double-assigned).

AFAIK, GUID can be generated (uniquely) by users with Content DB Editor. I use Content Wizard to install 3rd-party products. Content Wizard can also generate it.

Can is not the same as should. Once a product has a GUID that should not be chnaged - if it doesn't then one may use the option to generate one.

http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/tech_articles/metadata/start
http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/install_manager/referenceguide/tech_articles/install_manifest/start

Right ~