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 ~

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.

Thank you, I'll watch it and see how it goes from here

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.

joanna said:

barbult said:

I bought 3 rather large and complex "Welcome" products and spent hours creating metadata for them. I won't buy any more. This is ridiculous. These products are not ready for the Daz store without proper metadata.

They're not ready for the Daz store, period. The item descriptions are often not in the format of the store which lists in detail items, morphs, etc., they often lack the required items link (which is standard for Daz) or even which generation the items are for. Those two pieces of information are often a part of the 3-line description that looks like it's been copy-pasted from the other store in rush.

It's not a good look for either Daz (dropping standards) or the PA's (if they care so little about the presentation of their product, how can I put trust into their actual work?).

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.

barbult said:

I bought 3 rather large and complex "Welcome" products and spent hours creating metadata for them. I won't buy any more. This is ridiculous. These products are not ready for the Daz store without proper metadata.

They're not ready for the Daz store, period. The item descriptions are often not in the format of the store which lists in detail items, morphs, etc., they often lack the required items link (which is standard for Daz) or even which generation the items are for. Those two pieces of information are often a part of the 3-line description that looks like it's been copy-pasted from the other store in rush.

It's not a good look for either Daz (dropping standards) or the PA's (if they care so little about the presentation of their product, how can I put trust into their actual work?).

Ron Knights said:

I've struggled with this area and others related to DAZ Studio. The concept, the theory, is great. Why not make it easier for someone to install their content, and work with it.

But, from my recollection, none of the features, such as metadata and Smart Content work properly. If someone wants to rely on those tools, they all too often must expend tremendous effort problem solving or developing their own attempts at solutions.

Generally they do, but they will be broken by things like moving files around.

I use DAZ Studio because it offers me an easier way to Make Art. I already have to contend with my own inner doubts, and agony in the effort to bring my ideas to life. I get totally confused an overwhelmed with the kind of efforts it takes to try and make Smart Content and similar tools work. Those tools should help Making Art easier. They should not burden the creative process.

Not using the default locations requiers the effort of moving the files around, lmits the tools available for finding content, disables or limits some featuers, and makes updates more complicated. If those drawbacks are acceptable to you in order to organise your way (and if links or categories are not an acceptable,  non-destructive, means to obtain the same ends) then by all means don't use the CMS - but please don't try to persuade others to follow your example if they are not already doing so as it will almost certainly make their lives harder.

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

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.

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!

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...

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?

I've struggled with this area and others related to DAZ Studio. The concept, the theory, is great. Why not make it easier for someone to install their content, and work with it.

But, from my recollection, none of the features, such as metadata and Smart Content work properly. If someone wants to rely on those tools, they all too often must expend tremendous effort problem solving or developing their own attempts at solutions.

I use DAZ Studio because it offers me an easier way to Make Art. I already have to contend with my own inner doubts, and agony in the effort to bring my ideas to life. I get totally confused an overwhelmed with the kind of efforts it takes to try and make Smart Content and similar tools work. Those tools should help Making Art easier. They should not burden the creative process.

echristopherclark said:

Oh, thanks. I'm working on a large project myself, similar to what you're describing in that thread, and running into the same issues. How much time do I want to spend on data entry so that I can find the clothing I'm looking for to outfit people in this specific part of the world versus how much time do I want to spend actually writing and illustrating the comic? 

My eternal struggle in a nutshell, right there.

I use a custom content hierarchy within Studio--when I install any products, I also use Categorize to put instances of that product into my custom hierarchy. Example: I buy Luthbellina's Adventure Clothes and put an instance of the directory and its subdirectories under Categories/Clothing/Casual-Underwear-Swimwear.

This is a fairly workable solution, so much so that I hardly ever need to go look for things in the file-structure-based content tree (that is, LocalLibrary). However, it's got three problems.

1. I have over five thousand installed products, and I need to break down my content tree a lot more finely than it currently is. (For example, those three designations--casual clothing, underwear and swimwear--really need to be separated out.) This is a major production every time I reorg. Two weeks ago I renamed everything in my Shaders category to make them easier to find (all the fabric shaders now have names that begin 'Fabrics -' and so forth). That was an all-afternoon task.

2. I need cross-referencing. I need to be able to say "I need a casual outfit, but I need it to be G9." I am probably going to have to set up separate hierarchies under each clothing section by Genesis version and by intended gender. Same with figures. I have one custom directory where I can see ALL the female actor icons, apart from the non-human ones, and there are 391 of them. Some days I want to choose only from the G3s for this particular job. Or I know I don't want someone white in this role. And so forth.

3. Studio's CMS is held together with duct tape and baling twine and sometimes things just ... vanish ... from the custom hierarchy. I work with databases all day for a living and I am getting real close to just installing a Postgres client and opening the hood and finding out why the heck their DB is such a mess. But if I do, that's several days' work. Urgh.

If Studio metadata were reliable, and if its metadata-updating didn't sometimes go completely haywire, I would use it. (I no longer allow it to update metadata when I connect.) There's SUPPOSED to be a hierarchy for "show me all the available shoes!" "show me all the available hats!" but Smart Content is just not up to par. And even if it were, it wouldn't cover some of my strange needs like "list of all G8Fs who have special/unusual face makeups so that if I want to use that particular weird makeup effect on a different character I know where to look."

On the other hand, I would also prefer not to have to go look up packages in a SEPARATE tool or database every time I am making a decision about what to use. So whatever I do, it needs to be within Studio. Somehow.

anaximanes_2000 said:

NorthOf45 said:

The problem is with the metadata. It is concerning that you actually have the same product installed three different times. The system (either DIM or Studio) doesn't usually allow that if the Product (or package) GUID is the same. You also can't have more than one version of the zip file, with the same name and part number.

After each reformat/computer upgrade, I have to put it through CPA again, which means it would be the same product but "different", since CPA will randomly generate all the numbers or whatever every time I have to remake everything.  Note also it technically I guess does not put everything on the computer again (maybe) because the 3rd party stuff always goes back to the same folder.  So all 3 Pumpkina SMart COntents I had to make on previous incarnations of my computer and the now 4th and working on for this incarnation, all have the same file paths, so I think it's just all there, only Smart Content can only see it when CPA first makes it, and then forgets when I migrate the files to a new computer/reformatted one.

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...

I do not exactly follow this, but it always works the first time, and if I use annoying content library, all the files are there.  But in Smart Content (when I first use CPA for an item bfore one day having to reformat a computer), I can use the 3rd party stuff easily as heck.  It's wonderful.  If I could recreate that without constantly having to waste days to weeks of my time remaking ALL all the 3rd party Daz files into CPA again for the rest of my life, that is what I am aiming for someone to figure out.

Richard Haseltine said:

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).

I don't know what a GUID but I think it's one of those things CPA just randomly comes up with.

GUID is a Global ID at product level which has to be unique. You can find it in Content DB Editor. Well, I don't have exp. of using CPA but I personally recommend Content Wizard.

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.

tsroemi said:

3-D Arena said:

I hadn't thought about this.  In the coming weeks (not this one as I'm swamped and going out of town this weekend) I will do smart content for my migrated stuff and put it on my website for free download.  I can't promise to do ALL of it and some already has it as I did it for a few of them at Rendo, but I will work on that.

That's such a sweet thing to offer, thanks for chiming in here with this idea! But really, it's DAZ's job, they do the metadata (or are supposed to do it) for all their PAs here. Why shouldn't they do it for you as well?
 Maybe if the new PAs that came from Rendo just told DAZ that they're uncomfortable with the metadata situation and people here complaining and stopping to buy, and then asked them to fix it asap - maybe this could work? Personally, I don't mind if it takes some time, I'd just like some sort of assurance that it will get done eventually.

With about of 3000 new products, and counting, in the last three weeks, imagine the time it would take to produce the metadata and test them all. If it takes an additional 1/4 hour each, end-to-end, that's 750 hours of work. Three people working full-time on that alone would take more than 6 weeks.

2 years to late but in Modern Unreal 5.3 when importing from Daz if you have virtual texture streaming enabled this will happen to your models.

a quick fix is to go to project settings and look up your "Auto Virtual Texturing Size".. Set it to something like 8k Import your model and textures and all should work. Alternatively you can go into the textures folder for the model and open each texture and deselect the Use virtual texturing option.

You will get full quality for the model. I am ansure how to make virtual texturing not destroy my textures other than this method. Virtual texturing is great for landscapes etc but I want my primary character model to be crisp at all times.

NorthOf45 said:

The problem is with the metadata. It is concerning that you actually have the same product installed three different times. The system (either DIM or Studio) doesn't usually allow that if the Product (or package) GUID is the same. You also can't have more than one version of the zip file, with the same name and part number.

After each reformat/computer upgrade, I have to put it through CPA again, which means it would be the same product but "different", since CPA will randomly generate all the numbers or whatever every time I have to remake everything.  Note also it technically I guess does not put everything on the computer again (maybe) because the 3rd party stuff always goes back to the same folder.  So all 3 Pumpkina SMart COntents I had to make on previous incarnations of my computer and the now 4th and working on for this incarnation, all have the same file paths, so I think it's just all there, only Smart Content can only see it when CPA first makes it, and then forgets when I migrate the files to a new computer/reformatted one.

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...

I do not exactly follow this, but it always works the first time, and if I use annoying content library, all the files are there.  But in Smart Content (when I first use CPA for an item bfore one day having to reformat a computer), I can use the 3rd party stuff easily as heck.  It's wonderful.  If I could recreate that without constantly having to waste days to weeks of my time remaking ALL all the 3rd party Daz files into CPA again for the rest of my life, that is what I am aiming for someone to figure out.

Richard Haseltine said:

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).

I don't know what a GUID but I think it's one of those things CPA just randomly comes up with.