Are you happy with your current file structure? Are you comfortable with your current download method, be it DIM or manual? Do you use directories other than C:? 

If you answer 'Yes' to any of those questions, consider very carefully downloading Daz Central. 

Just asking before I download another headache.

OK. But I have NEVER installed Daz Central. I have tried resetting the path in the DIM Install Advanced Settings, but this still does not result in a DIM-installed item appearing as installed in the Products folder (though I CAN find it installed in the Legacy folder hierarchy).

People have found that Daz Central reset their custom paths, which woudl lose the previous databse (but restoring the original path setting would bring it back).

In the past 30-40 days, I've been experiencing this issue: I will download and install products through DIM (in two separate actions WITHOUT Daz Studio open), but when I look in the Products folder for these items, all of them are at the bottom of their respective initial alphabet lists and greyed out (as though awaiting Connect installation). The few products that I've checked ARE installed, but I have to go through the Poser legacy folder hierarchy to find them.

Since my troubles coincide with Daz Central's arrival, I'm positing that this is a byproduct of it, as it uses DIM's structure. (I have never installed Daz Central). 

I use the Products folder because I don't have to look up convoluted paths when I know the name of the product.

When this happened last month, I uninstalled each item and singularly installed it until it would show up in the Products folder. However, this does not seem to be working anymore. I've heard that installing by DIM as well as Connect can cause issues, and I'd rather not deal with Connect (although some items refused to show up in the Products folder unless I installed by Connect).

I'm submitting a ticket for this, but my experiences with Tech Support do not inspire hope.

Ok - I've just installed a few new purchases via DIM, same as I always do (with Studio closed). Now after opening Studio there is nothing at all appearing in Smart Content.

The system recognizes I have stuff installed; I can see them in the Products tab. But Files - nothing, with or without Filter by Context checked.

I haven't installed or used Daz Central.

Has this happened to anyone else, and can anyone advise on how to fix it, please?

Edit: And after shutting down and restarting they're back. Don't know what happened there, but glad it's back to normal.

Edit again! No, they're not back. There was only visible content in the Files tab of Smart Content on first opening, with an empty workspace. Once I loaded a character, it went back to before, with content visible in the Products tab only. This is the case even when Filter by Context is unselected so the system is not being asked to be smart. Help please!

I moved all my content to my external "E" drive and everything was working fine, or as fine as Daz gets on a good day. Then "Daz Central" came online. Now I have to load my products twice. First through Daz Install Manager, then through the Smart Content pane. This was a minor annoyance, but then I took my E drive with me to work on content on my laptop. When I plugged it back into my desktop.....All 509 products need to be reloaded. This will take three days. 

What the Hell is going on? Why do I have to load evrything twice? 

Please, any help with this would be greatly appreciated. 

I just bought this too from today's sales and couldn't find it in my smart planning on using it for project was going to enter in a competition too looked it up in my product library to see it's daz central only. This has happened to others with recent products they keep saying they're not but it's looking like we are being pressured into using DC instead of dim. Bought several other things with it but might return the lot as this was the main product really wanted rest was just extra might as well. Funny the main product was every download though

Please understand that it is not Daz Central either, that seems to be being added to every page regardless (so presumably a bug). It looks as if this set, like some others this week, failed to upload correctly and isn't avaialble right now by any method - I'm sure it will be fixed during the course of the day.

looked it up in my product library to see it's daz central only. This has happened to others with recent products they keep saying they're not but it's looking like we are being pressured into using DC instead of dim.

No, that's definitely a bug. The other products initially marked "DazCentral" only were not available for download via DazCentral either, all install files were missing.

I just bought this too from today's sales and couldn't find it in my smart planning on using it for project was going to enter in a competition too looked it up in my product library to see it's daz central only. This has happened to others with recent products they keep saying they're not but it's looking like we are being pressured into using DC instead of dim. Bought several other things with it but might return the lot as this was the main product really wanted rest was just extra might as well. Funny the main product was every download though

Hmmm....I see that I have an issue with the "ripped jeans" product mentioned OP. I bought it, but it appears neither in the "ready to download" nor in the "installed" elements of the install manager. Where would I find it?  Am I supposed to download it manually? 

According to the store page, it is either DazCentral or Manual Install, so.. no DIM.

I think they are manual only - Daz Central seems to be listed regardless of whether it works or not. The files are in OBJ only which DS can read from the Content Library pane, but isn't by default set up for (no default path for Other Formats), so a DIM/Connect/Central instalaler wouldn't make sense.

I was attempting to install DAZCENTRAL.  I installed using the default file location.  When I run it, I get the messaqge that DAZ STUDIO is not installed.  My DAZ STUDIO is located in D:\Program Files\Smith Micro\Poser 11\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4. 

I installed DAZ STUDIO when it first came out and I was still a POSER user.  Seemed like too much of a problem to relocate my runtimes etc.  

I assume that DAZCENTRAL is looking for DAZ STUDIO in the default location.  I'm wondering where I should direct the DAZ CENTRAL installlerso that it sees DAZ STUDIO.

By any chance did you have Daz Studio open at the same time you installed the products? That almost always leads to errors.

THIS really needs to be somehow added to DIM itself, some kind of warning as you log in "Please be sure that Daz Studio is completely shut down before installing products via Install Manager" or something to that effect. Downloading some products via Install Manager while Daz Studio is open can cause some real issues. This is not common knowledge and newbies in particular (of which we have a ton of them lately) need to be made aware of this.

I imagine that this will be no less of an issue with DazCentral, given that DC is a dumbed down version of DIM?  I've not had the urge to repair my Daz content settings, so I haven't downloaded it, but isn't it supposed to be open at the same time as DS or something?

I don't know - I couldn't say anything about Daz Central as I haven't really looked into it yet. Hopefully, it doesn't have that same issue though.

It's still, I assume, working for people who don't have DIM open (I've not used those links, except possibly to check if people are reporting issues).

I do not have DIM open and the links do not work for me. 

I can manually run DAZ Central after a purchase, but not via the after product purchase links. But since I'm comfortable with DIM, I just run that instead of DAZ Central after I purchase something.

What was the reasoning for removing DIM from the after product purchase page? There must be a grand design to all this ...

 

I assume to make it simpler for new users, assuming that DIM users know how to start DIM.  I don't know if Daz3D has data to determine how many people used the old DIM links before vs. launched DIM manually.

It's still, I assume, working for people who don't have DIM open (I've not used those links, except possibly to check if people are reporting issues).

I do not have DIM open and the links do not work for me. 

I can manually run DAZ Central after a purchase, but not via the after product purchase links. But since I'm comfortable with DIM, I just run that instead of DAZ Central after I purchase something.

What was the reasoning for removing DIM from the after product purchase page? There must be a grand design to all this ...

It should be at DAZ ... with IM !

DIM just was injured apparently, so yeah, DAZ Central might need a hearse 

I'm trying to do a new clean install of selected components on a Windows machine to test. I have a hard enough time keeping DIM from barfing all over the C: drive, but I decided to try DAZCentral and there is no option. The drop down says controlled by DIM, so I download and install it through the browser (I did not see a way to do that through DAZCentral). Could not successfully install Studio until I removed DAZCentral. Now content is hit or miss. I may try to install it through Studio itself.

DIM was bad enough, but Central is buggy and doesn't seem to need to exist. I just may have to uninstall everything and use RegEdit to get all the other parts gone and start again with only DIM.

I've been using DIM for almost 2 years now and never had a problem.

DAZ Central was causing all sorts of problems for me, including not even installing new products after purchase. It kept telling me I needed to install DAZ Central after I had installed it. So I could not figure out what the point of it was, and I'm so annoyed that the DIM link is gone from after product purchase page. 

I'm really surprised with all the complaints here, that DAZ Central is still on the after product purchase page, and that DIM is gone. Now I have to remember to run DIM after I purchase anything. Not a big deal, but it doesn't seem like it would have been a big deal to leave the link on the page either. It was nice because it auto-logged into DIM so you could install products quickly. 

From what I'm gathering they created DAZ Central for new users. To make things simpler for them apparently. I guess if it works for them that is great. What do the rest of us loyal DAZ customers do? Will the issues/bugs with DAZ Central be addressed so we can benefit from the link on the after purchase page too? Seems like that's what they are pushing. So why not have it work correctly for everyone? It didn't even think I had DAZ Studio installed on my machine. If it's not backward compatible, why push it on everyone??

* Sigh *

DIM disappears, so do I.

I trust DIM to do what it says. I have al sorts of reservations about Smart Content, and now DazCentral.

DIM, as an acronym works; it's meaning is succinct - and it does manage my installs.

Daz Central sounds (and behaves) like big brother.

Studio 4.9 felt like Daz was trying to force something down my throat; this feels the same.

Daz Central is DIM with a simplified interface and option tree, for the benefit of new users.

It quite clearly isn't, when you consider all the reports and issues folks are having. Not to mention (ok I have) all the blatant dislike.

Dislike has nothing to do with whether it is the same under the hood, the issues people have been having mostly relate to paths - the fact that Daz Central appears to overwrite custom DIM paths with the defaults is in fact evidence that it is the same code at heart.

There seems to be noting simple about it.

I don't get it; Dim presents the products I haven't downloaded; those I have but haven't installed; and, those installed. That is simple.

I can't help thinking (taking at face-value, Daz's reasons), that Daz are using a software solution to fix a communication problem - or lack of communication in the form of viable instructions. Not that DIM requires many.

Documentation doesn't stop people from being confused, sadly - it just gives the people who try to help them a reference (and, sadly, a manual for others to tell the confused to read - with added adjectives)

If you can't figure out DIM, how the hell are you going to figure out how to render anything.

 

1.  It's just evidence that it changes your paths.

Not that we need evidence, since we have word, but using the same setting does imply it's likely the same code

2. So this is the reasoning behind  the lack of documentation?  And here I thought it was lack of concern.  At least it's better than "it's for your own good".

No, that was a comment in reply to your saying what was needed was better documentation rather than a simplified UI/UX.

Would not suggest anyone depend on 'Daz Central,' as of yet. Seems that it is somewhat "buggy." It would only recognise two thirds of my current order to install. Went back to "DIM," to verify & install full order. Also, 'Daz Cemtral' could use a few more options and features, like catagory selection, latest purchase, etc..... 

We're here.  Obviously I don't know specifically what the concern is, or what originally happened, but I would echo what some of the others here have said.  The best way to get any one on one issue resolved is to open a support ticket.  But if you feel that you are being treated poorly there, don't feel like you are without options.  Definitely ask to have your issue escalated if it's not being handled well or to your satisfaction.  Ask to have the support manager included, and also escalate up to me if that doesn't help get your issue resolved.  I wanted to be sure to answer your question here publicly, and ore generically like this, so that it might help not only with any problems you may be currently experiencing, but also so others can read the response if they run into frustrations in the future.  This way we can give the Customer Service team, and its leader the opportunity to resolv ethe issue (as well as bring to light any challenges there), and also things can be esclated and brought to light if that isn't sufficient to resolve it.  I'm very sorry you've been feeling frustrated recently.  We ddefinitely want to see what we can do to help.

OK .... #1 fix the store. 80% of your customer service workload has to come from problems with sales erros, slow server issues, etc etc
1B ...  Make your sales simple ... its like a math course to try and figure what you need to do, or buy, or what combo gives the best deal. It gets old. 
1C ... DO NOT have a sale one day and then a better one on the same products the next, or even within a few hours via coupons, banner ads, etc 
#2 ... pull back that DAZ Central fiasco. It destroyed my file structure as well the same for many others. It does not work correctly. 
#3... DO NOT sell products with DAZ Central ONLY installation method. 

1. a b and c: pretty sure the support people want it fixed almost as badly as we do. I know commerce sites are complicated beasts but there are some pretty bad bugs that should have been priority fixes.

2. Can't speak to that, it certainly is a pain on systems where other methods had been used before to install, but I've yet to see how it is on completely new setups, anyhow they're more likely to keep working on it rather than pulling it.

3. It's already been said that they won't and given the files used are the same as DIM they likely can't make something truly 'DazCentral Only'