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.

None of that explains the removal of options for DIM users.

I would think it is because, if the idea is to avoid confusing new users, giving a choice of two ways to download would be counter-productive.

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.

None of that explains the removal of options for DIM users.

i tried Central for a brief time..it wouldn;t work..could not find DS...I uninstalled it. Now DIM and DS are messed up. I think I have DIM fixed, but DS cannot find my content. I've tried multiple directories...nothing. 

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.

But why does it mess with DIM and cause problems for DIM users.

Because it is DIM and so the settings are common, at least in some cases, and so Daz Central setting the defaults overwrites any custom path settings in DIM.

Why not just add the new features to an updated version of DIM? We now have four different methods for installing the same content. Do we really need that many?

Because, as I understand it, the issue was too many options cionfusing new users - adding more options would have made matters worse. I don't know why, assuming it was considered, a basic new-user interface with an advanced mode available for those who need it was not used - though I can see one possibility, that experience suggested a lot of people would turn the Advanced mode on without needing it and still confuse themselves.

I understand the need for simplicity, but as you pointed out: too many options confuse new (and old) users. And we now have four options for installing content. Whichever you choose, that's three more than what anyone will use. :D

Anyway, I'm sticking with DIM for now, so nothing changes.

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.

But why does it mess with DIM and cause problems for DIM users.

Because it is DIM and so the settings are common, at least in some cases, and so Daz Central setting the defaults overwrites any custom path settings in DIM.

Why not just add the new features to an updated version of DIM? We now have four different methods for installing the same content. Do we really need that many?

Because, as I understand it, the issue was too many options cionfusing new users - adding more options would have made matters worse. I don't know why, assuming it was considered, a basic new-user interface with an advanced mode available for those who need it was not used - though I can see one possibility, that experience suggested a lot of people would turn the Advanced mode on without needing it and still confuse themselves.

Is there any reason that this wasn't mentioned when they introduced Central and asked for us to try it?

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.

But why does it mess with DIM and cause problems for DIM users.

Because it is DIM and so the settings are common, at least in some cases, and so Daz Central setting the defaults overwrites any custom path settings in DIM.

Why not just add the new features to an updated version of DIM? We now have four different methods for installing the same content. Do we really need that many?

Because, as I understand it, the issue was too many options cionfusing new users - adding more options would have made matters worse. I don't know why, assuming it was considered, a basic new-user interface with an advanced mode available for those who need it was not used - though I can see one possibility, that experience suggested a lot of people would turn the Advanced mode on without needing it and still confuse themselves.

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.

But why does it mess with DIM and cause problems for DIM users.

Ever since they introduced Central I've had odd problems popping up with DIm can't help but wonder if the Central thing is interfering with DIM somehow.

If you installed Central it may have changed some paths in DIM

So are you saying that its a known issue that installing Central messes with DIM - why the hell wasn't that mentioned when it was first introduced.

Maybe it was not known until some people found out (the hard way)?

 

Then it should have been made very clear that we were alpha testing this for them.

Ever since they introduced Central I've had odd problems popping up with DIm can't help but wonder if the Central thing is interfering with DIM somehow.

If you installed Central it may have changed some paths in DIM

So are you saying that its a known issue that installing Central messes with DIM - why the hell wasn't that mentioned when it was first introduced.

Maybe it was not known until some people found out (the hard way)?

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.

This is really a comment. I have been delayed in producing more work of my own by issues about how I can distribute my own work and protect from unauthorised copying etc[ as well as by other isseus]. Likewise I wish to protect the intellectual property rights of DAZ creators. 

Taking this into account I believe that DAZ needs to set more prescriptions on how we set up our devices. But also they need to take into account the fact that some people are just doing renders on a laptop and may want roaming capabilities whereas other people are trying to do some serious renders and animation and want a good set up at home with a main machine one or more render boxes and a separate disk station or indeed home network server.

DAZ probably needs a render node available [perhaps it already is available] as many fancy doody expensive programs already do? Also we need to be able to use home network storage devices not just hard drives on one machine. I orginally set up a disk station on my home machine to make maintaining my DAZ content easier. It has proved to make it harder. I aslo wanted to use that same content from my render box machine. My understanding is that does not cotravene the EULA because the content can be used on more than one machine but by the same person.

I note that I do not have a separate server and simply use software on my main machine to download and install on the diskstation. Perhaps I should be doing it differently? Also I could use the same user name to log onto the two different machines and use the same name to specify the shared folder on my diskstation. Many people are doing the same thing but perhaps are more au fait with the process and don't have as many problems as me. Every time there is a new update to DIM there seems to be a problem. I actually got the diskstation after purchasing a  DAZ tutotiral on how to set up your content. The diskstation sounded like a good idea so that you can easily maintain your DAZ data and access as required. It also means that if you had set up RAID you could easily fix hardware problems.

It seems that it should be fairly simple to write a new installer program [given the complexity of what DAZ does such as iRay algorithms etc]. But it is important that we are told specifically what is allowed and what is not allowed. If I must go back to simply installing on one machine on one of my internal hard drives I will do so to enable to use the content I already have purchased. 

I actually wanted to check I could reinstall DAZ easily using the new DAZ Central. It certainly doesn't work currently at least to the folder you specifiy. I can actually use DAZ from the folder it is currently residing in and point to the right content database without any problems. However because I now can't install Postgre SQL CMS it can't read my installed content on the diskstation. But DAZ Central doesn't work and nor does DIM work any longer as well. So this seems like a good time to raise this issue. Perhaps these problems wouldn't occur if the EULA and or set up prescription issues are solved?

Installiing also adds the information about the filles to the local database - another system will not get that unless the database (Ediit>Preferences>CMS Settings>Content Cluster directory) is also shared.

Do note that Daz does not create or code Iray, nVidia supplies it as a osed box and Daz integrates it into DS using the APIs - this is also true from 3Del;ight, from DNA Research rather than nVidia, and from Optiiex the older dynamic clothing system from before dForce..

Ever since they introduced Central I've had odd problems popping up with DIm can't help but wonder if the Central thing is interfering with DIM somehow.

If you installed Central it may have changed some paths in DIM

So are you saying that its a known issue that installing Central messes with DIM - why the hell wasn't that mentioned when it was first introduced.

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.

I've had that popup too - but I never installed Central ... I think it's the new version of DazStudio or DIM that does that. Since I unticked the show automagically thing, it only pops up again with a new update of DIM.

I had this same issues several times over the past few weeks. I never installed Central though, so that can't be it (at least not what's caused the issue on my end). I did update DIM though. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I ended up having to create a new login profile because somehow my regular log in profile got messed up. I went to log into DIM one day and the login part that has my account login name had weird non-letter values like "%" added to it and it wouldn't let me log in with that profile. I had to make a new login profile. Then I to re-setup all the pathways and everything, all of which where custom and I couldn't remember the exact paths for everything since I have 3 different Daz Libraries in three different Hard Drives. Now I have a ton of content that DIM says isn't installed that is, other content that it says it's in one content library when it's really in a different one. It's a headache.

If you have any custom pathways in Install Manager I highly recommend going into the Advanced Settings and taking screenshots of all your pathways. I would take a screenshot of the different tabs: "Downloads", "Installation", and "Applications". That way if you ever have to reset up those paths, you know exactly what goes where. I wish I had done that before all this - it would have saved me a mega headache and lot of uninstalling and reinstalling.

..is this something with the new update?  I am still using the previous version and manually downloading from my Content Library into the DIM install folder..

It's the new DAZ Central, it seems to mess up people's installations if you install it.  See the sticky thread.

This is really a comment. I have been delayed in producing more work of my own by issues about how I can distribute my own work and protect from unauthorised copying etc[ as well as by other isseus]. Likewise I wish to protect the intellectual property rights of DAZ creators. 

Taking this into account I believe that DAZ needs to set more prescriptions on how we set up our devices. But also they need to take into account the fact that some people are just doing renders on a laptop and may want roaming capabilities whereas other people are trying to do some serious renders and animation and want a good set up at home with a main machine one or more render boxes and a separate disk station or indeed home network server.

DAZ probably needs a render node available [perhaps it already is available] as many fancy doody expensive programs already do? Also we need to be able to use home network storage devices not just hard drives on one machine. I orginally set up a disk station on my home machine to make maintaining my DAZ content easier. It has proved to make it harder. I aslo wanted to use that same content from my render box machine. My understanding is that does not cotravene the EULA because the content can be used on more than one machine but by the same person.

I note that I do not have a separate server and simply use software on my main machine to download and install on the diskstation. Perhaps I should be doing it differently? Also I could use the same user name to log onto the two different machines and use the same name to specify the shared folder on my diskstation. Many people are doing the same thing but perhaps are more au fait with the process and don't have as many problems as me. Every time there is a new update to DIM there seems to be a problem. I actually got the diskstation after purchasing a  DAZ tutotiral on how to set up your content. The diskstation sounded like a good idea so that you can easily maintain your DAZ data and access as required. It also means that if you had set up RAID you could easily fix hardware problems.

It seems that it should be fairly simple to write a new installer program [given the complexity of what DAZ does such as iRay algorithms etc]. But it is important that we are told specifically what is allowed and what is not allowed. If I must go back to simply installing on one machine on one of my internal hard drives I will do so to enable to use the content I already have purchased. 

I actually wanted to check I could reinstall DAZ easily using the new DAZ Central. It certainly doesn't work currently at least to the folder you specifiy. I can actually use DAZ from the folder it is currently residing in and point to the right content database without any problems. However because I now can't install Postgre SQL CMS it can't read my installed content on the diskstation. But DAZ Central doesn't work and nor does DIM work any longer as well. So this seems like a good time to raise this issue. Perhaps these problems wouldn't occur if the EULA and or set up prescription issues are solved?

Subtle element of my landscape, the grasses are concentrated in shallow gullies.  

I'm attaching screengrabs of the settings I used for the landscape and the shader that I used to control the placement of the shrub grass.  I used the plateau filter in the terrain modeler to create the central meadow.  To control the surface replicator placement, I enabled shader control, then used a mixer.  I used elevation.  I set black for the elevation above the plateau and white below.  The blend is important as well.

I started getting that before Central came out.  I think it started around the release of the latest build of Daz Studio - at least that's about when i first noticed it.  I only use DIM for things that won't install through Contect Browser within Studio. 

Ever since they introduced Central I've had odd problems popping up with DIm can't help but wonder if the Central thing is interfering with DIM somehow.

If you installed Central it may have changed some paths in DIM