Oh Daz Central...wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. ;)

Laurie

I concur and would like to your Studio 'Content Directory Manager' Settings when they are fully opened up.

After I tried out Daz Central, and then uninstalled it, I found all my settings with new entries for the C: instead of F: It was a nightmare fixing my system.

That's a great idea too. 

Anyone who doesn't know how to do that: Open up Daz Studio, right-click on the Content Library tab, choose "Content Directory Manager", when the window pops up hit the little "+" next to each of the categories and take a screen capture. 

Make sure you are saving your screen captures where you can find them again when you need them and name them something you won't accidentally delete. Mine all are named something like "Do Not Delete - Daz Content Pathing 1", etc.

Doing this screen capturing takes only a minute or two but it can literally save you hours of work later on.

Thanks, nemesis10. That's about what I thought. It's too long for me. My iMac's 1GB video card is not good enough for iRay. I've seen the messages in the log files. I've actually accepted the fact that I need to get a PC just so I can easily handle iRay. And I will ignore DAZ Central as long as humanly possible.

I only come back here to see if DAZ finally got over the DAZ Central Identity crisis. Is it still a Beta version? Why does the announcement say DAZ Central is for everyone, when it is not?

You know you don't really want Daz Central... it is really for newbies who don't rearrange their stuff.  I am puzzled by those people who are already using DIM (which is pretty robust when you sit down to use it), DAZ Connect which is more than fine for some of us, or those who install manually.  The image above took a bit longer because it has all the bells and whistles (DOF, a large emmisive surface as the background, figure, geoshells etc...)

can we also please have an open discussion of what DAZ central means for your customers who don't just use DAZ studio.

As a Carrara user I have recieved no answers and am not willing to break the use of snart content and content in general in Carrara to beta test it

I concur and would like to your Studio 'Content Directory Manager' Settings when they are fully opened up.

After I tried out Daz Central, and then uninstalled it, I found all my settings with new entries for the C: instead of F: It was a nightmare fixing my system.

In DIM is there a check mark next to all the installed items? The checkmark means they are in smart content. A lot of times my content fails to make it to smart content and I have to uninstall and reinstall but if it's EVERYTHING, there may be a better way. I have several items (new G8 & G3) that for some reason refuse to install in smart content through DIM. 

yes., a check mark. Most of the products are in smart content but none of them are installed. the icons are black and white with that install circle thing on it. I did a couple of them, but when you need 4000 items to be installed like that, its going to take some time. 
I'm of a notion to uninstall everything. All the directories folder, etc ..the program, and even flush the registry to make sure nopthing is left over. 
Then do a custom install again, using my data drive, and the programs on my C:drive, which is SSD. THat's the wa I had it but that new DAZ Central thing changed everything, added new directories, and there must be some hidden ones I'm not finding., 
Either way i do it, its going to be a long haul. 

Don't forget, Smart Content is all about metadata. No metadata, no Smart Content. Bad metadata, bad Smart Content. The Content Library will show everything that is physically installed in the library folders that you have specified in DIM and Studio, regardless of the state of the metadata. Does the content in the Content Library show the usual content-type flashes in the upper right-hand corner? (i.e., Wardrobe, Accessory, Prop, Material(s)). If not, the metadata is absent, so it needs to be re-imported using Content DB Maintenance. Not 100% sure this will cure the installed-or-not situation, but the metadata does define the Product for the database (shown in the Product view alphabetical list). Usually, once the library reference is restored, all that info is also restored, since databases don't usually let go of information unless told to.

daveso's troubles came after trying the new DAZ Central. That's a known problem for many people. DIM & Smart Content are good ideas. But the excecution failed. DAZ created utilities/features that require data programming skills to cope with them. Maybe DAZ forgot that many of us just want to make art?!

daveso, I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks, nemesis10. That's about what I thought. It's too long for me. My iMac's 1GB video card is not good enough for iRay. I've seen the messages in the log files. I've actually accepted the fact that I need to get a PC just so I can easily handle iRay. And I will ignore DAZ Central as long as humanly possible.

I only come back here to see if DAZ finally got over the DAZ Central Identity crisis. Is it still a Beta version? Why does the announcement say DAZ Central is for everyone, when it is not?

 

Also don't appreciate that the download pages for entire orders now seem to have only one choice to download the entire order - using DAZ Central.  I no longer have the option to download the entire order using DIM.  Another suck.  Please DAZ, at least give me back the option to use DIM again and don't force me to use DAZ Central until it works for everyone.  It makes me not want to buy anymore bundles if I'm gonna have to download each package one by one.  How ridiculous this is.

Just select "Order Date: Recent First" on the Ready to Download tab in DIM, then it will list your latest purchases on top of the list.  I find that just as easy as using the link.

An alternative simplified and visual interface for DIM would have solved any issues that Central is supose to "fix". As in Basic/Advance interface user choice, but same core.  

Adding yet another tool that messes with stuff of other tools is a recipe for disaster.

DIM is being obfuscated, and even more to new users. I'm relative new, and fortunatelly was offered DIM so i can easily install stuff i buy whenever i choose to open it and make a bulk install. If i had been offered central, my experience would not have been good at all, because it requres it do one item at a time. Also you are only presented easy access to new stuff if you only purchased in the last day or so.

I wish I could say something good about Daz Central but it won't even detect that I have Daz Studio installed, no matter what I do.  Now, DIM won't download an entire order and instead, I have to sort it by newest purchases first and select each and every package by clicking on their own boxes - and I've never had a problem with DIM in the past downloading an entire order.  I just think it's ridiculous to have gone thru all this trouble to try to use what looked like a good thing, only to end up trying to fix what wasn't broken to begin with.  Normally I like everything DAZ but this whole thing has been a real stinkbomb.  Maybe if you're a brand new user and didn't have anything else installed yet, then, this *may be a good thing but not for someone whose had DAZ installed for years apparently.  I wouldn't have written any of this if it weren't for the time lost in trying to recover what used to be working and it's only out of disgust for the time lost that I felt the need to unleash my true opinion.  What a bummer and disappointment this has been. 

Also don't appreciate that the download pages for entire orders now seem to have only one choice to download the entire order - using DAZ Central.  I no longer have the option to download the entire order using DIM.  Another suck.  Please DAZ, at least give me back the option to use DIM again and don't force me to use DAZ Central until it works for everyone.  It makes me not want to buy anymore bundles if I'm gonna have to download each package one by one.  How ridiculous this is.

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.

But there are still three ways for them to download, if we don't count DIM. There's one built right into Daz Studio, and they can manually download the files. Plus the new method. Same as before, with DIM.

I thought we were talking about the order page? As far as I can see DIM is still available elsewhere

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.

But there are still three ways for them to download, if we don't count DIM. There's one built right into Daz Studio, and they can manually download the files. Plus the new method. Same as before, with DIM.

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.

And so what am I?

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.