Richard Haseltine said:

crosswind said:

The user-defined categories and assignment are stored in cms database. You have to Export User Data right after you make mass change to them. In case you loss your categories / assignment, you may Re-Import User Data as above-mentioned.

But be noted that re-importing User Data will bring you some 'wrong data'  i.e. the 'user defined categories' will turn into 'vendor categories' . You're not able to rename them if you wanna do so.... I think it's a 'little bug'...

All non- Local user metadata is Vendor data, with the exception of Usernotes and Userwords https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/1000831/#Comment_1000831 .

In this case, use a PostgreSQL management software to connect to cms database and make field value change of your categories:

Manual editing of the database is not supported - "on your head be it."

Thanks for the clarification! I learnt some 'tricks' from this old thread ~ I just tried replacing guid with the string of zeros in dsx file, however, it did not work. The imported metadata was still 'Vendor Data'... will further test it.

crosswind said:

The user-defined categories and assignment are stored in cms database. You have to Export User Data right after you make mass change to them. In case you loss your categories / assignment, you may Re-Import User Data as above-mentioned.

But be noted that re-importing User Data will bring you some 'wrong data'  i.e. the 'user defined categories' will turn into 'vendor categories' . You're not able to rename them if you wanna do so.... I think it's a 'little bug'...

All non- Local user metadata is Vendor data, with the exception of Usernotes and Userwords https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/1000831/#Comment_1000831 .

In this case, use a PostgreSQL management software to connect to cms database and make field value change of your categories:

Manual editing of the database is not supported - "on your head be it."

The always fun RRRR is back from the dead.  And the first theme is 'back from the dead.'  Software agnostic so Carrara entries eligible.

What is RRRR?  It is a render challenge in which you randomly select a certain number of items from your own content library and those must be included in the render.  Humor is encouraged, but some beautiful and poignant art also emerges.   

Example.  Random?  How does one do random?  Fortunately, there are free random number generators for any range available on the web.  So one way to do it, if you have 12 pages in your Daz account product library, is to ask for a random number in 1-12 to select the page, then a random number in 1-40 if there are 40 items per page.  That selects the first item.  Repeat until you have the required number of randoms and then create a render from it.  Another way to do it is to use DIM if you installed your content that way.  DIM can export lists of your content in a text format readable by a spreadhseet or similar program.  Import a list and note the number of rows.  Use a random number generator to pick the required number of items from the list.  Postwork is allowed.  You are permitted to draw again if you get certain plugins, etc.  It is all explained but is not complicated.

More details in the Art Studio Forum.  https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/627661/rrrr-back-from-the-dead-render-contest#latest

Is the Content Management System running? Have you restored your old database, if possible, or reimported metadata (Content Library pane option menu, the lined button in the top corner or right-click the tab, Content DB Maintenance, check Reimport Metadata, select all products and user data in the next dialogue)?

The user-defined categories and assignment are stored in cms database. You have to Export User Data right after you make mass change to them. In case you loss your categories / assignment, you may Re-Import User Data as above-mentioned.

But be noted that re-importing User Data will bring you some 'wrong data'  i.e. the 'user defined categories' will turn into 'vendor categories' . You're not able to rename them if you wanna do so.... I think it's a 'little bug'...

In this case, use a PostgreSQL management software to connect to cms database and make field value change of your categories:

It would be a lot of items to reinstall with connect, or I might just. I did update the metadata, and it still isn't showing as installed, but I haven't cleared the database yet. Might be worth a try.

I'd rather have everything installed via Daz Central or the install manager if I can.
I appreciate all your help so much!

It doesn't look like it should be considered installed with Connect, although you could try to see if you in your Daz Connect library has a folder data/cloud/1_[SKU-number of your product].

I have no immediate ideas why it wont be considered installed by the database.

I once had some products that seemed stuck, so I ended up clearing the database and import all metadata. That solved it. But that is a rather drastic step, as it will clear out your metadata customization and also take a while to import metadata. That is an option, but you must know what the consequences are.

You could else install it with Daz Connect (as you have other products installed with Connect), and uninstall it with DIM, and then just call it done.

Limits are good for FK but not for IK, even in daz studio most poses turn limits off so they're not so useful as you may think. But you can apply limit rotation constraints in blender as you wish. As for rigify it uses prebending to tip the IK to the right direction, that's what most IK rigs do.

Diffeomorphic has options to import the daz limits. Get the dev version.

https://diffeomorphic.blogspot.com/p/daz-importer-version-16.html

Is anyone else having an issue where you uninstall products through DIM, but they remain installed in Daz Studio? Can't seem to narrow it down to a specific criteria, it just seems to be happening with some products and not others.

I picked up the Cave Ogre for Genesis 3 Male yesterday, and installed it through DIM. Installed fine, loaded fine, no problems with it.

Uninstalled it today to see if it was affected by this thing with DIM, and it uninstalled fine.

Installed it again through DIM not 2 minutes later, now it doesn’t appear in my library, and the only way to apparently install it is through Daz Connect.

Has my MetaData gotten screwed up or something, or is there some conflict between DIM and my Daz Connect data?

It is not an aniblock and when I import it into UE5/5.1 it doesn't animate. Is it runtime only. Or can I use it in take recorder?

Sometimes when I apply a pose to a character in a scene or when I import a prop into a scene, the orientation of the xyz axes are not the same orientation of the basic scene plane.  I am attaching a .duf here where I simply applied a pose to the character.  If you look at the xyz axes of the character, you will see how it is tilted and not aligned with the xyz axes of the basic scene plane.  I am including an image as well here from  the duf showing the icon of the tilted axes below the base of her feet.  Moving the x,y and z axis sliders will not correspond to the basic scene plane making it almost impossible to get the character into the position desired in the scene.  Is there some way to make the xyz axes for all objects in a scene consistent with each other?

Hello! It's possible to do Blender simple Boolean Operations ( or via Modifier) and simply export and import in DS without having errors or strange geometry? If yes, how? Any tutorial online? thanks!

You are right, with 4.21 I can import objects without uv map. I remembered this limitation from old versions and didn't check.

Maybe an example or two would help. A screenshot of a product with a thumbnail that shows properly from the Products tab, and a snip from File Explorer from the Runtime\Support folder  showing the filenames of the metadata file (.dsx) generated when installing, and the matching thumbnail file installed from the zip created in CPA.

..and another set of one that does not show properly.

ETA: It's getting late, past my bedtime. I'll follow up tomorrow if no one else steps in...

NorthOf45 said:

I agree that adding an image to serve as the product icon is not fully functional as we would expect, but there is missing information to start, so it might be impossible to ever achieve without some additional work. I have not found a one-pass solution.

You can drop the original package into CPA, but there is no sure way to determine the metadata filenames if there are none to start with. You can start with the new package you create, without the thumbnail, install it, copy the metadata files back to a Runtime Support folder in the Build. Then copy your thumbnail file into the same folder, rename to match the other two files and Make a new package. (No need to drop the image into the empty slot on the Details tab, it will be found when you Make the package). Uninstall the original package, copy the new zip to the download folder, refresh DIM (or refresh the specific package data if you have a lot of products), install again. Should be good to go.

My workflow is a bit more complex, but I want the full metadata package. Long story...

How is it that it CAN do it some of the time?  In other words, if it can do it, then why can't that be replicated every time?  Also, I cannot do all the extra rigamaroll, hence why I got this thing in the first place.  Ultimately, I'm looking for someone that found the trick.  Once I had 100% with 10 in a row, but I cannot replicate it.

I agree that adding an image to serve as the product icon is not fully functional as we would expect, but there is missing information to start, so it might be impossible to ever achieve without some additional work. I have not found a one-pass solution.

You can drop the original package into CPA, but there is no sure way to determine the metadata filenames if there are none to start with. You can start with the new package you create, without the thumbnail, install it, copy the metadata files back to a Runtime Support folder in the Build. Then copy your thumbnail file into the same folder, rename to match the other two files and Make a new package. (No need to drop the image into the empty slot on the Details tab, it will be found when you Make the package). Uninstall the original package, copy the new zip to the download folder, refresh DIM (or refresh the specific package data if you have a lot of products), install again. Should be good to go.

My workflow is a bit more complex, but I want the full metadata package. Long story...

Padone said:

Be sure that everything you export is uv mapped because daz studio can't import geometry without a uv map.

Is the version of DS you are using broken? I have never had an issue importing geometry without UV.

If needed you can apply UV projection via "Shader mixer -> Coordinate Projection" and project texture map onto object using world/object space

NorthOf45 said:

I do use it all the time, but I create and name the thumbnail file as per the metadata after the fact. My guess is that CPA does not know 100% how the metadata support files will be named (if there are none to start with), so its best guess might not always be accurate. DIM (or some CMS function) generates the missing files on the fly, so, if the thumbnail file name does not match, it does not show.

If that is the case, and I reported it for the PA to fix the product, how would we describe it to them.  Or what you put there is all I need to paste?  Basically, I need it to do what it is supposed to do every time.  Like I said, personally making the Runtime/Support and placing the file in there before running the zip through CPA does not work, nor does the drag and drop... well they DO work, randomly lol  But, I will need it to do what the product is supposed to do without failing.  So, you circumvent a huge reason to use CPA in the first place.  Anyone that uses CPA as intended, any advice for getting it to work as advertised 100% of the time?

I do use it all the time, but I create and name the thumbnail file as per the metadata after the fact. My guess is that CPA does not know 100% how the metadata support files will be named (if there are none to start with), so its best guess might not always be accurate. DIM (or some CMS function) generates the missing files on the fly, so, if the thumbnail file name does not match, it does not show.

To get the Thumbnails in Smart Content to show, they need to follow a very specific naming convention. Without any supplied metadata support files, a default metadata file is generated from the contents when installed with DIM and is imported into the database. If you want to add a thumbnail file, its name must be exactly the same as the generated file, with the .jpg extension. You can drop it into the Runtime\Support folder with all the others and refresh the view (I believe, never done it that way myself).

In Studio, you can add to the metadata if you like (that's a whole other story), export it and add it, the .dsa script and the thumbnail file (the three metadata support files) back into the CPA build and make a fresh copy with all the metadata support built-in, in case you ever need to re-install.