Renderotica

I'm a noob and in a mess. I've failed to install my first Renderotica items to get them to work and I've only got as far as the first part of your guidance: I have ThisPC>LocalDisk(C:)>Program Files>DAZ3D - but in DAZ3D I only have DAZ3DIM1, DAZStudio4, Hexagon2 & PostgreSQL CMS. I don’t have Documentation or My Daz 3D Library. I have lots of *deleted* items installed in my Content Library but I've obviously installed them all over the place – presumably auto loaded by Windows which I shouldn’t have done. All these items work but of course they are awkward to find.

To follow your guidance first of all how do I get the folder My Daz 3D Library (and Documentation) in my Program Files there as you show in the right place? And then how do I load everything up into there. And should I then delete everything in the Content Library – and if so how do I do that without wrecking everything?

I presume this is why my Renderotica items won’t work. I tried to attach a screenclip to show you but I couldn't work out how to do that either. I'm sorry I don't even know how Forums work - do I see a reply here or do you need my email.

I would be very grateful for some idiot-proof help. Thanks, Alex

Originally Posted by: Alex3

I'm a noob and in a mess. I've failed to install my first Renderotica items to get them to work and I've only got as far as the first part of your guidance: I have ThisPC>LocalDisk(C:)>Program Files>DAZ3D - but in DAZ3D I only have DAZ3DIM1, DAZStudio4, Hexagon2 & PostgreSQL CMS. I don’t have Documentation or My Daz 3D Library. I have lots of *deleted* items installed in my Content Library but I've obviously installed them all over the place – presumably auto loaded by Windows which I shouldn’t have done. All these items work but of course they are awkward to find.

To follow your guidance first of all how do I get the folder My Daz 3D Library (and Documentation) in my Program Files there as you show in the right place? And then how do I load everything up into there. And should I then delete everything in the Content Library – and if so how do I do that without wrecking everything?

I presume this is why my Renderotica items won’t work. I tried to attach a screenclip to show you but I couldn't work out how to do that either. I'm sorry I don't even know how Forums work - do I see a reply here or do you need my email.

I would be very grateful for some idiot-proof help. Thanks, Alex

It sounds to me like you're dropping them in the wrong folder. I assume you have Daz Install Manager set up to correctly install all of your content that you get from DAZ, so if you do, you can open it and see where the correct install path lies. 

Open your DIM and click the little gear icon at the top right. It will open a popup that has four tabs. Click the Installation tab, and at the bottom, you'll see a box that says 'label' and 'path'. The folder address under 'path' is where your content should go. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by: Alex3

In DIM my installation path is C:/Users/Public/Documents/My DAZ 3D Library. Is that correct - does it matter that the slashes go forward and the word 'Users' is in it?
If it's correct how do I install my Renderotica items into it?
I appreciate your help and patience - thank you, Alex

What Matt said.

The path looks correct as long as that is what you have used as the path for your DIM setup (I think it is the default, so it probably is). 'Users' is essential as the Public folder is a subfolder.

Download your renderotica files to (probably) Downloads. I have set up a separate folder (different drive, because you don't want to clog up C: unnecessarily) for the unzipped files - you might call it Unzipped Rendering Files. I usually then copy the name of the downloaded item (eg fishtaildressg3f_dforce) and create a new folder using that name in the 'unzipped' folder. Then I go back to Downloads and extract the files from the Downloads folder to the newly created one. If it is a single zip file I tick the show files box, but otherwise I wait until the final zip of that article (some have four or five zip files).
Then, I copy the folders that are shown in the finished window to the correct destination - in your case C:/Users/Public/Documents/My DAZ 3D Library.

They should then work, but a lot of products are not set up with the right hierarchy, often using Poser terms rather than Daz ones. It may mean you have to find the relevant files using Explorer (assuming Windows) and then note where they are. Sometimes the only way I can get something to show in Daz (especially if the program is already open)  is by opening it direct from the Windows folder, whereupon it seems to get recognised by Daz.

I will point out, however, that there are little gremlins and other beasties whose only reason for existence is to make life difficult in rendering. The number of time I simply cannot find something I know to exist in my characters, clothes. accessories etc., is alarming. I recommend that you consider becoming familiar with the Categories system. If I find something I am likely to use a lot, it is sometimes easier to categorise it (create your own category if you want) and find it that way.

Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by: Alex3

Thank you. May I check first: In my Content Library I have 'DAZ Studio Formats' > leads to 'My Library' AND 'My DAZ 3D Library'. 'Browse to Folder Location' by right click on 'My Library' leads to: Local Disk (C:)>Users>Alex>Documents>DAZ 3D>Studio>My Library - then that leads into some of my installed folders but not all and they seem random. 'Browse to Folder Location' by right click on 'My DAZ 3D Library' leads to: This PC>Local Disk (C:)>Users>Public>Public Documents>My DAZ 3D Library - that leads into lots more of my installed folders. When I've checked that's right - that is that I should have these two different Folders - I will then follow through your Downloads advice.
Thank you both again for your patience.

I am not sure what this is saying. The Content Library pane, if that is what you are describing, shows what the Folder and file structure is. I have both Daz Studi Formats and Poser Formats as the first level. Let's concentrate on Daz. The next level is 'My Daz 3D Library'. My Library is within that, but doesn't have many folders or files, and is, i suspect not the correct structure - but it works. If stuff comes from non Daz sources it may have all sorts of structures. 
However. I also have a similar format for the My Library stuff. I think this is because Daz expects you to save your morphs, personalised presets, etc there rather than in the main (public) area. Don't ask me why!

So, on the face of it, the stuff is where it should be. If you move a figure, and then experiment with saving that as a Preset Pose (Save as: Pose Preset) you should find the resulting preset in your personal folders rather than what you might call the generic ones. The same applies with morphs (another entire minefield) and other presets. It is also the area where your saved scenes and scene subsets and renders will probably go as a default, but you may well wish to change those settings.

So don't panic about the two locations. It sounds like they are probably right.

And just so it's here, but separate from my last post because it's a little more advanced (from something that was already somewhat advanced): Here's how to create a new compatibility base. Say you just bought a clothing set for G8F, with a bunch of material settings. 

1. Add the clothing items (or whatever it is) to a blank scene. You don't even need a G8F to wear them (although I don't think it will hurt anything if you do).
2. On the Scene tab, open the drop-down menu and select "Edit --> Select Default Compatibility Bases". This will open up a small "Default Compatibility Base" window.
3. Click the "..." button next to the "Compatibility Root" field. This opens the "Select a Compatibility Base" list.
4. Right-click in this list and select either "Create New Root Compatibility Base" or "Create New Sub-Compatibility Base". 
   • The difference here is whether it's listed in the "root" of this list, or at a lower level. For example, I think by default DAZ has a root "Genesis 8" base, and then sub-compatibility bases under that for "Female", "Male", "Female Eyelashes", "Female Genitalia", etc. 
   • To create a sub-compatibility base, you'll do your right-clicking on the root base you want it under.
   • I usually create a root compatibility base for each vendor, and then sub-compatibility bases for each product from that vendor. For example, I have a "Davo" base, with sub-compatibility bases for "Basic Scifi Cuffs", "Cattle Drive", etc.
   • DAZ seems to vacillate on whether to do the same thing, or create a new root compatibility base for each product. A new root for every product seems to me like a good way to end up with a ginormous root list. There's an "Enter text to search by..." box at the top of this list for a reason.
5. Once you've got a root or sub-compatibility base where you want your new items to appear, select it in the list and hit Accept. You'll return to the "Default Compatibility Base" window, but now the "Compatibility Root" is filled in with what you just selected.
6. Hit Accept again. DAZ studio will now have added each item in your scene under the compatibility base you selected.

You can now do as I described in the previous post, and add those compatibilities to the materials settings for the clothing. When that's done, those material settings will show up in Smart Content when you have the clothing selected.

My personal overall workflow whenever I install a new product from somewhere looks like: 

1. Unzip to the appropriate store folder.
2. If it's a new object, usually do the steps above to set up a new compatibility base. I'll sometimes skip this step if it's something that didn't have any extra materials or other settings to apply to it. 
3. Open up the Content DB Editor and add do both Add Root Categories and Add Compatibilities. Sometimes also add Tags, but I'm not sure the search function really makes full use of the tagging system, which is somewhat disappointing.
4. Set up my personal Categories, which I usually do by right-clicking in the folder list and select "Create a Category from --> Selected Folder & Sub-Folders...". And then just create the new Category within my usual hierarchy. 
   • In some cases, it may make more sense to select individual items, right-click and select "Categorize" (rather than categorize the entire folder at once).

Thanks to MJW and MATT for your help about correctly installing to Daz Studio. I've tried to follow your instructions but no progress. I'll keep trying. If you have any other thoughts I'd be grateful. I think it's definite that my installations are incomplete since when I try to use anything I get a list of files that are missing - but I still can't work out why. Thank you for your patience - Alex3

Hi. I'm sorry for delay in replying - I'm not sure that my last reply posted properly. I don't have any problems with official DAZ products, nor with products I've purcvhased from *deleted*. I've taken the snips you requested - but  how do I attach them to you. I hope this reply gets through. Thank you for your help.

Alex3 attached the following image(s):

Alex3,
I haven't managed to crack the image-posting trick here, so well done. 
Not quite sure what your specific question is here, but I will make the following comments.
Snips 1 & 2 seem to be right, although you may wish to add the other Daz radio buttons in case there are ancient items not brought forward.
Snip 3 is also apparently right.
So, are you saying that it is non Daz sources that are not working?
If so, are you sure that you are 
a: unzipping the files before attempting to load them? I usually unzip to a folder (or even drive) identified as files that have been unzipped to be sure that I am dealing with the unzipped files when I install them.
Then, copy those unzipped files, and paste them into My Daz 3D Library. I usually unzip with Windows Explorer and tick the option to view the files only for the final unzip of a particular download (there can be several zip files for the same product). When the files are visible you will see the folders the creator intended. I then copy those and paste into the top directory of My Daz 3D Library. 

The problem can be that the creators do not use the Daz structure or provide any metadata for Daz to see. Then, I find the best answer is either to find the object or whatever in Explorer and attempt to open it as a standalone item using Daz. Then it frequently becomes visible. Otherwise not the location in your file structure and work down to it in Content Manager. Davo's early stuff, designed for Poser, is a problem in this respect as Poser has a different structure. Incidentally, you must have Poser files ticked in your downloads choices for these to be downloaded. You also need to look in the Poser Format bit rather than the Daz Studio Formats in Content Manager. It is in the very first column of the Content Manager pane.

I have discovered the value of creating categories (also first CM column) and/or adding products to them. Thus, if I want to create a category for a specific genre (say Collars) I do so and add that category to the product by right-click and then select the category. If necessary, create a new category. This helps when you lose a product, as you simply go to the Categories pane, find Collars, and it shuld be there.

Hope this helps. 

mjw