Daz Asset misteriously disappeared from content folder

[max6325974]

I downloaded a 3d asset, particularly a genesis 8.1 character, I downloaded it from an unoficial website I usually do this is because sometimes I need to test certain specific things about the asset before buying it because there's not enough information on the daz store, instead of having to go through a refund process if I'm not entirely satisfied with the product. If that's the case, I always delete all traces of the file from my daz content folder. If I do like the product I ALWAYS buy it and replace the previously mentioned files with the legitimate ones.

The thing is, yesterday I downloaded (from the unoficial website) an asset and tried it out, I was able to test it without issues, see the model, move it around, do everything like normal. Ok fastforward to next day, I'm like yeah I'm not feeling 100% about this one so i'm gonna uninstall it. (Important to note that I install all my content manually by putting the files in my daz content folder manually and I uninstall it the same way, by deleting each file manually) But when I went to uninstall it it was already gone.

I did not do it myself so I was completely confused, I have no idea what happened, another product I downloaded from the same place but earlier than this one was there and I was able to delete it no problem. But this particular one was already gone, no traces of it in the content folder, therefore not available to use within daz either, it was a character so, yesterday I was able to load the character by opening the "character" folder and selecting it from there but the character wasnt there anymore. I just want to figure out what happened here because I'm losing my mind over this and I can't figure out what happened I'm the only one that uses this computer, I've run antivirus programs and everything and almost nothing was found. Could it possibly be some sort of issue syncing with the daz server and my content folder? does daz have any way to automatically delete files that you don't own and then you happen to have in your folder?. I just want to have piece of mind that about this issue, I don't want to get banned from using daz or something like that, I'm most likely going to just stop testing stuff before buying them this way.

 

[Jumbi]

Honestly, I don't know. Do you use Daz Studio logged into your Daz account? If so, I guess it might be somewhat plausible that somehow a strange case like yours could happen.

I only log into the Daz Install Manager (DIM), which I personally recommend for everybody to be the go-to tool to install and uninstall everything from Daz. With the Content Package Assist application one can even make DIM ready packages out of third-party products (Renderosity, Renderotica, Renderhub... You name it).

But I never log into my account within Daz Studio.

 

[max6325974]

Honestly, I don't know. Do you use Daz Studio logged into your Daz account? If so, I guess it might be somewhat plausible that somehow a strange case like yours could happen.

I only log into the Daz Install Manager (DIM), which I personally recommend for everybody to be the go-to tool to install and uninstall everything from Daz. With the Content Package Assist application one can even make DIM ready packages out of third-party products (Renderosity, Renderotica, Renderhub... You name it).

But I never log into my account within Daz Studio.

I was logged out, I'm just completely weirded out about it all.

 

[Turning Tricks]

I downloaded a 3d asset, particularly a genesis 8.1 character, I downloaded it from an unoficial website I usually do this is because sometimes I need to test certain specific things about the asset before buying it because there's not enough information on the daz store, instead of having to go through a refund process if I'm not entirely satisfied with the product. If that's the case, I always delete all traces of the file from my daz content folder. If I do like the product I ALWAYS buy it and replace the previously mentioned files with the legitimate ones.

The thing is, yesterday I downloaded (from the unoficial website) an asset and tried it out, I was able to test it without issues, see the model, move it around, do everything like normal. Ok fastforward to next day, I'm like yeah I'm not feeling 100% about this one so i'm gonna uninstall it. (Important to note that I install all my content manually by putting the files in my daz content folder manually and I uninstall it the same way, by deleting each file manually) But when I went to uninstall it it was already gone.

I did not do it myself so I was completely confused, I have no idea what happened, another product I downloaded from the same place but earlier than this one was there and I was able to delete it no problem. But this particular one was already gone, no traces of it in the content folder, therefore not available to use within daz either, it was a character so, yesterday I was able to load the character by opening the "character" folder and selecting it from there but the character wasnt there anymore. I just want to figure out what happened here because I'm losing my mind over this and I can't figure out what happened I'm the only one that uses this computer, I've run antivirus programs and everything and almost nothing was found. Could it possibly be some sort of issue syncing with the daz server and my content folder? does daz have any way to automatically delete files that you don't own and then you happen to have in your folder?. I just want to have piece of mind that about this issue, I don't want to get banned from using daz or something like that, I'm most likely going to just stop testing stuff before buying them this way.

You're on a PIRATE forum... there's no need to tip-toe around the reasons why you download and 'test' assets here

Daz Studio does not just randomly delete asset files, even if you are logged in to Daz Central. Personally, I use DIM to install all Smart-Content style assets and I manually install all other types of assets. Normally I work offline with DIM, just because I don't like companies tracking my activities or mining me for data. But I still log-on when I need to update or re-download some essential files from Daz directly.

I'm confused though how you actually install these assets. A normal asset usually has several pieces, each of which has to be put in the proper place. For a character asset, you almost always have the textures in the Runtime folder. all the bits that make up the character go in the People folder (along with thumbnails and tooltips) and morphs usually go in the Data folder.

If you just put these files in some other place, it may be possible you can open them manually but still, DAZ would probably get confused where things are. DAZ has a complicated file and directory system and sometimes you have to reload the Meta data to get smart content to work again. I also usually change all the default directories to point to a specific location on a drive where I keep all my DAZ activities. The only default stuff I leave is the temp file location and my own "My Library" which I keep in Windows Document folder.

Honestly, you should just install assets properly and not worry about them. Smart-content related ones are of course easier to instal using DIM, and therefore easier to uninstall, but you should learn how all assets are packaged, so you can properly uninstall them when one of them injects rogue morphs... because that will happen.

For most non IM000XXXXX-01 type assets, you extract them into your "My Daz3D Library" directory, leaving the structure of the directories intact.

 

[max6325974]

You're on a PIRATE forum... there's no need to tip-toe around the reasons why you download and 'test' assets here

Daz Studio does not just randomly delete asset files, even if you are logged in to Daz Central. Personally, I use DIM to install all Smart-Content style assets and I manually install all other types of assets. Normally I work offline with DIM, just because I don't like companies tracking my activities or mining me for data. But I still log-on when I need to update or re-download some essential files from Daz directly.

I'm confused though how you actually install these assets. A normal asset usually has several pieces, each of which has to be put in the proper place. For a character asset, you almost always have the textures in the Runtime folder. all the bits that make up the character go in the People folder (along with thumbnails and tooltips) and morphs usually go in the Data folder.

If you just put these files in some other place, it may be possible you can open them manually but still, DAZ would probably get confused where things are. DAZ has a complicated file and directory system and sometimes you have to reload the Meta data to get smart content to work again. I also usually change all the default directories to point to a specific location on a drive where I keep all my DAZ activities. The only default stuff I leave is the temp file location and my own "My Library" which I keep in Windows Document folder.

Honestly, you should just install assets properly and not worry about them. Smart-content related ones are of course easier to instal using DIM, and therefore easier to uninstall, but you should learn how all assets are packaged, so you can properly uninstall them when one of them injects rogue morphs... because that will happen.

For most non IM000XXXXX-01 type assets, you extract them into your "My Daz3D Library" directory, leaving the structure of the directories intact.

So the way I install my assets is, I have a "My daz content" folder, where manually put everything, usually an IM000XXXXX-01 zip file has the Content inside a "content" folder(usually next to contet it's Suppliment.dsx and Manifest.dsx, these are the files that I guess are used by DIM). And let's say inside the content folder for a character it's "data, people, runtime" All of those folders contain their respective materials, assets etc.. For the characters. I just throw what's inside "content" inside the "My daz content" and they always sort themselves out. When I open my Daz, It's all well organized in their respective folders the same way it would be how it's packaged. I have never had a single issue installing materials this way.

Important to note, I don't care about recoveing the mysteriously deleted assets. I just wish to figure out what could've actually happened here. I also checked my disks health and it seems fine. I just don't know at this point what else to consider.

 

[Turning Tricks]

So the way I install my assets is, I have a "My daz content" folder, where manually put everything, usually an IM000XXXXX-01 zip file has the Content inside a "content" folder(usually next to contet it's Suppliment.dsx and Manifest.dsx, these are the files that I guess are used by DIM). And let's say inside the content folder for a character it's "data, people, runtime" All of those folders contain their respective materials, assets etc.. For the characters. I just throw what's inside "content" inside the "My daz content" and they always sort themselves out. When I open my Daz, It's all well organized in their respective folders the same way it would be how it's packaged. I have never had a single issue installing materials this way.

Important to note, I don't care about recoveing the mysteriously deleted assets. I just wish to figure out what could've actually happened here. I also checked my disks health and it seems fine. I just don't know at this point what else to consider.

Okay, so that's exactly how you are supposed to manually install stuff.

My guess is that you didn't look deep enough... because there's usually several other directories buried deep in those main ones. For example, the textures that are under the Runtime folder almost always have a developer or product name as another nested folder. So it's probably under a directory that was already there (for another asset by the same maker).

I guess it's possible your hard drive had a fit and corrupted the saves or something, but I can assure you that no version of Daz Studio that I know of has ever had the ability to modify or self-delete asset files like you fear. Of course, Daz is buggy as hell and it's locked up on me umpteen times, corrupting the file I was working on. It's why i always back everything up religiously.

What was the name or link to the asset?