Tutorial How to Install Content to Daz w/ w/o Install Manager

3D Novelist

Active Member
Sep 17, 2020
908
263
So, I have a zip and with a content folder and an manifest file. After extracting it, how do I make it an IM- zip?
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
So, I have a zip and with a content folder and an manifest file. After extracting it, how do I make it an IM- zip?
if you have all of this, best way is to check on DAz website (or otehr website that sell it), what the ID is. then copy it as name

IM(Id number)-01- etc...

that should work if the files have the manufestand such.
 

Helperino

Newbie
Sep 30, 2020
16
183
I'm having a surprising amount of trouble with installing assets manually, and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I install them by dropping the folders from the zips into the My DAZ 3D Library folder, but while a few assets install perfectly and are usable, I can't find most of them inside DAZ Studio. Is there any special step I should take? Are there content/asset lists inside DAZ Studio aside from the Smart Content and Content Library tabs?
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
I'm having a surprising amount of trouble with installing assets manually, and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I install them by dropping the folders from the zips into the My DAZ 3D Library folder, but while a few assets install perfectly and are usable, I can't find most of them inside DAZ Studio. Is there any special step I should take? Are there content/asset lists inside DAZ Studio aside from the Smart Content and Content Library tabs?
just a sec.. i help ya :)
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
I'm having a surprising amount of trouble with installing assets manually, and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I install them by dropping the folders from the zips into the My DAZ 3D Library folder, but while a few assets install perfectly and are usable, I can't find most of them inside DAZ Studio. Is there any special step I should take? Are there content/asset lists inside DAZ Studio aside from the Smart Content and Content Library tabs?
Alright...

First, if you are sure its DIM content. just be sure to do that, or the content wont show at all.
Untitled-1.jpg



If your content is not DIM, it will goes in your "library" folder. You then have to search for it using the creator name as best option (if you know it's for exemple, some outfits from genesis 8.. you go under the "people> genesis 8 female/male> outfit/clothing > "nameofcreatorhere" . you should find it.

if you not find it, it's possible it's a POSER assets. then, just check into the poser folder/list, using same technic "people/ objects etc.." the placement is a bit different, but it's not hard to find quickly your product using the creator name.
Untitled-2.jpg


in worse case scenario.. go in your computer, then go to your library folder in windows and use the windows search function with the name of the creator or the assets name, windows should show you all the result and then you just clic to browse where it is.
(or you canalso just look inside the files you downloaded before extracting it, there should be the complete path everytime you open a folder (exemple : "library/people/clothing/gnagnagna.dsf or whatever)
 
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Helperino

Newbie
Sep 30, 2020
16
183
Thank you very much for your help! Unfortunately, I'm still having trouble. I've been through literally every folder in DAZ, but somehow I still can't find most of the assets I manually installed, even though I can see them sitting in the folders in Windows Explorer. Not all of it is DIM content (not all of it is from the DAZ store). I'm probably doing something wrong while installing, but I find it hard to figure out what that could be because some of the assets do work.
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
Turns that, as expected, I am just an idiot. I was using the wrong DAZ library folder to install things manually. Now it works fine! Thank you for your help!
ha well... guess i tried to help XD

glad you fixed your problem still :D
 
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Dreadful

Newbie
Jun 12, 2017
84
56
I'm having a small amount of trouble. I've done everything correctly with no real issues, except that there are no thumbnails to any of the products and I don't know how to add them. Screenshot 2021-06-11 133429.jpg
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
I'm having a small amount of trouble. I've done everything correctly with no real issues, except that there are no thumbnails to any of the products and I don't know how to add them. View attachment 1241185
it can be multiples reasons...

- missing CMS thing (usually this pop up when you launch DAZ and it say something like "bad loading of CMS blablabla".. then you usually just have to restart DAZ (be sure DAz is closed, sometime it didn't close correctly and stay active in background. you can open your manager to find out if it still run or not. do CTRL+ALT+DEL and choose the manager (usually last option on the list). then you should see if DAZ is still running or not.

- They can be POSER assets and did not install correctlydue to that. in that case, nothing much to say, but you can always left clic on the icon and select browse , to go to the assets and see if there is a icon/thumbnail pic there.

- some stuff can also didn't have icons. it's usually happen when it's scripts. (not the case here i think)
 

Dreadful

Newbie
Jun 12, 2017
84
56
Ok, so now it stating that the files don't exist, but when I go into the file folders everything is there including thumbnails

Screenshot 2021-06-11 202945.jpg
 

MashUp47

Active Member
Aug 26, 2020
998
908
Dreadful
Have you tried re_importing the Meta Data?
Or you could try adding them:

The Process:


1. Locate and select the product's folder in the Content Library>Products folders.
2. Launch the Content DB Editor in the Active Pane Options menu (the little page icon with arrow pointing right on the upper right
3. Put your mouse in the Files box and Right Click>Add Support Files.
4. Locate all three files (Enter the Token (Product ID) in the search box, upper right) and shift-select all three files, dsa, dsx and jpg*, Click Open. The three files should be listed in the Files: box.
5. Click Accept to close the Content DB Editor. If you get a message the files exist, click the Yes to overwrite the files.
6. Click OK on the Export Complete screen.

To test:

Click on the Smart Content>Products>All to refresh the screen and hopefully the Product Icon now displays.


Have you connected to Daz Central with non legit asset's installed? Hope not as this could mean a Fresh install.
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
in addition. just curiosity..

have you installed something using DIM?

if not or yes, try to instal another thing (whatever random assets) with DIM.

DIM could create all the missing data and fix your DAZ.



just a suggestion.
 

macadam

Chicken Bubble Butt
Game Developer
Aug 5, 2016
6,967
10,067
Dreadful
Have you connected to Daz Central with non legit asset's installed? Hope not as this could mean a Fresh install.
as far as i know, connecting to DAz while having non legit buyed stuff wont have any effect. It will just not purpose the update of the product.

Usually installing another thing via DIM tend to fix troubles with metadata, as DAZ make a quick scan everytime something is added via DIM.
 
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DeUglyOne

Bite Me!
Donor
Sep 1, 2017
490
1,564
macadam Your more then likely right but I would rather be safe & paranoid then doing a reinstall.
I've never had a problem before (haven't touched it in about 6 months, though). It would even update resources that I'd got here on a "try before you buy" mode.

Yes, I do buy them if I use them.
 
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