Confused with content-installers
Sheena-Tiger
Posts: 0
Hello at all,
Okay, I really tried to get through with this but with each new version and installers my confusion grows some more.
Searching the Forum did not bring up something that helped me, maybe I was simply looking for the wrong keywords though.
The help within the Knowledge Database ( https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/20891283 ) to understand the product codes is not overly helpful for me from some point onward.
Let's try an example:
I use D|S 4.5 on a Windows-PC and want to install content I bought for V4 and Genesis/V5 without Bryce, Carerra or wanting to create own textures.
This should cut me down to following codes at max:
- dpc - usually has to be run as well
- ds - only has to be run for DAZ
- trx - Add-On's for Genesis
Now let's look at what I get once I buy some stuff.
15359 - Aramonk --> I get 2 installers, one with dpc and one with trx. In my downloads one is marked with "Poser Core" and one with "DSON Core". Do I need both or just the trx in this case? According to the Product codes, I should install both as trx is "only" an addon.
14056 - Colors for Lady Elf Hair --> I get 3 installers
14056_ClrsLadyElfHair_v1.1_dpc.exe - pc - Poser
14056_ClrsLadyElfHairCF_v1.1_dpc.exe - pc - Poser CF
14056_ClrsLadyElfHairDS_v1.1_trx.exe - pc - DSON Core
This time it s 2 times dpc and one time trx. I gathered that much, the CF-Installer is only needed if I want to use Poser and not D|S, leaves myself still with the other 2. Again according to the Knowledge-Base I should install the dpc and the trx as far as I understand it, though the installers tell me, there is already a version installed and recommend deinstallation of the already installed one.
Let's go one step further with 14516 - Lady elf Hair
14516_LadyElfGenesisPoserCF_v1.3_dpc.exe - PC - Poser CF
14516_LadyElfGenesis_v1.3_trx.exe - PC - DSON core
14516_LadyElfGenesisLegacy_v1.3_trx.exe - PC - Legacy
Now it get's even more confusing for me. Here I have a Legacy-Installer which is the exact same as the non-legacy, safe a few kb according to my filesystem. Both have the trx-code, so I can not even base any decision on that one, like for exaomple first installing dpc and then trx...
Maybe someone can clear things up for me...
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Comments
With Products which are non DSON then indeed you have
.dpc
.ds
.trx. As you say, these are self explanatory. These are for products which can be used in all versions of DS and / or poser.
With the newer products which have been released with DSON usabillity you have
Legacy these files are for DS 4 or earlier.
DSON COre these files are for DS 4.5, and are also need for Poser users who wish to use Genesis via the DSON Installer
Poser companion files These fies are for Poser users as above.
With the add on products, such as a set of addtional colours for a hair product there is no need to have a full Legacy installer, as all versions can use the product, which has no geometry, but there is a need to provide 2 versions of the metadata files for DS, to make it easier for any updates to be made, without the need to download the full DS file each time, so the 2 DS versions have their own .trx file.
There seems to be far too much confusion with regards to what to download once a product is purchased. I've been using Daz Studio and Poser for years and I'm STILL confused as to which files to install.
Perhaps DAZ could include a stand alone 'Download Instructions' .txt file on Download page.
And maybe reintroduce the filter-function they had ... the basic one that was there with filtering MAC or PC was already working wonders.
That will get sorted out once everything is converted to the new zip format, meaning one file suits both platforms.
Me too, nowadays I hate each and every purchase/download at DAZ3D, because I fear already in advance to find my way through the long lists of available downloads, painfully trying to discover, which of them I need, and which not. I fear to mess up my huge content libraries with nonsense which is not needeed, on the other hand I fear to miss something which I might discover only later...
Usually, once I decide to place an order, I have already collected quite some items in the wishlist, which I add to the Cart. I am a Premium Member, and I love those little goodies from the Premium Club. Several times I have bought "Bundles", which gave me like 50 or something files in the available downloads... Now begins the painful search through them, which ones to load and which ones not to... It needs full concentration and paperwork, because the long filenames are so cryptic, you can easily mess things up. I never get myself a beer or something when I need to do this in the evening after work, because after a beer I could easily drive my car or fly my Cessna, but could not be alert enough to distinguish between the cryptic filenames.
Honestly, i am a customer of DAZ3D for around 10 or more years, if I try to imagine being a newbie, oh my good, I woud run away from this site and try to find my content wherever else...
Really, it could be sooooo simple: Offer a filter page, where clients can click (radio buttons) what the specifics of their systems are, and then they are offered ONLY THOSE FILES NEEDED FOR THEM! Should they change or enhance their system later, they can still come back and reload the versions which are needed now, it could all be so easy. Click "Windows", click "Poser", click "I have DSON installed", and then leave me alone with all the crap I don't need and want like MAC, DS-Files, Legacy or whatever.
Supermarkets offer large parking space to make clients come and park undisturbed and feel comfortable. But DAZ3D has made their place like a shop in the inner city without a parking available for miles. Sitting at home and wanting to go there, I imagine all the trouble to get there and decide not to go. Really, i have never seen such a bad marketing and customer care like with this download environment at DAZ3D.
DIM does it exactly as you have said. Tell DIM which program(s) you use and it will only download the requisite files.
Okay, on your recommendation I try it now. I would have tried it earlier, if they had called it DOWNLOAD MANAGER instead of INSTALL MANAGER. because I will definately not allow any other person than me to install anything in my more than 50 external content libraries, which have grown over more than 10 years.
Already i can tell that I don't like the idea to install ANOTHER program, only to filter files. Why can't this be done online?? I use a variety of computers, living in Uganda Africa, travelling, sometimes downloading also from Europe, why do I need to install this software on any computer I want to use for downloads?
As soon as this program, which I am now going to download and install upon your recommendation, starts scanning my computer, I will uninstall it in a split second, because I definately don't want another background process collecting information somewhere on my harddrive and taking away capacity from my processors. So all I really want is assistance for filtering the downloads, not more and not less. I am using PzDB to keep track of my content, and nobody knows better than me where to put and install my things.
I am sorry if I sound a little upset and angry, because this is what I am. I have bought software from DAZ3D some minutes ago for around 100 dollars, and now I fight my way through the list of 108 files, where I know I do need less than half of them, and with all those cryptic names, this can really spoil your day. On top of that, given my bad internet stability here in Kampala, Uganda, I feel very restricted with the 3 to 5 download trials. Already I have a list of 3 files where I will have to reset the downloads later and restart to find them in the very long lists of available downloads. You can see on the left of my post, that I am a client since 2005, but nowadays DAZ3D has become a shop where I sometimes feel forced to buy but have started hating it, because of the worst download service I have ever seen in my life (and I am, beside other qualifications, a business and marketing professional).
Okay, Chohole, first I really want to thank you for taking care and for your very quick response. I really appreciate this, and am sorry if I was really a bit bad tempered going through this download-torture with DAZ3D again.
I have now downloaded and installed this "DIM", and (apart from being ANOTHER program which needs to be installed) it seems to work. I installed it on a laptop which does not contain my content libraries, just to make sure it doesn't mess up anything, and it works from there.
Positive observation: I clicked one of the files where my available download trials had been used, so usually I would have to go to the other pages on my account and find the item in the long list of my previous purchases, and then request a reset for more download trials. I appreciate, that this "DIM" downloaded the item without problem, so obviously it requests for additional download trials all by itself, which is helpful.
Now it has downloaded this file, and I start my search on the computer to find out where it has actually STORED it, smile... No problem.
A negative observation was, that the search function did not find a search for the item number ("15808" for MinnieBow HairColor). But after typing "Minnie" it found the related files, thats good.
I have deactivated "DAZ Studio 4.5" in the filter list, because I have it but hardly ever use it. However, the "DIM" still shows me "Colors for Minnie Bow Hair DS" after filtering... What do I make out of this?
Another thing I don't like: the program has immediately scanned my computer for any existing DAZ software and has kept a record (no doubt it has also sent this to DAZ3D...). It found some former downloads which I had purchased and stored on this computer and which had still remained in the downloads folder. I honestly don't know how this is necessary, at LEAST it should be announced by the program!!! Had this DIM been installed on my Poser Computer, it would have used hours of my processor power to scan all my content libraries in the background, without even signifying this to me, the owner of this computer. I think, there might be legal laws who make this an illegal activity, in the US as well as in Europe or elsewhere? I will definately NOT install DIM on my Poser Computer.
At least this DIM can help to filter my downloads from DAZ3D, provided it gives correct information. The above mentioned DS file makes me suspicious about the real performance of the program. Should it turn out that the filtering is unrelyable, i will have no choice but switching back to manual filtering, wich every time puts me in such a bad mood that for the sake of my health I might start to avoid DAZ3D completely.
But thanks again for your quick reply, i wasn't expecting this when I posted.
Cheers and happy rendering,
Martin
It could be that it's for earlier versions of DS? don't know for certain as the PC items often put .dsf and .duf in the same folder
edited to add
You said
This seems to be quite unusual behaviour and shouldn't have happened. It should only find stuff that it has actually donwloaded itself.
About the DS file, I think this was because had the "using DSON" option still active in the filter. I guess in this case it proposed to also download the DS.
Yes, I found a protokol file which lists older downloads (manual downloads of purchases) which I had done 2 months ago with this computer and which were still existing in the download folder. So DIM must definately have searched all directories and listed these ones, which were not related to any fresh activity. I even had not yet started doing any download with the DIM, but already found the list...
Some clarifications on Install Manager:
1) It doesn't run in the background, only when you launch it.
2) It doesn't connect to anything online until you tell it to access your account.
3) It doesn't scan your content folders or downloaded installers -- it only looks at files it downloaded in the folder specified as the download folder (which you can change in the Settings or by clicking on the Download Filters button). What makes you think it is doing so?
4) It finds the paths of your DAZ programs so that it can install plugins to those programs (this feature isn't in the current release, but ultimately it will be capable of installing everything you buy here). You can edit, add to, or remove these in Settings. It doesn't report back to DAZ about these: it only looks at your download filters when displaying what's in your account, not what applications you have installed.
5) It will display the files appropriate for your download filter choices. For example, if you select only DS4.5, it will show Poser files if there are no DS-specific ones for a product, or if the DS version requires the Poser version also. If you select DSON Importer for Poser, it will show both the Poser Companion Files and the DSON Core files, as both are needed.
Thanks for the remarks, fixmypcmike.
I managed to download all my purchases with this DIM, however as I had already explained, I didn't let "DIM" install anything, because this computer which I used for the downloads was not the target computer (my poser computer). Instead I located the folder where the "DIM" stored the downloads, from there I transferred the files manually to my other computer.
For each product, there was a ZIP and another file (I don't remember the extension at the moment). I simply removed the other file and remained with the zip files of all my downloads alone. An inspection showed, that they contained just zipped versions of runtime folders containing my stuff, which, after unzipping, were easy to integrate in my various existing content folders.
Still I ask myself, why I need to download and install a 25 MB program, only to have my purchased content filtered to my needs... A filter option on the DAZ3D download page could easily do the same.
You asked me, why I think that the "DIM" software scanned my computer for DAZ3D content? That is easy to answer. Right after installation of the "DIM" (and before even doing the first download of purchased stuff with it) I verified the "DIM"s internal log file and found the following. It lists content, which I had previously (some months ago) purchased at DAZ3D and where (because of all the confusion with those cryptic file variations DAZ3D had developped) some of those installers had remained on this computer, because I was not sure whether or not I might later need them. This content, which is listed in the log file, is in no way related to my current purchases, neither had I asked the "DIM" to somehow scan my computer and/or detect any content.
I found the following LOG file:
+++++++++++++++ Install Manager 1.0.0.112 starting +++++++++++++++++
Platform bits: 32
Qt Version: 4.8.3
Locale: de_DE
Running on Windows 7, Build 7601, Service Pack 1
Physical Memory:
Total: 2.9 GB (3220299776)
Avail: 1.3 GB (1405243392)
Virtual Memory:
Total: 1.9 GB (2147352576)
Avail: 1.8 GB (2036862976)
Current Memory Usage: 56%
Current DateTime:
Loc: So 24. Mrz 16:26:23 2013
UTC: So 24. Mrz 13:26:23 2013
Application Data:
Location = C:/Users/Public/Documents/DAZ 3D/InstallManager
Disk Total: 149.0 GB (160031043584)
Disk Avail: 48.4 GB (52052631552)
Reading dzInstall.ini
WARNING: dzvalentinaobjectdatabase.cpp(36): DB Register Open error: Stream read error.
WARNING: dzvalentinaobjectdatabase.cpp(36): DB Register Open error: Stream read error.
Current Account: **my DAZ3D account name **
Current Download Path:
Location = C:/Users/Public/Documents/DAZ 3D/InstallManager/Downloads
Disk Total: 149.0 GB (160031043584)
Disk Avail: 48.4 GB (52058599424)
Current Install Path:
Location = C:/Users/Public/Documents/My DAZ 3D Library
Disk Total: 149.0 GB (160031043584)
Disk Avail: 48.4 GB (52058599424)
Product 12373-1:Vandalized Parkside Passenger Car is repeated
Product 12373-2:Vandalized Parkside Passenger Car StudioCF is repeated
Product 12264-1:Parkside Box Car Ps is repeated
Product 12264-1 has the same name as 12264-2:Parkside Box Car Ps
Product 12264-2:Parkside Box Car DS is repeated
Product 12264-2 has the same name as 12264-1:Parkside Box Car DS
Product 1751-1 has the same name as 2295-1:Allosaurus
Product 1695-1 has the same name as 2296-1:Gallimimus
Processed 421 products with 654 unique product downloads
4 records were repeated product downloads.
Saving Account Settings: **my DAZ3D account name **
User Data Refresh: Elapsed Time 0 sec 0 msec
It is pretty clear, that the "DIM" has scanned this computer of mine and verified some found formerly purchased installers against "421 products with 654 unique product downloads" (which might be the list of my purchases at DAZ3D since 2005). The listed products had been bought by me MONTHS AGO (if not years ago, like the Allosaurus and the Gallinimus), some parts of the installers had remained on my harddrive.
They are in NO WAY related to my current purchased items, so I ask myself why "DIM" is scanning my computer for them and what "saving account settings" might mean.
As I told you, I consider this "DIM" as helpful filter for my purchases, however it is unnecessarily complicated (requiring 25 MB of program installed on any local computer, instead of offering a filter option on the DAZ3D download page).
But definately I will keep this program away from my poser computer. I am using legally purchased software only and think I have nothing to fear from my 10 years old and hundreds GB large content collection, but as this is a long time period and I have not always been skilled the way I am today, I can only be 95 percent sure about this. I don't want any legal trouble for any content which might have slipped into my collection from other forums and all those freebie and whatever downloads.
On top of that, and even more important, I dislike ANY software which does ANY modification or "automatic" things on ANY of my computers without first asking ME and explaining exactly what it desires to do and let me decide on it. Why? Because I am 57 years old with 28 years of (professional) experience with computers, and I can't count all the occasions when I have seen "automatic" processes or installations mess up things badly because they did not take all eventuallities into account. My content collection is far too precious to me to take such a risk with an "automatic content installer".
Martin
It doesn't do anything automatic without your telling it to do so. As you've seen, you can just use it to download your purchases and then you can install them manually, as they're just zip files. You can even download on one machine and move the files to another computer which doesn't have an internet connection, and install them there.
I understand being cautious about privacy, but stop and consider: how many DAZ 3D installers have you run over the years? How do you know they weren't scanning your computer (the very old ones DID scan your computer to find all your Poser runtimes)? If Install Manager were secretly scanning your computer for pirated software, would it just put that information in a plain-text log file?
Ok, can someone be clear on this.
I bought David 5....ok, the files I have are TRX file and DPC file
I know I have to the DPC file (as it's the largest size, so I assume it's the core of it all)
What's the TRX file??? Do I need to install it?
Oh, and I use Daz
Well...I'm blind, I guess, the TX file is the largest of them...
So...guess that answer it for me, if I'm using DS, just need to install the TRX file
If you are having trouble figuring out what installers to use, I would strongly recommend using DIM. Tell DIM what software you want to use and let it figure out what to install. I just finished uninstalling all my content and re-installing it all with DIM. It took a long time to uninstall 500 products because I wanted to save all the custom category data I had created. I described my experience here: http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/21322/
If you don't have much content installed, then switch to using DIM now.
...I rather not use the DIM
I do not have the internet to redownload every damn thing I bought. I have a time slot of 5 hours a day to download whatever I want...and I see it worthless to waste time to redownload everything you already have on the PC.
AND you went though all the damn trouble to uninstall everything...and put it back on...you end up with the same stuff in the end. You do not need a download manger to install things onto the PC. I have before this DIM thing...I can survive without it
Then just use DIM to download the new stuff that you have to download anyway, and it will tell you which files you need to download.
I wouldn't need it anyway...I already know what files I need. TRX, it's the core file, it's the largest number...other stuff, not needed. It's the way with the DCP files when it was doubled with DS files...those DS downloads weren't needed on my end.
DAZ is going to begin phasing out the old installers on May 15th. I assume this means that new products released after that date will only have DIM installers. Now you can download the DIM installers manually and manually unzip or copy the data into your libraries, but it is going to be even more work than the current installers.
I went through a lot of work because I did not want to just delete all my libraries, meta data, CMS data base and start over. I wanted to preserve all the organization I had create in my Own categories. If you don't have a lot of custom categories that are important to preserve, just clean things up and start over.
DIM will download and install products petty quickly, and it does it automatically so you can do other things while it is working.
o.m.g....
i needed as a total noob (and i might not be the brightest in the box..) about 2 months to vaguely grasp:
- how to download my stuff from DAZ, and how to install it.
- how the files were organised in the "my library" folders (though the thing with runtime or not runtime is still not 100% in my brain, but i know it has to do with the poser structure ~).
- how to install the flurry of freebies i found all over the place, with ususally very good folder structure.. but not always ;).
- to make out that in the "official" new DAZ download interface, most .zip files (especially when they bear the exact same name as the .exe ones) are for mac, so using win i don't need to download them just to delete them 1 minute later once i open the zip to peek in.
and now comes this thing with the DIM.
it confuses me enormously.
i tried to read entries here & there in this forum, but as always, the longer and more explicit the posts are, the less i can focus, and after 2 paragraphs, it's chinese to me - my brain just goes on strike and i just see sentences not making any sense.. and the more entries i read, the more confused i get, until i just close the windows totally unnerved. not only for the DIM. but this is a basic, and just forgetting about it won't do i guess ~ so i'm sure this below has already been asked and replied to.. only not in a form that i can assimilate -_- so sorry...
so, DIM for dummies:
- i still don't understand what it's good for. or just WHAT is IS for. something about crossing contents between DAZ, Poser etc ~
- can i avoid the thing completely? or will this be the compulsive norm soon so i'd better bite in the sour apple right now?
- for my last shopping spree yesterday i have downloaded all .exe files, and all IM000xx files. do i need to install both? what am i supposed to do?
- what about A) all DAZ files, and B) all freebies or Rendo files, i already have in my system? i really really don't want to mess up with un/reinstalling stuff that works fine now, not knowing exactly what i'm doing..
is there a STEP BY STEP very simple instruction list, with short sentences, down to the point, for *cough* obviously challenged people like me? *siiigh*
The old installers are being phased out, so from now on (starting on May 15) all your content will come in ZIP files. You'll have two options:
1. Download the zips from My Account>Product Library and install them yourself (if you're used to installing stuff from Renderosity or ShareCG, this shouldn't be a problem...it's the same basic method)
2. Use DIM (DAZ Install Manager) to take care of this for you.
Here's the beauty of using DIM: after I buy something here, all I have to do is start DIM, click a couple of check boxes and then the "Start Queue" button, and usually within a few minutes, my content has been downloaded, installed, and is ready to use. But no, it's not mandatory to use it, and as far as I'm aware there is no plan to make it mandatory.
To use DIM to its full capability, you'll need to uninstall all previously installed products (aside from software and plugins, and stuff you got from other sites). Then you can have DIM download and install it all for you, and it will let you know when updates are available.
It's also possible to use only part of the functionality of DIM:
- You can use it only as a list of your products (though, now that we have the Product Library this is perhaps less useful)
- You can use it to download your products and not have it install them, if you'd rather install them yourself
- You can use it only to download and install new things you buy, without affecting any previously installed content. The advantage of this is that you won't need to uninstall your previous stuff; the disadvantages are that DIM won't know you've already installed those products (so they'll continue to show up in your list of available downloads), and you won't be able to use DIM to find out when these products have been updated.
@Scott-Livingston: thank you sooo much for the short, fast and clear explanation! it's better understood now. DIM is a bit like those [xtremely annoying ;) ] assistants in MSWord etc. - you can use them or leave them.
i just have some doubts left..
- it seems now to me that the DIM concerns only DAZ products - aka downloaded from the DAZ site - right? it has absolutely nothing to do with either Rendo or ShareCG or whatever other downloads?
- if it is so, and i don't have much DAZ stuff installed yet (most of my countless stuff is free, and i haven't installed the latest shopping yet), i'd better install DIM and use it right now because i will not have much to de/reinstall, right? and to reinstall the DAZ stuff, i have to go back to my bought items list and redownload them with the IM000 file?
- what about the scenes i already have made, do the elements (genesis, M4, clothing) automatically find the right paths to whatever has been reinstalled?
- is there something i definitely should NOT do/touch?
1. Yes, only DAZ 3D products.
2. Well, that's up to you, but it sounds like a reasonably good idea. :) Note that if you have custom categories and that sort of thing, it might be worth reading mark128's posts on the subject to learn how he was able to preserve these. You don't need to redownload anything as DIM will do that for you. When you first start DIM, it will show you everything you've bought from daz3d.com (including freebies...but excluding software, plugins, and some older products...mainly pre-Victoria 4 products...that haven't been added to DIM yet).
3. In theory, yes...but you may need to follow the instructions here, so that DAZ Studio will know where to find the things that DIM installed: https://helpdaz.zendesk.com/entries/23624648-Adding-Content-installed-by-Install-Manager-to-DAZ-Studio-or-Poser
I can't guarantee that you won't run into any problems...but if you do, just ask here on the forum and we should be able to help. When I went through this process it wasn't 100% smooth, but I got everything working properly without too much aggravation. :)
4. Good question! Not sure I can answer it with 100% accuracy, as I can only report based on my own experience and what I've read... For starters, I'd say do not uninstall or remove anything you didn't get from daz3d (unless you still have access to the files and don't mind reinstalling them), and for best results, don't run DIM while DAZ Studio is open. Also, I've heard it's best not to have DIM install things to a location that already has content in it that DIM did not install (by default, DIM will create a new "My DAZ 3D Library" folder and install things there). Anyone else care to add something?
Full documentation for DIM is available here: http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/install_manager/userguide/start
In case you're wondering, here's what happened to me when I started using DIM, and what I was able to do to fix things:
so logically, once the new "My DAZ 3D Library" folder has been installed/filled by DIM, my original "My Library" folder will only contain all my non-DAZ stuff, aka freebies, shareCG, Rendo?
btw thank you for the above links, so i know which answers are needed/relevant for me from all the good but many information posts! ^_^
Yes, go ahead and delete the exe installers. The only reason not to, as far as I can tell, is in case you change your mind about DIM, and want to keep the installers in case you need to use them to reinstall the products manually, and don't want to use the new zip files to do that.
And yes, the end result is you'll have a "My Library" location with non-DAZ stuff, and a "My DAZ 3D Library" location with the DAZ stuff. That's how I have my content organized, at least.
ok. thank for your good advices & taking the time to answer.
i've already downloaded the DIM, but i think i'll wait to the weekend to try the big challenge calmly ;)
with 1 exception to "your personal experience" as described (i haven't seen this either in what i read from the user guide mentioned above) - i won't deinstall DAZ 4.5.. too risky. LOL.
many thanks ^_^
As I recall I had wanted to reinstall anyway, so I thought I may as well do it at the same time. I don't believe it's necessary.