Content not found (post no. 43,776)
Sorry, I know you guys are inundated with "where's my stuff" posts from newbies like me.
But here is another "where's my stuff" posts from newbies like me ;)
Often when I load a piece of content into DS 4.0, I get an error telling me it can't find something it's looking for (like a geometry or a texture or something). One of two things happens
Thing A It then shows me the Windows folder where it was expecting to find the file, but the file is in there! So I click it, it loads and all is well
Thing B it shows me the Windows folder where it was expecting to find the file, and sure enough, the file is not in there.
Thing B presumably means that when I installed, my folders didn't merge properly.
But I don't see why Thing A is happening at all?!
Any ideas?
Comments
A isn't DS opening the folder where it expected to find the file - it's DS opening the folder that contains the file it's trying to import/load, which isn't the location specified for the geometry or texture within the file. B may mean you haven't installed something, or have placed something in the wrong location, but it may also very well mean that the item was mis-packed (missing or misplaced file, or a reference to something that isn't actually needed).
Thanks
In case A, if it's in the wrong location, but the file's there anyway, why doesn't it just load it?
DS won't load the file if it isn't in exactly the right place. It used to try to search, butt hat took ages for those of us with large content collections. ideally there would be an option to have DS search or not search, but sadly they went for simply reversing the behaviour (though at least that does let you know there's a problem needs fixing).
But hang on, I thought you said my Case A was that it had found the file it was trying to load, but that it was in the wrong location. Doesn't that imply it still does search the content library? Otherwise, how would it have known my file was there?
No, I said in case A that the file was in the same folder as the library file and that's why the browser opened in the right place. There was a stage at which a lot of items, especially the Content Paradise freebies, were set up to point to OBJ files in Geometries and images in Textures, but the actual files were dumped in the library folder with the CR2 (or whatever). When you click Locate DS starts in the library folder, so in cases like that it starts where the files are - not exactly by coincidence, but not due to DS looking for the files.
Ah.. I see.
Still, it seems a bit daft to be honest. It's basically DAZ Studio saying; "I have accidentally found the file I need, but I'm damned if I'm going to load it because it's in the wrong place and I have standards"
Each time this happens, I'd like to be able to correct it (so I avoid the problem in the future). How can I work out where the file should be so I can move it there?
If you save the item as a scene subset, or in the case of materials if you save as a materials preset (bot under File>Save as) then the corrected locations will be included and you can use those instead - if you save to the original content folder, with the same name as the Poser file, then DS will load the corrected file instead of the original.
Sorry, I am not sure what you mean. This is happening when I try to load content, not save it.
Sorry, I am not sure what you mean. This is happening when I try to load content, not save it.
Load, correct, save was my suggestion.
Basically, what Richard is saying is that by saving, after you've manually located the files, you are correcting/fixing the problem.
But how do I a) locate and b) save?
for a) do I do a windows file search on the name of the file (if I know it)
for b) When I create a scene I save it, but that's just that scene. I don't use any of the other save options (I don't really understand what they do)
When you get the missing file alert, click Locate and find the file - the filelist in the readme should help locate it, though making it easy to find missing files is one of the reasons I always install to a working folder and move the files to their permanent home only once they are working. The save a materials preset, for a mat pose, or a scene subset with just the item itself, for a prop or figure, giving it the same name and placing it in the same folder as the broken file.
ok.. thanks. err... I think
so you can save something that isn't an entire scene? Doesn't that overwrite the original content?
And what's a mat pose? I thought a mat was a texture file? (like skin) A pose is something different isn't it?
A mat pose is a settings file, that applies the textures and makes other changes.