Downloading and Installing DAZ Studio: a guide and FAQ
Scott Livingston
Posts: 4,340
This is a brief tutorial designed to guide you through the process of getting ready to use DAZ Studio and its content.
This is intended for people who currently do not have DAZ Studio 4, or any DAZ 3D content, installed on their computer (in other words, you’re either new to DAZ Studio, or you’re using a new computer, or you’ve uninstalled everything in order to start from scratch).*
*If this doesn’t describe you because you do have the software, or some DAZ 3D content, installed on your computer, then please keep in mind that things may not work exactly the same way for you...some steps may not apply to you, and there may be additional steps that this tutorial does not cover.
How To Order DAZ Studio from the DAZ 3D store (it’s currently being offered free of charge)
1. Create an account, if you don't have one yet.
2. Follow this link: http://www.daz3d.com/daz-studio-4-pro/
2. Click the green “Add to Cart” button
- If you see a gray “Purchased” button instead, you may have already done this
3. Click the “My Cart” link at the top of the screen and complete the check-out process.
4. When you finish checking out, you should see a confirmation screen that says “Your order was successful.” Click the link for the DAZ Install Manager (but don’t download it yet...read on).
About The DAZ Install Manager
- Read the information on the page about the DAZ Install Manager and decide if you would like to use it, or if you would prefer to download and install your content manually. I like using the DAZ Install Manager and recommend giving it a try, but it may not be right for everyone. You can always change your mind later, but you’ll need to make at least a preliminary decision now.
If You Are Using the DAZ Install Manager...
1. After ordering the DAZ Studio 4.6 program, go to this page: http://www.daz3d.com/install-manager-info/
2. Click the “Download Free Now” link (either the Windows one or the Mac one, depending on your system)
3. To install the DAZ Install Manager, click this link and follow the instructions provided
4. Once it is installed, open the Install Manager. You’ll need to add your account information, and configure it for use. Click this link and follow the instructions provided.
5. Instructions on downloading and installing files using the DAZ Install Manager are also available, though for most users the process should be fairly straightforward
6. Note that you can click the gear icon in the upper right corner, and tell the Install Manager which programs you use...then it will only show files for the appropriate programs.
7. Run the Install Manager periodically (especially after purchasing content) to check for newly available files and content updates
If You’re Not Using the DAZ Install Manager...
Your first step will be to download and install the DAZ Studio software.
Downloading and Running the DAZ Studio Installer
1. Click the “My Account” link at the top of the web page.
2. On the menu on the top of the screen, click "Product Library."
3. Find and click on "DAZ Studio 4.6 Pro" in the list of products
- Depending on how many things you have purchased, you may need to search or click through several pages to find "DAZ Studio 4.6 Pro."
4. In the center of the screen, you'll see a list of files. Read the details below in order to learn which file or files you need.
- The list includes four installers for DAZ Studio. You'll have to choose the one that's appropriate for your system: 32-bit Mac, 64-bit Mac, 32-bit Windows, or 64-bit Windows.
- Below, you'll find links to installers for various plug-ins and add-ons. If you're not sure about these, you can ignore them for now--except anything with "Starter Essentials" in the name. You should click the link to download any "Starter Essentials" packages.
5. Click the appropriate link below and follow the instructions.
- Windows - How to Download and Install DAZ Studio 4
- Mac - How to Download and Install DAZ Studio 4
6. Go ahead and install the Genesis Starter Essentials also, following the instructions provided.
7. Follow the same process to install any additional Starter Essentials packages
8. You’re done (for now). Start the software and follow the instructions on screen to get started
9. Each time you acquire additional content through the DAZ 3D store, you’ll need to click the “My Account” link, then the “Product Library” link, and download and install the appropriate file.
Resources for Learning DAZ Studio
Housekeeping and Maintenance in DAZ Studio 4
Installing Zip Files with DAZ Studio 4
DAZ Studio 4 FAQ
DS4 Video Tutorials
DS4 User Guide
Glossary of Terms
Some Things to Consider When Starting to Learn CG
DAZ Studio Basics 101 Q&A Thread
New User's Help Forum
DAZ Studio 4.0 - The Missing Manual (unofficial)
Updated 2013/10/03
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Comments
Troubleshooting/FAQ
- I tried to install the program, but it didn’t work.
Make sure you've downloaded the correct installer file. See the instructions for Mac users or the instructions for Windows users for details on how to identify the correct installer. If you are sure you have downloaded the correct file, it's possible that the download did not complete successfully, so you may need to download it again. Also, check the system requirements to confirm that your computer is able to run DAZ Studio.
- I can’t find Genesis.
If you haven't done so yet, you will need to download and install Genesis Starter Essentials. You can find the installer in the Product Library, or you can use the DAZ Install Manager to do this for you. If you have installed the Genesis Starter Essentials but still can't find Genesis in DAZ Studio, read the following questions and answers for more information that may help in this situation.
- I can’t find my content.
You should be able to load content from two different panes in DAZ Studio: Smart Content and the Content Library. Everything that's properly installed should appear in the Content Library.
Within the Content Library should be sections for "DAZ Studio Formats" and "Poser Formats." The general rule is that Genesis content (and DAZ Studio materials presets for some other items) will appear under "DAZ Studio Formats" and most other items can be found under "Poser Formats," but there are exceptions to this, so it may help to check the readme file for the product(s) you are using if you are having trouble finding them.
If you can't find any content in the Content Library, it's likely that DAZ Studio is not looking in the correct location where the files are installed (or perhaps the content was not installed correctly). Either right-click on the tab of the Content Library, or left-click the option menu icon on the Content Library pane and go to the Content Directory Manager. You'll need to add the folder containing your content to DAZ Studio Formats and to Poser Formats.
See here for more information.
- Smart Content is empty...
Some content, particularly older items and content from other sites, will not appear in Smart Content (because they don't have metadata). You'll need to load these items via the Content Library. However if you don't see anything in Smart Content, it could be due to one of several reasons. Please refer to this page on Troubleshooting the Smart Content Pane.
- I bought something that’s not available through the DAZ Install Manager.
Most DAZ 3D products are now available through DIM. If you purchase one that is not availalbe, and you would like to install the missing product immediately, you can download it from My Account>Product Library (but keep in mind that if you do this, DIM will not recognize that you have installed it).
Updated 2013/09/12
I'd like to thank the rest of the Community Volunteers for their assistance with this. If you have trouble with any of the above, or questions about the process of getting DAZ Studio set up, feel free to ask here!
Scott what a get set of information you put together here. Sorry I could help much.
Anyways I thought this needed a bump becasue a valable resource like this should not be where I found it, 3 pages back for the start. :) And I am a little suprised that no posts have been made already. Chin up it takes a while for things to catch on especially on forums.
Well, the view count keeps going up, so I'll take that as a good sign. :) Thanks, Szark (and thanks to whoever stickied this).
Good, view count is what matters.
I downloaded the installer... it installed two items... neither of which were the studio.
I went to the download page with and without the downloader open... it still doesn't seem to recognize the content.
I clicked the EXE title of the item and Firefox is now downloading the DAZStudio_4.5.1.56_Win32.exe file and the 14812_GenessisStarterEssentials_1.11_trx.exe files. Hopefully once I run them I'll have something.
If you are going to have an installer... shouldn't it have a list of purchased products that have a button next to hem... you know... so you could just click on it? :smirk:
I'm just saying that for a newcomer... the install procedure is not very clear.
Thanks,
Jerry
P.S. After downloading manually and installing... the software came up. (Whoo) so now... on to learning what it can do. :cheese:
Mr. Scott-Livingston,
Thank you very much for providing this helpful information.
I also wanted to add that after ordering and receiving order confirmation, the DAZ Install Manager required that I sign in and I was unable to since it seemed it was not accepting my user id and password.
I then went to verify sign in via "My Account" on http://www.daz3d.com and it would not let me sign in because it was reporting my account needed e-mail confirmation. After selecting the e-mail confirmation link and submitting the request with my e-mail address, I never received the e-mail. I tried this multiple times without success. I sent an e-mail to [email protected] to report this but received no response.
Using some creative thinking from my decades of professional software development experience, I decided to try the "Forgot Password" process to reset my password, which was successful and the e-mail was also successfully received. After this process I was able to sign in successfully and author this post.
I will now proceed to follow your instructions to download the software.
I highly recommend fixing this for new customers because they will very likely not be able to figure this out.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Scott is a community volunteer (someone from the community who volunteers their time to helping new members out of love for the community here on the forums) so isn't able to fix the issue, though he did contact me and let me know there was a problem so I could take a look at it (Thanks Scott for all your help!!) and I will be sure to get it sent through the proper channels. So sorry for any inconvenience you may have experienced. If you need anything else, please feel free to contact me via PM here on the forums.
Thanks, Ann! :)
Jerry and bog10222: I'm glad that both of you were able to work through the trouble you were having, and I appreciate that you posted the solutions that you found. I expect your posts will be helpful to other users who may find themselves in the same type of situation. I hope you have found the information in this thread to be useful, but feel free to ask if you have any additional questions or run into more trouble. The forum can be a great resource if you need help (or want to expand your 3D knowledge).
Hope you enjoy DAZ Studio!
(As Ann said, I'm a volunteer and not an employee of DAZ 3D)
One other thing I would like to mention. On one my platforms, I first used DAZ 3D Install Manager to install Genesis Starter Essentials and Genesis Starter Essentials PoserCF before installing the core product DAZ 3D Studio 4.5 Pro which successfully installed them, but when launching DAZ 3D Studio 4.5 Pro, nothing appears under Actors, Wardrobe and Props | Smart Content | Files.
To resolve this, I used the DAZ 3D Install Manager to uninstall the two Genesis Starter Essentials products and re-install them and now I can see the expected menu under Files w/Accessories, Cameras, Environments, Figures, Hair, Lights, Materials, Props, etc.
This is just to clarify that the core product DAZ 3D Studio 4.5 Pro installation needs to be completed first before using DAZ 3D Install Manager to install the Genesis Starter Essentials products.
Thanks to the folks who followed up on my earlier post. I'd also like to thank the DAZ 3D Studio development team and community for providing such an awesome, freely available, easy to use, highly flexible and professional quality product and I hope to find some way to contribute in the future.
I am truly impressed. Tremendous thanks to all!
hey ,
i installed the file manager and everthing els i think , so why can't or see the Free downmoad DAZ Studio .
already rmoved all and started to download it again , still the same .
freddy
You can't use DIM to install Software i.e.: Daz Studio and associated plug-ins only Content can be downloaded and installed by DIM.
If you read the instructions above carefully it does imply that you need to install the program manually. ;)
Sorry I was wrong it doesn't imply (sorry Scott) is states second post down at the top
Thanks for responding, Szark! I have updated the first post in order to make this clearer...it's something that has confused a lot of people so I thought it deserved a more prominent mention in the instructions.
No worries. Great idea too. :) Red is great but a little bigger might help too. ;)
nvm i give up , only 2 remaining downloads left , hf with it .
You can reset your available downloads: from your Account screen, click on "Itemized Order History." Find the product you want to reset, and click the Reset link. Your available downloads will be reset immediately, and there's no limit as to how many times you can do this (at least as far as I'm aware).
Also, if you have a character in your username that is not a letter or a number (or an at symbol or a period) such as a + you won't be able to login to DIM. Gmail allows you to put a + in your email address to create an automatic filter. I did submit it as a bug and received an acknowledgement, so the DAZ team knows about it. Just wish I knew when the next version will be out, so that I can check to see if I can finally use it.
Ok, I have got one for someone to figure out...
After having followed your instructions for downloading and install of the program, download manager, & purchased content i have a bunch of Yellow Triangles with ! in much of my Smart Content Manger and when I click on the Yellow Triangle item it states that DAZ is unable to locate the item even though it shows as being fully installed in the download manager... I am using Win7-64 and because there are multiple users I have all of my content installed and mapped to to C:/Users/My DAZ 3D in both the program and the download manager program. any ideas what the problem could be with the missing content?
Thanks.
1: exactly where is all your conetnt installed to and
2: can you post a screenshot of you content Directory Manager.
or 3 go to the Options box of the SMart Content or Content Library pane and choose Contnet DB maintenance and start with refer to image below doing one at a time restarting Daz Studio each time.
Sounds to me you either made a mistake or you had Daz Studio open when you installed the content?
Also note the TIP that was sort of covered. Never install content with Daz Studio open and running. The Content database is OPEN and called by DS as the new Metadata is installed if you do this. Some times nothing happens and your Metadata will show on the Next Open of DS but it can/will Corrupt the Database if/when an error happens. Your Much better off not having DS open for any install.
Thanks for your help. Just to let you know that no DAZ was not opened when I ran the Download Manager and installed the content, however there were some orphan files - must have been from a previous install...
I went through the process of opening DAZ, going to the content database and went through each step 3-5 restarting after completion of each step. now after step 5 - resetting the database - I restarted DAz and now nothing is listed under my Smart Content under Products and Files is greyed out. Therefore what is the process to get the Smart Content back or am I missing something here?
Content is installed to C:\The Master\My DAZ 3D
Content Library > options menu > Content DB Maintenance > Re-Import Metadata
thank you so much for your post it could of the beginners specially for me. thanks:lol:
Hi, i´ve bougth time ago M3, M4, V4, etc but i don´t know how or where install this in DAZ Studio 4.5 pro.
Please can you help to me?
thanks
I assume you wish to install them manually, not with the DAZ Install Manager? Is your computer a Mac or a PC? And where is the rest of your content installed, if you have any?
As some of you may have noticed, the My Account section of the website has been updated and now looks rather different. When I get a chance, I'll update the instructions to reflect these changes.
Update: DONE
(let me know if I missed something)
I assume you wish to install them manually, not with the DAZ Install Manager? Is your computer a Mac or a PC? And where is the rest of your content installed, if you have any?
Hi and thanks...
I don´t like install Manager. I wish install manually
I have a PC.
I don´t have any content installed yet, only Daz and Genesis
Hi and thanks...
I don´t like install Manager. I wish install manually
I have a PC.
I don´t have any content installed yet, only Daz and Genesis
Different people have different preferences about where to install, but you'll probably want to put stuff somewhere in "Documents" (do not put content within "Program Files"). Decide where you want to put things, and be consistent. Before I started using the DAZ Install Manager, my content was installed to: C:/Users/***/Documents/DAZ 3D/Studio/My Library
The asterisks (***) should be one of the existing user accounts for your computer, or else Public.
Within the "My Library" folder you can find folders like "People," "Hair," "Lights," and "Runtime." But "My Library" should be the install destination.
Hi and thanks...
I don´t like install Manager. I wish install manually
I have a PC.
I don´t have any content installed yet, only Daz and Genesis
Different people have different preferences about where to install, but you'll probably want to put stuff somewhere in "Documents" (do not put content within "Program Files"). Decide where you want to put things, and be consistent. Before I started using the DAZ Install Manager, my content was installed to: C:/Users/***/Documents/DAZ 3D/Studio/My Library
The asterisks (***) should be one of the existing user accounts for your computer, or else Public.
Within the "My Library" folder you can find folders like "People," "Hair," "Lights," and "Runtime." But "My Library" should be the install destination.
Hi, i just used the same route suggested by you...C:/..............My Library to install Victoria 4 . Then i press start in Daz Studio 4.5 executable, and when finish loading i look in figures and in all files and NO traces of Victoria 4. I don´t know what im doing wrong...and i need this tool for work :(
You should find V4 in the Content Library tab, under: Poser Formats>My Library>Figures>DAZ People
If you don't see her there, let me know and I'll help you tell DAZ Studio where to find your "My Library" folder.