Moving & Merging Branch Library with Main Library

avmorgan

When I first set up on my current laptop, I set up a junction link from my default Library location in C:\Users\Owner\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\Library to install to the actual drive and location at F:\DAZ 3D\Studio\Library. Somehow, the F drive disconnected recently so all of my new installs went to the default location on C. On my next reboot, the F drive came back up, but now the junction link has been replaced with the new content folder. 

I want to move that content to its proper place in F:\DAZ 3D\Studio\Library and want to know if manually transferring the files and adding the items listed in the InstallManagerFileRegister.json to the existing register on the F drive wolud work. I would be happy if fixing this could be that simple, but want to check if that is going to succeed, or if there is something else I need to do to get everything where it belongs so that it all works in Daz Studio and the Smart Content.

I'd really appreciate the help!

Richard Haseltine

I am not sure, though it should work if you wish to do it. That file lists files that were already present when DIM placed a copy - to avoid deleting shared files on uninstall - so it may be that it is in fact mainly listing the results of double installs anyway.

Why are you doing this in the first place? Both daz Studio and the isntallers allow you to specify the location you want to use directly, without delving into junction links.

avmorgan

I think I set things up this way when I moved my Library from C on my old computer to an external, F, on my new one since it had an SSD with about a quarter of the space. I ended up having tons of broken link errors when I loaded my older Scene files, and only got things working by re-pathing to use C:\Users\Owner\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\Library like my old system. I made the junction and used that path for Studio and DIM and everything was fine until the external connection failed right before a massive download. I wanted to avoid the hassle of uninstalling and reinstalling via DIM since its faster and easier to just move the content manually. But, that just creates the problem with Studio and DIM not knowing about the move. 

I really wish there was a built-in utility for this kind of thing, because it comes up every couple of years, it seems.

Richard Haseltine

Studio doesn't care where the content library is, or what it is called. If things were failing before it probably means the path was not correct, with an extra folder added in for example. DIM does store absolute paths in its manifest files, which it uses for updating andf uninstalling.

avmorgan

I'd be fine with having my content and install path be set at F:\DAZ 3D\Studio\Library, I would still need to update Studio and DIM to work with it. How would I fix the manifest files, and how would I create accutate metadata for the Content Library and Smart Content?

Richard Haseltine

For content from Daz, and some content from other stoes or freebie makers, you should already have metadata - it's just a matter of importing it. Content Library option menu>Content DB Maintenance, then check Reimport Metadata.

Updating the manifest files would mean going to their folder, opening them in a text editor, and doing a batch edit to change the path - remembering that folder separators will be /, not \, and that any no-n-HTML characters will be escaped (e.g. %20 for space). Work on a copy, of course.

avmorgan

Richard Haseltine said:

For content from Daz, and some content from other stoes or freebie makers, you should already have metadata - it's just a matter of importing it. Content Library option menu>Content DB Maintenance, then check Reimport Metadata.

Updating the manifest files would mean going to their folder, opening them in a text editor, and doing a batch edit to change the path - remembering that folder separators will be /, not \, and that any no-n-HTML characters will be escaped (e.g. %20 for space). Work on a copy, of course.

I've been meaning to do the Reimport. After checking manifest files for a selection of random products, and remembering that I did a full content re-install when setting up my current system, I went ahead and moved the new stuff over to F and recreated the junction. When I launched Studio, I got a lot more of my Smart Content back. I'm saving all of the advice I've gotten for future reference should it come up again.

Thanks, guys!