Storing DAZ Content on Multiple External Hard Drives? Macbook Pro

Fauvist

I filled my 2T external hard drive with DAZ content.  Is it possible to use 2 external hard drives to store DAZ content on, so that when DAZ Studio is open, and I'm loading content into a scene, DAZ Studio knows which hard drive to find the content on?  There may be content from both hard drives used in one scene. If it's possible, how do I configure it to do that?

Thanks

Elor

On my Mac, I have content on the internal SSD and content on an external one.

I don't know how Daz does it, but as far as I can tell Daz is perfectly able to find the content regardless of where it is stored: it's just a bit slower to retrieve content on the external SSD compared to the one on the internal SSD (which was fully expected: the internal one is a couple of time faster than the one I plugged on an USB port).

 

Fauvist

Elor said:

On my Mac, I have content on the internal SSD and content on an external one.

I don't know how Daz does it, but as far as I can tell Daz is perfectly able to find the content regardless of where it is stored: it's just a bit slower to retrieve content on the external SSD compared to the one on the internal SSD (which was fully expected: the internal one is a couple of time faster than the one I plugged on an USB port).

 

I know it has to do with something called "paths".  I know Studio won't find the content on it's own without me telling it where to find it.  I don't know how to tell it that.  It's good to know that you are able to load content in a scene from both your internal and external HD.  Thanks.

Mark_e593e0a5

You can add an extra path to the content management system. 

Go to "Preferences" in the Apple menu on your Mac. In the Preferences window, go to "Content".

You will see a button on the bottom labled "Content Directory Manager". Click on that and another panel will open.

In the section "DAZ Studio Formats" you can just add another path.

The hierarchy of that folder tree listed in that section will determine the search order. The standard setup will FIRStTsearch your DAZ network library (on a Mac, located in /Users/Shared/My DAZ 3D Library. If not found there, DS will search the next folder which is /Users/<your user name>/Documents/DAZ 3D/Studio/My Library

To add your path, select the DAZ Studio Formats section and click the "New" button. Then choose your new path and confirm. The new path will be added to the hirerachy, usually at the bottom but you can move your folder in that hierarchy up or down

Cybersox

I have my content and DAZ installation split between 2 internal and 5 external drives.  As long as all the libraries have different names (My Daz Library 1, DAZ Library 2, Rendo Library 1, etc.) I've had no issue with it.

ArtAngel

Fauvist said:

Elor said:

On my Mac, I have content on the internal SSD and content on an external one.

I don't know how Daz does it, but as far as I can tell Daz is perfectly able to find the content regardless of where it is stored: it's just a bit slower to retrieve content on the external SSD compared to the one on the internal SSD (which was fully expected: the internal one is a couple of time faster than the one I plugged on an USB port).

 

I know it has to do with something called "paths".  I know Studio won't find the content on it's own without me telling it where to find it.  I don't know how to tell it that.  It's good to know that you are able to load content in a scene from both your internal and external HD.  Thanks.

Hi there. Hope this helps.

1. Select content tab. 
2. Right click DAZ Studio content and select add base directory.
3. Choose directory. Make yourself a note on notepad. Be consistent with directory levels and folder naming and write your recipe on notepad and copy it to each main drive folder for reference, in case you need to reference it when you're tired . . . or 90 years old.

Tips: So far DIM will install content to any mapped directory. Do a restore date on PC.Never delete installed files in case this fails or you mess it up. DAZ works faster smoother at finding content with a master drive. Under my own custom DAM system, I use 3 levels of directory before actual data or runtimes exist.  For speed and workflow, I try to use a mapped drive for wip Project that only consists  of project files, but end up at the start utilizing the master for gathering what I need.

I use this system on an offline machine because . . . things change. You can do this for offline as well, for manual installs via offline DIM, or directly sans DIM.

Not so sure how this would pan out with 4.23 because I use a ton of Man Friday products and other plus-ins and work mainly offline.

Also:  there was a warning about 4.23 for Mac Users.

Elor

Fauvist said:

I know it has to do with something called "paths".  I know Studio won't find the content on it's own without me telling it where to find it.  I don't know how to tell it that.  It's good to know that you are able to load content in a scene from both your internal and external HD.  Thanks.

As far as I remember, I only used the "Add a Base Directory" command from the Content Library: all were added below the My Library and My Daz3D Library and it worked and is still working.

The only time I had to open the content directory manager or whatever it is called was when I moved all my purchase to my external drive because I was fed up of playing SSD space Jenga to install new products. I also had to tell DIM where to install the products and that's it.

I think I read in a message from (likely) Richard Haseltine, that the more Base directories you add, the slower Daz could get because it will now have to check in every one of them to find the content you're loading, but I read it after I already added a dozen Base directory and I don't want to reverse all the change I made to the way I'm organizing the freebies I collected or the products I bought elsewhere.