How to move file folders without borking future Content Searches?

Cyrinadia

Hello All. This question probably has been asked before, I'm just having trouble finding it exactly, despite multple phrasing adjustments.

Quick background; a long while ago I organised my DAZ Content into categories similar to the shop. Unfortunately I did this the wrong way and my searches lead to blank tiles where the item used to be. Forward to now and I have deleted everything with a blank install. Upon DLing DIM, it immediately installed things in directories that I kinda don't see the point in and there was literally no way to stop it. It showed me what it was going to do and, by gum, it was going to do it that way. 

Now I have our standard base folder lists for the base install. I have a folder called Light Presets that I want to move into the folder called Lights. How would I do this without ending up with the same problem as in the second paragraph with the unlinked tiles?

I watched a video  but my Content Directory Manager doesn't look like my file list at all. Mine just says where things are pointed at at the moment. 

Other searches just take me to moving disc drives which is NOT what I am looking for. 

 

 

Cyrinadia

Trying to organise my database. For reference, I had over 1.5MILLION files that I deleted (probably a total of every file, but that's pretty huge). So it is vital I organise it so *I* can find things.

Having done some more research, I found this comment on one Youtube video: 

  I keep all my Daz assets in an Archive, which is huge. It sits on a 4 terabyte drive!! (With a Back-up)
  Sorted into all their various types.
  Then, when I want to start a project, I create an aptly named Directory, load into the Directory the items I nee,d and then load the whole thing into my Daz Program.
  The main benefit is - speed!!
  My characters load, in about 10 seconds, Daz not having to check all the Morphs that it normally goes through before loading anything!!
  When finished, I remove the Directory, but keep it in my Archive complete, so it is ready should I need to work on it some more!
  It is a little time consuming, getting organised, but so worth it in the end!!

They didn't provide further answers about HOW they did it.

My NEW questions are, how do I set up an archive? Does it have to be on a separate drive to the main program? Will the Archive be visible to Daz Studio, thus creating load up issues of just having a ton of content being seen by Dazstudio because it's linked to the Archive? Is there a detailed Youtube or Forum answer on how exactly to do this as if I am a newbie baby with no knowledge? 

Things I have tried: 

I tried creating subdirectories through Dazstudio itself, and manually directing DIM to install there, only to get a wad of subfolders. EG: I created 'Genesis 9' folder. I put subfolders such as 'Genesis 9 Base' and 'Genesis 9 Characters' hoping to just have direct links to the base figures or to the characters available directly when opened. Upon selecting 'Genesis 9 Base' in DIM (checking the 'Show Details' icon, then the cog next to Content Path Directories) I would end up with: 'Genesis 9 Base' (my folder)> 'data' 'people' 'runtime' all with their own subfolders. Not what I wanted. 

Creating folders just like you would in Windows and just cut and pasting into those folders (with all the disasterous results of that). Which is what bought me to making this post and another recent one.

 

Richard Haseltine

The data and Runtime folders are essential, the actual user-facing files list assets there (starting with the Data or Runtime folder) and DS uses that, with each content directory added in front in turn, to find the files needed to load the product. The People etc. folders are not vital if you use the Content Library>Daz Studio Formats (or Poser Formats) tree to load the content but are needed if you want to use the existing metadata to access content through other panes/containers.

I suspect that the video creator unpacked all the zips into a separate folder, as you are, which can be anywhere as long as it isn't a folder Daz Studio is set to use as a content directory and then they copied the Runtime, Data etc. stuff across into an actual working content directory named for the project (e.g. drive:\My content Dirs\Nearly naked Vicky in a Temple\) and set as a DFFaz Studio Formats (and/or Poser Format) content directory so that they merged together to allow everything to be loaded correctly (but without metadata-dependent features, unless they also reimported emtadata) - the advantage of using a separate drive here would be, on WIndows, that everything would be copied by default (assuming you want to leave the categorised file library alone for future projects) but as long as you use copy/paste, right-drag the folders and select the Copy option on dropping them, or hold down the ctrl ket while dragging and dropping using locations on the same drive would be fine. If the user files for the project were also placed in that folder then the whole thing colud, space permitting, be archived so that the project could be accessed easily in future.

If I were going to do something like that I would probablt also create a content directory with the base figures etc. in place to avoid having to copy the same few folders over at the start of every project.

Richard Haseltine

Merged threads.

Cyrinadia

Richard Haseltine said:

Merged threads.

Thanks Richard