What will happen with my content library when i install daz 4.5?

Xdye

So i am worried to install this new version, cos i am afraid of the content library and more important the categories, that somethign will happen to them.

I expended hours, i when i say hours more than 50 organizing my content, creating new categories and put all like i want. So it says that when u install 4.5 it unistalls 4.0, and I am afraid when I install 4.5 all my categories will be gone and again it will be just the unassigned tab in my categories.

If i install the new version all my organized categories will reamain safe? I am sorry i am jsut wanna be sure, i dont want expend hours organizing all again.

fixmypcmike

Installing 4.5 shouldn't mess up your categories (unless you've categorized the default content) or uninstall anything other than the default content (although if you have the SubDragon, Aikanaro, or Alchemy Chasm you may need to reinstall them if you want to keep the old versions, as DS 4,5 has them in .duf format). However, to be extra safe you can do this:

1) Install DS 4.5, but don't install Genesis Starter Essentials yet
2) Launch DS 4.5 -- ignore any error messages about Genesis being missing
3) In the Content Library tab click the Options menu (the rectangle with horizontal lines, in the upper corner) and choose "Content DB Maintenance > Export User Data". It may take a while if you have a lot of custom categories (like I do). This creates .dsx files in Runtime\Support for all your categories and content locations.
4) Shut down DS 4.5 and install Genesis Starter Essentials
5) Start DS 4.5. On the screen for importing metadata, the "User Data" checkbox will be checked. That re-imports the data you saved.

You can back up the user_n.dsx files (there may be more than one) when you back up your content folders -- since it's a text file rather than a database, you don't have to worry about it getting corrupted if you copy it while the CMS is running. I periodically export my user data so if anything happens, my categories are safe.

Xdye

I create lot of things from my own, for example more than 50 light presets that then i categorized, lot of shapes or shaders, for example I have human surface shader, then i created others starting from this with different presets and categorized them.
Also when i categorize cloth i dotn categorize by sets, i categorize by parts, for example trousers, skirts, socks, etc. I really don't add metadata i just categorize, cos i dont use smart content, so i was afraid of lose all.

So if i do the step 3 in the DAz 4.0 is the safest bet to mantain all my categories?

Thank you very much.

fixmypcmike

Export User Data is a new option in DS 4.5, so you need to install 4.5 first before you can do it.