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GLB[DAZ ] How to use Install Manager (DIM) (CLOSED)
7,475Thread Activity
GMArtworksTue, Aug 15, 2023
PinspotterTue, Aug 15, 2023
DumitasSun, Aug 06, 2023
DoroThee237Sun, Aug 06, 2023
DoroThee237Sun, Aug 06, 2023
GMArtworksSun, Aug 06, 2023
This guide will help with the use of Install Manager, since in my case I upload my products to be used with this software.
Install Manager
What are the advantages of using Install Manager?
- You will have access to your Daz3D store products on the app.
- You can control all your files from there, easy to install, uninstall and update.
- No more loose files, Daz content usually have a high amount of lose files and installing manually makes impossible to uninstall or change anything if there's any errors.
- You can opt out of any product at any time knowing that you can install it later, by installing manually you're pretty much stuck with that product on your hard drive because it's really time consuming to delete every file manually.
IMPORTANT: Products can be manually installed just need to unzip one more time and place the files inside the "Content" folder into your Daz Directory, but I don't really recommend it.
1: Download Install Manager.
https://www.daz3d.com/install-manager-info
- There is a small guide there but here I'm going more in details
2: Login into your Daz3D.com account.
- This is optional and you can work in offline mode, but if you login you can also manage your Daz3D official products.
3: Setting up your folders.
- Go to Advanced Settings in the right top corner
- Setup your download directory: Downloads Tab/Package Archive ...
This folder is where your Daz3D store files get downloaded when you install them and very important it's where you place the files you download from Renderhub that are Install Manager ready (my case*)
* In my case, the files are inside the zip you download, in the Download folder you have to unzip the product you get from render hub and leave the zip inside that. usually named IM00000 (different numbers and the name) This is how Install manager knows that your file it's to be used on the program.
4: Setting up your Content folder.
- Your content folder is where your install your products ready to be used in Daz3D, you can have more than one (need to add them in Daz)
- Click on the bottom left corner '+' to add a directory
- Set a label and a Path, it doesn't need to be a new one, you can use your current directory (you can also set different directories for different sites or type of products)
5: Installing and uninstalling products.
- If you have done everything right you should be able to see the files from Renderhub on the "Ready to Install" tab (remember you need to place those files manually on the Download directory / step 3)
Content Path Shortcuts: Select the folder where you want to install the files (you can install multiple at once by selecting them and then clicking on the bottom left corner "Start Queue", or simple hit Install on the product.
You can see the products later on the Installed tab, uninstall them, see the detailed list of files and directories
6: Adding a directory into Daz3D.
This step is not necessary for Install Manager but just in case you want to have multiple content folder inside Daz.
- Go Content Library
- Right Click Daz Studio Formats
- Click Add a Base Directory
It's that easy, then in the content Library you should be able to see that folder and navigate it as always.
Most of those steps are one time only thing, just the setting up, later on you just dump your files inside the Download Folder and hit Install.
As for VENDORS, you can use Content Package Assist (https://www.daz3d.com/content-package-assist) to create Install Manager ready files, again perfect for updates and keep installation clean.
(Remember to zip the file again since Renderhub renames your zip to your product name and the naming is necessary for DIM to work)
Install Manager
What are the advantages of using Install Manager?
- You will have access to your Daz3D store products on the app.
- You can control all your files from there, easy to install, uninstall and update.
- No more loose files, Daz content usually have a high amount of lose files and installing manually makes impossible to uninstall or change anything if there's any errors.
- You can opt out of any product at any time knowing that you can install it later, by installing manually you're pretty much stuck with that product on your hard drive because it's really time consuming to delete every file manually.
IMPORTANT: Products can be manually installed just need to unzip one more time and place the files inside the "Content" folder into your Daz Directory, but I don't really recommend it.
1: Download Install Manager.
https://www.daz3d.com/install-manager-info
- There is a small guide there but here I'm going more in details
2: Login into your Daz3D.com account.
- This is optional and you can work in offline mode, but if you login you can also manage your Daz3D official products.
3: Setting up your folders.
- Go to Advanced Settings in the right top corner
- Setup your download directory: Downloads Tab/Package Archive ...
This folder is where your Daz3D store files get downloaded when you install them and very important it's where you place the files you download from Renderhub that are Install Manager ready (my case*)
* In my case, the files are inside the zip you download, in the Download folder you have to unzip the product you get from render hub and leave the zip inside that. usually named IM00000 (different numbers and the name) This is how Install manager knows that your file it's to be used on the program.
4: Setting up your Content folder.
- Your content folder is where your install your products ready to be used in Daz3D, you can have more than one (need to add them in Daz)
- Click on the bottom left corner '+' to add a directory
- Set a label and a Path, it doesn't need to be a new one, you can use your current directory (you can also set different directories for different sites or type of products)
5: Installing and uninstalling products.
- If you have done everything right you should be able to see the files from Renderhub on the "Ready to Install" tab (remember you need to place those files manually on the Download directory / step 3)
Content Path Shortcuts: Select the folder where you want to install the files (you can install multiple at once by selecting them and then clicking on the bottom left corner "Start Queue", or simple hit Install on the product.
You can see the products later on the Installed tab, uninstall them, see the detailed list of files and directories
6: Adding a directory into Daz3D.
This step is not necessary for Install Manager but just in case you want to have multiple content folder inside Daz.
- Go Content Library
- Right Click Daz Studio Formats
- Click Add a Base Directory
It's that easy, then in the content Library you should be able to see that folder and navigate it as always.
Most of those steps are one time only thing, just the setting up, later on you just dump your files inside the Download Folder and hit Install.
As for VENDORS, you can use Content Package Assist (https://www.daz3d.com/content-package-assist) to create Install Manager ready files, again perfect for updates and keep installation clean.
(Remember to zip the file again since Renderhub renames your zip to your product name and the naming is necessary for DIM to work)
! REPORT
oh thanks as vendor , i am thinking of adding this functionality to my models ....is Content Package Assist easy.??
( note : this is the working link : Content Package Assist https://www.daz3d.com/content-package-assist?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PerformanceMaxNurturingInternational&utm_content=&utm_term=&utm_matchtype=&utm_creative=&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwvilBhCFARIsADvYi7IIzinoKwVzMitRYehoYlQjRyRjkZPU7Xzf5_7rwesBaAPIJXCB5PoaArqbEALw_wcB)
( note : this is the working link : Content Package Assist https://www.daz3d.com/content-package-assist?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PerformanceMaxNurturingInternational&utm_content=&utm_term=&utm_matchtype=&utm_creative=&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwvilBhCFARIsADvYi7IIzinoKwVzMitRYehoYlQjRyRjkZPU7Xzf5_7rwesBaAPIJXCB5PoaArqbEALw_wcB)
! REPORT
Dumitas
Karma: 9,479
Thu, Jul 27, 2023Yes, it's pretty straightforward, you compress the content files on a zip, and load it on CPA and set some info:
Source prefix = IM
Package SKU = 8 numbers, I use the same number but change the last 3 for my products, you can check on Daz if that SKU exist, try a high number.
Then you go to "Make" and select where you want your file, and the software will generate the Manifest and Supplement for that to work with Install Manager.
Source prefix = IM
Package SKU = 8 numbers, I use the same number but change the last 3 for my products, you can check on Daz if that SKU exist, try a high number.
Then you go to "Make" and select where you want your file, and the software will generate the Manifest and Supplement for that to work with Install Manager.
Thank you for this documentation.
As a PC owner I hate installers because you never know where files are placed and often uninstallers don't remove all files. Of course there are utilities that remove orphan files but .... that's just my opinion.
As a Daz user, I like to know where the files are when I want to use an item for a background. I'm sorry for the authors but I don't know who did what and looking for an item in the "my library" folder doesn't really appeal to me. So I classify thematically, I put in the props folder even items that are normally classified in environment, that's how my brain works and I have to deal with it
As a PC owner I hate installers because you never know where files are placed and often uninstallers don't remove all files. Of course there are utilities that remove orphan files but .... that's just my opinion.
As a Daz user, I like to know where the files are when I want to use an item for a background. I'm sorry for the authors but I don't know who did what and looking for an item in the "my library" folder doesn't really appeal to me. So I classify thematically, I put in the props folder even items that are normally classified in environment, that's how my brain works and I have to deal with it
! REPORT
GMArtworks
Karma: 20,663
Sun, Aug 06, 2023It is well intended that this DIM is offered, but I agree with your opinion. With my "little" OCD I like to have full control over what happens on my harddisk(s). The Daz folders are now well known to me after all these years. And indeed sometimes it happens that the content creator places strange folders in places that I think are in the wrong category.
Pinspotter
Karma: 6,727
Tue, Aug 15, 2023Give me a good-old ZIP file, that way I know exactly what goes where and if there's a problem it is *my* problem.
All of the content I use for Studio, that isn't specifically tied to the "my content" folder, is on a separate hard drive that has a specific Runtime folder for each figure I have used over the years, plus one for environments and props. I try to stick with Poser conventions whenever I can. And that DAZ-ordained folder gets re-sorted by me, and backed up. I do not like installers, especially for 3D assets. Like, if I'm going to use a chair once or maybe twice, I'm perfectly fine dropping that model into a work folder on my content drive, and after I am done with it I can just delete it. I already have a backup of it in a ZIP file on another hard drive that serves as a total backup solution for my entire setup.
Heck, when I decide to upgrade my Studio install, I backup the previous install to a ZIP, re-name the folder to reflect the version number, then install the updated version of Studio. I download a standalone installer whenever I can, and promptly back up that installer. I have versions of Studio 1, 2, 3 and 4 backed up to this very day. I have three versions of Studio 4, and three versions of Blender, all running on my workhorse, for "just in case" because I have seen older content break in certain Studio and Blender upgrades. I avoid the DIM like the plague. Imagine that you somehow lose some older content that you bought, and you learn that you can no longer find it in the DIM, which is online and cloud-based. That's happened to me, so no thanks. Double-damnation to any content that's been flagged for DRM. My entire forum history was deleted by DAZ due to my opinion of DRM DAZ content. The company is not best pleased with me.
All of the content I use for Studio, that isn't specifically tied to the "my content" folder, is on a separate hard drive that has a specific Runtime folder for each figure I have used over the years, plus one for environments and props. I try to stick with Poser conventions whenever I can. And that DAZ-ordained folder gets re-sorted by me, and backed up. I do not like installers, especially for 3D assets. Like, if I'm going to use a chair once or maybe twice, I'm perfectly fine dropping that model into a work folder on my content drive, and after I am done with it I can just delete it. I already have a backup of it in a ZIP file on another hard drive that serves as a total backup solution for my entire setup.
Heck, when I decide to upgrade my Studio install, I backup the previous install to a ZIP, re-name the folder to reflect the version number, then install the updated version of Studio. I download a standalone installer whenever I can, and promptly back up that installer. I have versions of Studio 1, 2, 3 and 4 backed up to this very day. I have three versions of Studio 4, and three versions of Blender, all running on my workhorse, for "just in case" because I have seen older content break in certain Studio and Blender upgrades. I avoid the DIM like the plague. Imagine that you somehow lose some older content that you bought, and you learn that you can no longer find it in the DIM, which is online and cloud-based. That's happened to me, so no thanks. Double-damnation to any content that's been flagged for DRM. My entire forum history was deleted by DAZ due to my opinion of DRM DAZ content. The company is not best pleased with me.
What if it doesn't work? Nothing shows up under "ready to install"
! REPORT
DoroThee237
Karma: 19,947
Sun, Aug 06, 2023When you open the archive you just downloaded, there is often a "content" or "my library" folder.
the files to install are in this folder.
it is imperative to copy the files
data in the "my library" folder used by DAZ
runtime in the "my library" folder used by DAZ
you can place the contents of the "props" or "environments" folders in the folder that corresponds to your filing method
the files to install are in this folder.
it is imperative to copy the files
data in the "my library" folder used by DAZ
runtime in the "my library" folder used by DAZ
you can place the contents of the "props" or "environments" folders in the folder that corresponds to your filing method
Dumitas
Karma: 9,479
Sun, Aug 06, 2023The files needs to have the right naming, IM00000_FIlename.zip for example, in my case you need to download my files and then unzip them first, because renderhub rename the file to the product name and will not work that way.
I validated my previous message a little too quickly, I prefer to clarify my thoughts. (I don't have the option to delete the previous message)
When you open the archive you just downloaded, there is often a "content" or "my library" folder.
the files to install are in this folder.
it is imperative to copy the files
data in the data folder of "my library" used by DAZ
runtime in the "my library" runtime folder used by DAZ
you can place the contents of the "props" or "environments" folders in the "my library" subfolder that corresponds to your filing method
When you open the archive you just downloaded, there is often a "content" or "my library" folder.
the files to install are in this folder.
it is imperative to copy the files
data in the data folder of "my library" used by DAZ
runtime in the "my library" runtime folder used by DAZ
you can place the contents of the "props" or "environments" folders in the "my library" subfolder that corresponds to your filing method
! REPORT