I seem to recall reading that, to get a DAZ content installer to install in a folder of your choosing instead of your main Poser folder, you had to do something special. Seems like you had to create a special text file or something like that, but I can't remember exactly. Does this sound familliar to anyone? At the time I read it, I skimmed over it because I had no interest in installing DAZ content anywhere but its default location; now I want to install it someplace different but I can't remember where I read about the workaround to get it to install.

It thinks that the target folder has to have a Poser.exe file in it. It doesn't actually verify that it is Poser, just that a file with that name exists. Thus - any old empty text file renamed to Poser.exe gets the job done.

Poser Pro does not even have a file called Poser.exe, so users of Pro must create one even if they want to put content in the main runtime.

Coldrake

That's true, but then some products install DS-specific files that serve no purpose and just take up space.

Okay, thanks guys So DAZ insists on a "Poser.exe" file. Bizarre... but then, I guess it's too much to expect the creators of Victoria 4 to make sense

It is not DAZ's fault.  It is an old holdover before there ever existed a Pro series.  SM and DAZ do not consult each other on product development.

Quote - It is not DAZ's fault.

In my oppinion,  it most certainly is DAZ's fault! It should have been obvious to DAZ that the name of the Poser executable could change in the future. And it's sheer stupidity to tie the instalation to a name DAZ has no control over, without providing a simple way to circumvent the potential problem.

Plus we've all had external runtimes for years - demanding that it go in the main runtime despite the fact that clearly it works great in an external one is rather obnoxious.

Most content shouldn't check - only the base figures, as far as I know, will look for Poser in the target folder (which was necessary, without editing, for Poser 5 and 6).

i rather kill myself then to install in the poser folders.

i always have all my daz stuff on my D disc.

Is there any reason to continue to use installers?  Zip files work fine, and allow the purchaser to install as he/she wishes. Izarc doesn't care where I unpack to, nor does it demand any specific files be present.

I don't find installers convenient, and especially hate when I forget to uncheck the readme, and one fires up my browser. Klebnor

Haha, the only thing I have to add to "DAZ's fault/not DAZ's fault" is one of my Poser Life Lessons:

Acceptance: DAZ's installers are wacky and their file structures are a mess. They can't help it, it's just the way they are.

So I guess I'm on the side of "not DAZ's fault"? Ah, well, we know how to work around most of DAZ's little quirks

Always backup you Poser content so you only have to face any one DAZ installer ONCE.

DAZ, the site and their installers are a pita.

My one, two cents.

Quote - Is there any reason to continue to use installers?  Zip files work fine, and allow the purchaser to install as he/she wishes. Izarc doesn't care where I unpack to, nor does it demand any specific files be present.

I don't find installers convenient, and especially hate when I forget to uncheck the readme, and one fires up my browser. Klebnor

good point.  

i dont see any reason why a 40mb file needs an installer. they have some CR2 files,textures,OBJ and folders. there is no reason to f.... up windows because of some files.

Quote - but then some products install DS-specific files that serve no purpose and just take up space.

That's incorrect. The same files are installed whether you pick DAZ Studio or Poser.

Quote - Plus we've all had external runtimes for years - demanding that it go in the main runtime despite the fact that clearly it works great in an external one is rather obnoxious.

You can blame Poser users for that one. It can take a lot longer to load DAZ figures from an external runtime, (well, it used to, it's probably not nearly so noticeable on today's faster computers.) Poser users were kicking and screaming about how long it took to load the figures from an external runtime. That's the reason DAZ set up the installers that way.

Quote - And it's sheer stupidity to tie the instalation to a name DAZ has no control over, without providing a simple way to circumvent the potential problem.

There is a simple way to circumvent it. See my post above.

As fast as today's computers are, DAZ could probably do away with the dual target application option,  I doubt if it's really neccessary anymore.

Coldrake

I use external runtimes as well.

Quote - > Quote - ... some products install DS-specific files ...

That's incorrect. The same files are installed whether you pick DAZ Studio or Poser.

Are you saying that you know what every installer does, or are you speculating because you've never noticed that happening? I said some products do that - not all. If you never used one that did, then all you know is that some products don't do that. This is no proof that all products don't do that.

I used to tell people to use the DS option, but then several users reported that they got files they don't need by doing that and said to use the fake Poser.exe tactic.

Quote - That's the reason DAZ set up the installers that way.

That's not what the installer itself says. It says:

Quote - When used in poser TM , "Victoria 4.2 base" must be installed to the same directory as the application executable, due to restrictions on support file locations.

This is a load of bull, and in fact when UAC is on, installing into the executable directory is just nasty and wrong and tons of people come in this forum with problems because of it.

In any case, who cares why it refuses to do what you want. It's wrong. V4 works in a separate runtime just fine. Using one giant runtime is not a good thing to do for many reasons. Being forced to do so is not good.

Further, with the current versions of Poser properly installed in Windows 7, the main runtime IS NOT colocated with the executable. You have to fake it out even if you are planning to put Daz content in your main runtime.

Poser 6 did require that V4 (and other figures using ExP or INJ morph loading) be in the main Runtime unless you edited the files to set the correct paths. Poser 7 (Sr3, or with the search behaviour set to shallow) and later changed that so any Runtime would work, but at the time DAZ were aiming to support P6. Since they now test for P8, that could be updated of course (and the search for poser.exe dropped).

You know, I just installed some Daz stuff in a folder that didn't have anything to do with Poser. It wasn't even on the same drive. I think Rhaseltine is correct that only the people have to be in the main folder. With the installer picked above I chose poser and then when it was showing where to install just click browse.

I was just trying to install the Michael 4 Morphs++ into my Poser 7 directory and it gave an error message stating that the required file was not found.  Is it referring to the Poser.exe file?  Because in Poser 7, there is a Poser.exe file.

Prometheus273, it's referring to the Michael 4 base.

Quote - but then some products install DS-specific files that serve no purpose and just take up space

Quote - That's incorrect. The same files are installed whether you pick DAZ Studio or Poser.

Quote - Are you saying that you know what every installer does, or are you speculating because you've never noticed that happening?

Quote - I used to tell people to use the DS option, but then several users reported that they got files they don't need by doing that and said to use the fake Poser.exe tactic.

I don't need to know what every installer does and I don't need to speculate. Some products install both DAZ Studio and Poser files, no matter what target application you choose. That's a fact.

This is part of a readme from an installer that does this;

*** Material Presets for DAZ Studio and Poser now Consolidated**
**          o DAZ Studio Users:**
**                + You will no longer need to go to a separate DAZ Studio folder to apply the DAZ Studio**

Material Presets. Simply apply the MAT Pose from the Poser Pose-> "EpiphanyGown" directory .
**                + There is no longer a separate DAZ Studio installer for the DAZ Studio Presets.**
**          o Poser Users:**
**                + It is recommended that you do not delete the .DS files from within the product's MAT Pose**

directory. They will not show up as extra files within Poser, but are required to use the product with DAZ Studio.

Coldrake**
**

** **

I think Klebnor has it right.  Dump the installers and go with zips.  But then again there would likely be many users who dont know what to do with the zip files. So my guess is you're damned if you do and damned if you dont.  :laugh:

Daz Poser, Daz Poser, are they really any different? except for a few minor details they seem much the same. Maybe the best idea would be for Daz and Poser to form a single company, that way everything would always work. (well maybe not always.)

How about Pazer, or Doser. :laugh:

considering the whole "why to daz use installers" has been talked over and over and over again... I don't think it's going to change any time soon.

Off-topic, but I had to say it: MagnusGreel, I love your signature. You don't by any chance work for the Mythbusters, do you?

Quote - considering the whole "why to daz use installers" has been talked over and over and over again... I don't think it's going to change any time soon.

Not likely to change soon but makes me seriously consider whether I really want to purchase items from DAZ.  I have to really want the item in question.  Another thing with their installers, places a short cut in the Start Menu whether you choose to add the 'Uninstall' option or not.  Their Uninstaller wouldn't even work since I move all the content into my organized Runtime anyway ...

Between DAZ's Web site and their installers, I'll shop at Rendo.

Best Wishes,
Rªnce

I have an "Installed content" entry in my Start menu, despite always refusing the uninstaller, but it's empty.

So why are they writing empty folders anywhere?  If you refuse the Uninstaller they shouldn't DO anything.  I guess I'm just a grump but stuff like  that annoys me.  I certainly like the ZIP option better than self-installer and avoid DAZ when I can.

-R

Quote - I was just trying to install the Michael 4 Morphs++ into my Poser 7 directory and it gave an error message stating that the required file was not found.  Is it referring to the Poser.exe file?  Because in Poser 7, there is a Poser.exe file.

It's looking for Mike4

Mike 4 is there and his installation is valid.  I can load him from my library.  There was also an update that was included with the Michaell 4 morphs++.  I installed that and got no error messages.

Maybe I'd better clarify....per my last post...I installed the update and assume the update installed correctly because I got no error messages.  However, when I tried to load the M4 morphs again I got the same "The required file was not found" message.

Where are you installing M4 to? What OS are you running? If it's Windows 7 or Vista and the installation is going into some folder in Program Files (or Program Files (x86)) then it could be UAC getting in the way. As was noted earlier, for Poser 7 and later there's no need to install the DAZ figures to the main Runtime (in the application folder) and not doing so will avoid this sort of problem.

Michael 4 is already installed, and has been for almost a year.  He's in my Program Files (X86) Poser 7 runtime, the only one I have for Poser 7, which is where I've been attempting to install the morphs.  I tried to install him again into my Poser 8 and Poser Pro 2010 runtimes but I get an error message that says there was a problem unpacking the installation file.  I've disabled the Windows 7 UAC during the installation attempts.  Maybe it does have something else to do with Windows 7 though.  When I installed Michael 4, I was runnning Windows XP.

I think there's a good chance, yes - I'm not sure but I don't think switching off UAC disables Virtual Store and in any event, while it may not be that much of an obstacle to malware every little helps. I would strongly advise using an external Runtime, even if only while you install M4 base and the Morphs++, run the updater, then merge the results with your real Runtime.

Thanks for the advice.  I sent in a help request to DAZ.  Let's see what they say...if they respond.