I have downloaded a few things for PP2010 what I did was take each folder Textures  Geometries Props in the PP2010 Runtime folder. With V4 & M4 I set them up for there target application as Daz Studio and everything else in to application>PoserPro. After doing some research on installing content I see that a lot of people recommend setting up separate Runtime folders then adding them to the library. So my question is, is it best to allow content that has an automatic install go into application>Poser Pro and and any third party content that I get to make there own Runtime folder? E.X.

user>application>Poser Pro>(New content or Figure Name)>Runtime>All folders that cam with the download

I hope I am making sense with the wording of my question. Thank in advance to any answers I get!

I've been using separate, added runtimes for years, organized by figure. For example, one runtime for Vicky 3 and all stuff pertaining to her (hair, characters, textures, clothing) goes in there. Same for every other figure, then props, animals, fantasy creatures...you get the idea ;).

Some folks make their runtimes by vendor, or by marketplace or a host of other ways that could work better for you.

Laurie

I've got more than 7 different runtimes - one for each of the content creators whose work I use most often, plus a "master" runtime for each version of Poser I have installed....P7, P Pro, Pro 2010 and Pro 2012.  I think a) it's getting a bit out of hand, and b) it's time to uninstall the older versions!

Separate runtimes are the way to go.  I do what LaurieA does, and it keeps it somewhat managable. Another trick is to go into your runtimes and remove all of those pesky ego folders that content creators put their content into. You can go into the runtime from the windows desktop and pull the "Pretty Dress" folder that contains the CR2 and image out of the "Basicwiz Creations" folder into the top level folder (where the Basicwiz Creations folder is,) and the first thumb of the pretty dress will actually show up in your library! You can then delete the "BasicWiz Creations" folder and be done with it. In this way, all of Bagginsbill's hard work on improving the library is taken advantage of, and you can actually see what you've got instead of a bunch of blank folder icons!

One Runtime with subcategories in subfolders.  Used it for years, had no problems.  The advantage is you don't have to switch Runtimes if you need something, so it's always on hand.

But with PP2010 and up, you can conglomerate different files from different runtimes into their own folder under Favorites.

I do what Laurie does too. I have a runtime for each character, a scenes runtime, a hair runtime and a few other runtimes. I am also busy doing what basicwiz suggests. I love the extra features of the library with the thumbnails and being able to move material poses into the character and props folder with the main object.

Quote - So my question is, is it best to allow content that has an automatic install go into application>Poser Pro and and any third party content that I get to make there own Runtime folder?

I'm not sure what you mean by an automatic install but you shouldn't be installing any content into the application folder. Poser will make a content folder on install. I think the default is in the My Documents folder but you can install it anywhere you want. At a  minimum it would be best to install to the downloads folder in that external runtime. The only things I install to the application folder are python scripts but even this is not necessary.

Jani what I was refering to is content like V4 & M4 that have install walk throughs when you open there files. 

Quote - Jani what I was refering to is content like V4 & M4 that have install walk throughs when you open there files. 

It's best to point those Daz installers to an external runtime too. V4 and M4 do not need to be in the main runtime any more. Use the DS option when installing or put a dummy poser.exe in the runtime so the installer does not complain.

External runtimes also make it easier to backup and if you ever need to reinstall Poser you will be pleased you still have all your content intact in a separate place.

I let each new Poser version install its contents in a new Runtime, I have a few Runtimes for all downloaded stuff (Girls = have a lot of clothes etc, Beings = not Girls, Scenes = non characters) and some for my own stuff and separate projects. They're on a separate disk as my system drive is just not big enough.

I departed from the idea of having seperate Runtimes per character as most clothes, hair, poses, props etc are interchangeable. And even now the Library has been quite improved, I decided to stick with P3dO as a tool because:

 - I can then use the same tool and thus favorites-structure in Daz Studio, Carrara etc

 - it's still far more flexible and powerful (I can make shortcuts to folders, in Poser-Lib I can only make shortcuts to elements). But perhaps I'm not just that handy with the Library yet.

My set up is simiar to Laurie with one runtime for the Characters and also Props, Transport, Space and so on.  They are external runtimes so that on each Poser update I just point the new Poser installation to the runtimes.  Has worked for the five upgrades I have done with no problems (well except one but that was user error on my part).  Back up is also simplified.

I tend to look at the setup of any zip file and if it is based around a runtime I just extract to the appropriate runtime.  With Daz installers I always install to a dummy folder and move what I need into the working runtime.  I do this for two reasons, 1. the installers often adds files I will never use and I do not want and 2. I know where the files will appear in my runtime.  If installed direct to the runtime I often do not know where the files are.

For example I just downloaded a railway carriage from Daz and for a change I installed direct to the Transport Runtime but could not find the files to use in Poser.  I tried the Poser search using 'Railway' no match then I tried 'carriage' no match' third search using 'rail' found it the folder that is called rail car.  With a zip I can look in the zip and the readme file where normally tell me where the files are placed but I do not find it easy with a install folder.

I use one single (external) runtime for all content. It has been alive since Poser 5

In it I have organized everything within subfolders. Every new item goes into a temp folder after which I move it to the correct subfolder in the main runtime. I do have some additional runtimes for customized figures, props, poses and materials and a separate one for genesis.

It is huge so I use PzDB to find things. It is flexible and lets you search in every possible way and to add tags to items and you can have your favorite searches as well. It takes a few seconds for a search. You can drag the item directly into poser.

If you have a huge runtime such as this it is almost critical that you have a mouse with a flywheel to scroll through the very long lists.

The reason why I did not split it up is because too many items belong in multiple groups. I have tried it and after 6 months I threw everything back into one big foider.

I guess it is a matter of personal taste and how much work you want to put into it to maintain in what is the best solution

ORGANIZATION

Never install anything directly to your runtime. Always unzip / install to a folder on your desk top so you can see what is in side and what the folder structure is.

Organization in Poser is very important.  Libraries grow quickly and it soon gets to a point where you can't find anything.

So far as organization goes...

You have 2 options that can help you with organizing and being able to find things:

1.  Create sub folders inside the library folders.

This is the preferred method for many. It uses one single runtime with lots and lots of sub folders within the main library folders, in order to organize the content.  The learning curve is minimal. If you can right click and create a new folder and drag and drop, you can do this.  The learning curve is knowing what folders you can move files around in and what folders not to touch.

You can move around the files inside the library sub folders. 

Don't move, touch or rename files or folders  in the top level of the library folder that carry the name of the merchants, or the "Morph" or the !DAZ  folder because those are morphs and need to stay where they are.

Just work with the standard ones inside the Library folder such as camera, faces, hand, pose, props, hair, lighting, character. 

Leave the files inside the geometries and texture folders alone.

Right now you have a hodge podge of files for various figures in each folder plus props, poses, lights etc.

Open the character folder and create sub folders for each of your figures IE: V3, V4, M3, D3, Aiko, Apollo etc.  Do the same for each of the other library sub folders.  You can also create other folders too, such as "Poses" or "Props" or "Backgrounds" or "Hair" etc.

Then go through your files in each of the library subfolders and move them into the appropriate folder for the figure they belong.

Things like lights, and poses and hair and props are universal items really, and can be used across figure, so I like to have those separated instead of filed by "figure" because I often use V3 poses on Aiko and hair for Posette on V3 etc.

You will run into a problem for items that are for more than one figure. Like where do you file those?  For exxample an outfit that is for V3 and M3 and Aiko and SP3: where do you file them? If you put them in the V3 folder, then you forget that they can be used for M3 and Aiko and SP3 too. It was this complication that prompted me to move onto using external runtimes (described below).

I did it this way at one time and it worked well enough,well except for items that could be used on a few figures like I described above.   I decided I wanted even more organization, and I didn't like having one huge runtime because it was impossible to really burn it to a CD/DVD without having to break it into bits and pieces.  Plus it took Poser forever to load because the runtime was so big.  So I tried option 2 below.

**2. Multiple External Runtimes
**

This is my choice for organizing my installed content.  I did the first method first and it worked for awhile, but as my content grew, it became cumbersome, so I switched to multiple external runtimes, which works out great.

 
It's really pretty easy.  The problem is that most people over think it.  

Just remember that an external runtime is exactly the same as the runtime in your Poser folder, only it's just sitting in a different location.  

It functions exactly the same way. 

And files are installed / added to them in exactly the same way. 

And they have the same folders in them as the main runtime does. Well almost the same folders.  Scripts for example have to be installed into the main Poser runtime and won't work from an external runtime.

Here is a sample of an external runtime.  Simply download it and unzip it. You will have a folder called "Runtime_Sample"

www.divshare.com/download/8531562-1f6

Find a place on your hard drive that you want to have your external runtimes living. For me it's on my partitioned drive D.

Make a folder called "Poser Runtimes"

s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii124/Acadia_ca/

Then simply copy that sample runtime you unzipped into that "Poser Runtimes" folder and make as many copies of it as you want to.  Change "Runtime_Sample" to whatever name you want.  Here is what I named some of mine:

s263.photobucket.com/albums/ii124/Acadia_ca/

Then all you do is simply install your content into whichever runtime you feel it fits best into.

Once you have finished installing your content look in the Runtimes where you have Daz characters such as V3 or V4 etc.  Go into the Library folder and look for the !DAZ folder.  Make a COPY of that folder and place the COPY in exactly the same place in the main Poser Runtime. 

Poser looks there first so by placing a copy of them in there, you are helping Poser out.  Don't delete the !DAZ folder from your other runtimes though. That defeats the purpose of having external runtimes, which is not only to allow Poser to work faster, organize your content better, but also to not lose your installed runtime content in the even of a crash because hopefully you have also saved your external runtimes to a couple other places for easy access in case of the need to reinstall.

Hope that helps.  If you have more questions, just ask.

Oh yeah, never install anything directly to your runtime. Always unzip / install to a folder on your desk top so you can see what is in side and what the folder structure is.

So far as organization inside the runtimes, continuity of naming goes a long long way.

Let's say for example that LaurieA gave me a beautiful clothing package for V4.  The package consisted of the following:

Dress
Shoes
Purse
Hair
Poses

When I get that file I will unzip it into a folder on my desk top in order to see what is inside.  Here is what I find

Dress inside a folder in the character folder aptly named "superstar dress"

Shoes inside a folder named "LaurieA" inside is another  folder named "V4" inside is another  folder named "props" inside are 2 more folders: 1  called "V4 Flats" and finally inside that folder are the shoe files, the other called "V4 Purse" with the purse file inside.

I find the hair  in the hair library, deep inside several folders as I did the props

And finally the poses for the figure are found in a folder in the Pose Library called "Gotta Have Fun" and another folder that simply said "dress textures"

Now if I were to install all of that into my runtime I wouldn't have a clue later on when I went to look for stuff to use from that one package, of what went with what!

Which is why it's important to open things onto your desktop and look through it and rename some of the folders that the vendor created.

The example of above is a very real nightmare that for some reason many vendors seem to do.  Another nightmare is using there real names as names for the folders instead of their vendor name.  That only adds to the confusion.

Here is how I would sort out the mess above while it was still on my desktop.

LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress
LaurieA - Superstar Dress

Yes, each folder in each libary is now called the same thing.  BUT I now have no doubt that when I do to use the superstar dress, that I will know what I'm looking at when I open up each library.

You can get even more organized.

For example under Poses, if you have found 5 new textures for that dress by 5 different artists, you can keep them all in one place. For example:

Artist 1 - (superstar dress) - sequins
Artist 2 - (superstar dress)  - dragon textures
Artist 3 - (superstar dress) - metalics
etc. etc. etc.

Just plunk those extra textures you found, as named above, inside the LaurieA - Superstar Dress  folder in the Pose Library.  Now when you want to use the superstar dress you have all of the textures at hand in one place.

Acadia - about moving folders around in the library: You have to be careful and check if any of the use PMD files. If they do, then you have to either modify the CR2 file to the correct new location of the PMD file - or - Keep the PMD file in its original location and move only the CR2 files/folder (which is what I ususally do).

Poser might find the PMD files on the first try (depending on the search setting), but after being saved back to the library or to a scene may not find them again if the PMD files have been moved from the original location.

And another thing: the items which can be used on multiple figures is a problem in a single runtime, but also when you use multiple runtimes. So that makes no change. But your argument of not being able to easily save to CD/DVD is a valid one. I use removable drives to back stuff up (and replacing them every year)

Acadia, I cheer every time you post this advice!  My runtimes are 156GB and include 531,317 files in 24,787 folders.   No way could I make sense of them if I hadn't organized it -- pretty much exactly as you suggest -- as I installed it.

I've been using multiple external runtimes for 8 years without a problem.

Any clothing item that comes with files that can be used on other figures, gets installed into the specific clothing runtime for the figures in question.  A dress that can fit A3, V3 and SP3, gets installed 3 times....with the files not meant for the figure in question, deleted from the runtime.

Quote - Acadia - about moving folders around in the library: You have to be careful and check if any of the use PMD files. If they do, then you have to either modify the CR2 file to the correct new location of the PMD file - or - Keep the PMD file in its original location and move only the CR2 files/folder (which is what I ususally do).

Poser might find the PMD files on the first try (depending on the search setting), but after being saved back to the library or to a scene may not find them again if the PMD files have been moved from the original location.

And another thing: the items which can be used on multiple figures is a problem in a single runtime, but also when you use multiple runtimes. So that makes no change. But your argument of not being able to easily save to CD/DVD is a valid one. I use removable drives to back stuff up (and replacing them every year)

 

yes that evilinnocence folder needs a runtime in it.  it hasn't got one.  Try adding a different runtime.

Thanks for the help everyone I have been able to load each content folder I have downloaded as their own external runtime ie:

Koneko Base>Runtime>content

I'm trying to get it so that I have have a folder start with the vendor then model then content. Ex:

Netherworks>Koneko Base>Runtime>Content.

Every time I try to add the to folder (Netherworks) Poser says this not a Rumtime folder. 

well you just load koneko base

This is how it I have it them loaded so far. 

I do the same as SamTherapy does. 1 Runtime with categorised subfolders. No problems here either. 

I also streamlined this approach so that for example "hand pose", "pose", "camera" etc library folders that came with a say - clothing figure are all moved into the same folder with the base items (logically MAT poses are an extension to a clothing and to me it makes sense they are all located within a single file path). Poser doesn't give a rat's ass if it loads a .hr2 file or .pp2 file from a subfolder in "Character"-library folder.

An example of my folder structure (sizing over 100GB):

Runtime:Libraries:Character:

V4

FANTASY CLOTHING

DAZ

DAZ Super Duper Magic Robe

MATs

Vendor XYZ's nice addons

DAZ MATs

POSES

INJECTIONS

etc

EDIT: Runtime size hasn't affected Poser booting up time for years. My P9 starts fully  in about 4 seconds (from a SSD disc).

@ adejesus: you are going to run into problems with the runtime structure you are showing us.  You have 2 identical runtimes and 2 runtimes separated into PZ2 and MC6; you will accumulate more runtimes than actually needed and clutter your hard drive.  Categorize then load everything pertaining to the subject into that runtime.  For example V4mfdhs should be just one runtime.  All the sub-directories will appear in their own category within the library.  If you get to detailed, you will have difficulties finding anything conveniently.