Hello,

I'm trying to develop a way to manage my 3D content in the long run, actually it's not that much for now, but this will change.

I'm searching for an external solution on the one hand database driven and on the other one independent of Poser and DAZ Studio.

Do you know of any such solution?

I've found at ContentParadise so far PzDB 1.2? It's a content database driven by Microsoft Access Database Engine. The new version 1.2 should work with all 3D related content, not like the old version 1.1 which was only for Poser. Here's an excerpt from their product description:
"PzDB helps you to find the exact 3D content you are looking for as quickly and easily as possible, and it works. PzDB indexes your entire Poser Library (or any other folders you wish) and cross-references all the related content, automatically creating Groups of content and then provides an easy-to-use browsable and searchable database that can be integrated with Poser and used to replace the Standard Poser Library Palette entirely."

Sounds very good - when it really works like that.

Does anybody of you ever tried that application? I'd appreciate it very much, when you're about to share your experience?

Perhaps I'll try the 60-days trial. Is it worth and when it's I'll tell you what I've experienced.

Thanks in advance.

There was a database at DAZ3D that was standalone and is set up with Poser / Daz in mind.  It has space for all the details such as vendor name, purchase site, classfication, pictures, favorite render, cost, sale price and additional pictures.  It is great for looking for a particular outfit or prop and you can search on field contents and create your own fields.  I also check the databadse to make sure I do not have an item before I purchase as it is easy to purchase a duplicate and only find out later.

That said I purchased it sometime ago and I am not sure it is still available.  I am away from my Poser PC at the moment but I will add more details when I can.

PzDB 1.2 works as advertized. Searching is extremely fast and reasonably powerful. Once you found what you are looking for, just drop it in the poser window and it will load.

If you have new content, you install it as usual and then you can do an Update Database and it wil go through your runtime, pick up the new items and catalog them. Time to update depends on how large your runtimes are, but normally it takes a lot less time as installing the content

I have worked with it since the first version and it works great - even with a runtime which is extremly large.

Thanks wimvdb.

That's great and I think that could be a solution to rely my content on for the next x years.

@hornet3d: I didn't heard of such system at DAZ. When you get your hands back at your Poser computer let me know how it's called.

OK I am back where I most like to be, well with the present British Weather as it is, in front of my Poser equipped PC.

The database I use was called the 3D Contnet Database and was published by Imagination Illustrated.  I purchased it at Daz3d on 30th November 2007 and the full price was $19.95 it was in a sale and I purchased it for $9.95.  Alas I can find no trace of the product or the publishers via Internet searches.

I was not aware of PzDB and the one I use does not have the PzDB functionality where the database is automatically populated from scanning Poser.  Mine is a cut and paste operation.  PzDB looks interesting and a lot easier to use.   For my use, my only concern is if there is the ability to add the price to the database once populated.  It was the use of the database that highlighted the fact that PC membership was no longer saving me money.  Mind you I now have Prime here at Rendo and they give you the stats anyway so even that may not be too imprortant.

Looking a PzDB there is a 60 day trial so you might like to give it a go.

Took me about a solid weekend to roll my own if Filemaker. Granted I am on a mac. The solutions mentioned are PC only I believe. I wanted other fields and searches that the solutions mentioned didn't provide, and or they had things I didn't want or care about. Granted in another life I was a programmer so getting my head around the Filemaker system and what I wanted was a snap for me.

But if what you want is not in those packages with a little effort you can roll your own

YMMV

I used PZDb for over a year. The shortcoming with it, (as with all CMSs) is first teaching it what goes with what. PZDb does, indeed, have a system where you can set flags that group materials, poses, and items together, but it may or may not work automatically. It depends on a number of factors including how the various files are named.

With the appearance of the PP2012 library, I really don't find an external library that much more helpful... especially if you do a little re-arranging/renaming of the content folders yourself. And don't forget the "Favorites" area. Bagginsbill has accomplished real magic there.

Quote - I used PZDb for over a year. The shortcoming with it, (as with all CMSs) is first teaching it what goes with what. PZDb does, indeed, have a system where you can set flags that group materials, poses, and items together, but it may or may not work automatically. It depends on a number of factors including how the various files are named.

With the appearance of the PP2012 library, I really don't find an external library that much more helpful... especially if you do a little re-arranging/renaming of the content folders yourself. And don't forget the "Favorites" area. Bagginsbill has accomplished real magic there.

Thanks for the update on the limitations of PzDB, the database I use is not automated but not a real pain if I keep it updated with each new purchase.

I like the PP2012 library as well and use the search function on a regular basis, the only downside is you need some idea of the name of the product.  The advantage of the database when I am doing a scene and I need a prop or outfit but I am not sure what I want to use (or indeed exactly what I already have).  The database allows me to scan on sci-fi props or V4 outfits and provides a list of what I have or something I have seen that I have on a wish list somewhere.  On clicking on a line in the list I can see from the photo just how suitable it might be.  In the case of the wish list item it allows me to buy something I will use right away rather than purchase something for later but may never use.

One of the things I have found very handy is to move all content to a top level folder where I get images for everything in the main library pane. It's a simple matter of moving the content up out of the ego folders and deleting them. The only "gotcha" is, you have to do it in all of the areas (figure, pose, etc) so that they all match. 

I also have my stuff grouped under "Clothing", "Characters", "Jewelry", etc. It was a real job first setting it up, but it has helped my workflow immensely.

I went for the 60-days trial of PzDB and as far as I worked my way trough it I'm more or less satisfied. Although my first impression wasn't that good - the user interface feels not that professional and the database is not transparent at all. A few things are a little bit disturbing.

Say basicwiz and wimvdb, does PzDB flicker when you scroll through the results and freezes sometimes when you have a lot of results to scroll along?

Can you use the database of PP2012 also with another applications, or it is only for Poser?

hornet3d, you told that PP2012 incooperated your whish lists - from what stores - Content Paradise, runtimeDNA, DAZ,...?

Thanks in advance and I'm curtain that I'll find what I'm looking for :-)

Quote -  

hornet3d, you told that PP2012 incooperated your whish lists - from what stores - Content Paradise, runtimeDNA, DAZ,...?

Thanks in advance and I'm curtain that I'll find what I'm looking for :-)

Sorry I did not explain myself too well.  If I know the name of a product I will use the search function in PP2012 but if I want, say a type of space craft I will use the 3D Content database.  It is stand alone but I have set fields to match the external runtimes I have created so if I do a search on Space (the runtime name) and Transport, this will list all the space vehicles I have and also any I have seen and liked but not purchased. I can then click line by line of the search results and see the craft in quesion.  If I have yet to purchase something the entry will then show which site the wishlist in hosted on.  Those I have purchased will show where in the runtime it can be found and associated products such as different materials.

I update the database with each purchase and then the download is stored in a folder by year and month which is backed up accordingly.  On the rare occasion I have lost or deleted a product the runtime the database will show the year and the month that it was purchased and therefore it is easily located and re-installed.  Alternatively it will show the site I purchased it from along with the order or item number and I can request a reset of the download.

Flickering - I am not sure what you mean here. If you see the redraw of the screen when scolling - yes,  I see that, but not in any disturbing way (less than 0.1 secs).

Freeze - no I have never seen that

You can use it with many applications (many are supported in the latest version)

I am using a 500GB runtime, so size really does not matter here.

Attached Link: P3dO Explorer pro

thanks for your replies. 

I meant this redraw of the screen, wimvdb.

hornet3d: That tracking by month and year inside the database sounds interesting at the moment I track that in a bunch of spreadsheets in Excel.

Furthermore I searched and found at runtimeDNA P3dO Explorer pro 2.4.6. It's comparable to pzDB, introduces a preview of the content in 3D, provides a pattern renamer inside the runtime, supports zipped content and can apply a part of a pose.

P3dO is a Runtime library manager & 3D viewer for Poser, Daz Studio and Carrara.
P3dO is a 3D viewer and browser for above 30 3D and 40 pictures formats.
P3dO for Poser has been around for more than 12 years.

It seems that it uses also Microsoft Access Database Engine relying on the screenshots there.

That's the next application I'll try and compare. Does anybody of you worked with it?

I have written a 3D Content Database I call 3D Librarian, it is similar to the 3D Content Database that was sold at DAZ 3D, but it allows you to browse your products via thumbnail images, similar to a photo centric database, or the way you browse stores like DAZ 3D and Renderosity.

I recently started working on it again, my goal is to have the database be capable of updating your product data by grabbing information directly from the site you purchased the product from. Unlike 3D Content Database, 3D Librarian will be interacting with the stores you pruchsed from to keep data like product and vendor URLs up-to-date (only with some stores, like DAZ 3D, Renderosity, and Runtime DNA).

It also uses the Orca Tools Purchased History scripts so that you can populate the database with your purchased history quickly.

It has a notes feature, for each product, where you can create notes, such as to keep Read Me's and descriptions of the products, or any notes you wish to keep, like project histories you used the products in. You can create folders to keep your notes organized, like you do with files on your hard drive.

Recently I added features to help DAZ 3D and/or Renderosity Affiliate's with their promotions. It will help you create image ads for Wordpress' AdRotate plug-in and you can create online catalogs, such as the sample one I have here.

The database is free, you can read more about it at:

www.3dlibrarian.net

You will find screenshots there.

The database runs on Linux and Mac OS X, as well. It uses the SQLite database engine for single desktop users, or you can use the Firebird Database server.

The version that is online now is the latest I made available, but I am working on a new version with many bug fixes and with some new features, like the affiliate tools I mentioned. I should be releasing that one as soon as I finish with some more tests and have the new documentation done.

Attached Link: Free P3do version

I'll have soon a further look into your content database, so far it sound's great :-)

Btw, the P3do, which I tried recently is in fact an explorer rather than a database.  It offers only exploring and previewing capabilities at the files level, not at the runtime level - no indexing, no keywords, no whatsoever... although still interesting, but not what I've been looking for.

If someone of you is more interested, there is also a free version. I'm attaching the link to it. It hasn't any restrictions, only a few features are not present.