Based on a survey taken here in the forum it appears that there is a significant minority who use DSON. Since I do not (it slows my Poser to a crawl) I need someone who feels they really understand DSON and how to use it to volunteer to write the section of the new FAQ about it.

Things included should be:

How to intall it.

How to trouble shoot it.

How to install content into it.

How to use said content.

Known problems and limitations.

Any Genesis users here feel up to the job? I am going to comb the threads for tips and tricks that are documented there, but I really need someone who KNOWS the program to do the first draft. The FAQ team can take it from there.

Any takers?

Wizzie

First, it isn't "DSON" - that's the fiel format used by DS 4.5+. It's the DSON Importer for Poser (the plugin for importing DSON-format content). This is an important nit to pick as people get confused by products that say they have a DSON core installer, thinking it means it works in the importer when in fact it means the opposite. In order for content to be usable with the DSON Importer ir needs Poser Companion Files. There will then be a PoserCF zip, which contains the Poser library files, and a DSON zip, which includes textures and geometries. In order for the content to work with the installer both must be installed to a Poser library folder (the folder you'd install regular Poser content to). If there's also a Legacy zip that isn't needed - it contains files for older versions of DS (4.0 or before) which the importer won't handle. It is possible to use DSON Importer without Poser Companion Files thanks to Dimension 3D's script, which launches a fiel browser with which the .duf DSON file can be selected and then sends it to the importer, but there will of course be no Poser-optimised materials then, and some content without Poser CFs wil simply not work in Poser or will not work acceptably (for example, DS has smoothing and simple collision detection/avoidance which can help with poke-through, but the importer doesn't support that). Scripts>DSON Support has several useful tools - the Importer preferences give the version number, access to the log for trouble-shooting and the locations used by the cache and the writable Runtime (where the temporary files that Poser actually loads are placed) The two folders must be writable - that is, not in a folder to which the application doesn't have write permission (such as anywhere in Program Files on Windows Vista or later). Transfer Active Morphs is used to transfer the morphs on the base figure (Genesis etc.) to any conformed clothing, and should be run after applying a shape that causes poke-through (if the clothing already supports the morphs it won't be needed, of course). The Script>DSON Support>SubDivision sub menu allows the user to turn SubD off, or to set its level (up to level 2 - the new HD morphs need level 3, for which the user will currently need to override the limits n the slider and set the value directly at render time, though the menu can be used to turn the level back down during posing).

One known limitation has to do with 32 bit versions of Poser like Poser 9 and the apply active morph script in the importer.

Due to the memory limitations of 32 bit versions, Poser can be slow to apply the morphs or the library can lock up altoghether.  Sometimes there's no way to know if it's just slow or you've hit "library lock" until you click on the library pane and nothing happens.

Use of an external library app can help this.

It's been stated several times over at DAZ that the DSON importer needs a script to turn it off once it gets started. 

I rest my case.

As I said in the beginning, DSON does not play well on my system, so I know nothing about it. That's why I need someone to help with this part of the FAQ.

It doesn't work and play well with P9 which is licensed to me personally.  The Pro versions I have are licensed to my employers and they will not allow "unauthorized" plugins and scripts (their terminology) to be added so I can't attest to how well it does or doesn't function with the 64bit versions.

I don't know what the others who have tried it with the Pro versions have found but I have read commentary over at the DAZ forums that the DSON importer needs "an off switch" to stop it continually applying active morphs to all the clothing items once you click on it the first time.

You might want to ask over at the DAZ Poser forum to see if you can get someone to give you more help.

Sorry I can't be of much more help as I pretty much gave up on using the importer shortly after it was released.

While it's time consuming to do, using the cr2 exporter from DS and creating a cr2 for Genesis works much better in Poser than going the route of importer. 

If you haven't tried it, you might want to.  The only thing I will suggest is to rename the obj file for Genesis something more familiar and change it in the cr2.  DS's exporter gives it some long ridiculous designation.  I also found using binary morph targets (pmd's) make for faster load times, especailly if you have more than jus the very basic morphs.

FAQ:

Q.  I want to use DSON with my version of Poser

A.  Don't

There you go :)

Speed seems to vary a lot - some people find loading substantially slower than others. Placing the DSON files, especially the base and morph sets, in the primary Poser Runtime reportedly helps with the loading speed (and the recent update fixes a major slow-down for Mac users).

Quote - FAQ: Q.  I want to use DSON with my version of Poser

A.  Don't

There you go :)

I wish you wouldn't tempt me like this. 

Seriously, I DO need the help.

Quote - It doesn't work and play well with P9 which is licensed to me personally.  The Pro versions I have are licensed to my employers and they will not allow "unauthorized" plugins and scripts (their terminology) to be added so I can't attest to how well it does or doesn't function with the 64bit versions.

I don't know what the others who have tried it with the Pro versions have found but I have read commentary over at the DAZ forums that the DSON importer needs "an off switch" to stop it continually applying active morphs to all the clothing items once you click on it the first time.

You might want to ask over at the DAZ Poser forum to see if you can get someone to give you more help.

Sorry I can't be of much more help as I pretty much gave up on using the importer shortly after it was released.

While it's time consuming to do, using the cr2 exporter from DS and creating a cr2 for Genesis works much better in Poser than going the route of importer. 

If you haven't tried it, you might want to.  The only thing I will suggest is to rename the obj file for Genesis something more familiar and change it in the cr2.  DS's exporter gives it some long ridiculous designation.  I also found using binary morph targets (pmd's) make for faster load times, especailly if you have more than jus the very basic morphs.

 

How complicated is it to use the cr2 exporter?  And how does that work?  Will that work for Victoria 6? 

The CR2 exporter is fairly simple, but it's in DAZ Studio. You need to export an OBJ, using the Poser preset (and making sure you check Use existing for groups) with the resolution set to Base in the Parameters pane, then you export the CR2 by setting the file type in the File>Export dialogue. However, you will need to do this for each UV set that you want to use, and you will need to repeat it for any further morphs you add, and in PoserPro2012 you won't get subdivision (in PP2014 you can use Poser's native SubD function, though the results won't be absolutely identical)

My 2 cents are simple;

DSON in Poser requires a 500 page manual to cover all possibilities, figures, clothing, morphs, shoes, hair and so on.

Nothing for a FAQ page but more for a DSON manual if you want to cover it all.

And when all is done and over with, the answer is; "Don't even try" if you like to end the process with the same number of hairs on your head as you started with.

Anyhow, it requires more "free hobby" time then most end users are willing to invest.
I see lots of questions about the DSON Importer, and they all end in the same way for the end user; Use another figure.

I believe I will simply point to this thread, lacking a more concise walkthru.

Thanks all!

It does have docs. There is a walk through. (Though I doubt you will let me post the link as it is in the DAZ3D Doc center.) 

It does have HD Morph Support.

There was a bug with Macs that has since been fixed and greatly speeds load times up. 

There was a bug with bulge maps that has since been fixed. 

Quote - The CR2 exporter is fairly simple, but it's in DAZ Studio. You need to export an OBJ, using the Poser preset (and making sure you check Use existing for groups) with the resolution set to Base in the Parameters pane, then you export the CR2 by setting the file type in the File>Export dialogue. However, you will need to do this for each UV set that you want to use, and you will need to repeat it for any further morphs you add, and in PoserPro2012 you won't get subdivision (in PP2014 you can use Poser's native SubD function, though the results won't be absolutely identical)

It also has issues as the Genesis Animated centers and end points are not supported in Poser for conformers. (Which is why it was dropped as the method to use.)

I did not like the DSON importer. It was too slow. Then I updated my version of Carrara. It came with masses of V5 and M5 stuff. So I tried again, for fun, with the latest version of the importer. This seems much, much faster. I tried with both Poser pro 2012 and Poser pro 2014.

I was so impressed I got V6 and a few related items in a DAZ sale. This works wonderfully well in my Poser. You have the choice, Poser subdivision or DAZ subdivision. I do not yet know which I prefer. I cannot tell any difference in speed.

Make no mistake; I am a committed Poser only user. However, as a simple user, I am impressed with V6 in Poser. Once imported V6 can be saved as a cr2 file. It then loads even faster.

I think the FAQ is well worth continuing.  

"I was so impressed I got V6 and a few related items in a DAZ sale. This works wonderfully well in my Poser. You have the choice, Poser subdivision or DAZ subdivision. I do not yet know which I prefer. I cannot tell any difference in speed." The Poser subdivision can be set to "0" for preview and "1" or "2" for rendering, so you can have a superfast OpenGL preview but still a smooth render without the need to switch subD levels inbetween. The HD morphs don't work with the Poser SubD, though. Anyway, glad you had success and enjoy Vicky 6 in Poser. :-) GO POSER, GO GENESIS !

Quote - "I was so impressed I got V6 and a few related items in a DAZ sale. This works wonderfully well in my Poser. You have the choice, Poser subdivision or DAZ subdivision. I do not yet know which I prefer. I cannot tell any difference in speed." The Poser subdivision can be set to "0" for preview and "1" or "2" for rendering, so you can have a superfast OpenGL preview but still a smooth render without the need to switch subD levels inbetween. The HD morphs don't work with the Poser SubD, though. Anyway, glad you had success and enjoy Vicky 6 in Poser. :-) GO POSER, GO GENESIS !

are you sure about that? Im pretty sure i read somewhere that hd figures play well at poser! 

"...are you sure about that? Im pretty sure i read somewhere that hd figures play well at poser! " Genesis HD-morphs DO work in Poser, but you have to use the DSON subdivision, not Poser's "unimesh" one.

Quote - "...are you sure about that? Im pretty sure i read somewhere that hd figures play well at poser! " Genesis HD-morphs DO work in Poser, but you have to use the DSON subdivision, not Poser's "unimesh" one.

 

ok! Got it! ;) im curious how fast my machine would go with dson when i will do the upgrade next week...im putting a 770 nvidia and the latest 6 core i 7...

"The Poser subdivision can be set to "0" for preview and "1" or "2" for rendering, so you can have a superfast OpenGL preview but still a smooth render without the need to switch subD levels inbetween."

You can do the same with the DSON for Poser Sub-Division, in fact setting it to -1 turns off Sub-D and gives you the cage for preview.

"The HD morphs don't work with the Poser SubD, though."

Neither does edge creasing from the Open Sub-D Spec, at least as I have been able to determine. (Both HD morphs and Edge creasing do work with the DSON Plug-In SubD if you have a model that uses it.) 

Yes I got the HD morphs. I also came to the conclusion that they did not work with Poser subdivision, but did with the importer subdivision. Thanks for confirming.

Since my original post I found V6 does not work with the fitting room; cannot have everything I suppose. Does anybody have a solution?

"Since my original post I found V6 does not work with the fitting room; cannot have everything I suppose. Does anybody have a solution?" Try a saved cr2 of V6 instead of a copy loaded via DSON. It worked with V5 and the clothing room. Also, the figure and the clothing won't be visible unless you actually start the fitting process.

I tried the saved cr2, also both skinning methods. There are a couple of threads on this at Runtimedna. There seem to be problems. I do not think it is much of a hindrance. I can scale the item, copy joint zones, then wave the now wonderful morph brush about to fix remaining poke through. The item is then saved in my growing library of converted V6 stuff. Except shoes; cannot seem to get good results converting shoes.

Quote - Yes I got the HD morphs. I also came to the conclusion that they did not work with Poser subdivision, but did with the importer subdivision. Thanks for confirming.

Since my original post I found V6 does not work with the fitting room; cannot have everything I suppose. Does anybody have a solution?

I presume you mean a solution other than DAZ Studio's Autofit. The V4 to Genesis 2 Female Clone (sold seperately) is quite good, The Genesis to Genesis 2 Female, and Genesis 2 Male to Genesis 2 Female are included and also quite good.

Well, from posts here and elsewhere DS autofit is the way to go. I will have to re-install DS.