During the holidays I've decided to give it a try and start using DS too via DSON in Poser. I've downloaded everything I need from DAZ but I find it hard to start installation before I get some clarifications..

I know I must install DSON in my Poser program path.

But when it comes to DS.. I have a few questions that I need to know the answers clearly before I start..

If I install DS in my program files folder like the rest of programs, do all genesis stuff have to be there too? I ask because DAZ gave me a lot of genesis files that accompany the DS installation. That must take a lot of space that I don't want to acquire from my main HD. It's a fast SSD  that I keep clean just with programs as it's not huge.. My endless Poser Runtimes with stuff from the very start (even Poser4 content) I keep on my other hard drives that are endless Terras.

So.. is there a way to have content installed on another hard drive and not in Program Files along with DS? Or is it OK to install DS on another HD despite the fact it will work with DSON installed in Program Files along with Poser?

Do I need to get the Genesis content that comes with DS in the same location with the program or not?

Will I be able to install extras (clothes etc plus Genesis 2 stuff) on other hard drives?

All these questions are currently confusing as I don't know the answer for sure to any of them! I hate installing and uninstalling.. so I need to know before hand to get this right from the very start otherwise I'll forget about it.

I wish DS files were editable text like Poser ones that I could alter paths if need be - then there would be no need for all those questions.. but clearly DS doesn't work that way so I definately need clarifications.. 

Yes, I AM an organizing freak! :) Your experienced help will be appreciated more than you know! :)

Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!

Rena

I cant help with the DS to Poser question but, as to whether or not you can install program files on a drive other than your main drive the answer is yes. Like you I have a small SSD main drive that I try to keep free of anything other than Windows and any system files. My secondary drive is a 750GB SSD/HDD hybrid which is where I install all my program files and then my runtimes are located on larger external drives. You just need to create a folder and name it Program Files on your secondary drive and be sure to nominate that as the install location when installing any software.

Thanks for the reply.. that much I can handle! :) I don't mind having DS installed in the main Program Files along with the rest.. it's the content that I truly wish to store elsewhere and NOT along with the main app..

Can I do just that? If the answer is yes and I can install content on another drive then I think my problems will be solved

Just not sure how to do that with DS and I'm still wondering  if the files will be recognized on another HD since the DS files are not editable to alter paths.. Those are the areas I need most of guidance! :)

Yes, as with Poser you can place the content in any folders - the default is either DAZ 3DStudioMy Library in your Documents folder or, with the advent of the install manager and for much the same reason as Poser defaults to the Public Documents folder, My DAZ 3d Library in the Public Documents folder. There's no reason not to use the same folder for both Poser and DS - it saves duplicating the files and makes sure that both applications can find what they need. To add a content directory to DS the simplest path is to open the Content Library pane, then right-click on DAZ Studio Formats or Poser Formats (DS keeps separate lists, though you can add the same folder to each if it has a mixture of file types) and choose the Add Directory command (you want the folder that holds the Runtime folder, just as you do when adding a new location in Poser).

The way I understand your reply is that the files have to be on my C, because that's where the Documents folder is, which means all that content will take up space of me clean, neat and just programs & OS dedicated SSD! Not very practical! :(

A Poser user for over a decade, I hate install managers! I like to install content by hand exactly where I want it to go, rename folders to much more practical names that I can recall rather than search endlessly. I understand this can't be done with ds files as they lack Geometries and you can not edit the path if something doesn't work.. so the least I need to keep control over is where the files get stored..

My Poser Runtimes are endless and well organized in figures, Scenes, hair, Plants, Environments etc.. and located on two other HDs. I don't want to mix Genesis with any of those Runtimes. Just keep it clean in a content folder if its own on that same secondary HD. Is that possible?

Yeah, that is possible, the location RHaseltine  mentioned is where the files are placed by default but you can nominate a different location in your Content Directory Manager.

With DS your content can go anywhere you want it to go, in my case that's a 500Gb external drive, the only content still on C drive is the stuff that came with my P6 & Debut, and the built-in content that comes with the DS installer, that normally ends up in Appdata which is a hidden directory.

There are only a handful of file types that DS uses that you can't edit, the main one being the old .DAZ scene file, it holds the pathway to the DSO, DSD & DSV files required to rebuild the scene, so move or lose any of these data folder files and your scene is screwed, it also holds the pathway to any textures used. The .DSE and some DS1 & 2 .DSB files are in an encrypted binary format and can't be edited, regular .DSB files are in a binary format, they require the IDE script editor which is now part of DS4, everything else is in an ascii format. What catches most is that DUF & DSF files are compressed, so opening them in a text editor is a bit like opening a .CRZ or .PPZ in one, all you see is garbage, DS has a handy batch convert tab that will allow you to uncompress any DUF & DSF file.

On my F drive I have a folder called "Runtimes", I have 5 DS content directories in there, 1 for my DS3 and earlier stuff, one for my DS4 stuff, a combined (Poser & DS) directory for Dawn, a WIP folder for stuff I'm fixing/making, and a My Library folder which is where Genesis & G2F/G2M are stored. I also have a dozen Poser runtimes in there, V4 has her own runtime as does M4, V3 & A3, I have scenery runtimes, vehicle runtimes.
So you can keep Genesis (and G2) separate from the rest of your content quite easilly.

Thank you Bejaymac.. that makes things a lot more clear for me! :)

Just one last question.. if I make a folder called Content on the drive I keem my other organized runtimes and in there I install all Runtime DS content.. that should work, right?

Finally, does DS content have catergories like poser? Figures, hair, props etc? Or they all come in one directory? If that's the case, any utility or help on how to sort them out?

Thanks for your time guys.. your help is greatly appreciated! :)

Yeah, all the DAZ files are in categories as well.

I actually keep all my Poser files and Daz files in the same runtime, mainly because most of the files will work in both programs so I can find things a lot easier than if they are spread out.It's mainly the materials files that dont work in both.

If you buy content from the DAZ shop you may want to use their Download Install Manager, just remember to set your paths to the appropriate folders in the DIM preferences.

Thanks for all the response and help guys! It's been enlightening! :)

Note that when it is said in the same Runtime, that DS content does not go in the Runtime folder (though some of the support files like Textures will go in Runtimetextures) but in the folder at the same level as Runtime. For example you will have, inside your Content Folder folders named People, Data, Props, Runtime, etc. 

In DS you will likely map both the Content Directory (as Base Content) and the Runtime Folder (as Poser Content) in the Content Library Tab.

Also note that if this is not the same folder your Poser Runtime is in, then the Runtime folder in the Content Directory also needs to be mapped in Poser for the DSON files to work Poser.

I hope that is fairly clear. LOL

It took me a second read... but yes, it's clear! :) Thanks for your help! :)