I can't begin to figure out how to get third party files into Daz!@!!!! I've followed MANY tuts from all over the place, and each one seems to say something completely different about how to do it. I think that if I just understood what the Daz file structure is supposed to be, if I could just really comprehend how it works/is supposed to work, it would be so much better. I am very familiar with Poser's folder and file structure and how to get files in there, but this makes NO sense. PLEASE... I am completely losing my mind from this. For the love of GOD what is going on with the file structure and how does this relate to getting files in there??? Is there a current tut or post or diagram that people would recommend, one that actually makes sense in terms of where Daz 4.9 is right now and how it works?? I'm going NUTS...

I think 4.9 is the worse ever...Had so much trouble I just deleted from my other comp...Daz 3 was so easy to load files .MY opinion

Well, I feel your pain..., ;) but does anybody actually know? If I could even get an idea of what the file structure is supposed to be, that could help. Here's what I mean. I have sometimes actually gone down to the root level and separated out and pulled Poser files into the Poser directory in each individual folder. Can I do the same thing in Daz?

For AinesRealm taxi, for example, here's where they are in Poser:

• in geometries: folder of mtl and obj files
• in character: cr2 file and little png file
• in textures: all the different maps

Could I go to Daz3D libraries-- runtime-- libraries-- and then do the same thing there, pulling out individual folders and putting them in the correct larger folder (camera, character, face, hair, etc)? Even though there has got to be an easier way to install third party content, at this point, I'd be happy with that!!!

I am not really sure of a few things in your question.

You mention a correct larger folder?

Most Daz Products come ready setup with correct folder structure.

For example a Genesis 8 Hair prop will come ready for installation with folder structure like:

USER FACING, these are the files that the user uses in DS to load or modify the hair prop

My DAZ3D Library/People/Genesis 8 Female/Hair/Hairname

WIthin the folder you will have the Hair prop .duf file.

A materials folder with all associated Hair materials.

...

BACK END These are the associated files in the runtime that do not appear within DS.

My DAZ3D Library/Runtime/textures/PAName/Productname

All associated texture maps

My DAZ3D Library/Runtime/Support

Metadata files for smart content.

My DAZ3D Library/Data/PANAME/Productname

This is similar to the geometries folder but the object geometry is stored here in .duf format alongside all associated morphs.

You can pretty much move the user facing files where you would like, but moving the backend files is going to create path issues. I am not sure why you would want to move the files to begin with. Each product type is generally packaged in a way to install to a common or best practice file path.

I guess I am not sure with what you mean by "pulled Poser files into the Poser directory in each individual folder"?

Daz Studio managers directories through the Content Directory Manager.

You can access this dialogue by going to your content tab and selecting from the top corner drop down - Content Directory Manager.

Through the CDM you can add or remove runtime directories to DS. DS will keep your Poser native content separate to DS content by default recognition of the associated file types. It's possible to have multiple Runtime directories even on external harddrives.

Here is an OS screenshot of a fairly typical DS library top level with some labels as to the folder function. As you can see above this library is connected to DS through the Content Directory Manager as D:/Daz Libraries/Daz Migrate/My DAZ3D Library.

Now lets see how a freebie fits into this libraries structure, I just downloaded this freebie here for demonstration. You can see how the Freebie product folder structure matches the existing Library I have setup in DS. To install the freebie all I did was change the top level folder to match my own Library. 'AAFantHatchet' to 'My DAZ 3D Library' and merged it into my library.

https://www.renderosity.com/mod/freestuff/fantasy-hatchet/77591

And here is is installed:

Top level folders like "Content", "My Library", "My DAZ 3D Library" and in the case of the example given above, "AAFantHatchet", should not be included in the zip. Before anyone points out that DAZ's own zip files have a "Content" folder I would like to point out that they are specifically made for use in DIM which strips out that folder when it installs.

Hey all, thanks for all the answers! :) I will work on this today (the billing for the family business also has to get done, so it might take a while, but I wanted to make sure that everyone who responded knew that I did see this.)

"I guess I am not sure with what you mean by "pulled Poser files into the Poser directory in each individual folder"?

I'm not going to claim that this is a good way, but there are times when I have separately taken each folder associated with a separate section for an item and individually taken it into that section. This is by having 2 windows open, one for the desktop folder where I originally unzipped it, and one for the Poser directory. Each individual folder is then taken into its section of the directory. Nothing is merged-- the folder just goes in as a new folder so that it's with all the others. The obj file folder to geometry, the texture folder to Textures, the pose folder to Poses, etc etc etc.

This is a very time-consuming way to get items into a Poser runtime, but it does work, and it means that there's no chance of getting anything into the wrong folder or losing track of where it is. I see EXACTLY where each folder and file is going. I'm not exactly recommending that anyone do this, because there's obviously a much easier way, and it's all very OCD. But what I meant was that at this point, I would do the same type of thing in Daz for each and every individual third party item if I had to.

( a few hours later...)

I downloaded the fantasy hatchet, tested it on a library copy, added it to the main library, and it WORKED!!! Extreme yay! Thanks! :)

This was really... amazingly difficult to figure out. Literally EVERY other source used a different method of getting content into the DAZ library, many of which didn't make any sense at all.