I just need some advice as how to organize my downloaded files. I want to by V3 with head- and bodymorphs, but I want first to know where it is advisable to put it all. I am running Poser7 og Mac OSx.

there's any number of threads and tutorials. Doc Geep has one tutorial that I know of. Just search here on 'runtime', and you'll find plenty of 'em...

squash, do you want advice on how to organize your content inside Poser, or advice on how to organize your actual downloads?  (zips, installers, etc.) 

If the latter, I have a tutorial here which can be used for organizing both free and commercial content:

http://www.sharecg.com/v/12171/tutorial/Organizing-Your-Poser-Freebies

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

1.  Create sub folders inside the library folders.

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
**
It's important to understand that a runtime is a runtime is a runtime no matter where on your hard drive or external hard drive it sits. 

All an external runtime is, is a runtime that is not inside the Poser folder.

All "multiple external runtimes" mean is that you have more than one runtime sitting outside the Poser folder. They all have the same folder structure as the main runtime in your Poser folder.  I have 42 at last count and I  know exactly what is inside each one and I know where to look for files.

Another nice thing about external runtimes is that you can have specialty runtimes for various holidays such as Christmas or Halloween or different themes that you like to use sometimes but not everyday. The benefit of this is that the runtime is often small enough that you can burn it to a couple CD's or a DVD and save yourself some hard drive space instead of having stuff on your hard drive that you only use once or twice a year.

The following is the link where I learned to create and use external runtimes. When I was trying to do it I was really confused about the concept but I eventually caught on and now I won't ever go back to using just one runtime.

http://forum.daz3d.com/viewtopic.php?t=9060&highlight=runtime

Some of the runtimes that I have are:

V3 Character addons (includes the V3 figure and her morphs)
V3 Clothing
M3 Character Addons (includes the M3 figure and his morphs)
M3 Clothing
Aiko
Christmas
Halloween
Angels and Faeries
Mermaids
Millennium Kids
Backgrounds and Environments
Props
Poses
Hair
Lighting
etc. etc. etc.

I like knowing that when I want to add some hair, that all I have to do is go to my "Hair" runtime and all of my hair files are inside. If I want a prop, then I go to the "Props" folder.

If I want to make a mermaid, I go to my "V3 Character" runtime and load V3, apply a MAT POSE and morphs. Go to "Hair" runtime and find a hair figure/prop that I want to use. Go to "Mermaids" folder and load up my mermaid tail and textures and anything else mermaid related including mermaid poses. Go to "Lights" and find a nice set of lights that fit my scene and then render. 

I know some don't like to go runtime to runtime, but I find that having so many runtimes that each one isn't gargantuan and doesn't take very long to load. And  as I said I love to know where I can find things directly without having to search through unrelated stuff. If I am looking for V3 clothing, that's all I want to see. I don't want to wade through M3 and Aiko things or Poses and Hair etc.

Setting up an external runtime is easy.

1. Create a new folder;
2. Name it whatever you like IE: V3 Character Addons;
3. Open folder;
4. Create new folder called "Runtime";
5. Right click and create a new text file. Change the name to "Poser.exe". Accept the warning that changing the file format etc.  You want to change it.
6. Create a new folder called "Readmes". Use this to place all of your readme files for easy reference.
7. Create a new folder called "Templates". If you do texturing you can place the  texture templates that come with some packages in there. Or you can just delete them if texturing is not you thing. In that case you won't need a "templates" folder.
8. Open "Runtime"
9. Create the following folders inside "Runtime"

• Geometries
• Libraries
• Reflection Maps
• Textures

That's it, your done.  Copy this structure for as many runtimes as you want to create and rename them to whatever you want your runtimes to be called.

Your runtime paths will then be something like this:

Runtime Folders V3 Clothing Runtime
Runtime Folders M3 Characters Runtime
Runtime Folders Halloween Runtime
Runtime Folders Christmas Runtime

You can place your runtimes anywhere you like. On my old computer I had them inside "My Documents" on my C Drive in a folder called "My Runtimes".

On my new computer I have them on my partitioned D Drive in a folder called "Poser Runtimes", and I back them up on my G External Drive..

You might also read my post in the following thread on how to further organize your multiple runtimes using naming continuity so that you know what belongs with what as you go from folder to folder in your library.

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2704637&page=1#message_3024920

DO NOT fall for the evil temptations of the Multiple Runtime Cult.  They will seek to cloud your judgement with talk of "Faster loading times" and the like. 

What they don't tell you, however, is you'll be hunting every single damn Runtime on your machine for that one prop you used for Victoria 3 but is actually for David but you can't categorise it properly, so you put it in a Runtime called "Misc".  Not to mention the numerous issues you'll have when you try to use INJ/REM poses with some figures and forget to copy all the deltas and base pose files across to EACH AND EVERY Runtime.

And then there's the fun you'll have when you get content which is designed for several figures.  Where does it go?  In this Runtime?  In that Runtime?  In both? In a new one?  In all of 'em?  Life's too short.

Honestly, multiple Runtimes are A Really Bad Idea.  One day, people will see the wisdom in what I'm saying.  In the meantime, leave the misguided to their ways but do not be swayed by them.

I know this from bitter experience.  Don't let it happen to you.  Use subfolders in a single Runtime.  It's the only way to fly.

This has been a public service announcement on behalf of the Huge Runtime Society.  We now return you to your normal programming.

:biggrin:

Quote - Use subfolders in a single Runtime. 

The master has spoken.
If you disagree, don't forget, he knows where you live!

No seriously, I've always done this & I've never come across a real problem, things are dead easy to find. Yeah, the initial load up time might take a minute but it's a great time to go & make a cuppa for the long session ahead.

Ditto that as well.  I NEVER use multiple Runtimes.  I keep everything in one and just organize with lots of sub folders.  I can always find exactly what I'm looking for in 10 seconds or less.

I on the other hand absolutely love multiple runtimes. So much in fact that I have 52 of them at last count!

I know exactly where everything is and contrary to what was said above, it doesn't take any longer to go from one runtime to another than it does to change  a folder inside the library.

I like knowing that when I want to apply a character addon for V3 that I can go to my "V3 Character Addon" runtime and know that all that is in there are character morphs and injections. I like knowing that when I want to apply some hair that I can go to my "Hair Runtime" and find only hair related files.

I also like the fact that I can have "themes" such as "Halloween" or "Christmas" and be able to burn the runtimes off to a CD so that they are not taking up hard drive space.

I used to use lots of sub folders inside each library folder, but I found that it wasn't organized enough for me, so that's why I turned to multiple runtimes.

Everyone has their own views and way to organize their content.  The key is finding what works for you.  Don't become jaded to trying something because someone said that they don't like it. Try it and if you don't like it, try something else. But make up your own mind :)

Well, thank you all. I do not know if I am wiser or just more confused after this. Anyway, I will bare things in mind when I decide where to put stuff, in different Runtimes or not. I do think I will keep one Runtime for a while though as long as I am trying to learn this skill.