im am quite annoyed at the momment. I bought the V4 starter kit from daz3d to use in poser 11 as my old copy of v4 no longer works due to bad disks. I thought it was a simple download jopb and i would be up and running in no time. Only to find once i made payment that to download from daz you have to install daz3d and their fance install softwear. I have sent them a complaint about this but i thought I would mention it here as to make people aware of this or maube someone can tell me how to get my files? (Sorry for the rant.)

While using Install Manager or Daz Central can certainly make life simpler you can download zips from the Product Library pages in your account. They are still set up for one of the installers, you need to take the files out of the Content folder in the zip and merge them with your regular Poser Runtime. For Victoria 4 don't forget to run the /Runtime/Libraries/!DAZ/DzCreateExPFiles-v4 command for your operating system after installing the morphs and base figure.

RHaseltine posted at 5:34 PM Thu, 3 November 2022 - #4448307

 For Victoria 4 don't forget to run the /Runtime/Libraries/!DAZ/DzCreateExPFiles-v4 command for your operating system after installing the morphs and base figure.

thanks for the advice. how do i run this? never done that before.

I think there is a way around that... but maybe it does not work with V4.... I got some carts from DAZ3D for a project and I did not need to install DS.  The issue maybe that the recent items I purchased were not DAZ3D products, but vendor items.

With that said... Did you get your files put on Disc, or did you purchase them on a disc?  I just checked and my old downloads in my account are still there, all 432 Orders... I know a few are missing because the items ran afoul, but they should still be there.

DAZ3D items in the past used non Poser format for the ZIPs and some were installers. This created some issues with adding to Libraries, but their were ways... Maybe someone more verse in DAZ3D current formats can offer a solution. 

Well.. that is what I get for double checking that what I said about DAZ3D was still true and not typing my email correct, so I think I forgot my Password, and then had troubles accessing my WebMail for the account.... three people respond....

ratscloset
aka John

ratscloset posted at 5:47 PM Thu, 3 November 2022 - #4448311

With that said... Did you get your files put on Disc, or did you purchase them on a disc?  I just checked and my old downloads in my account are still there, all 432 Orders... I know a few are missing because the items ran afoul, but they should still be there.

i got my original v4 at around poser 7 i think? but i cut them all to disk for safe keeping. as you well know over the years disks dont keep too well and alot of my old stuff just wont play ball. also i had to go out and buy a plug in disk drive as new computers dont have them built in anymore (who's dumb idea was that?) 

anyhow thanks to you nice people i have my files and can spend tomorrow messing about getting them up and running (i hope) 

thanks for the help. 

mr_red posted at 5:47 PM Thu, 3 November 2022 - #4448309

RHaseltine posted at 5:34 PM Thu, 3 November 2022 - #4448307

 For Victoria 4 don't forget to run the /Runtime/Libraries/!DAZ/DzCreateExPFiles-v4 command for your operating system after installing the morphs and base figure.

thanks for the advice. how do i run this? never done that before.

Just go to that folder in a regular file browser and double click the file - you want the .bat for Windows, the .command for a Mac.

mr_red posted at 6:06 PM Thu, 3 November 2022 - #4448315

ratscloset posted at 5:47 PM Thu, 3 November 2022 - #4448311

With that said... Did you get your files put on Disc, or did you purchase them on a disc?  I just checked and my old downloads in my account are still there, all 432 Orders... I know a few are missing because the items ran afoul, but they should still be there.

i got my original v4 at around poser 7 i think? but i cut them all to disk for safe keeping. as you well know over the years disks dont keep too well and alot of my old stuff just wont play ball. also i had to go out and buy a plug in disk drive as new computers dont have them built in anymore (who's dumb idea was that?) 

anyhow thanks to you nice people i have my files and can spend tomorrow messing about getting them up and running (i hope) 

thanks for the help. 

It was most likely a cost saving move from the computer companies. Most programs can easily fit onto a thumbdrive nowadays and their notoriously cheap. I'm sitting next to at least eight 8 gig thumbdrives at this very moment.

Yes, if you bought V4 from DAZ, you should be able to just download the files again. You shouldn't have to buy it again.

And you can download zip files instead of using the install manager. The trick is to recognize which files to download. They're all labeled DAZ Studio now, even if they're meant for Poser. After awhile, you'll get to recognize which ones to download. You don't need the files with PwrLoader or StudioCF in the names. Some products have Ps or Ds in the file names; you want the one with Ps.

There are some exceptions. Occasionally, you'll come across a zip file that's corrupt. Because DAZ doesn't really care about Poser any more, these products don't get fixed. If you find one of those, using the install manager is the best solution.

You can put in a ticket, but expect a looooong wait. I contacted support about a corrupt file, and they did eventually fix it. It took them over a year, but they did fix it.

When they asked me to rate the interaction, I honestly didn't know what to do. I mean, they did fix my problem. But over a year later doesn't seem very reasonable.

I only use DS for exporting props that choke / confuse 'DSF Tools', will not allow 'install manager' near it.

So, manual down-loads are the way to go. Also means you can steer files to a directory of your choice, un-pack / un-tangle / thumb-nail / trawl / convert them at your leisure. Beside a zoo of 'SORTED' folders from P4 days, from before Poser and DS diverged, I've 25+ folders, each with 10~~20 sub-folders of DAZ etc DS 'stuff'. Mostly 'budget' or freebies, but you're never quite sure what there'll be. Sometimes OBJs / PP2s are bundled, save me porting DSF...

Sadly, another DAZ 'gotcha' is when they fetch a 'classic' from their archive and the product page says, 'templates available from forum' or similar. They'll have long since purged that forum and, typically, the artist has long since lost their file...

Since I got several such in succession, and put in a grim ticket, DAZ have done better. Happily, though DAZ could not provide templates, I've usually managed to match the mapped textures to their OBJ's default UV-unwrap by one of several 'classic' utilities.

FWIW, though DS' UI gives me a prompt migraine, here's my 'strip map' for exporting DUF/DSF props from DS format as OBJ+MTL. Although describes single props, readily adapted to groups / scenes...

https://www.deviantart.com/nik-2213/art/Porting-DAZ-Studio-props-to-Poser-friendly-OBJ-MTL-911478576

thanks for the advice @ NikKelly

This is correct - 

randym77 posted at 2:38 AM Fri, 4 November 2022 - #4448351

Yes, if you bought V4 from DAZ, you should be able to just download the files again. You shouldn't have to buy it again.

And you can download zip files instead of using the install manager. The trick is to recognize which files to download. They're all labeled DAZ Studio now, even if they're meant for Poser. After awhile, you'll get to recognize which ones to download. You don't need the files with PwrLoader or StudioCF in the names. Some products have Ps or Ds in the file names; you want the one with Ps.

There are some exceptions. Occasionally, you'll come across a zip file that's corrupt. Because DAZ doesn't really care about Poser any more, these products don't get fixed. If you find one of those, using the install manager is the best solution.

You can put in a ticket, but expect a looooong wait. I contacted support about a corrupt file, and they did eventually fix it. It took them over a year, but they did fix it.

When they asked me to rate the interaction, I honestly didn't know what to do. I mean, they did fix my problem. But over a year later doesn't seem very reasonable.

Eternal Hobbyist