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Daz Studio
Database
Editing the Daz Studio Database to
put your content into the Smart
Content pane
This tutorial walks you through all the steps necessary to add
older content, or content that doesn’t have metadata, to
appear in the Smart Content pane, one of the most powerful
features of Daz Studio.
Seaghan Hancocks demonstrates the addition of three
models, a Renderosity product, a Daz3D product, and in the
bonus content, a complicated model of Kim Schneider’s, her
multipart Sylph Dress.
He explains what the Lost & Found folder is and how to get
your content out of it, and how to avoid content ever ending
up there.
If you’re a Daz Studio User or Creator, this is the definitive work
Presented by Seaghan Hancocks
on properly cataloguing your content.
Hosted by Kim Schneider
CMS720183-1
Smartening Up the Daz Studio Database
recorded June 29, 2018 v1
Time Code Description
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:10 What is the Smart Content pane
00:04:00 My Content Library Folder structure for this Tutorial
00:06:10 Demonstration of Loading a Renderosity product, Bootz by Rhiannon
00:07:49 Step 1: Categorize every file
00:10:26 Step 2: Create a Product Database entry
00:12:19 Step 3: Load all the Geometry into the scene
00:13:00 Step 4: Edit the Scene ID from the Scene pane
00:15:05 Step 5: Select the product in the Product folder and start the Content DB Editor – Product tab
00:15:32 Details of the Product pane
00:18:18 Step 6: Content DB Editor – Asset tab
00:19:37 Assigning File “Types”
00:20:26 Audience – May be ignored
00:21:00 Ensure that “Sync Product and Local Database” is checked
00:21:11 Adding “User Tags”
00:22:11 Description and Userwords tabs
00:22:20 “User Notes” tab
00:22:35 “Compatibility” tab
00:24:51 Step 7: Select all Geometry in the Scene tab and then hit “Accept”
00:27:03 Step 8: Move product from the temporary folder to the ‘Live’ content folder
00:27:35 Step 9: Create a thumbnail for your product
00:29:45 Demonstration of loading a DAZ product, High Boots for V4 by dx30
00:30:28 Added a “fake” information card for the purposes of this tutorial
00:33:09 Step 1: Categorize the files
00:33:30 “Info” cards should be Categorized as Documents
00:33:43 A deliberate miss of one of the files, to demonstrate Lost and Found folder
00:34:00 Missing Metadata = Lost and Found folder
00:34:23 Step 2: Create a Product
© 2018 Page 1
00:35:50 Tips for Categorizing
00:37:58 Tips for Creating a Product so you don’t miss any files
00:39:17 Step 3: Load all the Geometry into the Scene
00:39:38 Step 4: Edit the Scene ID from the Scene pane
00:40:58 Step 5: Select all the Geometry in the Scene pane, select the product in the Product folder and start the
Content DB Editor
00:41:15 Filling in the Product tab in the DB Editor
00:41:58 Add All the Files to the “files” pane from the top level folder to be sure not to miss any
00:42:26 Step 6: Asset tab (sorting the files for ease of adding data to them)
00:47:16 Step 7: Ensure all the Geometry is selected in the Scene pane and hit “Accept” to write the data
00:48:00 Demonstration that there is still nothing in the Lost and Found folder
00:48:19 Step 8: Move the product to your ‘Live’ content folder
00:48:37 Step 9: Adding the thumbnail to the Product
00:49:56 Reimporting Metadata
00:50:11 Now there is a file in the Lost and Found folder!
00:50:41 Fixing a file that is appearing in Lost and Found
00:51:33 Neat Trick: Copying Categories
00:53:27 User only: Creating a User Category in the default listing
00:53:02 How to create a User Category in the default listing
00:56:16 Files to Backup DON’T FORGET!
00:56:38 Uninstalling/Reinstalling Content Demonstration
00:57:10 Exporting Product Metadata
01:03:39 Uninstalling/Reinstalling in a Completely different directory – in this case, my live, DS content folder
01:07:36 Best Practices for Content Creators when Categorizing Content
01:09:19 Magenta Colored Tags and how to best handle them
01:11:18 The Readme Wiki from the Smart Content pane
01:12:03 The Non‐DAZ Content Product Script
01:13:04 Demonstration of the Smart Content pane in action
01:14:50 All files MUST have ALL metadata attached to them to avoid the Lost and Found folder
01:18:15 Bonus Content Coupon Code
01:18:22 Credits and Links
© 2018 Page 2
Brief Checklist of the Procedure
1. Categorize all the files (easier at this point)
Use the Most applicable level in the tree
Content Creators: Do Not add new categories with the following Exceptions:
o Exceptions:
Light and Shader Sets
Character Materials or other Texture Sets
Use the Product name after Materials / Masculine or Materials / Feminine / Product name /
Stardard Categories
Eg. V8 skin is categorized both under Materials/Iray/Feminine/V8/Skin and ALSO under Mate‐
rials/Iray/Skin
For Apply All, Eye Color and Nails, Categorize them under the root category for that material
Customers can categorize as they see fit (reference Mastering the CMS Tutorial)
2. Create Product Database Entry (all files)
Select the top level folder (assuming you’ve created a separate folder for just adding product) and create a
product from this point. All files will be found making it easier to not “accidentally” miss a file.
3. Load all models into the scene (don't need base model)
4. Select and Edit > Scene ID Editor
Compatibility Base is what the Item Is (create a New Root Compatibility Base) for it
o Compatibility Base says "I Am This." You're telling DS that this specific geometry is the base
o Products with more than one piece could be declared as either the 'main' piece or as a Sub‐Node
Preferred Base is what the Item is MADE For
o Preferred Base says "I work with This"
DON'T WORRY ABOUT Content Type ‐ We'll set that elsewhere
5. Product folder, Select All Geometry then start Content DB Editor (Product Tab)
Select all the geometry in the scene before opening the DB Editor. This ensures all the scene id/compatibility
bases are saved out
The geometry should be populating the bottom pane
Set Store
Set Token (use SKU)
Add description if desired
RMC add all artists, one at a time
RMC in Files and Add from Directory Recursive… benefit of the product in its own folder
© 2018 Page 3
6. Content DB Editor (Asset Tab)
Make sure Sync Product and Local Database is checked
Type will define what "tag" is applied to the thumbnail
o Don't confuse Type with Category.
o Material Definitions
MC6 = any poser materials (Material Collection 6)
RSL = any 3Delight materials (RenderMan Shading Language)
MDL = any Iray materials (Material Definition Language)
LXM = any Reality or Lux materials (Lux Render Materials)
OSL = any Octane materials (Open Shader Library)
Leave blank if only one set of materials
Audience is not enabled, and no intention to adding functionality.
All files for a product MUST have metadata other wise they'll show up in Lost and Found
Placeholder/Info thumbnails files
Type: Support
Category: Document
Categories should be done, can be modified or added here
Tags (optional): something relevant to you when searching. Not required for database entry
Description, Userwords (optional): Not required for database entry
User Notes (optional): can only be added from the Tag tab in the Content Library tab. Not required for data‐
base entry
Compatibility Tab: here we tell DS what the asset is compatible with (V4 for the asset, and the asset for mate‐
rials)
o Asset can have more than one compatibility
o Clothing geometry is compatibility to a base figure, presets to the clothing.
Declared Compatibility Base tells DS what the file IS and applies only to files that have geometry
o DO NOT Declare As any file that is not geometry
7. Accept
File is saved as a XML to the top mapped folder unless the .dsx exists in a mapped folder
8. Move Product to Your ‘Live’ Library
9. Product Icon (114 X 148 px)
10. Export Metadata and Backup up Runtime/Support
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