Daz Studio 4.9 Official Release

[Pendraia]

I doubt they'll see much of a drop in sales. I suspect it will mostly be people like me who have personally customized library organizations and have been at this for many years that stop buying. There are too many newer users that have been cultivated by Daz to expect everything to be point-and-click-done, and many of them will most likely just keep buying and move up to the latest/newest versions and file delivery without questions.

I really agree with this...I said a few years back I'm no longer Daz's optimal customer. I have a large runtime and I'm more picky about what I buy. Their optimal customer is exactly what you described someone who points and clicks and is still needing to build their runtimes up. When you get to a point where you have 100's of gb's of runtime and have the skills to convert and adjust you aren't as interested in just pointing and clicking. At this point you've developed a few skills and I think are more likely to want to experiment and hack. For me the big issue is the inability to edit files which I do on a regular basis.

That said...I can't see much incentive to upgrade to the new version. I don't use smart content and I won't use Daz Connect. There have been improvements done to both renderers and I will need to see if that is something I want but at the moment it isn't sufficient to upgrade until any bugs have been fixed. So I'll continue to wait and see...

 

[Dylan]

I'm on two minds about whether to upgrade to 4.9 or not. That said, I'm not one that has to rush out and get the latest upgrade immediately. Also I make a point of not upgrading anything at the weekend, when I'm preoccupied with enjoying myself. I will make a decision during next week.

 

[Pendraia]

Smart choice Dylan...I like to wait generally just to make sure there are no bugs.

 

[DigiDotz]

4.9 upgrade all went ok (although had to restart computer after first install attempt failed)
Everything non-connect works fine so thats good with me as I prefer simple zip files. We can only hope they dont go connect only
-also I dont use catergories or smart content, I just save things I use most as scene subsets and organise that way

 

[Pendraia]

Aaah..so no use asking how the migration of data went. Good that it went well...

 

[DigiDotz]

Well all the content and scenes I had are still working and thats all i need.
I did try to install one item with connect, offline mode. Didnt seem to work but have since read that connect installed stuff only shows up in the smart content browser- so you then have to drag the icon into your content library to create a link?
I dunno I think downloading the zip and copy-paste into Mylibrary is a lot faster!

 

[Pendraia]

I use categories but I'm wondering if it turns up in the normal DS section or the default categories or if it only turns up in Smart Content.

 

[ronknights]

DAZ Connect or DIM don't have a major effect on me. I've been saving all my original install files and manually installing them for around 15 years. I backed up the original files onto DVDs and "cloned" copies of hard drives. I won't lose anything. I decided to try out DIM, but kept my original manual install "Runtimes."

DAZ Connect doesn't really appeal to me just yet. From what I see, it's a rather small window within DAZ Studio. I prefer to undock the Content tab and place it on my 27" iMac screen. Open it up so it covers the entire screen. The DAZ store portion of the screen is too small for my tastes.

 

[Alisa]

One thing to think about is bypassing 4.9 and waiting for 5.0. IF they continue as they have been, you'll be able to install 5.0 and keep your 4.8 version too...

I do use DIM, but only for downloading so I don't have to sit and download one file at a time, but always install manually, because I too have my DS and Poser runtimes customized the way I prefer to work.

Yep. Me too... LOVE DIM for downloading and I just move the zip files elsewhere and stick a blank dummy zip file in the DIM folder so it doesn't try to re-download it.

I did try to install one item with connect, offline mode. Didnt seem to work but have since read that connect installed stuff only shows up in the smart content browser- so you then have to drag the icon into your content library to create a link?

Right - you have no ability to control where your content actually goes on your computer and can't move it - all you can do is create links. Not for me.

I dunno I think downloading the zip and copy-paste into Mylibrary is a lot faster!

Agreed. They say people are unable to find their content when they install it themselves and they get constant support tickets about that. Dunno...Seems to be a simple copy-paste process, and I find that when I explain or point people to a tutorial, they do just fine..

DAZ Connect or DIM don't have a major effect on me. I've been saving all my original install files and manually installing them for around 15 years.

So you know, you can't do that with anything you get via connect. No zip files that you can download and back up. Connect (ie DAZ) decides what, where and how it goes on your computer. Furthermore, everything is encrypted so you can't look at the files or edit anything if you wanted to.

 

[Miss B]

Yep. Me too... LOVE DIM for downloading and I just move the zip files elsewhere and stick a blank dummy zip file in the DIM folder so it doesn't try to re-download it.

I started doing that after we talked about it months ago, and it would be simple for things I'm getting now, but what about the 4,800+ other files I've been downloading through DIM the past 3 years.

It's coming to a point I feel like just "hiding" them from the Ready to Downloads list, which I've done with anything relating to DS 4.5 or newer and Genesis2/Genesis3 essentials. I may do that at least until I can get all those empty zips done, and then I won't have to worry about it, and it would certainly clear up a lot of space on my hard drive.

I have tried writing a batch file to automate the sequence, but haven't got it perfected yet.

 

[Alisa]

Oh, if you came up with a way to automate getting blank zip files with the names of the products, I'd loooove a copy!

 

[Miss B]

Oh, if you came up with a way to automate getting blank zip files with the names of the products, I'd loooove a copy!

But of course.

 

[Lorraine]

I agree with everything you said, Alisa, except for DIM which I still don't use as I download things when I'm ashore and install them when I'm on the boat. Connect is def not going to happen on the good ship Sans Souci!

 

[ronknights]

I read DAZ Connect Debate threads on a couple sites. I finally came to the realization that the debates were pointless. You either like DAZ Connect or you don't. DAZ says you won't be forced to use DAZ Connect. DAZ says they won't mess up stuff you already bought, whatever. Our words in the forums won't change anything because we're arguing amongst ourselves.

I haven't bought any DAZ content for a few months. I re-subscribed to the Platinum Club, and found a few things of interest. Then I cancelled once again.

My money is going for other things. I need to re-evaluate my hard drive storage. I'm in the midst of transferring my "DAZ" content from a 2 TB hard drive to a 3 TB. Hopefully my 2 TB hard drive will handle all the other data like music and movies. Oh and I need to get back in touch with my Medical Doctor and a Psychiatrist so I can get a handle on my anxiety etc.

I think it might be time to do some updated DAZ Studio tutorials. I've seen a few people requesting info on how to manually install content from other web sites. I have an idea of how to make some really great tutorials! Oh and my Dad now has Windows 10 on his PC Notebook. I need to get ready for a multitude of questions. Oh, but I don't even have a PC with Windows 10 at home!

 

[Seliah (Childe of Fyre)]

Right - you have no ability to control where your content actually goes on your computer and can't move it - all you can do is create links. Not for me.

Bingo. My computer, my installation, my hardrive... my organization or no Connect.

Agreed. They say people are unable to find their content when they install it themselves and they get constant support tickets about that. Dunno...Seems to be a simple copy-paste process, and I find that when I explain or point people to a tutorial, they do just fine..

I've never, ever had a problem showing someone how to find their content when they install it manually. The problem is that Daz has done a top-notch job of training new users to rely entirely on DIM and Smart Content and thus they hardly ever install content manually. They don't need a program to decide where it goes; they just need to be taught how to manually install and organize from a zip file.

So you know, you can't do that with anything you get via connect. No zip files that you can download and back up. Connect (ie DAZ) decides what, where and how it goes on your computer. Furthermore, everything is encrypted so you can't look at the files or edit anything if you wanted to.

Again, again, and again.... That is yet another reason for me to stay away from Connect. Any power user who edits their files or does anything outside of "point and click" is going to eventually be pounding their head up against the wall with the encrypted files.

And as far as I am concerned, if you don't get a copy of the installer zip file, then they're not actually delivering the product to you. And that is another deal-breaker for me on Connect.

I agree with pretty much everything you've said, Alisa. Except for DIM. I still don't use it and never have, but I know lots of folks who find it helpful. I just don't trust any software to "do the downloading for me" is all.

 

[Miss B]

I think I got used to DIM for downloading because I was tired of downloading one-file-at-a-time. That said, of course, I have NEVER set up my content in DS all the years I used it in the default Runtime folders, which is the one reason I hated and got away from Poser 5 back in the day. Once I saw a tutorial that stressed the only folders you really need to obey are the Geometries and Textures folders (and obviously DS specific files in the Content folders), you can place things where YOU want them.

Now that Poser has grown up since version 5, I can do as I please there as well. I've never used Smart Content in DS, mostly because I started using DS with DS 2, and back then (and with my DS 3 Advanced), there's no such thing as Smart Content. That was introduced with their first DS 4.0 version, and I don't use it in that version of DS either. If I can't find something using the Content tab, then it's my fault and not DS or Poser that's at fault. I'm very particular where I copy things to, and I've been doing it this way for so long, and I don't even have to think about it.

 

[ronknights]

I've gotten the impression that the DAZ3D programmers have something in common with Microsoft: they just don't "get IT!" DAZ Studio, by itself, is a great idea. DIM & DAZ Connect might have been a good idea if DAZ had taken the time to understand their users. I can't find much of my content because DAZ doesn't take the time to be sure it's organized properly.

DAZ encryption is a terrible idea. It takes away the freedom of "Power Users," and will likely be a disaster. I predict that DAZ3D will regret their decision to encrypt the files. Something will go wrong.

 

[Alisa]

As for DIM - I was hesitant to try it but for me, it works well. I had years and years of products that I had exe files for, which I hate - I was thrilled when DAZ moved to having zip files. I will say that some of the confusion might be because of the way they pack the zip files with "Content" as the top level once it's unzipped. But again, if you explain that you unzip everything BELOW "Content" into whatever you have called YOUR Runtime or Library folder, it's quite easy to do.

So to me, it was just a much faster way to get zip files on my computer than going to each order and downloading them one by one. Again, I ONLY use it to download the products by selecting them and saying "ok, stick this zip file on my computer". It does also give you updated versions of things (in a different section where, as with the products, you can choose which products to download.).

Obviously, different things work best for different people

 

[SimonJM]

I've gone to 4.9 (partly as, really, 'it' is going to happen at some stage, whether in DS5 or beyond). However, NOT going anywhere near Connect. Not on a a prayer, a bet or with a 20' barge pole. DS (to me, at least), is a 3D render machine. It is not a network connecting, content downloading and installing product. They got it right (pretty much) with DIM (which was a god send when it came out as I had just got a new computer and was looking at the blunt end of handling the re-install of thousands of products!).
As you may gather, I am 'old-school'; preferring single-purpose products (my mobile phone is just that, a phone that is mobile; no camera, etc.) and software that does a single thing (hopefully well!)
Eschewing Connect means, as it happens., I also duck out of the encrypted/DRM issue which is another ball-game entirely. I'm not that adverse to it, truth be told, even if I have delved within content files (.cr2, ppz2 and .duf) to find, report and correct errors. I want the content creators to be able to get revenue and not have them see their products out on torrent sites. Ironically I reported just one such torrent site a short while back to the (or at least my) main sites (here, DAZ, Rendo, RDNA). Guess who I got (in effect) a 'meh, what can you do?' response from?

 

[ronknights]

I've kept all my data on external drives for about a decade. I was able to easily bring over my DAZ & Poser content when I switched from PCs to Macs. I just copied the stuff over to a new hard drive formatted for Mac. When I got the new 27" iMac, I just switched the external hard drive from the Mac Mini to the new iMac. No problem at all!