OTOY Forums

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DAZ Studio libraries
A library is a folder in which all products are installed.
The benefit of a declared library is that all files inside the library can be referred to with relative paths.

Relative paths make it possible to share scenes and products with other users that have their libraries stored in other locations.

Libraries are assigned in the Content Directory Manager of DAZ Studio.



Library name:

The library can have any custom name as the user defined.
"My DAZ Connect Library"
"My DIM Library"
" My Edits Library"
"computer graphics stuff"
"any random name"
etc.


Library location

Libraries can be placed anywhere on the hard disk or even an external drive.

examples:

D:\USERNAME\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\CUSTOMLIBRARYNAME
D:\\CUSTOMLIBRARYNAME
E:\\CUSTOMLIBRARYNAME
D:\\Public\CUSTOMLIBRARYNAME
C:\Public\Documents\CUSTOMLIBRARYNAME
D:\USERNAME\Documents\CUSTOMLIBRARYNAME

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Example library names and paths:

D:\USERNAME\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My DAZ Connect Library\data\cloud\SKUNUMBER\runtime\textures\

-> It was my personal choice to
- name the library "My DAZ Connect Library"
- to place the library in D:\USERNAME\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\

the relative part of the path is in this example "data\cloud\SKUNUMBER\runtime\textures\"

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User Joe may have set up his library this way:

D:\\work\Joes CG files\data\cloud\SKUNUMBER\runtime\textures\

In this case the library name is "Joes CG files"

Other users may have set up completely different paths and library names.

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Additional information about libraries:

- The relative part of the library path starts AFTER the library name.

- There is not one official library path
- if the user installs DAZ Studio for the first time a default path will be used
- there are different default paths for DAZ Connect or DIM installations
- as soon as the user altered the default path any software updates will use the altered path that may be saved in the registry

- library locations set up for the general release of DAZ Studio are not automatically carried over to DAZ Studio Beta releases

-> after each new installation of any DAZ Studio version check the Content Directory Manager if libraries are set up properly

- it is recommended to use different libraries for different install methods like DIM or DAZ Connect
- it is a good idea to use different libraries for products from different 3d content stores

- If the user does not manually add the libraries locations in the Content Directory Manager DAZ Studio will not know where to look for product files

- users are free to move around the library location to any other place at any time
- users are not supposed to move around files or folders inside the library

If users move around files and folders inside the library they will not be able to update products or to share their .duf scenes with other users.

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As far as I know, the caveat at the end about not moving things within your libraries only refers to the "%\-Primary My Library equivalent-\data\", "%\runtime\geometries\", and, for convenience of end user, "%\runtime\textures\" folders. Everything else only makes calls to those folders. My libraries are entirely nonstandard, and I can load others' scenes just fine, as long as I actually possess the assets, which would be loaded from the above mentioned folders specifically, regardless of calling location. Updating functions just fine, it just updates to the default location, and one must simply re-move each updated file to the location preferred after each update.

This completely ignores the newer encrypted content, as that is it's own particular thing that does not operate in any way that makes sense to me, and is immovable within it's structure, as you mentioned. Which is why I have no interest in using it, personally.