What are DSX Files & Where Do they Belong?
Mage 13X13
Posts: 433
I am having to manually install All of the Millennium Dragon 2.0 files into DAZ Studio 4.6, and the Eastern Dragon files as well. The reason for this is because they won't install correctly using the DAZ Install Manager. So I have downloaded the .zip files and extracted them to temporary folders on my hard drive.
As I always do for files I install this way, I opened the extracted folders to inspect them and ensure that all the files named in the readme documents were present, and to see what formats were being used. There are DSX files that are not inside the Content folders. The mouse over identifies them as DAZ Shared XML files, and says they are a Manifest (Manifest to my way of thinking is a list of included items in a package). I have no idea what this means, or where I should put these files, or even whether they are needed or not.
I do not know if a similar topic concerning this exists here in the DAZ Forums, nor what such a topic's title would be. So I am posting a new topic in order to find information concerning this. If anybody knows what a DSX file is, what it is for, why it is included in the .zip package, and what I should do with it, I would appreciate the information.
Thank you.
Stay Awesome!
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Comments
The manifest.dsx has the instructions for DIM telling it where to install the files -- you don't need it for manual installs.
What problem are you having installing them with DIM?
They install to the wrong directory, and when I go to their location in the Content Library, I see icons but the mouse over shows each of them as "0 bytes". I tried several times to get them to install using the DIM, and finally gave it up. It is much less a headache doing a manual installation.
As you have answered my question, I think I now know I can delete the DSX files without ill effects. Of course I will wait until other answers are provided, but as I have watched your posts here in the DAZ Forums, I figure you know what you are talking about. What I mean to say is that You seem quite knowledgeable concerning DAZ Studio, but I always wait for more advice to see how well everything matches between the different people posting.
Thanks for the prompt response.
Umm... FYI Mike is one of the 3 pro's of DS. If he tells you something its correct. Me I'm a hack, but the DXS is the DIM file that instructs DIM where to put the files, its not needed for manual installs.
Yes I figured that would be the case. I did not mean any disrespect, as I have the utmost respect for Mike. The statements I made are because I have this personal way of doing things. I like to get confirmation before proceeding is all. My reason for this is because of things like what occurred when I first downloaded and installed the DIM Beta test version. There was a user advising the creation of a separate path from the default one the DIM was meant to install to. It caused several products to be unable to load into the scene properly. I was getting block figures when I loaded G2F, Technopolis, and The Gatehouse. This went on for more than two months before I could find a solution to the problem, with the DIM being furthest from my mind as the cause. It turned out to be the cause, and I was finally able to find info that helped me fix it.
Now to the problem at hand. As you well know I was having trouble installing all the files from the Millennium Dragon 2.0 Bundle, which includes Millennium Dragon, Millennium Dragon 2.0, and Eastern Dragon. I tried manual installation yesterday, and the Zip files all have the DSX files included in them. I now know that there is no problem with the DSX as they are not needed for the products to work. Still, these files are not getting installed correctly for some reason, whether I install using the DIM or from the Zips. The Icons appear in the Content Library, and it the Smart Content, but I am still seeing 0 Bytes as the size of every file when I do a mouse over. I have tried everything I know to do, and I am unable to get satisfactory results. According to the DIM, it is downloading the complete files, and the Zip sizes match the information concerning them. So there must be a problem that I am not able to detect.
I know that these items are in Poser Formats because I checked them. The figures are CR2, and there are PP2, PZ2, and so forth. There are also DSA and DSB files included. I think what the problem might be is not knowing eactly where these products need to be, but it seems to me that at least they would still have more that a 0 bytes size. So I am at a loss as to what to do. I suppose another help request is in order at the DAZ Help Desk.
Thanks guys for all of your responses.
Stay Awesome!
No offense taken, I get things wrong, it's always good to get confirmation. Not sure what could be going on with the Mil Dragon installs, as long as the path DIM is installing them to is one DS is looking in. I haven't heard of any case where manually unzipping works but DIM gives empty files. Were they actually empty on disk, or were they only reported as empty in DS?
Mage - these are all older products that install in a poser runtime layout. This means that the content directory they are installed to must be mapped as a poser runtime directory in Studio.
Click on the 'content library' tab and then click on the properties box (that thing in the upper corner with the small triangle and horizontal lines) and select 'content directory manager'. Click on the '+' sign by the DAZ Stdio Formats and the Poser Formats content directories. Make sure they both have the directory you've installed the dragons to.
I'd go into more detail, but I've customized both DIM and Studio to the point I no longer know what the defaults are. :-)
Once you've got the directories mapped the dragons should show up in the Content Library tab in the Poser Formats sub-list.
I suppose I should provide more information about this.
When I originally purchased the Millennium Dragon 2.0 Bundle, the DIM had yet to be released in any version. I had the BitRock installer .exe version for Windows 64 bit. It installed correctly with no problems, and the files loaded into the work space perfectly. With the DIM now the chosen way to do things with DAZ Studio and other apps products from DAZ 3D, I decided it would be a good thing to get as much of my content for DAZ Studio Downloaded and installed using the DIM. Of course the first things I did this with was the Genesis products, including the Genesis Starter Essentials. I ran the uninstallers for those .exe installed files and then used the DIM to get them downloaded and re-installed. Those files installed perfectly. My next task was to work on the Dragons. So I did the same thing with those .exe installed files, and that is when the problems began. As there are no .exe files available for most DAZ 3D products now, I cannot download that type anymore, and the original downloaded ones are no longer on any of my hard drives. So it is either the DIM way or the .zip way, and niether are working.
When I open the folders in the extracted files, and inspect them, they show as having substantial size using the mouse over method of checking, so I know that the bundle is good. I manually installed to the Poser Formats directory and they did not appear in those folders within DAZ Studio itself. In the DAZ Studio Formats directory, they appear as icons that have no file size, hence the Mouse Over 0 Bytes file sizes. Double clicking loads nothing into the scene. No figures, no props, no accessories, no textures, no poses Therefore I know there is a problem somewhere in the installation, no matter what way I try to do it. It is a bit confusing to me to see that some of the files must be in the DAZ Studio Formats, and other parts of the same packages must be in the Poser Formats. Since the DIM won't install the files correctly, and manual installation is not working, I need help with the installation to the correct folders in each directory. Step by step instructions for the entire process is what I need. As long as these dragons won't go where they need to be, I am stuck with using the Millennium Subdragon. That means other products I have for the other dragons cannot be used.
If they're showing up in the DS formats section, then something isn't right in your content directory setup. Can you post 2 screenshots:
1) In DS, Edit > Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager, expand the "DAZ Studio Formats" and "Poser Formats"
2) In DIM, on Ready to Install tab check the "Show Details" box in the lower right
Mike, I will get to that as soon as I can. But it will mean downloading the files using the DIM again. At this time it is late here where I live, and I am getting ready to hit the hay. In the morning I will start gathering all the stuff together, and once it is available I will get back to you.
You don't need to download the files to show what has been asked for. You must understand that DIM and Studio DO NOT communicate with each other. If you change the install location in DIM you need to tell Studio that through the Content Directory Manager.
Ah, so it is the paths that you guys wish to see! I can provide that in a few minutes after I get through my morning email. The problem I described in the earlier post was caused because the DIM was set to a bad path that would not allow the data files through, and the fact that DAZ Studio had not been told where to look. I learned a lot concerning that as the person at the help desk and I worked together to narrow down that problem.
Expect the screenshots within the next hour or two, as I am multitasking between my computer and making a meal for tonight.
OK, here are the screenshots requested. I only have the one path mapped in the DIM, and as you can see DAZ Studio has been told where to look concerning files installed to that location.
I am assuming that I need to add a path for the Poser Formats in the DIM, and tell DS where to look for the files I will be installing to it? If this is true, I will follow whatever advice you provide, and will create the path as you advise.
The problem is you don't have the public library listed under Poser Formats. You should always list libraries under both DAZ Studio and Poser as even Studio only products place their textures in the Poser /Runtime/Texture/... standard.
I was thinking that it might be something of that nature. So do I need to do this in DAZ Studio itself only, the DIM only, or both? Also, would I point both the DS and the Poser Formats directories to the same path, or do they need some kind of difference in structure?
I ask these questions because the more exact the advice is, the less likely I am to make a mistake. An actual path structure posted here would undoubtedly be a great help to me, and perhaps how to set it all up. Just simple instructions in a step by step format, perhaps.
Thank you for telling me what you already have. Just a bit of clarity is all I'm asking for.
In DS, same path for both, the path up to the folder containing the runtime folder, just like the first two paths. DIM just needs the path once.
Thanks Mike. I'll let you know how I do with it.
To Mike and all the others that have contributed to helping me with my problem, i think the attached image says it all! I cannot tell you how happy I am! Meta data still needs to be fixed but I can work with my dragons now. Thank you big time folks!
:cheese:
Here is a Reminder of how paths should always be done...
I'm glad your up and running but still the reminder...
Much appreciated! I have downloaded the image.
Hello again! It seems I am having another problem of a similar nature, which I cannot figure out. Once again I think it is something to do with DS XML files. After reading the thread here again, I think some of what i am including in this post may not be correct. The thing is, if a product is optimized for Poser but not for DAZ Studio, why are DS XML files included in the packages?
Here is what I have written concerning this, as I try to understand what is happening. Know that I still have no clue as to what is the problem, and this is only occurring with products I purchased at DAZ 3D, but are originally Runtime DNA products.
As you can no doubt see, A lot in that quoted section is obviously conjecture. At least since reading the whole thread again, I think it is. You guys can post corrections if you wish, but my main thing is to resolve what I am experiencing, unless no way to use them in DAZ Studio is possible. I cannot really believe that to be the case however, since the DS XML files exist. This much at least indicates to me that they should work in DAZ Studio. In both product cases, the only thing that won't work is the textures. I have found that in some cases certain .mc6 files just won't work in DAZ Studio. Even in products I made using Poser, these files do not translate over to DAZ Studio, even though the product models and the rigging do. In the case of Facial A-Hairness, the Beard loads, but only the base of the hair appears on the figure of Michael 4. In Poser it actually appears in its whole form, with the beard hair actually showing. DAZ Studio just shows a gray patchy area on M4's face. I tried turning opacity up to 100% in DAZ Studio, to no avail. Nothing shows at all, even after it is rendered. Not sure how the product was made, but it seems to me that if there is geometry there, it should be showing. It shows in Poser from the very moment I load the beard, without having to dial Opacity to full, or even render. And the .mc6 materials load without a problem, which they won't do in DAZ Studio. So I am at a loss for what to do at this time. I purchased these products in good faith that they would would after doing all the reseach I could on each of them, to determine whether they would work in DAZ Studio or not. The fact that the DS XML files exist in both products indicates to me that they should be working in DAZ Studio. I can think of no reason that Poser would need such files included.
Please help.
DSX = Daz *Shared* XML, not Daz *Studio* XML. (http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/tech_articles/file_extensions/start). In this case, as has already been explained, these particular XML files provide information for Install Manager (http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/install_manager/referenceguide/tech_articles/start), not Daz Studio. A package containing these particular files does not dictate that the contents is or isn't useable within Daz Studio.