UltraScenery - new territory [Commercial]

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  • I have a rank newb question. 

    I have US and about a dozen or so of the add-ons.  I haven't used US a great deal.  But I cannot ofr the life of me suss out how to access the add-ons.  All they have is a PDF saying to load them via the UltraScenCreator script, but none are there as options.  There are the basic 5 features and nothing else.  There's only one version showing up in my product library, and 1.3 shows up as a version number.  Do I need to uninstall/reinstall?  I was looking forward to trying out the Stone Features pack (and even though it doesn't say it is required, I do also own the stone set that it uses).

    Any hints and tips are appreciated!

  • GoggerGogger Posts: 2,399
    edited August 2021

    VisualdreamZ said:

    I have a rank newb question. 

    I have US and about a dozen or so of the add-ons.  I haven't used US a great deal.  But I cannot ofr the life of me suss out how to access the add-ons.  All they have is a PDF saying to load them via the UltraScenCreator script, but none are there as options.  There are the basic 5 features and nothing else.  There's only one version showing up in my product library, and 1.3 shows up as a version number.  Do I need to uninstall/reinstall?  I was looking forward to trying out the Stone Features pack (and even though it doesn't say it is required, I do also own the stone set that it uses).

    Any hints and tips are appreciated!

    Just taking a stab at it here, but did you install via Connect, or DIM, or...? I think Connect just may be the Root of All Evil for the grief it causes.
    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive directory as UltraScenery?
    Once everything is properly installed you simply run US and where you select terrains, ecosystems etc, will have more choices - some people were tripped up when they opened US and didn't see anything new because they didn't think to scroll UP in their list, only down, but the new items got listed above their start point in the selection list.

    These were just some thoughts and even if I can't help you, the answers to these questions may let someone else help. It is worth getting US running - it is SO AWESOME!

    Good luck! 

    Post edited by Gogger on
  • Mustakettu85Mustakettu85 Posts: 2,933

    Gogger said:

    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive as UltraScenery?

    Better yet, the same content folder ("library"). Until my addons were in the same folder, the plugin couldn't see them.

  • sandmanmaxsandmanmax Posts: 992

    Mustakettu85 said:

    Gogger said:

    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive as UltraScenery?

    Better yet, the same content folder ("library"). Until my addons were in the same folder, the plugin couldn't see them.

    And you can't manually relocate the addon products from other vendors. They have to be in the original location.

  • GoggerGogger Posts: 2,399

    Cross-posted.  Pacific Northwest Wookiee.

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  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    Gogger said:

    ... snip...

    I think Connect just may be the Root of All Evil for the grief it causes.
    ... snip...

    Amen, brother, that is the gospel truth! 

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    Gogger said:

    Cross-posted.  Pacific Northwest Wookiee.

    I would have expected Bigfoot! Hold the presses!! Maybe Bigfoot is a Wookiee. I had never considered that possibility before. laugh

  • So apparently saving draft is not a thing that works... Ok - let's type this *again*

    Gogger said:

    Just taking a stab at it here, but did you install via Connect, or DIM, or...? I think Connect just may be the Root of All Evil for the grief it causes.
    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive directory as UltraScenery?
    Once everything is properly installed you simply run US and where you select terrains, ecosystems etc, will have more choices - some people were tripped up when they opened US and didn't see anything new because they didn't think to scroll UP in their list, only down, but the new items got listed above their start point in the selection list.

    These were just some thoughts and even if I can't help you, the answers to these questions may let someone else help. It is worth getting US running - it is SO AWESOME!

    Good luck! 

    I concur it is pretty awesome.  Just lots of $$ hanging out that I can't figure out how to access =)

    Everything is installed with DIM (and then re-installed in Smart Content in DS).  I do prefer using Smart Content over Content Library just for the sheer ease of layout.  But after reading through a little bit of the 138 pages of these threads, I went and dug into Content Library to load US from there.  Same thing, there are no features available other than the basic 5.

    sandmanmax said:

    Mustakettu85 said:

    Gogger said:

    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive as UltraScenery?

    Better yet, the same content folder ("library"). Until my addons were in the same folder, the plugin couldn't see them.

    And you can't manually relocate the addon products from other vendors. They have to be in the original location.

    OK - so yes, all on the same drive.  Same Folder?  It's wherever DIM installed it.  If DIM doesn't install them into the folder that they are supposed to go into and manually moving them breaks everything, how does one get them into a condition where they are installed in a condition that works??  I have a technical degree, but it's not in Runtime Architecture, unfortunately. 

    So I think the part that I am missing is:
    What is the process to get all the add-ons into the same "content folder (library)"?

  • VisualdreamZVisualdreamZ Posts: 6
    edited August 2021

    Ahh!  Got it.  I just found where the Stone Features was dropped, and copied it's folder structure into the USC main folder structure, and I have options! 

    Quick screengrab from Iray preview. 

    Thanks, all.  Those bits were enough to point me where I needed to go

    blush

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    Post edited by VisualdreamZ on
  • UthgardUthgard Posts: 863

    Gogger said:

    Cross-posted.  Pacific Northwest Wookiee.

    Wow! Where did you get that wookie? That's a lovely trek through Kashyyk, now we just need tree homes.

  • UthgardUthgard Posts: 863

    VisualdreamZ said:

    So apparently saving draft is not a thing that works... Ok - let's type this *again*

    Gogger said:

    Just taking a stab at it here, but did you install via Connect, or DIM, or...? I think Connect just may be the Root of All Evil for the grief it causes.
    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive directory as UltraScenery?
    Once everything is properly installed you simply run US and where you select terrains, ecosystems etc, will have more choices - some people were tripped up when they opened US and didn't see anything new because they didn't think to scroll UP in their list, only down, but the new items got listed above their start point in the selection list.

    These were just some thoughts and even if I can't help you, the answers to these questions may let someone else help. It is worth getting US running - it is SO AWESOME!

    Good luck! 

    I concur it is pretty awesome.  Just lots of $$ hanging out that I can't figure out how to access =)

    Everything is installed with DIM (and then re-installed in Smart Content in DS).  I do prefer using Smart Content over Content Library just for the sheer ease of layout.  But after reading through a little bit of the 138 pages of these threads, I went and dug into Content Library to load US from there.  Same thing, there are no features available other than the basic 5.

    sandmanmax said:

    Mustakettu85 said:

    Gogger said:

    Are the add-ons installed to the same harddrive as UltraScenery?

    Better yet, the same content folder ("library"). Until my addons were in the same folder, the plugin couldn't see them.

    And you can't manually relocate the addon products from other vendors. They have to be in the original location.

    OK - so yes, all on the same drive.  Same Folder?  It's wherever DIM installed it.  If DIM doesn't install them into the folder that they are supposed to go into and manually moving them breaks everything, how does one get them into a condition where they are installed in a condition that works??  I have a technical degree, but it's not in Runtime Architecture, unfortunately. 

    So I think the part that I am missing is:
    What is the process to get all the add-ons into the same "content folder (library)"?

    You don't need to reinstall anything through smart content after installing with DIM, as they both access the same metadata and should appear in smart content the same way. What you are doing is reinstalling through Connect, and Studio gives Connect installations preference over any other thing you may have done prior, so that's likely where the issues came from.

    Disclaimer: as far as I know and from my own experience, I can always be wrong.

  • Uthgard said:

    You don't need to reinstall anything through smart content after installing with DIM, as they both access the same metadata and should appear in smart content the same way. What you are doing is reinstalling through Connect, and Studio gives Connect installations preference over any other thing you may have done prior, so that's likely where the issues came from.

    Disclaimer: as far as I know and from my own experience, I can always be wrong.

    My experience has proven that morphs don't load correctly.  Like SASE Sprout looked like a short version of a base Gen8 character.  I made another character from that, trying ot figure out how to make it look like Sprout, and I liked what I made and saved it.  But then when I installed the Smart Content version - Sprout loaded as expected and my new character is now - just no.   Hehe

    I suspect it's because I tried to tell DS where I wanted things stored.  And DS said "Oh that ain't happening!  Hold my beer."  So - it "works" atm, except for a few products like this.  But I think I have everything in triplicate. 

    Drive space versus a month to build out a library system I like...  Drive space is cheaper laugh

  • UthgardUthgard Posts: 863

    It's really weird that morphs don't work correctly when installed through DIM, that is most assuredly a bug, but one I am unqualified to comment on. Still, I would recommend not installing Ultrascenery add-ons through the smart content pane, but if you are already manually moving them to the working location, then that's it. If it works for you, it works, and that's the only thing that matters.

    And I wish drive space was cheaper than my time... My Daz folder is so unwieldy it would cost a fortune to have it in triplicate.

  • Fortunatwly the way I am moving it has it showing up in SmartContent.  I think I got very lucky ;)

    And the drive space wasn't cheap, that's true.  NAS + a pair of multi-TB drives did require a bit of saving.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    Installing from Smart Content (Daz Connect) after installing from DIM is just a waste of space for most products. But some products simply don't work when installed from Smart Content.

    UltraScenery and its addons should not be installed from Smart Content. HowieFarkes, the creator of UltraScenery, says as much in the first post in this thread, in his troubleshooting tips.

    I have written extensive detailed instructions for straightening out this double installation problem. The instructions are directed at the Tangy Apple Orchard addon that a user was struggling with at the time, but can be generalized to any of the addons.

  • Thanks a ton for the link.  I will definitely have a look.  I know that lots of things are double installed, but they aren't working correctly in smart content if I don't at this point.  Someday I'll find the time (and instructions) to get it all sorted out (most likely reinstalling from scratch).  But for the moment, I am limping along =)

  • Mustakettu85Mustakettu85 Posts: 2,933

    VisualdreamZ said:

    Same Folder?  It's wherever DIM installed it.  If DIM doesn't install them into the folder that they are supposed to go into and manually moving them breaks everything, how does one get them into a condition where they are installed in a condition that works??  I have a technical degree, but it's not in Runtime Architecture, unfortunately. 

     

    So I think the part that I am missing is:
    What is the process to get all the add-ons into the same "content folder (library)"?

    I forgot how many content paths DIM has defined by default... but just in case, in order to see where it's going to install things, you need to enable that little "show details" checkmark at the bottom right, so that it pops up this (very handy) panel. And there's also a settings button leading to the tab where you can manage your runtimes in DIM. As you can see, I have several on two different drives, one of them removable. Handy if you want to save space on your system drive, for example.

    And the "Installed" tab has the "Show installed files" option in the right-click menu, so that you can confirm where exactly the files ended up. If that drive is connected and the files haven't been moved manually, it will show the paths as hyperlinks, and these will open your default file explorer/commander app at the folder in question.

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  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    Mustakettu85 said:

    VisualdreamZ said:

    Same Folder?  It's wherever DIM installed it.  If DIM doesn't install them into the folder that they are supposed to go into and manually moving them breaks everything, how does one get them into a condition where they are installed in a condition that works??  I have a technical degree, but it's not in Runtime Architecture, unfortunately. 

     

    So I think the part that I am missing is:
    What is the process to get all the add-ons into the same "content folder (library)"?

    I forgot how many content paths DIM has defined by default... but just in case, in order to see where it's going to install things, you need to enable that little "show details" checkmark at the bottom right, so that it pops up this (very handy) panel. And there's also a settings button leading to the tab where you can manage your runtimes in DIM. As you can see, I have several on two different drives, one of them removable. Handy if you want to save space on your system drive, for example.

    And the "Installed" tab has the "Show installed files" option in the right-click menu, so that you can confirm where exactly the files ended up. If that drive is connected and the files haven't been moved manually, it will show the paths as hyperlinks, and these will open your default file explorer/commander app at the folder in question.

    Public Service Announcement

    Installing again from Smart Content (Daz Connect) will make all of that careful DIM configuration useless, because Daz Connect puts every product into its own folder. If you install with Daz Connect, your DIM installation will be completely ignored by Daz Studio, even though the files are properly installed in the correct location. I cannot emphasize strongly enough or say it often enough: DO NOT INSTALL ULTRASCENERY PRODUCTS WITH DAZ CONNECT. If you have already installed with Daz Connect, installing with another method is useless until you uninstall from Daz Connect. Stick to DIM and pay attention to tips like the ones provided by Mustakettu85.

  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153

    Probably gonna have to be a wee bit more specific & pictures never hurt.

    Have both of those & don't recall any issues though.

     

  • AgitatedRiotAgitatedRiot Posts: 4,437

    They just disappeared. So I uninstalled them reinstalled them. From both Daz Central and DIM. Still not showing up in UltraScenery. Doing a complete reinstall of Daz with DIM. Just to see if that fixes it.

  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153

    Ah.  Read the postings above regarding USC products & Daz Central.

    What's the purpose of Daz Central?  Even the moderators recomend NOT using it.  Silly.

     

  • AgitatedRiotAgitatedRiot Posts: 4,437

    It fixed the problem on reinstall through DIM.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    Doc Acme said:

    Ah.  Read the postings above regarding USC products & Daz Central.

    What's the purpose of Daz Central?  Even the moderators recomend NOT using it.  Silly.

     

    Don't confuse Daz Central and Daz Connect.

  • scorpioscorpio Posts: 8,418

    DoctorJellybean said:

    lukon100 said:

    Is 16gb of RAM enough to easily use UltraScenery?

    I would think so, yes. Just don't use Iray Preview, it will slow everything right down due to the instances.

    Tip: When you have created your scene, open the Render Settings pane,select the Editor tab and make sure that Instancing Optimization is set to Auto. Sometimes it changes, depends on what you have added.

    From personal experience I wouldn't leave it set to Auto, but set it to memory. 

  • sandmanmaxsandmanmax Posts: 992

    scorpio said:

    DoctorJellybean said:

    lukon100 said:

    Is 16gb of RAM enough to easily use UltraScenery?

    I would think so, yes. Just don't use Iray Preview, it will slow everything right down due to the instances.

    Tip: When you have created your scene, open the Render Settings pane,select the Editor tab and make sure that Instancing Optimization is set to Auto. Sometimes it changes, depends on what you have added.

    From personal experience I wouldn't leave it set to Auto, but set it to memory.

    Other things to try - make sure to consider anything extra you add.  People, animals, objects.  Things that are not immediately in front of the camera (as in a close-up) don't need hi-res maps, bump maps, etc.  If the skin isn't showing, completely remove the textures. If an animal is far away, don't waste memory trying to put real fur on it. Reflections are also very memory intensive.  You may want to carefully test any scenes with water.  Oh, yeah, and SubD will kill things in a heart-beat.  Save and save often!

  • memcneil70memcneil70 Posts: 4,115

    Something I learned in the recent Season Pass 2 tutorials was to make and use Billboards for background people and large props. As a newbie to GIMP it took me a bit. My thanks to a store tutorial by Linwelly that I finally went through. But that may help others who want to add in bits and bobs into US scenes. 

    Regarding the issues that are being mentioned about double-loading with DIM, Daz Connect and Daz Central. Just don't do it. I have been working with Customer Service for over a year cleaning up two Daz computers and a total file mess I made by not understanding what I was doing. And I tested Daz Central when it was released on one computer and it destroyed my file structure, taking everything back to the C: drive, where there is little space left. Daz Central is poison. Stay off-line in Daz and let updates come in by DIM. And I recommend listening to barbult's advice. She has helped pretty much everyone who has had these issues with US not seeing the add-ons.

    Mary

  • Run!

    I had to stop the render at 65% as it was rendering for 9 hours at that point.

    UltraScenery, Big Ocean and The Big Wave.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 24,244

    DoctorJellybean said:

    Run!

    I had to stop the render at 65% as it was rendering for 9 hours at that point.

    UltraScenery, Big Ocean and The Big Wave.

    The swamp ecology was perfect for that one.

  • Doc AcmeDoc Acme Posts: 1,153

    Very nice Doctor.

    I know your anguish; ya want to do more but the machine isn't willing. And I know you want to put a frigate ship being upended & rolled in the bg.

    Not an issue with this system but when I was exiled in L.A. for 6 mo. w/ just my laptop, yikes.

     

This discussion has been closed.