I need a super simple way to install zip files
I just bought a few things from Renderosity tonight and I've been literally up all night (currently 4am) trying to figure out how to get those files into DAZ.
I had previously installed a couple Zips from DAZ's website and that wasnt too bad, but this is giving me fits.
I have studied various tutorials and watched youtube videos and none have them have helped me at all.
And I think I buggered one up pretty bad trying to do it on my own.
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Open your DAZ library in one Explorer window.
Open the Zip in another one.
Make sure you are matching the folder structure between them.
Drag-n-Drop the Zip content into the library.
Simples.
Unzip the file in a temp folder.
Look at the extracted files and folders to find the root folder, which is the one which will contain the main folders like Runtime, data, people...
Take everything inside that root folder and move it to your Daz content directory root folder, so that existing folders are merged (Runtime merges with your existing Runtime folder, data merges with data, and so on). Content should now be available in content library tab. Reimport metadata in case there are some provided with the new content, if not you'll have to add it to smart content yourself.
Note that the content directory you install too can not be the connect library, you can't install content manually there.
You can also purchase this product which will help you install content and create metadata for Smart Content tab: https://www.daz3d.com/content-wizard
Sounds good except I don't know whay this means:"make sure you are matching the folder structure between them"
I have no folder marked as Daz Content Directory.
I have DAZ3D>Studio, then in Studio I have My Daz Connect Library, My Library, and Render Library. I'm assuming it is not Render Library because that's where the results of my experimentation have gone.
Instructions for manual installation
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/7671511/#Comment_7671511
"Content library" is a generic term for a directory setup as content directory in DS preferences. Different people use different folders.
From the folders you're listing it would likely be the "My library" folder.
OK I've already done that. It doesn't work. When I got to DAZ to install it, it says the file is not there.
That's one of the first instructions I found. It doesn't work.
Install what? Or do you mean load? If you are getting an error on loading, assuming the thing you are installing is complete in itself and not an addon, then that probably means that you have an extra folder that shouldn't be there - the Data, Runtime, and any other folders at the same level of the zip are what needs to go in your content directory (on Windows you can just drag them theer and then tell Windows to merge them when it asks; Mac users need to work their way down to the folders thata re not already present before copying anything across)
LOL I did. I bought it and when I click on 'Download and Install' nothing happens.
I'm afraid to try to manually install it because I might have yet another file I can't use because I can't put zip files in Daz because no instructions work.
More money wasted.
It sounds like this is where you are going wrong - if you are not using Content Wizard (or similar plugin/script) then you won't be using Daz to install it. Check the link that was posted again as you need to manually merge the folders in the filesystem.
I have Windows 10. No it doesn't say anything about merging. I have read about this merging thing before in instructions. My version of Windows 10 doesn't seem to have that feature.
This is beyond frustrating. I'm about to give up on all of this and go back to Clip Studio.
Right now, my files are unzipped, I think. Because of the numerous tutorials i've tried which didn't work.
This includes the instructions from the vendors, which are the first ones I tried and they failed. I have already contacted the vendors about this. No replies yet.
When applicable, I have contacted those online about their instructions as well. No replies yet.
I want to take my computer outside and set it on fire.
"Manually merge the files in the filesystem"
I don't know what that means.
That seems like a strange reaction. I would just advise to stick to assets from the Daz store for now since you can use one of the 3 installation methods to bring that content into Daz easily. Third-party assets obviously take some extra work and so you need to be prepared for that. Daz gives you the software for free and makes money on the asset sales from their store so obviously are not going to go out of their way to make it easy for you to bring in items purchased elsewhere - however, fortunately they do not go out of their way to block/hinder it either.
Again, Daz itself cannot be used to install third-party assets. You have to do it manually or use Content Wizard (or similar plugin/script). If you have Content Wiazrd then you can install it using your preferred install method DIM/Connect/Central - however, you should then read the PDF to understand how to use it - it makes things easier but not foolproof.
The instructions do work, but where are you looking for the stuff you have installed?
If you are looking in 'Smart' Content or Products/Categories in Content Library, the stuff doesn't necessary show there. You must look in "DAZ Studio Formats->My Library" (assuming the name of your content library is My Library)
You can also look in the installation Zip to see, where the content has been installed (not in Data or Runtime)
Maybe if you told us, what product it is, we could help you find it.
OK I had to manually download it as a zip file because it wouldn't let me downlaod and install. I love the irony of having to install a zip file in order to install zip files.
Yes I have them in My Library. And that's where they sit. I have read instrustions and watched videos about this over and over again.
And that's where they sit.
I have them possibly snaggled up because one tutuorial said to create a folder for the files for one item and put the contents in that, which failed
I jave another folder which is another item in itself, which a different tutorial said to do, which also failed.
I don't think it's a strange reaction at all. It took me three weeks of trial and error just to learn the basics of how to use Daz. Three weeks of blindly poking at this and that and taking notes of what happened, then observing the results. Why? Because none of the tutorials I found anywhere worked. I had to systemaically try one thing after another until I got it on my own. I would occasionally find a tutorial which had at least one or two things which worked, and I'd make a note of that. One of the reasons, I found, they didn't work was because they were using a different layout than I was. Good to know. That's why they had me clicking things I didn't have. I eventually learned how to find that in multiple layouts, but not always. The next thing I figured out was they were probably using their own customized layouts. Also good to know. It took me longer to work around that, but I got it. Now I'm dealing with another puzzle and this one is much, much worse.
LOL I downloaded the Content Wizard.
Another zip file! LOL
If you had put the folders in the right place, with the pre-existing folders, then Windows would have told you that there was already a folder of that name present and asked you what to do. if you don't get the pop up when trying to add the new content to an existing content directory then you are definitely not using the correct destination or are copying the wrong folders from the zip.
I will delete those folders and try this again from scratch. I need to know exactly what to do.
The instructions I posted, tell you everything you need to do.
Well, having customisable layouts for a program interface is hardly new or even suprising for someone familiar with computers. In fact I think you'd probably stuggle to find any decently-size application that DOESN'T have a configurable interface. Even Clip Studio, which you said you would return to (despite it not being a similar application) appears to have a customisable interface.
There is an argument that the tutorials/documentation have been lacking, but to say they do not work would be incorrect. When I was first learning I found plenty of videos freely-available on YouTube to help learn the basics - you should probably seek those out to help you get more familiar with the system. There is an official video series now but I believe it is for Daz+ members only so perhaps not suitable for you.
Also, three weeks is not much time at all. Unless you have an experienced background in other 3D software then you will need much more time than that to get familiar with the software.
Of course it is a zip file since you have specifically selected the manual install option. If you don't want to manually install that then you need to use Daz Install Manager, Daz Central or even Daz Connect. Pick one, and only one, of those to install all content purchased from the Daz Store and then you will not have to worry about zip files for Daz Store assets.
However, my suggestion would be to avoid purchasing anything from outside the Daz store until you are more familiar and confident with both the Daz software and how things are installed. It seems like you are trying to run before you can walk since the answer to your main question is just that there is no "super-easy" way to install third-party content. There are tools to make it easier than doing everything manually but it will never be fool-proof - mainly because some of the authors of products from other stores are either unfamiliar with how to package up things for Daz or are just rubbish at it - so you will need to be able to identify and account for these situations.
Why not use Install Manager? (Almost) anthing you purchase from Daz will be available through that.
I had no choice but to use the manually install option. That's the only way it would download.
Now I don't know what to do with it.
Actually, I think that's not right. I have to download a zipl file and figure out how to install it in order to install zip files. Huh?
If you select the manual install option then you MUST manually install it. In which case please refer to the instructions previously posted in the thread which do work.
If you do not want to manually install it then you can use one of the three installation methods already mentioned. I prefer to use DIM (Daz install Manager) and have used this to install every one of my daz-store purchased products with minimal issues. Other people prefer Daz Central and there are others that prefer Daz Connect (the one that is in-built into Daz itself). Pretty sure any of these three would install Content Wizard for you so I have no idea why you keep downloading the zip file.
I HAD to select the Manual Install Option because that was the only download option which worked.