If there is one thing that drivers the Daz/Poser user crazy, are zip files that are not formatted correctly. I can't even tell you how many 'Freebie' items I've downloaded that are not set up right. So, here is a tutorial that will help you to create Daz/Poser compliant zip files for your products.

Follow the steps below and you can make perfect zip files every time.

Special Note:

You will need WinZip or other compression software to make zip files. If you don't have one, I would suggest the free WinZip Program.

Setup:

First thing to do is create a base zip folder. You can follow the instructions below to create it manually or download and unzip my Zip Folder Setup to your Poser 'content' folder (recommended), then skip to Step 5.

Step 1. Open Windows Explorer or My Computer. Navigate to you Daz/Poser 'content' directory. In a blank area in the folder view, right click and select New > folder. Name this new folder 'temp pcd'.

Step 2. Double click the 'temp pcd' folder you just created. Right click again in a blank area and create a folder called 'ReadMe's'. In the same folder (temp pcd), create another folder called 'Runtime' and another named 'Promos'.

Step 3. Double click on the 'Runtime' folder. Using the same procedure as in step 2, create the following folders inside the Runtime folder; Geometries, libraries, templates and textures. Be sure to use these exact names. Your directory tree should look like this;

Step 4. Double click on the 'libraries' folder and create these folders as before; character, Face, hair, Pose and Props. Your directory tree should now look like this;

Step 5. Change (or create) folders in 'Geometries and textures' to a name for all your products. For example, if your business/company/website name was ABCreations, then you should have folders inside both the Geometries and textures folders named 'ABCreations'. Don't create folders in these as the name of your item(s), you can do that inside the libraries folders.

You can delete the 'Folder for...txt files as they are just placeholders for the downloaded setup zip.

Your Daz/Poser compliant zip folder is now setup.

Instructions:

Suggestion
Text Pad 4 is a great alternitive to Notepad. Click here to get it !

Before creating your zip file
The most important thing here is that any files you are using in your product be in the correct Daz/Poser folders. Double check that all jpg images for your textures are actually in the 'textures\ABCreations' folder and not stored in My documents. I see this all too many times. This is true for obj files being in the Geometries\ABCreations folder as well.

Typical Poser file types and corresponding folder Folder: Geometries character Face lights hair Pose Props File type: .obj .cr2 .fc2 .lt2 .hr2 .pz2 .pp2

If you have texture and obj files located in other folders, move them to the correct Runtime folders and reload your item to make sure it is loading correctly. You may need to edit some files by hand to have the referenced jpg/obj point to the right place. Test and re-test.

Step 1. Readme file
Create a readme text file for your item. Name it according to what the product is, use something descriptive like, V3_swimsuit-readme.txt or ABC_swimsuit-readme.txt. If you just name it readme.txt, it will overwrite any existing file with the same name. Worse yet, the next product that someone installs on their system will more then likely overwrite YOUR readme. There are formats for readme files available online.

Creating html readme's look nice if you know how to make them. All the readme's on the MeshWorks site are done in this fashion.

Step 2. Promotional images (Optional)
You can put sample images in the 'Promo' folder. These sample images are a great way of promoting your website or future products.

Step 3. Moving your files
Open Windows explorer and navigate to the 'content\temp pcd' folder. Make sure none of the folders contain any files. When everything checks out, drag-n-drop all the necessary files to the corresponding folders. Don't worry about moving the files, you will replace them when testing your zip file. Check again to make sure everything is there for your product.

Step 4. Creating Daz/Poser compliant zip file
Using WinZip (or other compression software), select the option to Save folder/path information and Keep original files. This is VERY important. Next, navigate to the 'Program files\Zip Folder\content'. Highlight the Promo, Readme's and Runtime folders. Don't select the 'content' folder.

Click the Create/Zip button. Save the zip file with an appropriate name that is descriptive of your product. Don't use Self-Extracting zip files (most users will not download it, as it may contain a virus). Your new zip file should now be located in the 'Zip Folder/content' directory. If it is not, then you probably did something wrong. Go back and try it again.

Step 5. Test your zipped file
Using your zip program, decompress/unzip the file to your Daz/Poser content folder.Check to see that everything went to the right place. Load your item and make sure it is working correctly. If you missed something, like a texture, add it and zip the folders again using the same zip file name.

That's it. Your product is ready for market..

Hint:

temp pcd folder (Poser content directory).
For Daz Studio users. You can add this folder to your content directories list. In Daz Studio, select Edit > Preferences > Directories tab to open the directories panel. Click the 'poser related' tab and add it here. Click Accept. The 'temp pcd' folder will now show up with your other content directories and will work the same way as any other content directory.

This is a great place to unzip any new products you download so you can confirm the files are in the right locations, then manually move the files to your main content directories.

P3dO Explorer (by SensoSoft)
Great product for managing your Daz/Poser content directories. Best of all, it's free to download. Click here to see a screenshot.

File Structure:

...	Daz Studio
		content
			temp pcd
				Promo				Sample Images
				ReadMe's				Descriptive name readme text
				Runtime
					Geometries
						Design Name		For all your products obj files
					libraries *
						character		.cr2 files
						Face		.fc2 files
						hair		.hr2 files
						Pose		.pz2 files
						Props		.pp2 files
					textures
						Design Name		For all your products jpg files

* Camera and lights folders not included.

Still Need Help:

Meshworks can test your zip files for you if needed. Email the zipped item to the address below. You will get a response within two days with any suggestions or comments we may have.

Requirements:

Usage:

This tutorial may not be re-distributed without my express permission, and under no circumstances are these works to be included, in part or whole, in any bundled or commercial 3D product. Please don't sell it or claim this work as your own.

Please feel free to contact me with any comments, feedback or suggestions through Email or the online form at the website.

support@krown-products.net

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