Importing DBZ Files Directly

Getting the DAZ Importer up and running is a bit more complicated then using a normal importer. We must Copy Scripts folder to DAZ Studio, Save Scene in DAZ Studio, and Export To Blender. Those are the steps that any export script would need to do. But the DAZ Importer also required two extra steps, Save the DAZ root paths in DAZ Studio, and also Setting up the DAZ root paths in Blender. Those steps are necessary because the DAZ assets are not stored in the duf file. Instead the duf file contains pointers to the actual assets relative to the root paths. So knowing the root paths is necessary to find the assets.

However, the extra steps have been automated in the development version, which means that the DAZ Importer behaves more like a normal importer: export the dbz file from DAZ Studio and import it into Blender. The root paths are stored inside the dbz file, provided that you copy the latest version of the Export To Blender script a the DAZ Studio scripts folder. Older dbz files can also be imported, but in that case the root paths must be set up correctly first.

When we now press Easy Import DAZ or Import DAZ Manually, we notice two differences:

• The file list contains dbz files instead of duf files and pictures.
• The Mesh Fitting option is gone. 
  

The default root paths are probably not correct. Previously we had to set up the root paths manually, or export the root paths from DAZ Studio and load them into Blender. This is no longer necessary if we use the latest version of the Export To Blender script, because the root paths are now stored inside the dbz file. If we import an older dbz file it is still necessary to set up the correct root paths.

After the dbz file has been imported, the root paths are updated.

There are two new global settings that control the behaviour.

• Only DBZ Files. If disabled the file selector looks like it used to, showing duf and dsf files and images. The Mesh Fitting option is also shown.
• Root Paths From DBZ. If enabled the plugin uses the root paths in the dbz file, otherwise the root paths in the global settings are used.

Here is the file selector if DBZ Files Only is disabled. The file selector contains duf files and pictures. The Mesh Fitting options are shown.