Access and Activate Content with Smart Content Manager
STEPS TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE:
Install CC5 Launch it Access my 1,000+ purchased packs as well as my custom content using Smart Content Manager
ACTUAL RESULT:
A) Either Smart Content Manager does not load after installation; or B) Smart Content Manager loads but requires downloading all 1,000+ of my purchased asset packs manually, or C) Smart Content Manager does not load at all and advises the user to reinstall CC5. Item C was the most recent result, and now none of my content is available within the software after working on this issue for 5 days. This issue constitutes a work stoppage.
DESCRIPTION:
A) Smart Content Manager loaded inconsistently upon launch. Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't.
B) Activating multiple files was an option in previous CC versions. Trying to learn how to do this in CC5 leads the user on a fruitless chase through product Help, Google, and forums. The Help file refers to a sparse page in the CC5 manual. That page links to the Smart Content Manager Help, which is out of date by its own admission at the end of the article. Other support venues are very difficult to find. Opening a Support ticket on the RL website only yields a promise to refer the issue to the developers with no mention of a response timeframe.
C) After spending days downloading all 1,000+ of my packs manually, I sustained a repetitive stress injury on my mouse hand. Also I now get a black screen on the Content tab with a message in white letters:
"Smart Content Manager [w/blue logo]. Failed to initialize the Content Manager. Please reinstall Character Creator or contact Reallusion customer support." (See attached screen shot.)
It seems that this message did not appear until my purchased content was fully installed. Now I am unable to access any of my content - paid or custom - through the software.
. Other than CC5, I have not added other software to my system since 8/27, the day I purchased it. No other 3D or video software has been running during this time, except iC8 and RL Hub. All software and plugins are up-to-date via the RL Hub, which itself has been operating eratically where CC5 is concerned.
. Smart Content Manager was problematic in iC8 (New Purchase tab) for the first 2 days after installing CC5, but the issue has since been resolved, presumably by the developers.
. CC4 is installed on this system, but I have not run it since installing CC5.
. RL software is installed on this system's C: drive. Paid and custom content are installed on an external hard drive, and the software accurately points to the correct path. That drive is reliable. Until Smart Content Manager completely crashed today, paid content was not activated but I could see and manage my custom content from within the software. That option is now gone.
EXPECTED RESULT:
A) Expect Smart Content Manager to load consistently upon CC5 launch.
B) Expect Smart Content Manager to allow the user to activate purchased content packs with one command and without sustaining a repetitive stress injury from downloading a large number of packs manually.
C) Expect to be able to access accurate, up-to-date Help articles - especially not ones that acknowledge their information is out of date. Expect to easily find links to current product information, the feedback tracker, and the product forum.
D) Expect to install CC5 only one time, as opposed to 8 or 10 times, and receive access to both purchased and custom activated content through the Smart Content Manager without incident.
E) Expect to be able to uninstall CC5 via the RL Hub and have the process conclude on its own without having to uninstall/reinstall RL Hub.
SYSTEM INFORMATION:
Dell Precision 7920 Tower PC Windows 11 256GB RAM NVIDIA Quadro P5000 16GB VRAM Resolution: 3840x2160 Dual Intel Xeon Gold 648 CPUs @ 2.4GHz each Reallusion Hub v.5.5.4420.1
Thank you for your reply. I became aware of the Feedback Tracker only after I had opened a Support ticket. I appreciate your help.
The Content Manager has become active again on its own. I have selected multiple packs (about 500 or so) to download. The pace is unusually slow, but there does seem to be some progress according to the Installing List.
When the Content Manager failed to initialize, it happened only after I had completely downloaded all of my purchased packs. It would at least launch before they were installed; once they were downloaded, that's when the Content Manager failed. Since my library download is still in progress, we'll just have to wait to see if the failure repeats itself. There are 1,185 packs, total.
In response to my Support ticket, a technician conferred with developers on the issues I'm having. They told me that CC5 would recognize my content as already installed; all I had to do was double-click on a pack and it would immediately become accessible. Re-downloading my purchased packs would not be necessary.
However this is not the experience I'm having. Despite the fact that the file location for my content packs is accurate, CC5 persists in re-downloading my assets at a snail's pace.
CC5 Help does not cover this situation adequately. Articles about downloading content are scarce. The one relevant file that I found was out of date and therefore irrelevant.
System information is included in my previous post. I will update you on the Content Manager status once my assets have finished installing.
Thanks.
Feedback Tracker Admin
Hi ohlive,
Does this issue still persist? If it does, please provide us with the information so we can further investigate.
Allen
Reallusion
Feedback Tracker Admin
Thank you for your feedback.
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope it can be sorted out shortly.
Is the Smart Content Manager "Initialize Fail" issue still occurring?
If the problem persists, please provide the contents of the CMS folder at the following location to help us investigate:
C:\ProgramData\Reallusion\CMS
Please provide your system information file to help us identify the problem. Here is the description about how to get your system information file.
https://www.reallusion.com/FeedBackTracker/Home/HowToGet
You can use cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive to make the files available to us and add the link in your next comment. you can use private comment if you want to keep it private.
In addition, regarding the content download issue, you can use "Ctrl + Left Click" to select multiple packs, then right-click and choose Install to download them all at once.
Allen
Reallusion
1
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