Before you can view the content in your Content folder, it seems logical that you need to install content that you can view. When you download DAZ Studio from the DAZ web site, you are also provided with a separate download file that contains a wealth of content.

The Preferences dialog contains a Directories tab that allows you to work with your available content directories. To open the Preferences dialog, choose Edit > Preferences. Click the Directories tab, which is described in the sections that follow. The top button allows you to select from one of three content categories to add or remove:

• DAZ Studio Content Directories: Choose this option to view or add folders that contain content that is created specifically for DAZ Studio. File extensions include .daz, .ds, and .dsb content.
  
  

• Poser Content Directories: Choose this option to view or add folders that contain Poser content. Examples of several external Poser content folders. DAZ Studio recognizes all Poser Runtime folders and supports all file formats for Poser 4 and earlier versions. While DAZ Studio will also include Runtime folders for Poser 5 and later versions, DAZ Studio does not fully support features contained in the later versions (such as dynamic hair, dynamic clothing, or procedural materials created in the Poser Material Room). Click the Search button to have DAZ Studio search automatically for any folders on your hard drive that include a folder named Runtime. Those folders will then be added to the available Poser Content Directories area.
  
  

• Other Imported Content Directories: This option lists the currently available content folders that do not fall into the above categories. For example, you can create folders to organize supported third-party models on any available drive.
  
  

Several buttons on the bottom of the Directories tab are common to all of the content categories. These buttons are:

• Add: Click the Add button to open a standard Browse dialog. , which allows you to select your desired folder. When mapping Poser content, you should select the folder above the Runtime folder. For example, for the path X:\My Poser Stuff\Projects\Runtime, you would select and map the Projects folder to make the content within it available inside DAZ Studio.
• Remove: To remove a folder from the list of available content folders, select a folder and click Remove. You can later use the Add button to add this folder again at any time. When you remove a folder from the DAZ Studio content list, you do not actually remove the data within the folder on your hard disk.
• Remove All: To remove all folders stored in the current list, click Remove All. You will not actually remove the data within the folders on your hard disk..
• Automatically Refresh Content Folders: This option is useful if you want to add assets while DAZ Studio is running. You won’t have to switch in and out of a given folder to refresh its content list. The refresh time is dependent on how many expanded folders there are in the Content Tab, computer speed, and (if applicable) network traffic conditions. It is also useful for teams who are sharing assets from a single source, such as on a common network drive. Note that using this option may slow down interface interaction while the update occurs, depending on network speed if the content being refreshed is on a network drive.
• Click for Interactive Help: Click this button, and then click an item in the Preferences dialog to view a pop-up window that displays information about that feature.
• Apply: Click the Apply button to apply any changes you have made to your content directories. You can then make changes in other Preferences tabs.
• Accept: Click the Accept button to accept any changes you have made to your content directories. This option will close the Preferences dialog.
• Cancel: Click Cancel to exit the Preferences dialog immediately. You will lose any unsaved changes made to your content folders.

When you purchase content from DAZ 3D, it is distributed in Windows executable files (EXE extension) or in SIT format for Macintosh users. The setup process is self-explanatory, as the setup wizard guides you through the process of choosing the folders that will store your content. You can install your content in the default DAZ Studio content folder, or into an external Content directory in any folder that lies outside the DAZ Studio installation folder. If you install your content into a folder that DAZ Studio does not yet recognize as a content folder, you may need to use the Edit > Preferences command as described earlier to add the new content folder to your directory lists.

Another important thing to mention is that DAZ content is compatible with DAZ Studio and Poser. Products that are more recent may include a separate file that contains the DAZ Studio-specific files such as material settings. When you order a product from DAZ, check to see if there are separate files included with the product that have the letters DS toward the end of the file name. Install the files along with the base product if you plan on using the product in DAZ Studio.

When you purchase content from third party developers that sell their products at stores other than DAZ, they are typically distributed in ZIP files. Most often, they are configured to be compatible with the Poser® library structure, meaning that all files are placed beneath a folder that begins with a Runtime folder. Many users of DAZ Studio extract these files into external folders so that they can use the same content in both DAZ Studio and Poser. Even if you intend on using this content in DAZ Studio, it may be beneficial to install them to an external folder of your choosing. Afterward, you will have to use the Edit > Preferences command to add the new Poser content folder to your directory lists.