Question How to avoid duplicates in different .var Files?
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Hi,
the .var files were originally meant to reduce duplicates and redundant stuff. Unfortunately it is not always used in the right way, or simply not possible.
For instance, to make a .var of a certain look, you should originally only link to an other .var file including the skin, a second one including the morphs, a third one including the hair, aso, so that ideally your .var file only includes the bare scene. This is the thing that leads to downloadable content with dozens of dependencies and additional downloads, including additional unneccessary stuff that you might not want.
To makes this work, every content creator strictly would have to follow this pattern and, if he is creating new custom stuff including different elements, he should ideally share all different elements in a separate .var, so you could only use his hair style, but not his 200mb skin, for instance.
You see how complicated and sometimes unlikable this is/would be, and a source for all those dependencies errors popping up.
This will result in an uproar from some peoples, but: yes, you can unpack .var files.
If you unpack it into the VaM folder, it will includes its stuff into the appropriate folder locations. If you do so. this could avoid duplicates like morphs you allready have or ten times the same skripts.
But at the same time you will loose the option to simply remove all that stuff with only deleting one single. var file, which surely will lead to disk cluttering, too.
In addition to this, unpacking .var files can result in breaking the scenes and stuff not working for certain reasons.
An other possible way, and also not without dangers and people don't like it, is to edit the .var files.
I do this often to reduce the file size of badly optimized textures, for instance. No need for a 24mb 4k texture for only a pair of socks or a belt. With this, I often shrink some .var files to only a fraction of its former size.
The safest way to do this IMHO, is to open the .var with a good zip tool (I have linked the .var file ending with those zip tool, so that I can open them with only clicking them), extract the included folder you want to edit to a empty folder somewhere on your drive, edit the stuff, and then drag and drop the folder back into the (left open) zip tool again. Press "do you want to include it in the zip file" and "overwrite all". After that close the .var file and the stuff is replaced without re-packing it or changing the compression methode. Not all zip tool can do this, btw.
In the same way, you can delete redundant stuff from the .var file... if the scene will link to stuff that is allready in your "custom" folder, it might find it there. If not, you will get an error message.
Be warned, that this can break some stuff, too. This is something for experienced users.
The most obvious methode to save space, is to skip some of the dependencies. This will lead to a ton of (most of the time harmless) error messages, but sometimes it doesn't help. "I only want that great scene but not that ugly look and clothes, cause I will instantly replace it with my own looks, anyways."
To repair a scene ripped in that "brutal" way, open it and replace the stuff that does not work, then save it again. This will not reduce the error messages at VaM start-up, because those are from the .var files.
If you want to get rid if them, edit the scene files inside the .var files and remove the missing entries.
In the oppinion of some creators all of this already violates their copyrights, but IMHO "what I do on my own PC will stay on my own PC." Needless to say, don't share those edited stuff!
Only do those things if you know what you do. No guarantee at all. You do this on your own risk. You most certainly will break some of that stuff!
Nevertheless, always show respect to the creators. It is a lot of work and we have to be happy that the yshare that stuff! And, needless to say, never ever downvote them or bother them with nasty questions for issues you have produced yourself.
the .var files were originally meant to reduce duplicates and redundant stuff. Unfortunately it is not always used in the right way, or simply not possible.
For instance, to make a .var of a certain look, you should originally only link to an other .var file including the skin, a second one including the morphs, a third one including the hair, aso, so that ideally your .var file only includes the bare scene. This is the thing that leads to downloadable content with dozens of dependencies and additional downloads, including additional unneccessary stuff that you might not want.
To makes this work, every content creator strictly would have to follow this pattern and, if he is creating new custom stuff including different elements, he should ideally share all different elements in a separate .var, so you could only use his hair style, but not his 200mb skin, for instance.
You see how complicated and sometimes unlikable this is/would be, and a source for all those dependencies errors popping up.
This will result in an uproar from some peoples, but: yes, you can unpack .var files.
If you unpack it into the VaM folder, it will includes its stuff into the appropriate folder locations. If you do so. this could avoid duplicates like morphs you allready have or ten times the same skripts.
But at the same time you will loose the option to simply remove all that stuff with only deleting one single. var file, which surely will lead to disk cluttering, too.
In addition to this, unpacking .var files can result in breaking the scenes and stuff not working for certain reasons.
An other possible way, and also not without dangers and people don't like it, is to edit the .var files.
I do this often to reduce the file size of badly optimized textures, for instance. No need for a 24mb 4k texture for only a pair of socks or a belt. With this, I often shrink some .var files to only a fraction of its former size.
The safest way to do this IMHO, is to open the .var with a good zip tool (I have linked the .var file ending with those zip tool, so that I can open them with only clicking them), extract the included folder you want to edit to a empty folder somewhere on your drive, edit the stuff, and then drag and drop the folder back into the (left open) zip tool again. Press "do you want to include it in the zip file" and "overwrite all". After that close the .var file and the stuff is replaced without re-packing it or changing the compression methode. Not all zip tool can do this, btw.
In the same way, you can delete redundant stuff from the .var file... if the scene will link to stuff that is allready in your "custom" folder, it might find it there. If not, you will get an error message.
Be warned, that this can break some stuff, too. This is something for experienced users.
The most obvious methode to save space, is to skip some of the dependencies. This will lead to a ton of (most of the time harmless) error messages, but sometimes it doesn't help. "I only want that great scene but not that ugly look and clothes, cause I will instantly replace it with my own looks, anyways."
To repair a scene ripped in that "brutal" way, open it and replace the stuff that does not work, then save it again. This will not reduce the error messages at VaM start-up, because those are from the .var files.
If you want to get rid if them, edit the scene files inside the .var files and remove the missing entries.
In the oppinion of some creators all of this already violates their copyrights, but IMHO "what I do on my own PC will stay on my own PC." Needless to say, don't share those edited stuff!
Only do those things if you know what you do. No guarantee at all. You do this on your own risk. You most certainly will break some of that stuff!
Nevertheless, always show respect to the creators. It is a lot of work and we have to be happy that the yshare that stuff! And, needless to say, never ever downvote them or bother them with nasty questions for issues you have produced yourself.
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Thank you for your detailed answer. I understand the problem with the var files but if you are right, I have not so many duplicates and the vam stuff is filling and filling. 
My respect to the creator for that work. I tried it to create own stuff, but I need more time to learn und to create.
Some of your ideas I will try next time.
My respect to the creator for that work. I tried it to create own stuff, but I need more time to learn und to create.
Some of your ideas I will try next time.
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lifesuckz69
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I am gonna latch onto this thread instead of making a new one, since it fits the topic: How about all those plugins with different versions? Can I safely delete all the older ones? Like I have 10 or so Embody by now XD
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