VaM 1.x Tool to remove duplicates

[vamp3003]

Hi all, is there a tool that I can use to remove/highlight var duplicates? I see many vars that have been updated over time and I rather just have the latest version instead of all these copies taking up space

 

[atani]

Different versions of something are not duplicates.
Depending on the creator's choice, a VAR may call for a specific version of a dependency, and if you remove it it will ask again to download it. You have these options, each with its own pros and cons:

• Keep the versions and call it a day; plugins tend to be the ones with many versions and they're tiny in size compared to other types of resources
• Use package manager and per VAR check the box to not give errors about dependencies and you delete the older versions
• Change the meta.json inside each VAR to have the dependencies call for "latest"
• Use external tools that may do something about this

 

[SlimerJSpud]

For plugins, the default is to call a specific version. Deleting old versions of plugins causes all kinds of extra work and nuisance. For things like hair, clothing, Assets, even looks and scenes, it's usually safe to delete old versions. The caveat is if you save your own presets that call some dependency by version, removing things can cause issues. If you identify something that looks like it's not needed, move it to some other folder outside AddonPackages to see if there's any downside. If there is, drag it back. I use one called "000Holding" for that. The few automated approaches to removing old versions I've tried were a disaster. Sometimes you just gotta march in there with the hip boots on and shovel out the muck.

There's a Python script that lists dependencies for vars. It works with a full name, part of a name, or you can let it wail on the whole folder (not recommended). I use this a lot.

Script for listing all dependencies

For a while I've been thinking of making a script that can list all dependencies in all vars and presets, or list which vars depend on a specific var. After getting inspired by le_hibous pyhton script (https://hub.virtamate.com/threads/too-many-heap-sections.38525/#post-108718), I finally got...

hub.virtamate.com

 

[vamp3003]

Yeah I agree I tried the different numbers approach and yup it broke stuff so I reverted it.
Not the end of the world, I do have a VAM SSD anyway but is getting filled up

 

[Anand]

Yeah I agree I tried the different numbers approach and yup it broke stuff so I reverted it.
Not the end of the world, I do have a VAM SSD anyway but is getting filled up

It's more work, but I would recommend that you get rid of old versions of Looks and Scenes. (I totally agree that plugins should be kept because of dependency issues). Look and Scene VARs contain duplicate morphs that jam up VAM's load time and stability. It is worthwhile to use a tool to identify and remove them from AddonPackages.

Or you can "offload" them with Browser Assist's VAR Manager function or use Var Browser. Offloading is great because none of the duplicates are exposed to the VAM program until you need that file as a dependency.

 

[SlimerJSpud]

The issue with morphs is when creators check the box to pre-load morphs when they don't need to. Any var that does that without having "morphs" in the name is suspect. You can use package manager to go through each one and uncheck that box for ordinary looks. It's in package manager under user preferences for the current selected item. There's no automated way to do that either. I found a bunch like that.