Metadata is defined as the supplemental information related to one or more content files that is stored independently of the files themselves. It allows for flexible organization of user-facing assets into distinct categories without changing their location on disk, and is vital for establishing connections between compatible assets, such as pairing clothing items with figures or textures with clothing items.

For example, a file named “Crazyheart.duf” does not provide enough information on its own to determine whether it is a Character Preset or a Pose Preset. Nor does it indicate its compatibility with other assets. The filename is not descriptive enough to convey its contents. By leveraging the content_management_service to associate metadata with each file, information about the file and its contents can be displayed and used to improve the experience of working with it. After metadata is applied to “Crazyheart.duf,” detailing its category, compatibility and content type, Daz Studio recognizes it as a Material(s) Preset for a cartoon-style horse.

Metadata is important because it allows you to work smarter and more efficiently - the Smart Content pane provides contextual, filterable, access to files and products by way of metadata.

The vast majority of products in the Daz 3D store include metadata. It is not uncommon for products to recieve metadata updates, or for products that did not previoulsy include metadata to have it added. Products from other sources that do not include metadata will not appear in the Smart Content Pane (Tab) -but do appear in the Content Library pane.

There are several ways within the application to create metadata. The most complete way of creating metadata is through the Content DB Editor... action.