topic Re: Module files in Project data & BIM

Module files

Tom Krowka — Tue, 30 May 2023 11:03:37 GMT

I have selected several drawing elements and saved them as a module. When I open the module, I see have all the layers, layer combinations, etc. of the drawing I saved it out of.

Is there I way I can save a stripped down version of that module that will have only the layers of the elements that I saved, and the layer combination that was used at the time?

That way when I insert it into a different drawing, it won't bring all the extra layers with it.

Re: Module files

TomWaltz — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:11:02 GMT

Tom

this is weird, but technically, you do. The Module always shows the project attributes (layers, line types, composites, etc) of the last file you were in. The only ones that actually exist in the .MOD file are the ones that are used.

If you are doing "Save selection as Module" then you should only see layers created if something is actually on that layer in the module. If you are not, I'm not sure why. I've never seen a problem with that before.

Re: Module files

Tom Krowka — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:39:26 GMT

Tom:

I'm pretty sure that is what is going on. There is a check box in the save dialgoue box when saving the module. I'm really not too sure what it's asking me to do. Should it be checked on or off. It says something about hotlinking to a saved file?

Re: Module files

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 23:41:13 GMT

Tom wrote:
I have selected several drawing elements and saved them as a module. When I open the module, I see have all the layers, layer combinations, etc. of the drawing I saved it out of.

Is there I way I can save a stripped down version of that module that will have only the layers of the elements that I saved, and the layer combination that was used at the time?

That way when I insert it into a different drawing, it won't bring all the extra layers with it.

In my experience modules have only ever contained the used attributes. I have never heard of modules carrying layer combination attributes.

You say that you "open" the module? Do you mean insert or merge? Or are you opening a blank document to place the module into? This would retains all the latest file's attributes. The only other thing I can think of is that you are merging a PLN, which will contain all those attributes.

Re: Module files

TomWaltz — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 23:42:53 GMT

Tom

what the checkbox is asking is whether or not you want to replace the elements you currently have selected with the new Module you have created, or if you want to keep them as individual elements.

Re: Module files

Tom Krowka — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 13:45:28 GMT

When I say "open" I open the module drawing just like a typical .pln drawing. I need to make a few adjustments to the module, then save it again as a .mod file. Maybe that's where all the extra layers are coming from. If so, then all those layers show up on the drawing (.pln) that I merge the module into.

Do I need some kind of default empty file to open the .mod file to work on it.....or something like that?

I know for sure that the items I selected to create the module had no more than 5 layers, yet when I open the .mod file (see above) there's a bunch of layers that were on the original drawing.

Re: Module files

TomWaltz — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:10:04 GMT

When I say "open" I open the module drawing just like a typical .pln drawing. I need to make a few adjustments to the module, then save it again as a .mod file. Maybe that's where all the extra layers are coming from. If so, then all those layers show up on the drawing (.pln) that I merge the module into.

Do I need some kind of default empty file to open the .mod file to work on it.....or something like that?

I know for sure that the items I selected to create the module had no more than 5 layers, yet when I open the .mod file (see above) there's a bunch of layers that were on the original drawing.

Tom

That's correct, when you open the MOD file, you will see a lot more layers than are actually stored in the MOD file (which I think is a bug in and of itself). If those layers are being imported into the file the MOD is placed into, then it's another bug. That should not be happening.

Re: Module files

Tom Krowka — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:35:03 GMT

I guess the only thing I can do is delete the unused layers in the .mod file. That drawing also has all the pens, materials, walls, everything. That makes the file size pretty big, which seems to be a contradiction to what a module should do.

Maybe I'm expecting it work the same as a block in Autocad, which I used to use. The operation to save is the same, but the file size would be tiny in comparison to the drawing, like 10kb.

Re: Module files

TomWaltz — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:50:10 GMT

In all honesty, our office switched to using PLN files for hotlinks, because we felt MOD files were too unpredictable.

We have one PLN with many stories, and place what would have been a single MOD file on each story. A whole folder full of MOD files is now all in one PLN.

The performance diffference was minimal, and the end result was far more predictable.

The only downside is that instead of using the "Save selection as module" commands, you have to cut/paste from one file to the other, then create a new hotlink yourself.

Re: Module files

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:08:20 GMT

To make the story even stranger...

I created a module, then opened the module in a new instance of ArchiCAD. It had all kinds of extra layer, fill, linetype, etc information in it, so I purged everything that I knew was unused -- which was everything except 3 layers because the drawing is all 2D.

Now the strange part: BEFORE I purged the module it's size was 9.64K, AFTER the purge its size changed to 10.6K. What the.....?

Re: Module files

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:11:35 GMT

And another question...

I see that there is supposed to be a 2DL extension. It sounds to me like this would be the perfect format for simple 2D details -- small and easy. However, there is no way that I can find to save to this format. What am I missing? Is this worth pursuing?

Re: Module files

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:33:18 GMT

TomWaltz wrote:
We have one PLN with many stories, and place what would have been a single MOD file on each story. A whole folder full of MOD files is now all in one PLN.

The performance diffference was minimal, and the end result was far more predictable.

The only downside is that instead of using the "Save selection as module" commands, you have to cut/paste from one file to the other, then create a new hotlink yourself.

Isn't it easier to just create a view set with views for each module, and use Publisher to create all MOD files in one step?

Karl

Re: Module files

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:34:44 GMT

Jay wrote:
And another question...

I see that there is supposed to be a 2DL extension. It sounds to me like this would be the perfect format for simple 2D details -- small and easy. However, there is no way that I can find to save to this format. What am I missing? Is this worth pursuing?

Actually, MOD is small and easy (too). Just create a Publisher set for the 2D details and publish them to MOD files for use elsewhere.

Karl

Re: Module files

TomWaltz — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:55:08 GMT

Karl wrote:
TomWaltz wrote:
We have one PLN with many stories, and place what would have been a single MOD file on each story. A whole folder full of MOD files is now all in one PLN.

The performance diffference was minimal, and the end result was far more predictable.

The only downside is that instead of using the "Save selection as module" commands, you have to cut/paste from one file to the other, then create a new hotlink yourself.
Isn't it easier to just create a view set with views for each module, and use Publisher to create all MOD files in one step?

Karl

I'm not sure WHAT I was trying to say back then, but yes, a single PLN publishing to MOD is what we're doing now.

Re: Module files

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 14:25:45 GMT

Karl wrote:
Jay wrote:
And another question...

I see that there is supposed to be a 2DL extension. It sounds to me like this would be the perfect format for simple 2D details -- small and easy. However, there is no way that I can find to save to this format. What am I missing? Is this worth pursuing?
Actually, MOD is small and easy (too). Just create a Publisher set for the 2D details and publish them to MOD files for use elsewhere.

But does it really elliminate ALL unused layers/linetypes/etc.? That's where the confusion lies -- at least for me.

Re: Module files

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 19:34:03 GMT

Jay wrote:
But does it really elliminate ALL unused layers/linetypes/etc.? That's where the confusion lies -- at least for me.

Yes (well, AFAIK) ... as Matthew and Tom say below ... a MOD files only contains the attributes for the elements contained in the file.

You can infer this relatively easily ... in Attribute Manager, select all and save as an AAT file. Then, select just a wall, say, and save selected as module. Granted very different file formats, but the AAT will be much bigger, even if you zip both.

Karl