topic Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file in Libraries & objects

Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file?

Anonymous — Wed, 24 May 2023 10:38:22 GMT

I`ve opened a standard door/window, edited all the parameters to suit my application & want to save this door/window with my settings as a separate GDL in a desired folder(not as a favorite or embedded library)

When i`ve tried to save the object I keep losing all my settings

If someone could please let me know if this is possible & an easy way to do it?

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Anonymous — Thu, 20 May 2010 02:09:21 GMT

dan wrote:
I`ve opened a standard door/window, edited all the parameters to suit my application & want to save this door/window with my settings as a separate GDL in a desired folder(not as a favorite or embedded library)

When i`ve tried to save the object I keep losing all my settings

If someone could please let me know if this is possible & an easy way to do it?

I suggest you dont head down this track but rather use favourites. These can be setup much more easily and readily changed.

However if you still want to change the library part there should be no problem opening the object and saving it as a with a different name. This should apply easily to an Graphisoft developed object but some third party developers restrict this from happening.

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Anonymous — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:22:00 GMT

Mark wrote:
dan wrote:
I`ve opened a standard door/window, edited all the parameters to suit my application & want to save this door/window with my settings as a separate GDL in a desired folder(not as a favorite or embedded library)

When i`ve tried to save the object I keep losing all my settings

If someone could please let me know if this is possible & an easy way to do it?
I suggest you don't head down this track but rather use favorites. These can be setup much more easily and readily changed.

However if you still want to change the library part there should be no problem opening the object and saving it as a with a different name. This should apply easily to an Graphisoft developed object but some third party developers restrict this from happening.

Thanks for your reply Mark, I`ve been reluctant to go down the favorites route due to the very large number of items that we have & the time it takes to scan through the list to find the item required.

This may sound a bit crazy or backwards – but in the past with my template I’ve had all the items (including walls with every window/door we use positioned on the wall, slabs, fills, roof, beams, gutters etc etc) sitting on the storey just to the side of where I’m producing my model & simply eye dropping or copying each item into my model as required. Then when the model/drawings are complete this is all deleted, so as not to affect my schemes/schedules.....hence to why I was hoping to save each item with my preferred settings as an individual GDL file in a company folder (separate to the Archicad libraries) As I’ve found with each upgrade version I’ve had problems with duplicates & changes to libraries. With an upgrade I can keep the latest library`s & copy my company folder across & have no conflictions.

As you suggested I`ve decided to set up the favorites to do a trial to see if it is more or less efficient to produce the model. What I’m finding is that it would be quicker if I could set up subfolders within the favorites pallet but I can`t seem to be able to this......for example for my windows I would like subfolders to split up the windows with titles like “250 brickwork windows” & “90mm timber frame windows” for instance. This way I can quickly click on the subfolder & all the similar items are grouped together & not all in one large list showing every window – does this make sense?

Any advice, direction or rebuke would be kindly appreciated 

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Anonymous — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:38:14 GMT

Yes, this is a drawback of favourites. I also want this feature but unfortunately Graphisoft are yet to take note or implement.

Some others do exactly what you are suggesting, set all the parameters how you like and then place on the floor plan. I think the MasterTemplate works like this. So it not such a bad idea particularly if you want to create many different saved settings. I started to go down this path once but did not have the time provided to me by management to implement. My idea was to create a storey called favourites that was common to every file. Then create a separate PLN file, setup all the saved windows, walls, columsn, ect and place on the floor plan with descriptions. Then hotlink onto this storey in the template using a master layer called favourites that would usually be turned off by accesed via view when needed. This way every file would have this hotlink and could be easily updated any any time by editing the separate file. You wouldnt need to resave the objects this way.

For us favourites works well because we dont try and setup every single different type but just setup the main ones and then get people to edit these with more specific parameters as needed.

I hope we get subfolders in favourites one day!

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Anonymous — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:05:34 GMT

Ahhh bummer

We are a custom residential builder with in-house design - hence the vast amount of specific of items I require to be readily accessible, because we are also the builders we use set suppliers/products etc etc.

I`ve used my template with items to the side in the model successfully for two years now (against Graphisoft`s recommendation ) but with each upgrade it causes conflicts & duplicates as my objects come from about 5 different libraries - by saving & separating them into a folder I hope to overcome this - But haven`t been able to do so as I keep losing my user settings when I save the item as a separate GDL.

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Erika Epstein — Fri, 21 May 2010 05:05:03 GMT

Mark wrote:
For us favourites works well because we dont try and setup every single different type but just setup the main ones and then get people to edit these with more specific parameters as needed.

I hope we get subfolders in favourites one day!

I take the same approach as Mark. No need to have every possible variation saved as a favorite. LIke everyone I await the ability to have folders in favorites.

Some prefer Visual Favorites;placed instances off to the side. As favorites can sometimes not behave, a combination of the two approaches can be a balanced solution.

If you do want to go this route, set up a file that is a basis for a visual favorites module. With this approach dan-the-drafty can keep the one file updated and then placed modules can in turn be updated. You can also break it up so there are separate modules for different kinds of areas/buildings.

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Brett Brown — Fri, 21 May 2010 05:27:13 GMT

Erika wrote:
Some prefer Visual Favorites

Unfortunately GS stuffed up the advantage of Eric's Visual Favorites system when they inexplicitly stopped the action of Alt-clicking on your preferred placement node of the object. Lets hope that this is something to look forward to in 14 at least. Anyone can confirm it's back?

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Anonymous — Fri, 21 May 2010 05:29:54 GMT

Cant remember where I got this on the forum, or who the author was and
it is old, but concept is somewhat like folders.

“Begin by calling up the favorites window and deleting all but one

of the items in the list. Then click on the little arrow to the right of

"Name" at the top of the Favorites window and choose "Save

Favorites", name it something like "Start" and save it to your

Favorites directory. You will load this favorite every time you

want to create a new pallet because there is no menu item to create

an empty pallet and ArchiCAD will not let you Save an empty pallet

So when you create a new pallet you load this favorite, add all the

elements you wish to it (for example, all sizes of a certain type of

window made by a particular manufacturer), then delete the one

object and choose "Save Favorites" name it, for example, Pella

Wood Casements, and save it to your Favorites directory

Keep in mind that you can only have one favorites window open at

a time. So if you have finished placing windows, say, and you now

want to do an electrical plan, you would choose "Load Favorites"

and get the Electrical favorites. You will get a dialogue box asking

if you wish to merge or replace the current favorites and in most

cases you will just choose Replace”

Sorry if it's not relevant anymore or useful to you.

lec

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:49:44 GMT

Lec,

I think that was Link, at least 85% sure it was... Lacking folders, it seems the only way to organize Favorites, like so many features, one which has not been improved since it was introduced.

On the topic -

An advantage of Visual Favorites, beyond being visual, and beyond Erika's idea of letting a staff person maintain them ... is that as placed objects, they can (potentially be) updated to newer library versions via object-settings-parameter-transfer (or by GUID matching, if one is lucky). No upgrading is possible with standard Favorites - have to be recreated one by one.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 21 May 2010 20:53:55 GMT

Brett wrote:
Erika wrote:
Some prefer Visual Favorites

Unfortunately GS stuffed up the advantage of Eric's Visual Favorites system when they inexplicitly stopped the action of Alt-clicking on your preferred placement node of the object. Lets hope that this is something to look forward to in 14 at least. Anyone can confirm it's back?

Agree - a MAJOR step backwards in 13. Huge slowdown in modeling as a result of this. It is one thing when ArchiCAD development does not go forward at the rate and manner that we might wish - quite another when things move backwards.

Rumors are that this is not fixed in 14 ... I hope the rumors are wrong when we see a shipping product.

Karl

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Anonymous — Fri, 21 May 2010 21:25:22 GMT

I was an early purchaser of the excellent Master Template from Bobrow, but for me I found the visual favorites too distracting and never used that function.
But getting true transferable folder system for favorites would be way cool.
I hope dreaming is not illegal,
because I do it all the time.
lec

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

Frank Beister — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:02:44 GMT

I am working on a large zone stamp project, which will offer completely free line by line editing. So everyone COULD make its custom zone stamps in zone category menu, IF you could use the UI in this environment. SO you will have to define the stamp in a placed object and will have to export all parameters and to import in catgory defining menu. This export and import I will have to program in the script, because AC is unable to save the parameters. It will be a pain and will slow down editing process. Send to wishlist a long time ago.

Re: Saving user door/windows settings as a seperate GDL file

vistasp — Sun, 23 May 2010 05:21:54 GMT

lec1212 wrote:
Cant remember where I got this on the forum, or who the author was and it is old, but concept is somewhat like folders.

“Begin by calling up the favorites window and deleting all but one

...

It's here. 😉