Export xml of dwg translator

[Scott Bulmer]

Greetings. I have a few dwg translators for different consultants in AC19 that I would like to import into AC21. Other than copying the xml file from the User's path or rebuilding the translators from scratch in 21, is there a way to export the xml from the DWG Translator DB? Thank you, Scott

[Aaron Bourgoin]

I've tried this with AC 18 to 20 and had no problems.

I located the XML files of our translators and copied them into the Translators folder of the local installation.

They appear to work.

I've had no luck pointing ARCHICAD workstations to a common location. ARCHICAD behaves best when the translators are located on individual workstations.

Am I missing something?

[Scott Bulmer]

Thanks Aaron, that is what I did; just though it could be accomplished within AC which is not the case.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Guys,

I hope I remember correctly how this works:
I think if you copy them to the "<ARCHICAD Install Folder>\Defaults\DXF-DWG Translators" folder, then ARCHICAD will automatically copy them to their local locations the next time it starts and you activate the DXF-DWG Translation Setup Dialog.
I think the copying is performed at the moment you activate the DXF-DWG Translation Setup Dialog.

[Da3dalus]

Unfortunately, it doesn't automatically find the Translators, at least on Mac. It also doesn't work if you copy them directly into the support folder, where they are theoretically stored.

(on a Mac, it's the hidden folder <User>/Library/Application support/GRAPHISOFT/DXF-DWG Translators 21.0.0 USA)

The only way I know to share these it to hit the Browse button in the DXF-DWG Translation Setup dialog. Then it just creates a link. Here's the conundrum when you have multiple users:

1. If you link everyone in your office to the same network share (which we do), then they won't have access to the Translator when they're out and about on a laptop. Also, the network share must have read/write access (at least this used to be the case in AC19) or it won't work. Therefore, clumsy users could overwrite the file.

2. If you copy to your hard drive and link from there, it will be more stable, but if you use an external reference DWG "Template File" (recommended, under "Save Options") then it has to be re-pathed for every computer. Also, if an improvement is made, it won't update all machines.

I believe it will automatically install Translators if you create a Deployed Installation Package. But that seems like a bigger pain than just telling everyone where to find support files.