Send an Archicad file without proprietary items

[AKM-13]

Hi 

I was wondering if i could send a PLN file without my proprietary items (my own- library parts, element attributes, complex profiles) to a client. 

Thank you in advance 

[Botonis · Accepted solution]

If something is missing then your  client will not be able to see it properly on 2d views or 3d model.... Why don't you try and send it as a BIMX file,.....this way you protect the BIM information, your libraries and at the same time your client gets what he needs.... 

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

You can send them the .PLN file and this will not include any library parts.

If they do not have your library objects, they will appear as 'missing' in the file when they open it.

If you don't want them to have missing objects, then you will have to swap your objects out for the similar Archicad ones.

If you archive as a .PLA file and include library parts, they will get your objects, so it sounds like you don't want to do that.

Barry.

[AKM-13]

Hi Barry, 

I think this might be useful to others in the community, so I am posting it.

It's a reply from ChatGPT

1. **Purge Unused Elements**: Before sharing the file, go to "File" > "Libraries and Objects" > "Purge Unused" to remove any unused elements, including proprietary objects that are not actively used in the project.

EDIT ... There is no such command that I am aware of - Barry (moderator).

1. **Element Replacement**: Replace any proprietary objects with standard ArchiCAD objects or components that are included in the default libraries. This way, the proprietary items will be removed from the project.

Correct.

1. **BIMx Hyper-model**: If you want to share the model for visualization purposes, you can use the BIMx Hyper-model export option. This creates a lightweight, interactive 3D model that can be viewed on desktop or mobile devices, excluding any proprietary elements.

Correct.

1. **Export as IFC**: Another option is to export the project as an Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) file. IFC is an open file format used for exchanging BIM data between different software applications. During the export, you can choose to exclude certain elements, but keep in mind that some object information might be lost in the process.

Correct as far as I know.

1. **Manual Review**: Before sending the file, manually review your project and remove any proprietary objects that you can identify. This may involve replacing them with generic objects or deleting them if they are not crucial to the design.

Same as first point, you are just doing it manually, which is all you can do.

Remember that the effectiveness of these methods may vary depending on the complexity of the project and the specific proprietary items used. Always make sure to keep a backup of the original project before making any changes.

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

@AKM-13 ,

Please be careful when quoting anything from ChatGPT (or any AI chat-bot).

It really is just guessing answers based on what it has learnt or what it thinks should happen.

For example the first point in your post above.

You can purge unused attributes in the Attribute Manager, but as far as I am aware there is no purge for unused library parts.

If they aren't used, then they aren't in the model, unless they are in the Embedded Library.

The embedded library will tell you how many object instances you have placed, but you must delete any unused object manually.

See my edits in your post.

Barry.

[AKM-13]

Thank you, Barry

You are right about being careful with chat-bots. They give answers, using fuzzy logic, that sometimes turns out to be untrue, and then they apologize...

Thank you very much for your help on this

Apostolos

[Botonis]

The kind of export that @AKM-13  wants is not limited to just excluding library parts but also excludes custom profiles, attributes etc so start replacing these might take a lot of time.... 

[AKM-13]

Thank you, still working on it. I will try to come up with a process of eliminating all personal items.