Back saving file from 25 to 20.

[AdrianT]

Good morning! 

I'll go straight to the point, the office I work in has mostly Archicad 20 licences. Two new employees got Archicad 25 license. Is there a way for them to back save their files so the rest of us can open? I thought Archive file type would work but I keep getting "Cannot read plan file" Error message whilst opening it. 

I believe the person who purchased the licences has been told that it will be possible to back save in order for all of us to be able to work on the same files.

Thanks for any help! 

A

[vistasp]

You can only save back one version at a time (25 to 24, then 24 to 23 etc.), so you will have to install all the in-between versions. Note that you will lose newer features which were added to Archicad along the way, and there is a very good chance you will face errors with library parts too. This process will have to be repeated every time a file is saved in the newer version.

[Ahmed_K]

this would be a very loooong trip across archciad versions 

[vistasp]

It is, and that is only one of the reasons I would avoid it.

Besides, if you are going to lose the features introduced after v. 20, why bother working in the newer version anyway.

[Eduardo Rolon · Accepted solution]

FYI, the ones who bought AC25 can install AC20 so everyone can work in the same version without having to back save.

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

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@Eduardo Rolon wrote:

FYI, the ones who bought AC25 can install AC20 so everyone can work in the same version without having to back save.

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Absolutely, the others need to use version 20.

Otherwise as soon as they open a backsaved 20 file in 25 again and save it, you will have to backsave through all the versions again if someone needs to open it in 20 once more.

You all need to work on the same version - old or new.

Barry.

[AdrianT]

Thank you everyone - my boss was told by the license seller that they would be compatible. They didn't mention that they mean by purchasing 25 version license you can install the 20 version too. 

We will now use the new licences to just install the older versions and save us from having to upgrade all.

Thank you for all your help!

Adrian

[Eduardo Rolon]

Actually your reseller is correct, they are compatible, since you can open an AC20 file in 25 and backside it one version at the time backwards. He just failed to mention the other option.

😉